Why is there not enough milk after childbirth? Hyperlactation: Good or Bad? Causes of a lack of milk in the postpartum period

19.06.2019

Breast milk is the most valuable food for a newborn baby. Only with natural feeding can a baby receive all the necessary substances that will ensure his proper development and good health. However, many young mothers may face a lack of milk or a lack of it in the early days. Why there is no milk or not enough milk, and what needs to be done, we ask the breastfeeding consultants.

Expert opinion

It is not uncommon for breastfeeding professionals to confront the concerns of young mothers about not having enough milk. Women come for a consultation with one question, what to do if there is no milk after childbirth. Usually this question arises in women who first become a mother. Women often panic in vain, because the process of establishing lactation takes a certain time, and in the first days after giving birth, there is still no milk in the mammary glands. It appears later.

It seems to women that they have too little milk, that the child is not eating enough, but nature has worried about this. The female body produces milk exactly as much as the baby eats in one feeding. When the baby eats more, and so much milk will be produced so that he can eat.

The first days after the birth of a child

In the first 3-5 days, many women do not produce milk at all. During this period, colostrum is excreted from the mammary glands. This transparent, slightly yellowish liquid contains all the substances necessary for a newborn baby. The composition of colostrum is so invaluable that it is these first drops of nutrition that can form the immunity of the baby and prepare its digestive system for subsequent feeding with milk.

However, the process of establishing lactation may take a little longer. If there is still no milk 5 days after giving birth, you can help your body a little. In this case, the first and often most effective method is to frequently latch on the baby to the breast.

The more often you offer the breast to your baby, the more milk will be produced.

If, despite frequent latching, little milk is produced, you need to reconsider your lifestyle. A young mother should rest as much as possible and eat right. In the past, experts advised expressing the breast after each feed. Today, doctors try to avoid this practice. Expression interferes with the establishment of correct lactation. Expressing your breasts can lead to increased milk production, and there is a good chance you will have to do this procedure for a long time. In addition, with manual expression, it is very easy to damage the mammary glands, which threatens the development of an inflammatory process.

The problem with a lack of breast milk is familiar to many mothers during the breastfeeding period. Someone has little breast milk from the very beginning of breastfeeding. For some, its amount decreases periodically during periods of lactation crises. And for some, it almost disappears at some point due to stress or a violation of the regime. It happens that the problem is generally far-fetched, and it just seems to mom that she does not have enough milk. In each of these cases, it is necessary to act in different ways.

Not enough milk? Need to check

The main reason for the transition of children to artificial feeding is hypogalactia, or, in ordinary language, a lack of breast milk. But according to research by doctors, in fact, only 3-4% of women have little milk. And even they can most often provide their baby with at least mixed feeding.

There are usually two situations:

it just seems to mom that there is not enough milk;
the amount of milk actually decreased due to improperly organized breastfeeding, too high load on the breastfeeding mother or stress.

So the first thing to do is determine if milk is really low. There are some simple methods for this.

If a small child under 6 months gains less than 125 g per week, then this means that he really does not have enough nutrition.
The kid should urinate at least 12 times a day. This can be verified by counting wet diapers. A sleeping child should be checked every 20-30 minutes so as not to miss a pee. Better to start in the morning. And if the baby has wetted 10 diapers in 12 hours, then you can no longer count. Everything is good. If there were 7-8 peeses, then you will have to continue counting.
Since almost everyone now uses disposable diapers, it is quite possible to weigh them to determine the amount of sucked milk. To do this, you need to fold all the diapers per day in a bag and weigh it. Place the same number of dry diapers in another bag. The difference will be the amount of urine per day, which should be at least 360 ml, i.e. about 30 ml per pee.

Previously, the method of weighing the baby before and after feeding was used. Now it is considered uninformative and it is not recommended to use it.

There is no point in worrying if:

the breast has stopped filling, which means that mature lactation has come;
not enough milk is expressed, a healthy baby sucks more effectively than a breast pump;
the child very often asks for breast, for him sucking is not only food, but also communication.

What and why should you do to get enough milk?

