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Breastfeeding increases lactation. How to increase milk in a nursing mother? The best foods for excellent lactation

Everyone knows the fact that there is no healthier food for a baby than breast milk. Unfortunately, for many moms, the topic of breastfeeding is associated with many problems. Very often, from the first weeks, a nursing mother notices that the baby is not eating enough. In this case, the question arises of how to increase the amount of breast milk.

There are simple and effective methods to enhance lactation. It should be said right away that a very small percentage of women have no real opportunity to breastfeed for physiological reasons. It is quite possible to increase the amount of breast milk at home, you just need to want it very much and be patient.

The kid does not gorge himself. What to do

Usually, when a young mother has little breast milk and a hungry crying baby in her arms, he is supplemented with formula. This is strongly discouraged with weak lactation. Unless the child is weak, has health problems, or is underweight.

In order to improve lactation and reach the required volume of milk, on-demand feeding is often practiced. This is a really effective way to promote normal lactation.

Rules for Successful Breastfeeding:

If it seems that there is not enough milk, it disappears or is completely gone, you can increase its volume by following a few simple rules.


Power supply for HV

Many mothers are sensitive to their nutrition. And not in vain, because the well-being of the baby directly depends on what foods the mother eats. Mom can eat any food that falls into the "healthy eating" category. For clarity, we have prepared a rough list of recommended lactation foods for you.

You do not need to eat a lot on purpose to improve lactation. This usually doesn't make sense. But there can be no question of any diet for weight loss after childbirth. To increase lactation, you should eat a normal and balanced diet. The diet of a nursing mother should include foods rich in proteins and vitamins.

Without fear for your own health and the health of your baby, you can eat any food from this list. However, all babies are individual, in rare cases there are allergic reactions to seemingly "harmless foods".

  • Lean meats (chicken, rabbit, beef).
  • Boiled and baked vegetables and fruits (apples, potatoes, beets).
  • Any porridge (if the baby reacts normally).
  • Soups with vegetable broth.
  • Hard varieties of cheeses.
  • Fermented milk products.
  • Butter and vegetable oil.

Correct, balanced nutrition is extremely necessary for a nursing mother, not only in order to increase lactation or increase the fat content of milk. This necessary measure to restore and maintain the health of a woman's body after pregnancy and childbirth will help improve her well-being and mood.

It will help increase lactation and drink plenty of fluids. A nursing mother shouldn't be thirsty. It should be borne in mind that in the hot season or being in a stuffy room, where it is dry and hot, you should consume more liquid.

What can not be eaten with GV

There are foods that should not be consumed by nursing mothers, as they have a detrimental effect on milk production.

Prohibited foods for a nursing mother:

  • smoked: sausages, meat, fish;
  • conservation;
  • salty fish;
  • peppermint;
  • sage.

Is it worth using pharmacy products

Pharmacy shelves are crammed with all kinds of drugs that help restore and successfully continue breastfeeding.

You can try safe lactation-boosting medications such as special teas that have a beneficial effect on milk production.

If it seems to you that there is very little milk or it is completely disappearing, and you are strenuously purchasing all kinds of drugs to increase lactation, understand the main thing - there will be no harm from them, but you should not expect much benefit if the basic recommendations are not followed: applying to baby breasts, rest of a young mother, balanced nutrition and drinking regimen.

Homemade recipes

Very often, medications can be easily replaced. At home, it is quite possible to make your own tea to increase the amount of breast milk. To begin with, it is worth noting that you can increase the flow of milk by simply drinking a cup of hot sweet tea. Any options for compotes (including dried fruit) will also come in handy.

Products with the addition of caraway seeds, such as black bread with caraway seeds, also help to normalize lactation, increase milk flow, and return lost milk.

You can boil the dill with boiling water and leave for about two hours (1 tablespoon of seeds per 1 cup of boiling water).

If there is very little milk, you should completely exclude the use of mint. This seemingly harmless herb reduces its production.

I really want to support mothers who do not have milk. It is difficult to return the missing milk, but it is quite possible. Often, the relaxation process is quite long and severely "hits the nerves" with its difficulties. However, lactation can be returned and breastfeeding can be continued successfully. If you really want this, then you have to be patient.

