To Help & To Hurt Milk Supply

Note: Most women do not have to do anything to “help” their milk supply and can get away with any number of the things on the “to hurt” list. This list is just a reference point for people that want to know what could possibly damage their milk supply, and/or what can help to bring it back.

TO HELP:

1- Be careful of fluid consuption. Do not drink your liquids too quickly. if you drink 8-16oz of water in under 5-10 minutes you’re drinking too quickly. The fastest you should drink your water is 22oz over an hour. Invest in a good water bottle that has a straw. This makes it convenient to keep large amounts of water at your desk, but inconvenient to drink too much at once. (Basically it forces you to drink your water the way a baby drinks your breastmilk – you have to work for it.)

2- Try adding 16oz of an electrolyte drink per 32 or 64oz of water. I like the water of a green coconut such as that made by O.N.E or Vita. These brands are unsweetened and very yummy. Vita mixes it with other fruit juices like the tangerine. O.N.E. serves it straight up. Gatorade is fine, but not as healthy. this is not coconut milk, this is coconut water. They’re different.

3- Make oatmeal a daily meal. Instant oats are OK if they’re the only form of oats you have time for. I’d suggest that you get some steel cut oats and cook a large batch once every few days (it takes a half hour to cook). then you can re-heat this in the microwave at work or home. If you can, eat this with oat milk (you can get it at the health food store) for maximum benefits. Make oatmeal cookies! You can also make “lactation smoothies”, there are many recipes available for lactation-boosting smoothies available online.

3- Fenugreen and Blessed Thistle can help increase your milk supply when taken together. You should be taking the fenugreen until you smell like maple syrup, and then you can back off of the fenugreek slightly as long as your milk supply stays stable. You can also drink mother’s milk tea or other milk-enhancing teas.

4- Breast massage and breast compressions can increase the amount you are able to pump per session. For a few minutes before pumping, massage your chest starting at the shoulderblade and working downwards toward your nipple. Massage all around under and over your breast, down your ribcage. Then pump. While pumping compress your breast rhythmically opposite the suction, then rhythmically WITH the suction. Then compress and hold at different angles working your way around the breast. Tilt the pump at different angles too. Sometimes this helps empty ducts more thoroughly. You can also apply a hot wet washcloth to your breasts for a minute or so before pumping, this can help increase output.

5- Try listening to a relaxing piece of music while you nurse your child (if you’re nursing) or when you’re near your child having intimate close time. Listen to the same music while pumping at work. Try thinking about your child while you pump. For some it helps to have a picture of their child, or think about a time when your child was particularly vulnurable. For ME it helps to ignore the fact that I’m pumping for my child and just become engrossed in a non-baby-related task. I personally find that I resent the hell out of the pump and if I remember that I’m pumping so as to be away from my kid while someone else feeds him my milk from a bottle, I become furious and grouchy. Even though I was committed to not feeding him formula I had serious resentment issues toward the pump.

6- Have your child suck at your breast as frequently as possible. If you cannot have your child suck at the breast for some reason (cleft palate, severe latch issues that have resisted all attempts at remedy, or other un-fixable or temporarily necessary reasons) you can use a supplemental nursing system to allow your child to stimulate your breast while drinking your pumped milk or formula supplement. If you are unable to have your child at your breast due to work situations or if you’re taking a short bout of chemotherapy and pumping and dumping…. Hold your child near your breast while you pump and see if that increases output at all. If you’re pumping to build a supply for work or to donate, it can really help your output if your child is sucking at your non-pumping breast.

7- Pump more frequently. Pump every 2 hours when you’re home and awake, wake up to pump in the middle of the night at least every 4-6 hours until your child is 6mos old (this mimics the child’s natural nursing patterns at night, and helps lock in your milk supply. Your milk is also more likely to be gushing at night.)

8- Note when your milk supply is at its highest and try to pump more frequently then. My milk supply is great at about 1AM to about 3PM, then it dips to nothing at 3PM to 9PM, then bounces back a bit. If I nurse during the downtime I’m fine, but if I try to pump I’ll get one or two drops. Even if I haven’t nursed or pumped for hours. You should still pump during this time to stimulate your breasts (stimulation enhances supply) but don’t expect to even get an ounce. Pump 15 minutes but be happy if you get a half ounce. During the times when your supply is BETTER, try pumping every 15 minutes for one or two hours of the really rockin’ supply time. More milk out = more milk produced.

9- Try a few different breast pumps if you can. The Medela Pump in Style or another hospital-grade pump is a MUST if you’re pumping long-term or trying to maintain or increase supply, but as with all things in life we frequently do best with some cross-training. I’d recommend pumping for 5 minutes after your Melela-or-other pumping session with a manual pump such as the Avent Isis hand-held pump.

10- Try pumping in the bath or shower (using a non-electric non-battery operated pump such as the Avent Isis) The warmth and relaxation of a bath can help tremendously. This is also great at helping you get rid of clogged ducts or mastitis.

11- Make sure that you’re taking a prenatal vitamin, and if you’re prone to anemia (or even feeling lethargic or weak) try adding in some iron in the form of blackstrap molasses. These are DELICIOUS mixed in with oatmeal btw.

TO HURT your milk supply:

1- Birth control can equal supply death. If you HAVE to take it, take the mini pill. Preferably avoid hormonal birth control altogether. No Depo Provera, no IUI with hormones (such as mirena) no pill or minipill, no ring, no patch, no implant.

2- Pregnancy can equal supply death. If you become pregnant try to wait until 6mos after establishing supply (9mos). This makes it more likely you’ll be able to meet the one year minimum of breastfeeding before pregnancy is likely to impact your supply.

3- Caffeine can equal supply death. Caffeine is a diuretic which causes fluids to be flushed out in the urine. Caffeine can be in many things such as over the counter painkillers (pamprin, excedrin), coffee, chocolate, energy drinks, tea, etc. It’s even in decaf coffee to some extent.

4- Too much or too little salt intake. Moderate salt intake is fine.

5- Too much weight loss. Ideally it should take 9mos to lose your pregnancy weight and you should keep 10lbs over your pre-pregnancy weight on while breastfeeding. If you go on a crash diet or lose more than this it CAN interfere with your milk supply.

6- Using a bad pump or a pump that does not fit your breasts properly can damage milk supply. If possible, have a lactation consultant evaluate your pump’s “latch”. Make sure that your nipple is NOT creeping up the side like a flattened out slug. It should be dead center of the straight part of the flange and the nipple itself should not be touching anything. Only the areola should touch anything. Pumping should be painless. If it’s painful, it means something is wrong. You can also make the pumping experience more pleasant by lubricating the flange with either breastmilk or bottled water. (Do not use spit or tap water.)

7- Allergy pills and antihistimines can be deadly for your supply. Be careful with sudafed, claritin, benadryl, etc. If a medicine makes your mouth feel dry or dries up your sinuses, chances are it will wreak havoc on your milk supply as well. Try a neti pot, or simply deal with sneezing for a season.

There are many more ways to increase/decrease supply. Feel free to share those methods here!