If it turns out that there is really little milk, then you do not need to immediately buy the mixture. Once you start feeding, it is very easy to transfer your baby to fully artificial feeding. It is necessary to try to increase the amount of breast milk and increase the effectiveness of sucking in the baby.

To do this, you need to fulfill several conditions:

Breastfeeding is essential in the family. Otherwise, at the first problem, the young mother will be so worn out that the amount of milk will actually decrease. To do this, during pregnancy, it is necessary to prepare those closest to the fact that the baby will eat exclusively breast milk in the first months, and the mother will need help and support. We need to explain to everyone why this is so important. It is better not to communicate with relatives and friends who do not support breastfeeding for a while, or at least not to discuss the topic of hepatitis B. Naturally, we believe that the mother herself wants to breastfeed.
While the GW is being established, the little one needs to be fed on demand, i.e. give him the breast as soon as he wants, and let him suck until the baby drops the breast himself. The more the breast is stimulated and emptied, the more milk it produces. Feedings during this period should be at least 12 per day. Lots of feeds - lots of milk.
It is necessary to master the correct attachment to the chest. The pose can be any, the main thing is that both mom and baby are comfortable. But at the same time, the baby's knees and nose should look in one direction, i.e. the head must not be turned. The tummy is pressed against mom. The child should cover almost the entire areola. His mouth should be wide open and the lower lip turned out. There should be no extraneous sounds. Mom shouldn't be in pain.
The baby should only suck at the breast. If you have to supplement, then you need to do it with a spoon, cup, syringe or breastfeeding system. It is convenient to use special soft spoons. There should be no room for a dummy in a baby's life. If he is used to falling asleep and calming down with a nipple, then it should be replaced with a breast. The more it is stimulated, the more milk it contains.
The child should not be drunk. He should drink breast milk, not water.
Be sure to apply the baby to the breast in the early morning. This allows you to stimulate the production of the hormone prolactin, and therefore lactation.
Mom should eat right and drink enough fluids. It is imperative to eat hot food 3 times a day, and three more times it is easy to snack.
You can drink any warm liquid just before and during feeding. This will not increase the amount of milk, but will make it easier for the baby to suck.
A nursing woman needs rest and sleep. This is where relatives should help. After all, if you feed it day and night, you will have to sleep with your baby during the day. Someone at this time must do household chores.
Thinking about breastfeeding, and indeed about everything, should be positive. In a nervous, anxious mother who constantly thinks that she does not have enough milk, the release of oxytocin is suppressed by stress hormones. This means that milk will actually be less and less.

Nesting method

For lactation, you can try the nesting method. In this case, the mother spends 2-3 days in bed with the child. It is advisable that she be dressed in a thin shirt, and only a diaper on the small one to ensure constant skin-to-skin contact. The baby suckles as much as he wants. This is a very good method to restore physical and emotional contact between mother and child, and to establish lactation, but it requires help from someone close. On these days someone has to take care of mom and home.

If a baby is born weak or premature, then he may not have the strength to suck milk from his mother, even if there is enough of it. In this case, the woman will have to pump for some time in order to feed the baby. But, if the condition of the child allows, it is better not to use a pacifier and a bottle. As soon as the baby gets stronger, he will be able to suck out the amount of milk he needs.

Lactation crises

It often happens that at some point, the child suddenly has little milk, although before that there were no signs of shortage. Such moments are called lactation crises. They are usually associated with a child's growth spurt. Those. the amount of milk does not decrease. It's just that the baby begins to grow sharply, and he needs more milk. Mom's breasts do not have time to adapt so quickly to the needs of the baby. It takes 2 to 7 days for her to increase the amount of milk according to the baby's needs. That is why there is a temporary shortage of milk.

Lactation crises usually occur at 3-6 weeks, as well as at 3.6 and 12 months, but each child is different. During a crisis, the baby begins to be capricious, hang on his chest for a long time, ask her more often. The child is crying and obviously not full.

Another common cause of lactation crises is the psychological state of the mother. Constant fatigue, chronic lack of sleep, lack of communication, inability to devote enough time to yourself lead to a constant bad mood. He is especially spoiled by the lack of understanding and help from loved ones.