The question of how to return the missing milk is very complex and involves many aspects. This is a reason for writing a separate article. By and large, the rules are the same as for increasing the amount of breast milk, but they have some peculiarities:

  1. the psychological attitude, the desire of the mother and the child (especially the mother, she must remain calm, the belief that she will succeed and return the milk);
  2. frequent latching of the baby to the breast (the difficulty lies in the fact that not every baby is able to suckle on an empty breast);
  3. proper nutrition (recommended foods are listed above);
  4. drinking regimen;
  5. recreation.

Whether it will be possible to restore lactation depends not only on the physiological capabilities of the mother, but also on the existing psychological connection between the mother and the child. This process is quite complex and individual.

If you can't restore lactation, this does not mean that you are a bad mother! It just happened, and it should be taken for granted. Fortunately, in today's world, giving up breastfeeding is not a desperate situation. There are many formulas that can replace breast milk without harm.

In any case, you should always remember the main thing: happy mothers have happy children! Be happy! You will definitely succeed!

Sometimes a nursing mother thinks that she has low-fat breast milk or too little of it, how to increase lactation in the most difficult situations and make your milk high-calorie?

Breast milk is given to women by nature itself. Every mammal is capable of feeding its young. So why do we sometimes have problems with this? How to increase lactation of breast milk at home and keep it for a long time, ideally for 2 years, as recommended by the WHO. But at least until 6-8 months, when the child gradually begins to switch to adult food? It is very important to meet these deadlines for various reasons:

  • material (adapted milk and sour milk mixtures are not cheap, and sometimes they need to be changed, since the composition may not suit the child);
  • artificial nutrition often provokes stool disorders in a child;
  • feeding from a bottle significantly increases the risk of intestinal infections in a baby;
  • the child is likely to need a pacifier, and more than one year;
  • the baby's immunity will be at a lower level than that of his peers who feed exclusively on breast milk.

How to understand that a child does not have enough milk and needs to increase lactation

There are false and true signals. The softness of the mammary glands is false. By the way, this is a common misconception. Even among pediatricians. But if the breast seems empty, while the woman is breastfeeding often and the baby is not complementary, this does not mean anything yet. Apparently, the baby sucked mom's milk. But there is also the back. One that is rich in fats and nutrients. Thanks to which the child gains weight.

Babies often cry when they feed. The doctors again say that this is due to a lack of milk. Especially if it happens in the late afternoon, when the breast becomes soft. In fact, a baby can cry because of an uncomfortable feeding position. For example, many mothers feed their babies lying down. Moreover, they lie on their backs, and their heads are turned to the mother's nipple. Try to drink yourself in this position and you will understand the baby's discontent.

Another common cause of crying during feeding is lactase deficiency. With her, during feeding, the baby also growls in the stomach. And there are stool irregularities - it is green, copious and frothy. Children with lactase deficiency suffer from gas formation, sleep poorly and gain little weight, as a rule.

Breastfeeding experts say that this technique will not show how much milk a woman has in her breast. Very few people can express it completely. It is almost impossible to express milk from the posterior lobes of the mammary gland in this way. And few women know how to express fruitfully, correctly.

Another “study” that pediatricians often recommend is control feeding. But it can only be suitable for those children who are fed according to the regimen. For example, classically once every 3 hours. By the next feeding, the babies have time to get really hungry and suckle well. But if the child is fed on demand, if he is small and weak, then in 30-40 minutes he can suck out very little milk, doze off at the breast. But after 30-60 minutes, eat up everything that is due.

Another way to tell if your baby is hungry is to offer him a bottle of formula or his own expressed milk. Only necessary after feeding. If he sucks a lot, he will suck willingly, apparently, he really wants to eat.

But the best way is to count the number of wet diapers. Children in the first months of life should urinate at least 10-12 times a day. If you are used to using disposable diapers and you do not mind spending a little more disposable diapers per day, get diapers that show a control line when they get wet. When a streak appears, you need to immediately put on a new diaper, and put this one aside. There is such a strip on diapers "Pampers Premium Kea" and "Haggis Elite Soft", for example. The number of diapers used will equal the number of times you urinate.

