low milk supply causes and REMEDIES

INTRODUCTION

If you are here because you are worried about your milk supply, there are ways to supplement without giving up breastfeeding altogether, while you get your milk supply on track. That said, I have been in various mothers’ groups over the years where mothers have commented that they've seen a lactation consultant with low milk supply concerns and have been advised to breastfeed, top up baby with previously expressed milk or formula, then pump for 20 minutes. I've heard these mothers criticise the lactation consultant for suggesting such a thing – “as if have time with a young baby for such a time-consuming routine!” So, I would like to preface this article by commenting that some solutions for low milk supply issues are time consuming and if you feel these methods are not for you, then you are an amazing Mum doing what is best for you and your baby.

SUPPLEMENTING WHILE GETTING YOUR MILK SUPPLY UP

Many babies start to quickly prefer the fast pace of the bottle. It also takes more effort to draw the milk from the breast than a bottle. Thirdly, breast feeding requires a different mouth action than bottle feeding. For this reason, I supplemented with a supplemental nursing system (SNS) while I tried to work on increasing my supply. I personally had low milk supply, so this was the option for me to maintain a breast feeding relationship while I worked on my supply issue. It was a fiddly learning curve in the first few days, but I soon had it down pat.

CAUSES OF LOW MILK SUPPLY

MILK SPPLY REGULATION

In the first weeks of breast feeding, your breasts may feel full often and you may leak milk between feeds or when bub cries for a feed. Then somewhere between 6 to 12 weeks, you no longer feel as engorged, you may no longer leak, and many mms worry that they are no longer making enough milk. This is known as regulation. In the first weeks, your milk supply is hormone driven. Then somewhere between 6 to 12 weeks, your milk supply changes to auto driven, making just enough to meet how much has been being removed. Some mothers have an abundance of milk in the first weeks in the hormone driven milk production stage, and therefore baby may only have quick feeds as the milk flows abundantly and baby gulps it down. Or exclusively pumping mums may not need to pump too often to produce enough milk to feed bub in this phase. Mums are then shocked that their supply suddenly decreases when regulation occurs. Therefore it is imperative to ensure that you are stimulating your breasts enough in the early weeks to ensure you do not have insufficient milk supply after regulation occurs.

If you are an exclusive pumper, try to pump at least every 3 hours for 20 minutes – and do not skip night time! A hormone called prolactin rises in response to breast feeding. The more often you pump or feed, the higher your resting prolactin levels will be. But overnight feeding/pumping is crucial. More prolactin is produced at night, so it is necessary to make sure to feed / pump regularly overnight in the early days, to ensure a higher resting prolactin level once your supply regulates to maintain your milk supply.

MEDICATION

A medication known as Domperidone (brand name Motilium) is available on prescription. Domperidone is the most effective medicine used to improve milk supply. It works y stimulating the release of prolactin, which in turn, stimulates breast milk production. You can chat with your doctor about getting a blood test to test your resting prolactin levels and if low, if this medication is right for you.

PCOS

Women with PCOS often have less periods during puberty, which can interrupt breastfeeding development, later impacting their ability to produce breast milk. .PCOS can also cause low milk supply due to lack of prolactin. Or PCOS can cause oversupply. Various treatments can help to increase milk supply including metformin, inositol and domperidone mentioned above. Some women report the use of herbs and supplements have helped to overcome low milk supply. These include

- Goats rue

- Back seed oil

- Fennel

- Saw palmetto

- Cinnamon

- Malunggay

- Resveratrol

- Magnesium

- Chromium

- Calciumi

INSUFFICIENT GLANDULAR TISSUE

Glandular tissue is the milk-making tissue in the breast and a small percentage of women don’t have enough of it. How can you tell if you have insufficient glandular tissue? Generally, the size of your breasts doesn’t affect how much milk you can make. The size of the breast is determined by the amount of fatty tissue in the breast-the larger the breast the more fatty tissue. It’s often the breast shape and asymmetry that suggests IGT. If you have several of the following physical signs together, you may have a higher risk of milk supply problems due to IGT

- More than 4cm flat space between breasts

- One breast naturally much larger than the other

- Tubular shaped breasts – the breast has a narrow base and a long, rather than round shape.

- Overly large and bulbous areolae – as if they are a separate structure attached to the breast

- No breast changes in pregnancy, after birth, or both.

If you have IGT, it is important to talk to a lactation consultant about your goals. Any amount of breastmilk is precious ad valuable to your baby. You can make a plan that suits your needs and still have a fulfilling breastfeeding relationship, such as with a supply line to supplement at the breast. In fact, finding ways to have a successful breast feeding relationship will increase your milk supply for any future babies. This is because more glandular tissue is made with each pregnancy and breastfeeding experience.

DIABETES

Pregnant women who have diabetes are more likely to have a lower milk supply for breastfeeding, according to new research. The study showed that women with diabetes were around 2.4 times more likely to have milk supply problems. That said, the study found that 6.2% of the normal milk supply group had diabetes. So don’t panic! Keeping your blood glucose levels stable is important, as poor diabetes control can affect your ability to produce milk. Moringa, goats rue, milk thistle, nettle leaf, coriander seed and dandelion are galactagogues that are best for those with diabetes. These galactagogues have anti-diabetic properties and can often help.

Breastfeeding does not have to be all or nothing. When discussing lactation, the health benefits of human milk often get top billing. But nursing gives children much more than calories. Nursing provides sensory stimulation that enhances infant neurodevelopment. The sucking of nursing calms and comforts little ones during fussy periods and meltdowns Nursing can create a closer emotional bond with a lasting positive impact on physical and mental health in both parents and children that continues beyond infancy. I had low milk supply with my first bub. I used the supplemental nursing system to nurse him at the breast with donor milk until he was 14 months old and I can honestly say I had a rewarding breastfeeding experience and am grateful he started life with the benefits of skin-to-skin contact and an emotional connection with me.