During a lactation crisis, the child should not be supplemented. A healthy baby is quite able to cope with a temporary lack of milk for several days. But if you give a mixture, then you can easily make it out of a baby by an artificial. Supplementation reduces the time a baby sucks, which means less milk is produced. The baby must increase the amount of milk by himself, which he does when "hanging" on the breast.

Drugs that increase lactation

If it is found that there is really little milk, then you can try to increase its amount with herbs and medicines. Usually seeds of fennel, anise, dill, Apilak, Lactatosan are used for this. Some people benefit from a breast massage with special oils for the breast during lactation. They contain essential oils of anise or fennel.

For mothers from the risk group, the use of special food is justified already during pregnancy. This includes women who have had feeding problems with a previous child. The same funds can be used by mothers who have milk slowly after childbirth. Just do not forget about the basic rules of successful breastfeeding, and medications should be used together with them, and not instead of them.

Lactogonic products are: nuts, especially walnuts, fatty fish, cheese, ginger, lingonberries, honey, royal jelly, bee bread. But, unfortunately, most of them with a high degree of probability provoke allergies, you cannot eat a lot of them. In this case, you need to very carefully monitor the child's skin and stool. At the slightest sign of an allergic reaction, you need to stop eating dangerous foods.

Here are some medicines that can increase the amount of breast milk:

Femilak. It can be used already during pregnancy. Improves the health of the expectant mother. In nursing, it enhances lactation. Contains milk protein and taurine.
Mom thought plus. Increases the amount of milk, and is also used to prevent osteoporosis and caries.
Lactogon. Contains royal jelly, as well as herbs that stimulate lactation: dill, ginger, carrot, oregano, nettle. May cause allergic reactions in children and mothers who are sensitive to bee products.
Apilactin. Contains royal jelly and pollen. Can be used immediately after childbirth by women at risk. But, just like Lactogon, it can cause allergies.
Milky Way. Contains galega extract. Well tolerated, specially formulated for nursing. Women at risk can use it immediately after childbirth. And the rest during periods of lactation crises.
Mlekoin. Homeopathic medicine that you can drink during the entire period of breastfeeding.
Lactogonic teas. They are produced by various companies: Babushkino basket, Hipp, Fleur alpine and others. They are very good to drink warm before and during feeding. But you can also make homemade herbal teas from rose hips, cumin, anise, oregano, nettle, dill. They work no worse than industrial ones.

The problem of lack of breast milk is often far-fetched. Quite often there are situations when the mother thinks that there is not enough milk, and the child at the same time adds one and a half kilograms per month. But even if there is really little milk, in most cases you can cope with the problem by eliminating errors in the organization of GV and adjusting the mother's day regimen. And lactation crises can just wait out.

Almost every mother knows about the benefits of breastfeeding. In addition to the positive effect on the health of the baby and the woman, breastfeeding eliminates many financial and household problems, since you do not have to spend money on buying baby food, bottles, mixture warmers, etc., and mommy gets rid of the worries of sterilizing dishes for feeding and breeding formula, which is especially painful at night. But even knowing about all the benefits of breastfeeding and having the attitude to long-term breastfeeding, no one is safe from the fact that problems with lactation may arise. In order to be ready and feed the baby with breast milk for as long as the mother wants, you need to know the peculiarities of its appearance, the reasons for the absence or insufficient milk production and ways of establishing lactation.

When breast milk comes

Throughout the entire period of pregnancy, the mammary glands of a woman are preparing to fulfill their main purpose. Namely, to feeding a baby with breast milk. The breast of the expectant mother begins to increase in size, in the last months colostrum, which is the primary milk, may even be released. Immediately after giving birth, the baby feeds on colostrum. Its benefit in the formation of immunity and health in general is difficult to overestimate, since it contains the maximum concentration of nutrients. At first glance, it may seem that its amount is not enough to satisfy a newborn baby. But the high nutritional value and energy value of colostrum, even in small quantities, can satisfy the crumbs' hunger.

Some time after giving birth, real milk comes, which is called transitional milk. The timing of his arrival is individual and depends on many factors. Women who have given birth for the first time usually notice a later appearance of milk. On average, this happens 3-4 days after delivery. It is considered normal even if it came in a week.

Those women who have become a mother again most often experience a rush of milk a little earlier. It may appear as early as 2-3 days after the birth of the baby.