If this option does not suit you, then try weighing the diaper before use and after use. Small children should urinate about 300-350 grams per day, no less.

Any of these calculations will be informative only if the child does not receive any additional drink, for example, he is not given water.

Looking at the number of bowel movements is not informative. A breastfed baby with absolutely adequate nutrition can defecate both once a day and 7. Or once every few days, if the mother's milk is well absorbed by the body.

Preparations and products that increase the lactation of breast milk

What do you need to eat to get more milk? Unfortunately, the amount of milk does not directly depend on the products. You can eat a lot, but there will be no more milk from this. Milk comes in response to irritation of the nipples and their areola. The more often the nipples burst, the more the lactation hormone prolactin will be produced, and the more frequent will be the release of oxytocin, a hormone that facilitates the approach of breast milk from the posterior lobes of the mammary glands to the nipples.

When it comes to food, walnuts are usually recommended. Allegedly, not only will there be more milk from them, but also its composition will become better, fatter, more high-calorie for the child. In fact, each woman's milk is divided into two types - front, low-fat - drink for the child, and fat - from the back lobes. In order for the baby to receive fatty milk, it must be kept at one breast for a longer time. Try to give only one breast per feed if possible.

An increase in lactation may in some way be facilitated by an increase in the volume of fluid intake. It can be plain water, fermented milk drinks. Summer watermelons. But you shouldn't get too carried away with watermelons, as they increase appetite and contain a lot of sugar. You can drink coffee and tea, but in moderation and not strong. A nursing woman should consume at least 2.5 liters of fluid per day. This volume also includes liquid dishes - soups, borscht, etc.

But various folk remedies and methods to increase milk lactation at home must be used very carefully. Often, various herbs and spices are offered for these purposes, for example, fennel, anise, cumin. But the use of some of them can provoke the development of an allergic reaction in the child and change the taste of milk, which will also negatively affect lactation.
Drugs that increase the lactation of breast milk also do not have proven efficacy and safety by scientific studies. These are the usual dietary supplements. Moreover, they also often contain allergens. Is it worth the risk?

Reasons why breastfeeding milk disappears and methods of resolving the situation

In order not to try incomprehensible methods and means on yourself, it is better to understand the reasons for poor lactation and eliminate them.

1. Bad sleep. How banal it is. A woman should sleep at least 7-8 hours a day. If you can't get enough sleep at night, you need to sleep during the day. Let it be together with the child. They say that 2-3 days in bed with a baby can significantly increase the amount of breast milk better than any dietary supplement.

2. Insufficient, unvaried nutrition. Of course, milk will still contain all the nutrients. But mommy may not have enough vitamins. And from there fatigue and, as a result, poor lactation. Even if your child is prone to allergic reactions, try to make your food rich in calories, varied and tasty.

3. Bad mood, stress. If the mother has a bad psychological state, then she has no time for feeding and not for the baby. Severe stress, such as the loss of a loved one, can almost instantly lead to "burnout" of milk.

4. Rare attachments of the child. If the child is applied 5-7 times a day, lactation may begin to fade. Feeding "on schedule" is especially dangerous in the first weeks after the birth of a child, when lactation is being established. Do you want more milk? Latch your baby more often to your breast. Even if it seems empty to you.

5. Lack of night feedings. Sleeping well at night is a must for both mom and baby. But you shouldn't forget about feeding either. After all, it is night feedings that help increase the amount of breast milk due to the production of the hormone prolactin.

To sleep as calmly as possible, you can lay the child next to you. Sleep together. If this is unacceptable for you - lower the side of the crib and put it to your bed. Then it will be possible to give the baby the breast while lying down, while not getting out of bed herself.

6. Frequent sucking of a pacifier. The more often the baby sucks on the pacifier, the less it is applied to the breast and stimulates it. Remove the pacifier and breastfeed. In addition, the dummy does not contribute to the formation of the correct bite in the child. And often babies sucking on a pacifier start to breastfeed incorrectly. This leads to an even greater decrease in lactation and lactostasis in the mother.

