Are you having a low Breast milk supply?

Right after the birth of their babies and for the first few days, even 
weeks, many mothers are concerned about not having enough milk. But what 
most women don't know is that the likelihood that a woman will be 
physically unable to produce sufficient milk for her baby is actually low. 
But we wonder why are so many women out there that believe or worry about 
not producing enough breast milk?

In our current society, we have lost the Art of Breastfeeding. Many 
mothers have grown up in families where they are the first women in 
generations to breastfeed. These mothers don't have a role model to look 
up to, so they do the best they can with the information and support 
available to them. Now the real problem as I see it, is that because we 
are living in a formula-feeding culture, the information they receive may 
be inaccurate and the support they have may be inadequate-which can 
discourage their efforts to breastfeed.

Most importantly, is the exposure to formula advertising women are subject 
to. We just have to look at the message we receive from the hospitals. The 
very first thing women are given as soon as they leave the hospital, is 
free formula, which brings the wrong message to new mothers, lowering 
confidence of mothers in their ability to breastfeed. They told them that 
IF they want to breastfeed their babies, they MUST make sure the baby is 
getting enough milk to support her growth. Of course, they also encourage 
women to NOT FEEL BAD if they have to supplement the feedings with some 
formula. This, automatically send a message to the new mothers, as if 
their breast could or could not develop enough milk. So instantly a 
concern has been created in the women's mind, about their ability to 
produce enough breast milk. They also are told not right after a few days 
of birth, they must take the baby to see a pediatrician.

In my many years as a breastfeeding consultant, I have grow tired of 
hearing the pediatricians tell mothers, that the baby was not getting 
enough weight and they MUST supplement with formula. Of course, for many 
women hearing this from a pediatrician means... you must do what he said 
or else....However what doctors don't tell mothers is that it's totally 
normal for a baby to loss weight within the first days of her life. Also, 
they don't encourage them to trying first other alternative methods such 
as, herbal remedies and nutrition. The doctors of the old days (my 
grandmother used to tell me this) would tell women, to just simply put the 
baby on the breast constantly on demand. The more the better, they also 
focused mainly on the foods they were eating and encourage them to eat 
more of others, as chicken soup, lentil stew, even herbs my grandmother 
always told me.

Milk supply is dynamic. It follows the law of supply and demand. The more 
frequently and effectively a baby breastfeed, the more milk the mother's 
breasts produce. Sometimes for new moms, not understanding their baby's 
behavior can lead mothers to think they don't have enough milk even though 
they actually do.

Before or after the birth of a baby, Breastfeeding Consultants and La 
Leche League Leaders can help mothers tremendously. They can help mothers 
learn about positioning and latch-on so that babies can effectively obtain 
milk, how to tell a baby is getting enough milk, and how to increase milk 
supply, if needed. They can also refer mothers to healthcare providers to 
determine if there are any physiological causes of low milk supply in 
mother (e.g., a hormonal imbalance, retained placenta, previous breast
surgery) or other related to baby (e.g., tongue-tie, low muscle tone, 
respiratory problems)-many of which are treatable.

Breastfeeding is the natural, physiologic way of feeding infants and young 
children milk, and human milk is the milk made specifically for human 
infants. Formulas made from cow’s milk or soy beans (most of them) are 
only superficially similar, and advertising which states otherwise is 
misleading. Breastfeeding should be easy and trouble free for most 
mothers. A good start helps to assure breastfeeding is a happy experience 
for both mother and baby. 

The vast majority of mothers are perfectly capable of breastfeeding their 
babies exclusively for four to six months. In fact, most mothers produce 
more than enough milk. Unfortunately, outdated hospital routines based on 
bottle feeding still predominate in many health care institutions and make 
breastfeeding difficult, even impossible, for some mothers and babies. For 
breastfeeding to be well and properly established, a good early few days 
can be crucial. Admittedly, even with a terrible start, many mothers and 
babies manage. 