Mothers who gave birth by cesarean section feel about 5-6 days after the birth of the child. This deadline can be postponed 2 days earlier or later. All this is a variant of the norm.

Genetic factors also influence the arrival time of breast milk. If for women in the family milk came early, then with a high degree of probability it will arrive to the newly-made mother, too, earlier than to the rest.

The author of the article became a mother twice. The difference between the children was 13 years. Perhaps that is why the principle of the arrival of milk in a multiparous woman did not work. As with the first baby, milk arrived only 5 days after delivery. I suppose that since the time interval after the first birth was very long, the body did not remember the mechanism of lactation and therefore perceived this situation as the first time.

No less important in the timing of the appearance of breast milk is the first attachment to the breast. Ideally, the baby should be attached no later than 30 minutes after birth. This stimulates lactation and allows you to feel the arrival of milk a little earlier than with late lactation. But in some cases this cannot be done, for example, due to the poor health of the baby or mother. Therefore, if early attachment did not work out, you should not despair. It will be possible to attach the child later.

The time of arrival of breast milk is strongly influenced by the first attachment of the newborn to the breast.

Reasons for not having breast milk after childbirth

The fact that breast milk arrives a little later than the baby is born is explained by some scientists by the "wisdom" of nature. At the moment the baby is born, he and his mother face other challenges. First of all, the baby needs to adapt to the new food. And a small amount of colostrum at this moment is the ideal food for a newborn. Stress after childbirth also requires a lot of energy to recover, so a large flow of milk during this period is useless for either the child or the newly-made mom. Until the lactation mechanism starts "to the fullest" the baby and his mother learns to apply it correctly, so that later there will be no problems with the volume of milk that will appear later.

Don't worry if colostrum hasn't appeared before delivery. For many women, it appears only after the baby is born. Lack of colostrum for 2-3 days after giving birth should also not be a cause for panic. For most women, it comes sooner or later.

The complete absence of milk after childbirth and the inability to produce it is called agalactia and is quite rare (no more than 3% of women). Most mothers who have difficulty in breastfeeding are faced with hypolactia, a condition of insufficient production of breast milk, when its amount does not meet the needs of the baby.

Agalactia and hypolactia can be caused by:

Breast underdevelopment. Large breasts in a fat woman often masks this problem, since its volume is compensated by adipose tissue.
Atrophy of the mammary glands. This can happen even with well-developed breasts if the woman gives birth for the first time at a later age. Also, the process of atrophy is affected by prolonged malnutrition and other factors that can reduce the secretory function of the breast (neurohormonal disorders, unfavorable course of pregnancy, etc.).
Congenital pathology, which includes the absence of lactocyte receptors (cells that produce milk).
Diseases that disrupt the state of the mammary glands. Despite the fact that they recover well from illness, sometimes a previous illness can lead to narrowing of the milk ducts or to scars in the chest. Such conditions can be a consequence of, for example, purulent mastitis or tumors.
Diseases of the pituitary gland, which are manifested by its weak activity in the formation of prolactin.
Diseases of the hypothalamus resulting from injuries and bruises.
Taking medications that inhibit the production of prolactin. For example, Bromocriptine, Pergolid, Tamoxifen, Klostibegit.
Infectious diseases. For example, hepatitis, helminthic invasions, ascoridosis, etc.
Severe pregnancy and childbirth (toxicosis in late stages, postpartum infections, etc.).
Caesarean section and premature birth. Nature conceived that the lactation process starts after labor. In the case of a cesarean section, the birth of a child occurs artificially, so the process of milk production may slow down a little. With regard to premature birth, the problem of hypolactia arises due to the baby's low weight, the immaturity of his sucking reflex and late attachment. Despite this, caesarean section and premature birth should not be regarded as an absolute indicator of poor lactation. In most cases, the problem of hypolactia in these situations can be corrected.
Bad habits. Experimental data have confirmed that lactation is inhibited by regular inhalation of tobacco smoke. Second-hand smoke also inhibits the release of prolactin, which is involved in stimulating milk production.
Obesity or low weight. These conditions often lead to unsatisfactory prolactin production.
Incorrect feeding technique. Incorrect and irregular breastfeeding, switching to artificial formula, early complementary feeding can lead to a decrease in the amount of breast milk.
Stress.
Improper or inadequate nutrition, inadequate rest.
Insufficient fluid intake.

