By Cheryl Taylor, CBE
When in the course of a happy breastfeeding relationship
you notice a supply change, it can cause momentary panic.
The first course of action should be to assess a few basic
things. Are you resting enough? Getting a good
night's sleep? Taking a nap if necessary? Are you drinking
at least 64 ounces of water a day? Are you eating a good,
healthy diet? These are some of the basics of a nursing
relationship that have to be maintained to the very best of your
ability. Our bodies aren't necessarily so forgiving of
being pushed to the limit when we're nursing. They tend to
give us a clear signal. One of those ways is with a dip in
supply. Listen to your body and take some action.
Make sure you are:
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Rest...
Resting adequately |
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Liquid intake...
Drinking at least 64 ounces of water a day |
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Eating...
Eating a nutritious diet |
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Sleeping...
Choosing a night time sleeping arrangement that
allows for the best sleep for all involved |
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Feeds...
Nursing frequently |
Make sure you are not doing things that can inhibit
supply, such as:
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Smoking |
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Allergy medications |
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Sleeping on your stomach
- compressing the breasts at night |
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Wearing a bra that is
too tight |
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Wearing a sling with the
rings pressing back against the breast instead up
near the shoulder |
After having gone through the above steps and getting
those things in line, you may still find your supply is
not what you feel it should be. The next step is
to see how often your baby is wetting. Often what
is perceived as a supply problem really isn't a supply
problem at all. Observing how much your baby is
wetting will tell you whether it is reality or merely a
perception.
Another thing to remember has to do with pumping.
There are times when you see a drop in what you are able
to get at the pump. This may not be so much a drop
in supply as it is a change in your reaction at the
pump. The baby may have no trouble at all getting
letdown, but the pump just isn't fooling your body into
one as well as it once did. Making some changes at
the pump in the way of heat, massage prior to pumping,
positioning, or several other options may do the trick
for you.
If you are supplementing, even a single bottle a day,
and are struggling with your milk supply, you need to
consider ceasing all supplementing. For some
women, supplementing even one bottle a day will have a
drastic effect on their milk supply.
If all the above has been tried with little success, it
may be time to consider using a galactagogue (a
substance that increases milk supply is called a
galactagogue). Galactagogues are a wonderful tool,
but should NOT be considered until the above measures
have been taken first. It is always prudent to
remember that, on the whole, your body knows what it is
doing in responding to your baby and providing adequate
milk. Galactagogues are a wonderful thing when
they are truly necessary but they should be a last
resort. There is often an assumption that since
herbs are natural, they are safe. That isn't
always the case, and in fact, some herbs can be quite
dangerous. Please use caution when using herbs and
observe your body's reaction to them carefully.
Continued on next page...
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