The actual number of women who medically cannot produce enough milk for their babies is very, very rare. Why then does it seem that we all know at least a few women who for one reason or another had trouble producing enough milk to feed their children? Frequently what happens is that a mother has trouble and is never really given the necessary support to continue producing milk effectively. The bottom line is that the less your baby nurses, the less milk you will produce.
Supply and Demand
Breastfeeding is a supply and demand relationship. Your body produces the amount of milk that your baby demands. It doesn’t matter if your baby is huge at birth or if he grows very quickly. If you nurse when your baby “demands”, you will always have an ample supply. In fact, when babies hit a growth spurt, they nurse more frequently, so that you produce more milk to sustain the growing baby. Conversely, if your baby is not demanding, your body will not produce.
Pumping Can Work Against You
A pump is not as effective as a baby in removing milk from the breasts–especially most commercial brands sold in stores. Several women I know talk about how when breastfeeding wasn’t going well, they tried to pump their milk so the baby would still be exclusively breastfed. This rarely works for the long term. Since the pump is not as effective at removing milk, each time you pump you are removing less and so your body is producing less and so on it goes.
(I will write about effective pumping in a future blog.)
Nipple Confusion
Giving some babies pacifiers and bottles works against you in establishing breastfeeding. First of all, it can cause nipple confusion which will result in the baby either refusing to suck or sucking incorrectly. I should say that not all babies get nipple confusion however, using a pacifier instead of allowing the baby to nurse and “pacify” at the breast will not increase your supply.
Diet and Nutrition
Some mothers become so overwhelmed and over tired that they forget to take care of themselves! Your body needs more calories to breastfeed than to be pregnant so now is NOT the time to be worried about fitting into your pre-pregnancy jeans! A good rule of thumb is that every time you sit down to nurse grab a bottle of water and a healthy snack.
Generally, a lack of milk is due to how the breastfeeding relationship begins, and is managed. Supply issues can develop very quickly, but they can also be resolved very quickly. A properly certified lactation consultant can tell you if you are truly unable to produce enough milk. If you find yourself with low supply you can check out my next blog on tips to building your milk supply.
It should be noted that there are some medical issues for both baby and mother that contribute to low milk supply. I will deal with those in another blog. This information is for healthy mothers and full-term, healthy babies and your “average” breastfeeding problems. For related information and articles see:
Meghan the Vampire Baby: My Nursing Nightmare