In my family, it has always been believed that women of our kind are not able to feed a child. The babies were fed breast milk for a maximum of 1 month, and more often from the very birth they were supplemented with a mixture, since they believed that there was no milk at all or very little. I thought so too, until I gave birth to my second child and set out to feed him at least up to six months. The small volume of the breast raised concerns that it would not be possible to cope with this task. During pregnancy, I did not have colostrum, which also did not add confidence. But, despite all the fears, I coped with this mission. Moreover, I still feed my son, and he is already a year and a half. Therefore, I can say with confidence that hypolactia is observed in our family, which is quite capable of coping with. There would be desire and persistence.

One of the main factors in restraining full lactation is the lack of regular and frequent emptying of the mammary glands.

What needs to be done in order to establish lactation

The hormones prolactin and oxytocin are responsible for the lactation process in a woman's body. Prolactin is responsible for the production of breast milk, and oxytocin is responsible for the secretion. Knowing the mechanisms of their stimulation, you can start the lactation process.

The production of these hormones is stimulated when the baby sucks. Nerve endings located on the nipples give the brain a signal to increase the release of hormones. Prolactin is produced best at night. This is why night feeds are so important. Oxytocin begins to synthesize faster when you see a baby, smell it, have positive thoughts about it and feed in general. Stress, self-doubt, on the contrary, inhibit its production.

Drawing a conclusion from what has been said above, it is possible to give a recommendation to attach the baby to the breast as often as possible, thereby stimulating the nerve endings, not to skip night feedings and to be in a positive mood.

Hormones such as prolactin and oxytocin are responsible for lactation.

Despite the fact that hormones play the dominant role in lactation, there are other factors that contribute to the establishment of lactation:

With the elimination of errors in the technique and organization of feedings (correct positioning of the child, night feedings and the transition to feeding on demand, rejection of pacifiers and nipples), lactation in most cases improves. It must be remembered that the activity and effectiveness of his sucking depends on how correctly the baby captures the breast. The baby should be able to fully enclose the nipple and most of the areola (areola). The lips should be turned outward, the chin pressed against the chest, and the nose should not sink into it. During sucking, there should be no extraneous sounds, for example, smacking, but only swallowing milk. If the baby took the breast incorrectly, then it is imperative to correct the situation: re-offer it to the child, gently turn the lips outward, in case they were wrapped inward.
Adequate nutrition and drinking regime for the mother. A woman's body must have large resources for milk production, so nutrition must be sufficient to ensure full lactation. A nursing woman needs to consume at least 2,500-3,000 kcal per day. You should drink about 2–2.5 liters of liquid per day, so that it is enough not only to maintain the vital activity of the body, but also to produce milk.
Drinking a cup of warm liquid before feeding. Warm drinks have a beneficial effect on lactation, as it stimulates the flow of milk, facilitates its easier exit from the mammary gland, thereby facilitating the feeding process for the baby. To replenish lost fluid, it is recommended to drink something immediately after feeding: for example, a glass of compote or water.
The use of lactogonic drugs and herbs. Their choice is now quite large. For example, milk formula for nursing mothers Lactamil, herbal tea, food supplement Apilak and others are very popular. Lactamil is a dry milk mixture containing a lacto-forming herbal collection, represented by anise, fennel, nettle and caraway seeds. In addition to lactogonic properties, a drink prepared from this composition fills a woman's body with the necessary macro and microelements, vitamins and nutrients. Lactafitol herbal tea is a filter bag with a collection of fennel, cumin, anise and nettle. These herbs have a beneficial effect on lactation due to their lactic properties. Biologically active food supplement Apilak contains royal jelly and, in addition to lactogonic properties, has a general tonic effect, stimulates cell metabolism and regenerative processes in the body. In addition to purchased products, you can independently make decoctions from herbs, for example, from nettle, linden, anise.
Positive psychological attitude and family support. Stress and fatigue can lead to a deterioration in lactation, therefore, it is very important to help others with household chores and psychological support so that a nursing woman can fully rest, get enough sleep and feel emotional comfort. Moral support from relatives in their efforts to establish lactation plays a very important role. Skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby promotes closer interaction. As a result, oxytocin begins to be produced in an enhanced mode.