6. Rapid growth of the child. When he acquires new skills, for example, he learns to roll over. At these moments and in the future, growth spurts are observed and more and more nutrition is required. However, with regular breastfeeding, the breast will produce more milk within a few days, according to the baby's requirements. The so-called lactation crisis is a temporary phenomenon. Such growth spurt occurs in the third, sixth week of a child's life, at 3.6, 12 months. Of course, the timing is very indicative, it may differ for different children. So, at 3 months, the baby learns to roll over, begins to distinguish many colors, people's faces, etc. At 6-7 months, he learns to crawl, sit, stand at a support. And closer to the year begins to walk.

There is another, rather controversial, way to increase the milk of a nursing mother during lactation - this is by expressing milk. Mom feeds the baby with one breast, and after feeding she decant literally to the last drop. And in the next feeding, a little more milk comes, exactly as much as she has expressed. Expressing breast milk to increase lactation is an outdated method and, rather, harmful, since mommy can provoke excess milk in herself. The child will not be able to suck so much, and lactostasis is formed - stagnation of milk.

As you can see, there are a lot of nuances. For an experienced mom who is breastfeeding her not her first child, everything can be very clear. And for a primiparous, the same lactation crisis may become a reason for transferring a child to mixed or artificial feeding.

If you doubt the quality or quantity of your milk, go to the pediatrician and weigh the baby. If the weight gain is slightly less than the norm, it is enough just to take measures to increase the amount of milk, start feeding the baby often, and very soon everything will work out.

Only the lazy do not speak about the importance of breastfeeding: today all pediatricians support natural feeding and are fighting with all their might to convey to expectant mothers the fact of the benefits of breast milk. But lactation is not sufficient for everyone. The reasons that can reduce milk production can be varied: it is stress, and a physiological feature of a woman, and unhealthy diet ... But an improvement in the situation is possible if you know how to improve milk lactation in a nursing mother.

What will help improve the quality and quantity of breast milk?

Lactation is the period when a newly-made mother should not limit herself to food, walks, emotions. Also, do not limit the number of feedings for the baby: if the baby asks to eat earlier than the prescribed time, the woman must feed him - this way lactation is restored faster.

Improving milk production is influenced by:

  • nutrition;
  • stress and nervousness;
  • walks;
  • feeding regime.

Power features

As for nutrition, the main condition is that food should be varied, nutritious, healthy. Mom should stop eating heavy and fatty foods, since there is no benefit from it - it does not improve milk either, and spoils the figure.

Portions for a nursing woman should be small (about half of what is usually eaten in one meal), but you can eat several times a day. The main product of a nursing mother is beef or chicken soups. Don't skip drinks like milk, apple juice (all-natural), cocoa, and black tea. But there is no place for soda, alcohol and green tea in the diet of a nursing woman.

Any food that mom eats should be at a comfortable temperature: food should be warm, but not hot. It is the right food temperature that helps increase milk production.

Nursing mom's dream

Lactation and its quality directly depend on how well the mother is resting. Many will say: "And when, in fact, to rest, if there is a baby in the house, and nobody canceled household chores?" So, dear mothers, almost each of you has a husband, family, friends, relatives. Trust them for an hour or two of your crumbs and have a rest like a human being. But rest does not mean doing household chores (washing, cleaning, sewing, etc.). Better to lie down and sleep. And you will see how the attitude towards everything that happens is changing: you will also have time to take care of your home and family, your husband and child will be happy, and at the same time you will be rested and happy. In addition, you will notice an improvement in lactation, because lack of sleep and overwork may well reduce the production of breast milk.

If your child is naughty at night and does not allow you to sleep, relax with him during the day. Believe me, homework is not going anywhere, and along with additional rest, you will have strength, and mood, and lactation will improve.

Stress

Stress, anxiety, and low mood can all reduce milk production. Any excitement, even the smallest, can affect the improvement of lactation. And although it is impossible to protect yourself from all negative emotions, you should still try not to get nervous over trifles. If you feel a kind of nervous tension, in order to relax, you can drink tea with mint or chamomile. This herb will help to cheer you up and is good for babies.