The trick to breastfeeding is getting the baby to latch on well. A baby 
who latches on well, gets milk well. A baby who latches on poorly has 
difficulty getting milk, especially if the supply is low. A poor latch is 
similar to giving a baby a bottle with a nipple hole which is too small— 
the bottle is full of milk, but the baby will not get much. When a baby is 
latching on poorly, he may also cause the mother nipple pain. And if he 
does not get milk well, he will usually stay on the breast for long 
periods, thus aggravating the pain. Here are a few ways breastfeeding can 
be made easy: 

1. The baby should be at the breast immediately after birth. The vast 
majority of newborns can be put to breast within minutes of birth. Indeed, 
research has shown that, given the chance, babies only minutes old will 
often crawl up to the breast from the mother’s abdomen, and start 
breastfeeding all by themselves. This process may take up to an hour or 
longer, but the mother and baby should be given this time together to 
start learning about each other. Babies who "self-attach" run into far 
fewer breastfeeding problems. This process does not take any effort on the 
mother’s part, and the excuse that it cannot be done because the mother is 
tired after labour is nonsense, pure and simple. Incidentally, studies 
have also shown that skin to skin contact between mothers and babies keeps 
the baby as warm as an incubator. 

2. The mother and baby should room in together. There is absolutely no 
medial reason for healthy mothers and babies to be separated from each 
other, even for short periods. Health facilities which have routine 
separations of mothers and babies after birth are years behind the times, 
and the reasons for the separation often have to do with letting parents 
know who is in control (the hospital) and who is not (the parents). Often 
bogus reasons are given for separations. One example is the baby passed 
meconium before birth. A baby who passes meconium and is fine a few 
minutes after birth will be fine and does not need to be in an incubator 
for several hours’ "observation". 

There is no evidence that mothers who are separated from their babies are 
better rested. On the contrary, they are more rested and less stressed 
when they are with their babies. Mothers and babies learn how to sleep in 
the same rhythm. Thus, when the baby starts waking for a feed, the mother 
is also starting to wake up naturally. This is not as tiring for the 
mother as being awakened from deep sleep, as she often is if the baby is 
elsewhere when he wakes up. 

The baby shows long before he starts crying that he is ready to feed. His 
breathing may change, for example. Or he may start to stretch. The mother, 
being in light sleep, will awaken, her milk will start to flow and the 
calm baby will be content to nurse. A baby who has been crying for some 
time before being tried on the breast may refuse to take the breast even 
if he is ravenous. Mothers and babies should be encouraged to sleep side 
by side in hospital. This is a great way for mothers to rest while the 
baby nurses. Breastfeeding should be relaxing, not tiring. 
 

3. No restriction on length or frequency of breastfeedings. A baby who 
drinks well will not be on the breast for hours at a time. Thus, if he is, 
it is usually because he is not latching on well and not getting the milk 
which is available. This, not a pacifier, not a bottle, not taking the 
baby to the nursery, will help. 

4. Supplements of water, sugar water, or formula are rarely needed. Most 
supplements could be avoided by getting the baby to take the breast 
properly and get the milk that is available. If you are being told you 
need to supplement without someone having observed you breastfeeding, ask 
for someone to help who knows what they are doing. There are rare 
indications for supplementation, but usually supplements are suggested for 
the convenience of the hospital staff. The best supplement is your own 
colostrum.  

5. A proper latch is crucial to success. This is the key to successful 
breastfeeding. Unfortunately, too many mothers are being "helped" by 
people who don’t know what a proper latch is. If you are being told your 
two day old’s latch is good despite your having very sore nipples, be 
skeptical, and ask for help from someone who knows. 

Before you leave the hospital, you should be shown that your baby is 
latched on properly, and that he is actually getting milk from the breast 
and that you know how to know he is getting milk from the breast.If you 
and the baby are leaving hospital not knowing this, get help quickly. 

6. Free formula samples and formula company literature are not gifts. 
There is only one purpose for these "gifts" and that is to get you to use 
formula. It is very effective, and very unethical, marketing. If you get 
any from any health professional, you should be wondering about his/her 
knowledge of breastfeeding and his/her commitment to breastfeeding.
For more information or to request help, please visit my website and feel 
free to contact me at any time.

Sincerely
Ana Sola
www.breastfeedingwomen.com

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