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Lactation Tips
In a perfect world, your baby nurses by the book every two hours, goes to both breasts and your milk supply is bountiful. However, in the real world, this does not always happen. But don't despair! With a bit of motivation and time, you can increase your breast milk supply - and possibly even have a surplus! Read more below:
The first thing you need to do is make yourself find time to just sit and nurse. Even if you have more than one child, do this for both yourself and your baby. Drink lots and lots of bottled or filtered water every day. And believe it or not, eat more! Your body requires 500 additional calories a day to create an ample supply of milk for your baby. Don't avoid the extra food, worrying you will lose weight. Chances are that even with the extra calories, you will lose weight when nursing.
Stress can certainly hurt your plan to increase your supply. Having too much going on in the house can decrease the amount of time you spend nursing your baby. And if you have a high stress level, chances are you aren't drinking or eating enough.
Getting plenty of sleep may be a difficult task, but do what you can. The best thing you can do is allow the baby to nurse until he or she falls asleep, and then you take a nap at the same time. Always take care of the basics first when trying to increase your milk supply - sleep, food, stress level, time.
When you are working on milk supply, make sure your baby nurses every two hours. Yes, even wake up your baby to nurse! Offer your breast often during the day, even in-between feedings. Let your baby have his or her fill - then walk your baby around. Burp your baby while walking, and then offer the other breast after fifteen minutes. This will give your baby time to digest a bit and burp out the air so he or she can nurse some more.
If your baby falls asleep while nursing, undress your little one a bit and allow the baby's skin to touch yours. Open your shirt and take off your bra so the baby feels as much of your skin as possible. Keep a blanket draped over your baby to keep the chill off.
If your baby uses a pacifier or drinks from a bottle, try to stop both. Let your baby suck only on your nipples, stimulating more milk production. A wonderful way to increase your supply is to take a bit of a nursing vacation. Lounge around the house or lay in the bed with your baby and just nurse and nurse and nurse!
Nursing teas are available in many nutritional or health food stores. In addition to providing you with more fluids, these can help to stimulate milk production. Talk to your doctor about trying one of these special teas.
Finally, seek help if you are not getting the results you want. If you delivered at a hospital, there is probably a free lactation nurse on call 24 hours. You can also contact your local La Leche league to find out where meetings are near your house. And don't hesitate to ask around amongst your friends - those who have nursed probably have some wonderful tips that worked for them. Now Mom, pat yourself on the back. You are giving your baby the very best - your breast milk!
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First Signs of Pregnancy
- missed menstrual period
- nausea or upset stomach
- extreme fatigue or tiredness
- frequent urination
- tender breasts or soreness
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