Photo gallery: lactogonic drugs

Biologically active food supplement Apilak not only helps to establish lactation, but also has a general strengthening effect on the body
Lactamil is a dry milk mixture with a herbal collection of lactogonic herbs Herbal tea Lactafitol includes a collection of nettle, fennel, anise, cumin

Breastfeeding counselors recommend that women with lactation problems practice the nesting technique for a few days. It is the arrangement of a sleeping place for a mother and a baby in such a way that they are together for 24 hours. It is allowed to wean the mother from the child only for the time of going to the toilet and eating. The close proximity of the mother and child will contribute to the production of oxytocin, frequent latching to the breast also to the synthesis of prolactin, and the absence of household worries will help to rest and restore the strength of a nursing woman.

With proper attachment to the breast, the baby's mouth is open wide, the chin touches it, the mouth captures most of the areola, and the baby's lips are turned outward

What to do if milk starts to disappear

It is not uncommon for a nursing woman to have milk after giving birth, but then it began to disappear. The reasons for this may be improper attachment, non-compliance with the rules of successful breastfeeding (feeding by the hour, not on demand, using a nipple and pacifier, feeding through a bottle), suboptimal diet and rest, inadequate drinking regimen, psychological discomfort. The methods of establishing lactation in this case are the same as in the absence of milk after childbirth: frequent latching on to the breast, feeding on demand (especially at night), close skin-to-skin contact, adherence to the regimen and quality of nutrition, rest and consumption liquids, the use of herbal infusions and pharmaceuticals to increase the production of breast milk. And most importantly, a positive attitude towards successful and long-term breastfeeding.

My experience of communicating with young mothers has shown that even having a lot of milk already in the hospital, few continue to breastfeed. They claim that the milk disappeared upon arrival home for no reason, and, no matter how hard they tried, they could not return it. However, these words cover, perhaps, an unconscious unwillingness to feed your baby, laziness or ignorance of the rules of breastfeeding. On the contrary, I had practically no milk in the hospital. I have been fighting for breast milk for several months. To all the persuasions of relatives to give the child complementary foods in order to be a little freer, she gave a categorical refusal. For me, an important indicator was a stable and very good weight gain in the baby. As a result, long-term and successful breastfeeding.

Lactation crises occur periodically during lactation, which many confuse with the loss of breast milk. However, these phenomena are primarily associated with the growth of the baby, who needs more and more food. It takes time to reorganize the body for new demands of the crumbs. Therefore, for 3-4 days, the child may require to eat more often. During this period, it is important not to get upset and give the baby the breast as often as he needs it.

Throughout the entire period of breastfeeding, lactation crises occurred in me every 2-3 months. At these moments, the baby asked for breasts very often. Sometimes even every hour. Hot tea before feeding and the use of Lactafitol and Lactamil, which I still drink as a substitute for multivitamins, helped me a lot at this time.

Video: what to do when milk is lost

Not everyone has the process of establishing lactation without difficulty. But successful breastfeeding is possible in almost every case. The main thing is to trust yourself and the child, follow the rules and maintain an optimistic attitude.

Some women who are expecting a baby very often have the idea that after giving birth they may have problems with milk. Particularly susceptible to this are those pregnant women who had time to scare a friend or friend who faced a similar problem. As a result, mothers spoil their mood with gloomy thoughts, get nervous in vain, and then, having barely given birth, they squeeze single drops from their breasts, stating with horror that it seems that they also have no milk after giving birth. We hasten to dispel this doubt: no one has milk immediately after childbirth. It takes time for lactation to start. And in the first days after the birth of the baby, the mother produces only colostrum.

When milk appears after childbirth

Colostrum is fine for a newborn. Those few drops that can sadden ignorant mothers so much are enough for him - the stomach of a newly born baby is tiny, and colostrum is extremely nutritious. It contains twice as much protein as breast milk, and a minimum of fat, which allows the baby to absorb such food very well.