Walking in any weather

You can improve lactation by simply walking at a leisurely pace along the street, especially since you still walk your baby in the fresh air every day. Do not neglect walks: they are good for nursing mothers and newborn babies. Indeed, in addition to the fact that fresh air and the surrounding nature have a positive effect on the mental state of a person, walking also helps to saturate cells with oxygen and maintain muscles in good shape.

Feeding mode

The child should eat on demand - this is the principle of breastfeeding that is relevant today. If you reduce the number of feedings (recall that it is recommended to feed a newborn every 3 hours, regardless of the time of day), it will not work to increase lactation. If the child does not gorge himself and asks for breast more often, it should be applied as many times as he requires - perhaps this is a feature of the baby.

Lactation may disappear or decrease if the mother is not psychologically tuned in to the hepatitis B process. In these cases, you need to do the following: apply the baby to the chest more often and longer, and not only during the day, but also at night. It will be faster to improve lactation if the child sleeps next to his mother at night.

Improving lactation with food

Surprisingly, choosing the right product can improve both milk production and quality. First of all, a newly-made mother should give up various smoked meats, pickles, hot seasonings and spices. Improving lactation is impossible with them. Moreover, each product in this group contributes to fluid retention in the body, which causes swelling, weight increases, and milk production worsens. You should also exclude parsley, mint, sage from the diet.

It is better to improve lactation by adding any product from the following list to the diet:

  1. Warm tea. The product is absolutely harmless if prepared correctly. So, the tea should be weak, you can add a little honey or milk to it. You need to make and drink tea half an hour before feeding - so it will contribute to the release of milk.
  2. Cumin and bread with it (mostly black). Improvement in lactation occurs if you periodically chew cumin or regularly eat bread with it. You can prepare a drink with caraway seeds: 1 tsp. the seeds are poured with boiling milk and insisted for 2 hours. 15 minutes before feeding the baby, drink ½ glass of this drink.
  3. It is recommended to make an uzvar from dried fruits (plums, apples, pears), slightly sweetening it.
  4. Still mineral water - not less than 1.5 liters per day.
  5. A nutty way to boost milk production is to consume a few kernels a day. But here you need to be careful and attentive - nuts can be strong allergens, so you should not overdo it with their use.
  6. Dill tea is good for lactation. You need to make a drink like this: dill seeds in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. pour a glass of boiling water and insist in a thermos for 2 hours. They drink ½ glass twice a day.
  7. Lemon balm, oregano, nettle, hawthorn, dandelion herb as herbal drinks.
  8. Carrot and pumpkin juices, a natural drink made from blackthorn berries.
  9. Ginger.
  10. Hercules (as breakfast porridge with dried fruits or nuts) and buckwheat (fried in a pan instead of seeds).
  11. Low-fat broths on beef or chicken meat.
  12. Dairy and fermented milk products. Cheese - feta cheese and Adyghe cheese.
  13. Carrots, onions, lettuce, watermelons.
  14. Barley drink with honey and milk.

In addition, you should not refuse green vegetables - they are hypoallergenic and very useful if you need to improve lactation.

Special drugs

If a natural food product has not affected lactation, it is possible to use special preparations, but first you need to consult with a specialist about the appropriateness of their use. Such drugs are created on the basis of hormones responsible for milk production. A worthy alternative is made up of special herbal preparations, which are sold in the form of lactogonous tea bags. In their composition, mint, fennel, anise, oregano, dill, chamomile, linden are more common. Such fees have little effect on lactation, but they help to improve the general moral and psychological state of a woman, have a calming effect, as a result of which the production of breast milk is restored.

Physical exercises

There are exercises that can help improve blood flow to the breast and increase lactation. Here are a few of them:

  1. Spread your arms to the sides so that they are parallel to the floor, and connect under the chest. Repeat swings 20 times or more.
  2. Push ups. This exercise has been familiar since school. But in this case, it is not necessary to take an emphasis lying down: it is enough to rest on the hard surface of a sofa or chair.
  3. Breast massage. You need to perform after feeding, massaging each breast in a circular motion.

Do not forget to wipe your breasts with a soft terry towel after a shower, and pour warm water on your breasts during the shower.

