Is my breast milk production normal?

Breast feeding is normal and healthy for both infants and mothers. Its importance is transcendental in the life of a human being. Therefore, it is natural that we worry about our normal supply of breast milk.

How do we know if our breast milk production is normal or enough? Is our provision for the baby regular?

Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of health problems for babies. Breast milk contains cells called antibodies, which fight diseases to help protect infants from germs and diseases.

Many mothers wonder at some point whether their milk production is enough for their child. That fear is common, and in fact is believed to affect all mothers without exception.

Over and over, mothers feel like their breasts are not full because they do not leak, and this makes them think their milk supply is low. However, there are indications that the body adapts according to the nutritional needs of the baby.

As infants develop through different stages, their nutritional needs also change. Sometimes negative pressure can definitely affect these fears. However, it is not something serious to alarm yourself about; it is simply a normal feeling of insecurity.

Many times this fear is accompanied by lack of knowledge about the physiology of lactation and the natural evolution of this process.

In milk supply, higher demand means higher production

We must remember that milk production is directly related to demand. An increased demand means increased production. This is normal because milk production increases when supply is low. Therefore, it’s nothing to worry about.

However, some cases might require medical attention. Sometimes a low reserve of milk can occur, which would put the baby’s nutrition at risk. The phenomenon in which the milk supply decreases is known as hypogalactia.

Hypogalactia refers to the low production of breast milk, which cannot provide adequately for the baby. This disorder interferes with the baby’s nutrition.

What are the causes of low breast milk production?

There are different reasons why this problem occurs. Among the most common are:

• Nipple pain. They may even crack.
• The baby could be very slow when breastfeeding. Sometimes a baby who sleeps a lot fails to stimulate the gland and therefore extracts very little milk, falsifying production.
• The baby’s manner of breastfeeding does not allow him to do so in a good way. It could be a matter of posture or a short sublingual frenulum.
• Inadequate emptying of the breasts, which is rare. In this case it is recommended that one breast be emptied before using the other.
• Using a contraceptive pill, due to its estrogen content.
• Some breast surgeries. 

How can a favorable supply of milk be encouraged?

There is a powerful technique that has been designed with the goal of helping mothers to rapidly increase their breast milk production. It was created by International Breastfeeding Consultant, Catherine Watson. It consists of hyperstimulating the breast with a pump.

The specialist recommends that a double pump be used and to express each breast for 5 minutes every 45 to 60 minutes. At night, you can rest for 4 hours. At first when you start to express the milk, you will see very little, but that is why you will be stimulating it.

With this technique, you can double the amount from one day to the next. This effectively helps the production of breast milk. Therefore it is preferable to express milk frequently than to be concerned about a low supply at a specific time.

We know this technique can be complicated, in addition to breastfeeding and caring for your baby. However, it is important to know that the effort will allow you to obtain the desired results.