UK Flag A good milk supply for your baby

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I firmly believe that no mother should be told that she does not produce enough milk to breastfeed her baby. With the correct support and advice from an early stage there should be few, if any, mothers who truely do not produce enough milk to sustain their baby healthily... however even these mothers CAN STILL BREASTFEED.....

As a young woman my mum taught african girls in Tanzania, and this story comes from her own personal experience of a breastfeeding mother in real hardship: "There was a young couple who were having their first baby, but they were under-nourished and it was a miricle that the woman even managed to take her pregnancy to full term and give birth to a healthy baby. The mother knew that breastfeeding was the only safe option for her child, in a town where there was no fresh safe drinking water. Although she was hardly able to keep herself going, let along produce enough milk to keep her child going too, she was determined to feed her much wanted baby, and give it the best chance in life she could. In the end she breastfed the baby with the help of her own mother: The grandmother had finished breastfeeding her youngest child only three or four years earlier, and was able to relactate - producing enough milk to suppliment her daughter's own milk. The baby survived, and thrived, on the milk that mother and grandmother could produce between them."

Although neither of the women in the story were able to produce enough milk to support the baby alone, I believe this illustrates that ANYONE can breastfeed if they are determined!... even if, in some cases, a suppliment is necessary.



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The keys to a good milk supply

  • CONFIDENCE: you must beleive that you can do it!
  • GOOD POSITIONING: the baby must be latched on well to be able to take your milk, and stimulate your body to produce more
  • FEED OFTEN: feed your baby whenever he is hungry, and this will stimulate your milk supply
  • TIME: don't limit a feed, or move your baby onto the second breast before he is ready, to stimulate your body he must spend enough time feeding.
  • DRINK PLENTY: you need extra fluids when breastfeeding, try to drink as much as you can, and it is helpful to have a glass of something ready for when you feed as you may feel especially thirsty then.
  • REST AND RELAXATION: take it easy... makeing milk is hard work, and try to relax as your milk will be more readily available when you are clam
  • EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY: although breastfeeding only takes a few hundred extra calories a day, this is not a time to diet, try to follow what your body is telling you and eat plenty of nutritious food


Certain other factors can affect your milk supply, and if you are still having difficulties after checking the above list, then contact a breastfeeding counciller. Watch out for giving top up feeds and dummies as these reduce the time your baby is latched on, and consequently your milk supply. ONLY give supplimentary feeds under supervision from a doctor or health visitor AND a breastfeeding expert. Certain drugs, including contraceptives and cigarettes, can play a part in a reduced milk supply, as can items such as nipple shields. I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH the importance of seeking qualified help if you feel that breastfeeding isn't working out because you are not making enough milk. Even if there is a genuine problem, in many cases your supply is NOT THE CAUSE!





Warning signs... and false alarms

The things to watch our for in a breastfed baby are.....
  • Failure to gain weight over more than a week (newborn) or over a month (14 weeks +)
  • Failure to produce plenty of really wet nappies: this can be difficult to determine, especially when using modern "dry" disposables, but you should feel that your baby is weeing at least eight times a day
  • Persistant vomitting
  • Excessive sleepiness, more than 20 hours a day and sleeping through the night would be unusal for a newborn
  • Green coloued poo, which indicates that your baby is not getting a good balance of fore and hind milk


If you are worried and your baby is suffering from any of the above seek medical advice, but also get in touch with your breastfeeding counciller because you WILL be able to work around your problems!







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