Improving lactation will be successful if mom follows these tips:

  • drink good water daily at least 1.5 liters per day;
  • use lactogonic teas and decoctions;
  • do not overwork, get enough sleep;
  • walk more on the street (at least 2 hours a day);
  • do not be nervous;
  • exclude physical activity;
  • give up diets;
  • put the baby to the breast more often;
  • feed your baby at night;
  • do not give up your favorite activities;
  • do breast self-massage;
  • eat right and balanced;
  • express milk to the last drop;
  • if there is a decrease in lactation, you need to give the baby both breasts;
  • correctly apply the baby to the chest.

If you have problems with feeding, visit a doctor - he will tell you what and how to do so that lactation improves, and the mother and child do not feel discomfort at the same time. Try to do everything to keep breastfeeding, because mother's milk is the healthiest and most nutritious.

Breast milk is the best nutrition for your baby. It is optimal in terms of content, minerals and nutrients. With breast milk, the baby receives maternal immunoglobulins, which protect him from infectious diseases. WHO recommends feeding children with milk up to the age of two. But sometimes mothers are faced with such a problem as a decrease in the amount of milk produced. But this is not a reason for despair, because there are ways to increase lactation.

Why did lactation decrease?

Decreased breast function is called hypogalactia... Insufficient lactation is primary and secondary. O primary hypogalactia they say that from the first days after childbirth, the mother produces an insufficient amount of milk. This problem is rare and is usually associated with endocrine disorders.

When milk is produced in an adequate volume after childbirth, and then decreases - they talk about development secondary hypogalactia... This is the problem most women face.

The following reasons can lead to insufficient lactation:

  • Breast pathology: mastitis, cracked nipples;
  • The use of medications (gestagens, androgens, diuretics);
  • Violation of the feeding regime;
  • Long breaks between feedings (ignoring night feeds);
  • Malnutrition of the mother.

We recommend reading:

How to increase lactation?

When a woman goes to a doctor with a problem of worsening lactation, the doctor will recommend establishing a day and rest regimen, more often applying the baby to the breast (including at night), and expressing after feeding. Compliance with all these conditions is very important to maintain full lactation.

As an auxiliary method of stimulating lactation, women resort to traditional medicine. These recipes have been known for a long time and are passed down from generation to generation. Despite the fact that no scientific studies have been conducted to study the effectiveness of traditional medicine, many women claim that they do work. The main thing is to consult a doctor before using them, because the components of these folk recipes - certain foods and herbs, can provoke an allergy in a child.

Products that increase lactation

A woman's diet definitely affects the quality and quantity of milk. Mom's diet should contain a sufficient amount of protein. Preference should be given to such products:

  • Low-fat types of meat (200 grams per day), especially weak broths, soups made from them;
  • Cottage cheese (150 grams);
  • Ryazhenka or (200 grams);
  • Hard cheese (30 grams);
  • Groats (, "Hercules");
  • Vegetables (, salad).

It is also believed that mushrooms are capable of increasing lactation. Pregnant and lactating women should definitely refrain from using them. Mushrooms are very good! It is also not recommended to lean on a pair. This product can cause allergies and digestive problems in a child.

To maintain normal lactation, it is important to drink at least two liters of liquid per day, including soups, compotes, fruit drinks. Sweetened uzvar made from dried fruits can increase lactation.

Folk remedies for lactation

One of the more popular products used to increase breast milk is. The root crop must be thoroughly washed, peeled and juiced. To improve the taste, it is allowed to add cream, milk (one tablespoon per glass). This drink should be taken three times a day, half a glass.

You can use carrots differently: prepare carrot-milk porridge. The root crop must be grated on a fine grater. Pour four tablespoons of grated carrots into a bowl and add a glass of milk. This portion of porridge should be eaten two to three times a day.

Traditionally used to combat hypogalactia. This is a very high-calorie product, the use of which can saturate a woman's milk with protein and fats. It turns out that nuts improve the quality of milk, so the baby gets satiated faster. Many women claim that eating nuts can increase the amount of milk they produce, although there is no scientific evidence for this phenomenon. You can use pine nuts. But we must not forget that nuts are allergens, you need to be careful with them. Mom can eat one or two walnuts and watch the baby's reaction after breastfeeding. If the baby reacted normally, the woman can eat four to five walnuts a day.