The first milk comes only 3-5 days after giving birth, although in primiparous this period can be delayed for 5-7 days, and sometimes even more than a week. The harbinger of milk is a rise in body temperature. The mammary glands some time before begin to increase in volume and harden, so this process can be somewhat painful.

In the first milk after childbirth, there are still not enough proteins and minerals, but there is a lot of fat, which is why it is very thick and has a yellowish-beige color.

On the first day of milk, so much milk can come that the breast will increase by one, or even two sizes. But then its volume will be regulated by the body in accordance with the needs of the baby, whose stomach will rapidly increase. For the first week, the mammary glands will produce 250-300 ml of milk every day.

After half a month, the milk becomes mature, its composition stabilizes. For the first six months, it will contain 1.2% protein, 3.5% fat and 6.5% carbohydrates, and then, along with the expansion of the infant's diet, its nutritional value will decrease.

What to do if milk is lost after childbirth

Recently, complaints from new mothers that they do not have enough milk after childbirth have become very common, although cases of classical agalaxy (inability to produce milk) are rare. The main reason for this phenomenon is the insufficient development of the mammary glands, although the prerequisites for this can be both physical exhaustion and mental shocks suffered by the woman in labor.

In the latter case, it is enough to create normal conditions for the mother, and she will have milk.

So more often than not, when women say they have no milk after giving birth, they imply a decrease in lactation. There may be several prerequisites for this: poor nutrition of the mother herself, fatigue, insomnia, a tense family environment, and much more. Therefore, sometimes to normalize the process of milk production, it is enough to free a nursing mother from unnecessary housework, provide her with a mandatory daily sleep for 7-8 hours, surround her with love and attention, so that she is in a good mood, and things will get better.

In order not to lose milk after childbirth, a liter of milk diluted with a liter of strong tea should be included in a woman's diet.

Also, nettle decoction is good for lactation. To prepare it, 20 g of dry leaves of this plant are poured with a liter of boiling water and insisted. Take the remedy three times a day, one tablespoon.

If this is not enough, then in the arsenal of modern medicine there are many different drugs to increase lactation. Acupuncture and physiotherapy procedures can also come to the rescue, but all additional funds can be used only after consulting a doctor.

As you know, the most valuable product for a child in the first days of his life is breast milk. However, many women face such a problem when there is no milk after giving birth. In this case, you should not panic, often the experiences are unfounded. Let's look at the reasons and possible solutions to this problem.

Why is there not enough milk after childbirth?

In the first three days after giving birth, when milk has not yet arrived, colostrum begins to flow from the breast, which is an even more useful and nutritious product. Colostrum contains a large amount of protein, thanks to which the baby is quickly saturated, and the enzymes and minerals that make up it, facilitate the easy passage of meconium from the intestines. In addition, there is very little fat in colostrum, which makes it easier for the newborn's ventricle.

After 3-5 days, young mothers cease to worry about the question of why there is no milk after childbirth, since during this period the production of transitional milk begins, which contains less protein and more fat. This process is usually accompanied by an increase in body temperature. After about a week, the mammary glands begin to actively produce mature milk. There is no need to worry about a large amount of it, as during the breastfeeding process it will come in line with the needs of the baby.

It often happens that there is little milk after giving birth. This situation can be corrected by competently adjusting breastfeeding. First, let's talk about how to strain milk after childbirth. This can be done with your hands or with the help. After each feeding, you must express the remaining milk. The more often you do this, the faster and in greater quantities milk is produced.

If you are expressing milk by hand, start by lightly massaging your breasts, then using light pressure, stroke your breasts towards the nipples and express milk. In addition, this procedure will help prevent lactostasis.

It happens that even such procedures do not have a positive effect on the appearance of milk after childbirth. In this case, additional measures can be taken. You can increase lactation with herbal infusions. Decoctions of herbs perfectly cope with this task: fennel, lemon balm, dill, mint, and also rose hips. It is also good to drink.

How to induce milk after childbirth?

And, finally, advice to expectant mothers - do not worry about whether there will be milk after childbirth. By following all the above recommendations, you can easily establish breastfeeding, providing your baby with reliable protection for his immunity and a guarantee of full development!