If you are a mother who is breastfeeding then you might often worry whether you are producing sufficient breast milk or not. If your baby is healthy and growing well then you are mostly doing fine. But sometimes, hormonal imbalances and insufficient breast stimulation can lead to a low breast milk supply. Worry not, there are many ways through which you can increase breast milk. Let’s find out what are the ways through which you can naturally increase breast milk production.
- Stay Hydrated and Take a Nutritious Diet
Add whole grains, fruits, vegetables, pulses, and nutritious rich foods to your diet. This will help you to maintain overall health and increase breast milk production. Your body can’t produce more breast milk if you are dehydrated so also keep your body hydrated. You can also consume water-rich foods like oranges, watermelon, cucumbers, and more. Also, avoid excessive caffeinated drinks during breastfeeding because they can cause the baby to have trouble sleeping.
- Take Less Stress and Focus on Adequate Sleep
High levels of certain hormones such as cortisol can reduce your milk supply. Getting proper sleep and take help of stress reduction activities like meditation, listening to songs, and doing your hobbies can decrease stress. Get adequate sleep because it helps your body to recover from childbirth and gives a signal to your body to produce more breast milk. Lack of sleep can negatively impact your milk production that’s why prioritizing sleep is important for improving overall health.
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- Frequent Breastfeeding
According to researchers, newborn babies should breastfeed 8-12 times per day for about the first month. Breastfeeding helps to stimulate milk production and signal your body that more milk is needed. It is the most effective way to increase milk production and you should understand that each mother and baby’s breastfeeding pattern is different and it is perfectly normal.
- Use Breast Compression
You must pump breast milk regularly to keep adequate milk supplies. Pumping breast milk is important for every new mother, it helps in increasing milk supplies. You can visit the Best Gynaecologist Hospital in Lucknow to understand from your doctor about breast compression techniques. Breast compression includes squeezing and massaging the breast while pumping to help facilitate milk flow. Applying gentle pressure to the breast while you are feeding can encourage milk production.
- Proper Positioning During Breastfeeding
Most of the new mothers don’t know exactly which position is good while breastfeeding. Well, while breastfeeding you have to sit up straight in a comfortable chair with armrests then bring your baby across the front of your body. Try not to hold back your baby’s head so that they can tip their head back. Support the back of the baby’s head with your open hand. Hold your baby in the arm opposite the breast you’re feeding from the left arm for the right breast and the right arm for the left breast. Proper position while breastfeeding helps in enhancing breast milk production.
- Addition of Herbs to Your Diet
You should add herbs to your diet that help increase milk production. You can add garlic, ginger, alfalfa, fennel, spirulina, fennel, and fenugreek seeds to your diet. These foods help boost milk production. You also add oat milk to your diet because it helps in producing the milk. Oats are rich in beta-glucan which boosts lactation in women. Other than these foods these items you can also add barley which may increase breastmilk production.
It is rich in beta-glucan-polysaccharide which has shown increased prolactin levels in women. Consult the doctor of the Best private hospital in Lucknow for a personalized diet plan through which you can increase milk production. Avoid taking medications or supplements without consulting your doctor.
- Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes
You may not realize but a healthy lifestyle can help in increasing breast milk production. Avoid smoking, taking birth control pills, and stress. Fatigue is also responsible for decreasing milk production. Try to manage a healthy lifestyle to enhance milk production. If you follow an unhealthy lifestyle schedule then it will surely impact your overall health and lactation.
Conclusion
Each mother and baby’s breastfeeding pattern is different and it is perfectly normal. With the help of a nutritious diet, breast compression, add herbs to your diet, and more to enhance milk production. Through the right lifestyle and after consulting your doctor you can stimulate milk production.