Plants for lactation

The most readily available plant that can increase lactation is tea. Nursing mothers can drink weak or. The drink should be warm, it is recommended to add a little milk. Tea should be drunk half an hour before feeding. You can make nettle tea. To do this, pour a teaspoon of the plant with boiling water, cover the glass with a lid. You should drink half a glass of this drink twice a day.

In traditional medicine recipes to improve lactation, you can often find it. A drink can be made from the plant. To do this, pour a teaspoon of the plant with a glass of boiling milk and leave for two hours. This drink should be drunk twenty minutes before meals.

To increase the amount of breast milk, an infusion of dill is prepared. For its preparation, one tablespoon of chopped dill seeds should be poured with a glass of boiling water, it is optimal to do this in a thermos. The drink should be infused for two hours. You need to drink this tea for half a glass twice a day. In the same way, you can prepare an infusion of cumin, anise.

Increases milk volume. Tea can be made from the plant: pour a tablespoon of fennel fruits with a glass of boiling water. Cover the dishes with tea and leave for two hours, then strain the broth. Drink two tablespoons before meals three times a day.

Important!When using certain plants, food products, the mother needs to remember that they can cause an adverse reaction in the baby. It is possible to apply traditional medicine recipes only after preliminary consultation with a doctor. Any new recipe must be applied carefully, monitoring the child's reaction. And if within three days the baby has no adverse reactions, then you can use such a remedy more often.

Grigorova Valeria, medical columnist

In the first days, every mother is worried about how to increase lactation for a nursing mother. From my own experience, I will tell you how to quickly increase the amount of breast milk while breastfeeding without introducing complementary foods, because everyone knows that in the first months of a baby's life, breast milk is an ideal food for a baby.

Tips on how to increase lactation for a nursing mother

First rule.

Psychological disposition for successful feeding during pregnancy

While still carrying a baby, tune in that you will breastfeed your treasure for a long time and successfully, drive away all fears. Know firmly that the size of the mammary glands has nothing to do with the amount of milk produced. This I authoritatively declare to you, as a mother of 3 children. The youngest princess is now 9 years old, and I continue to breastfeed, although my breast size is clearly not 5. I personally knew girls with zero, but very "dairy". Even seven-month-olds are fed with breast milk. My Anya was born at 8 months old, but that doesn't change anything. Already in the last trimester, if you gently press down on the nipple, a drop of liquid will emerge from it - future milk.

Here is an important second step towards how to increase milk supply during breastfeeding after giving birth while still in the delivery room.

Second rule

Attachment to the mother's breast immediately after birth

It's great that now, right after birth, even in the delivery room, mom can perform the first attachment of the newborn to the breast. This action triggers a complex weighing mechanism to increase milk production right from this second. The first colostrum (this is how the first drops of milk received by the baby from the mother are called) is an invaluable immunomodulator and a concentrate of all antibodies and enzymes necessary for a newborn for the assimilation and processing of food in the form of milk from the mother. Very often, the first dose of colostrum is enough for a baby for 6-9 hours. It is with this that the fact is connected that when the nursing mother is already in the ward trying to feed the little one on her own, he simply sleeps. For the first day, this is normal, because some time ago he was feeding through the umbilical cord, and some reserves remained in his tiny body. This is already 2 points from my personal list of tips on how to increase lactation for a nursing mother.

I gave birth to my first baby back in the days when babies after giving birth were taken from their mothers and brought only every 3 hours. At the same time, everyone was forced to express milk in the event that if the crumbs an interval of 3 hours could not withstand it, they could not feed it with mixtures, but with your milk (we were expressed in signed jars). It is no secret that those children, whose mothers had little milk, were also fed with this milk.

Third rule

To increase the lactation of a nursing mother, this is feeding the newborn on demand

Do not try to work out a certain feeding schedule by the hour (although this was previously accepted), look at your little one, he himself will establish an individual mode of attachment to the breast. Some babies are born weak and in the first month they eat little by little, but every half hour. Other butuzs eat so according to the schedule, as if an alarm goes off inside them every 3 hours. If the baby often requires breast, do not refuse him, this means that he is still weak to eat enough in one feeding. I had such a situation when I was 2 months old. It seemed to me that there was absolutely no milk, and I was anxiously looking for a way to increase lactation. My daughter literally hung on my sis for days and behaved extremely restlessly. As a result, we went to the weigh-in a little earlier, it turned out that she had gained as much as 2 kg in 3 weeks. This allows us to conclude that if you do not know how to increase the amount of milk during breastfeeding, it is important not only the first attachment, but also frequent expression. The more you pump, the more will arrive.

The fourth rule to increase milk supply while breastfeeding is not to introduce any complementary foods.

The main secret of how to increase lactation for a nursing mother is not to rush into complementary foods. I think I will devote a whole separate article to this, where I will explain in detail why nursing mothers should do this exclusively, of course, if you want to increase milk production. Our body has evolved for hundreds of years, and it knows much better than you how to make your baby (your continuation of the genus) full. In the first months, the baby does not need water, all this is already in your milk. There is front and back milk. So, the front can be compared with water, and the back with high-calorie food. The baby itself regulates the amount of milk in your breast. If he is very hungry, then he sucks and sucks until he gets to the back, more satisfying milk, and if he is simply tormented by thirst, he is content with a few minutes of drinking. Before all babies began to put on diapers, there was a method of checking whether the newborn had enough milk. For this, nursing mothers counted the number of diapers written. For a boy this number was equal to 10, and for a girl 12. Weighing seems to me to be a more reliable method.

Night feedings help to increase the lactation of the nursing mother


Feeding the newborn on demand helps to increase lactation for a nursing mother.

This is especially important in the first months. Breastfeeding experts have scientifically proven that it is night feeds that promote the production of prolactin, which is responsible for the body's milk production. Its greatest concentration in the body occurs closer to 3 o'clock in the morning. Latching on to the baby's breast during this period of time will stimulate milk production even more intensively. I also want to advise nursing mothers not to get up at night with their baby, there is nothing wrong with the baby sleeping with you for the first 3 months. Some from birth put the baby to sleep in the arena, and shift it to them only closer to morning. Personally, it was easier and more convenient for me not to get up at night, but to breastfeed at the first squeak, so you will get less tired and get more sleep (of course, if the bed is wide enough).

The sixth rule to enhance lactation encourages mothers to monitor the posture when feeding a newborn

Both you and the little one should be comfortable so that two people get pleasure from what is happening. If a nursing mother is not comfortable, it is difficult to have pleasure, enjoying every moment, every smile of the crumbs. The toddler should be pressed against the mother's belly, but so that he could freely turn the head if he wanted, and he did not have to reach for the nipple. In my opinion, the most comfortable and common feeding position is lying down. Pay attention to how the newborn grips the nipple. You shouldn't be hurt, under any circumstances. Evidence of correct capture, when a large pigmented part of the halo is in the mouth of the crumbs, followed by very delicate breast skin. In this position, the newborn touches the nursing mother with her nose and chin. In the maternity hospital, you should be shown how to apply correctly to the breast, this is important so that there are no cracks in the nipples and other "surprises".

An increase in lactation is impossible without proper breast alternation by a nursing mother

Often, inexperienced mothers offer 2 breasts to the baby at once in one feeding. Usually the baby ate a little, got tired, and the mother begins to think that there is not enough milk in the breast and offers the little one another breast at once. This is not worth doing if you want your newborn to gain weight well. Do not offer a second breast to a newborn until the first is completely empty (very, very soft). So your treasure will receive "front" milk containing minerals, water, lactose, and then "back" milk, which contains the fats needed for the baby (such as omega-3, 6 and 9) and enzymes, etc.

Expressing is a separate item, but it's not so simple with it. For now, let's write:

  • The more milk you express, the more volume arrives.
  • Don't let them get the better of you
  • Rest and sleep together
  • feeding on demand
  • Complete (must be in the diet) and varied nutrition of the nursing mother (add to the diet)
  • Don't skip night feeds
  • The absence of all kinds of bottles and nipples are important no less than all of the above points.

I would like to believe that my experience of how to increase lactation for a nursing mother will help you calmly, without unnecessary worries, to establish GV.