Not Enough Breast Milk – 2 Natural Strategies for Making it Flow!

Not Enough Breast Milk? What is Hypogalactorrhea After Giving Birth?

Most mums do not anticipate that their milk supply will be insufficient. Some moms may experience anxiety if the milk does not being soon after giving birth.

When your supply of breast milk is insufficient, it is called Hypo Galactorrhea.

There are a variety of ways to treat hypogalactorrhea. Most of our patients come to us after other options, including those provided by doulas, midwives, and lactation consultants, have been exhausted.

What are the Misconceptions about Insufficient Milk Supply?

Most newborns feed about 10 to 12 times daily or once every two hours. All of the following are normal and do not mean that there is not enough milk:

• Your baby needs to feed a lot.
• The baby doesn’t want to be put down.
• Baby is waking in the night.
• Short or long feeds.
• Your baby will take a bottle after a feed.
• Breasts feel softer than they did in the early weeks.
• Your breasts don’t leak milk, or they used to leak milk but have stopped.
• Just can’t pump much milk.
• You don’t have big breasts.

Signs Your Baby isn’t Getting Enough Milk

The following are indications that your baby is not receiving an adequate amount of breast milk:

• Poor weight gain.
• You should consult a doctor as soon as possible if your newborn has lost more than ten percent of the weight she was born with or if she has not begun to gain weight by the fifth or sixth day after her birth.
• There needs to be more filthy or wet nappies.
• The frequency with which your baby defecates and urinates can be used to determine whether or not she is consuming an adequate amount of breast milk. Seek the counsel of a medical professional if you are concerned or if you have observed a decrease in the amount of moisture and weight in her soiled diapers.
• Dehydration
• If your baby exhibits jaundice, dark-colored urine, or dry mouth, seek medical attention immediately. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

What are the Reasons for Postpartum Insufficient Breast Milk?

You may feel very alone and like you’ve done something wrong if you find that your breast milk hasn’t come in shortly after birth. But be gentle with yourself — you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re certainly not alone, and there’s a good chance more milk is coming in the next week or two.

There are plenty of reasons for a delay. Because breast milk production is tied to demand, it’s important to ensure that you’re stimulating your breasts frequently and getting out as much milk and colostrum as possible. Even if you’re making sure to drain your breasts frequently, many unique variables can impact your level of milk supply.

How to Increase Breast Milk

There are many things you can do in the hospital and at home to help your milk supply grow:

Lactation consultant

A lactation consultant is a certified health professional who focuses on breastfeeding issues. They can help parents and babies get enough milk, soothe sore nipples, and find the right breastfeeding position.

Lactation specialists can help women deal with full breasts and comfortably decrease their milk supply. They can also answer questions and give advice about bottle feeding, like which bottles or nipples are best for your baby’s needs.

Massage your breasts and use a pump or your hands to get the milk out.

Stimulating the breast can help make important sites for milk receptors and increase the amount of milk you make. It’s important to give your breasts a lot of attention and massage them often, even if only a little milk comes out.

In the beginning, you should breastfeed, pump, or hand-express every 2 to 3 hours.

Remember that the amount of milk you get depends on how much demand there is for it.

Try to get milk out of your breasts as often as possible, so your body knows it needs to make more for your baby.

Drink more water.

Breast milk is mostly water, so if you drink more water, you might be able to increase the amount of breast milk you make. Many women make more milk after a good night’s sleep. This is because sleep allows their bodies to relax and get the hormones that make milk flow.

Before expressing milk, use a heating pad or take a warm shower.

Heat and massage are great ways to get your breast to make more milk.

Use a hospital-grade pump.

These pumps have more suction, which can make a big difference in how much milk you can get from your breasts and how much your breasts feel stimulated. This can make a big difference in the amount of breast milk you can make in the future.

Popular Herbal Interventions
Fenugreek has iron, silicon, sodium, and thiamine from the earth. Women worldwide eat fenugreek seeds after giving birth to help them breastfeed. Most of the time, taking two to three capsules three or four times a day is a good dose. Fenugreek capsules work quickly, so lucky moms should start making more milk in as little as 24 to 72 hours.
Chinese Herbs are even better
The good news is that most herbs used in TCM come from plants and won’t hurt you. In the past, certain herbs were given to new mothers to help them get better during the confinement period. Most people can eat these herbs without getting sick. Stop thinking about how to increase breast milk and give it a try.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture helps lactating mothers who aren’t making enough milk to return to normal. It increases the amount of milk and helps a mother feel less tired and anxious and enjoy breastfeeding. This is a safe, easy, and effective way to improve lactation, and that is a sure thing.

Not Enough Breast Milk – 2 Ways to treat Hypogalactorrhea at Soma Clinic

At Soma Clinic, we offer a variety of TCM Postpartum Treatments. One thing that most new mums don’t know is that TCM is very effective at facilitating breast milk production and flow. The outcomes are different for each individual, but we consistently achieve satisfactory outcomes by combining various approaches.

Customized Chinese Herbs
A herbal preparation of this kind may be taken in conjunction with several other forms of treatment, such as breast pumping, lactation cookies, moringa supplements or domperidone. When we are talking about an additional 10-50ml per pump, you know it is worth exploring the path of using Chinese herbs to increase milk production!

Acupuncture & Soft-Tissue Release
When we use acupuncture to facilitate breast milk production, the primary focus of the treatment is on releasing constraints in the soft tissue while stimulating the neuro-endocrine pathways.

Happy Patients at Soma Clinic

“I’ve been seeing Soma Clinic for nearly a year for things as varied as joint and muscle pain, nausea during pregnancy, eczema and support with breast milk supply. The treatments for breast milk supply have been particularly effective. After my first treatment, I was able to pump 3x as much as my usual amount. While this was sustained for only a few days, by coming for regular treatments, I’ve been able to steadily increase the amount of milk I produce. After my treatments, my milk supply has a noticeable jump. He uses a combination of acupuncture, massage and craniosacral therapy that seems to be really effective. I highly recommend him for milk supply issues, as well as overall general health.”

– C.K., USA & Singapore (Acupuncture for Hypogalactorrhea)

“[Baby] fed a lot yesterday, and first thing this morning I pumped 100ml on each side, so I think you have really helped, that and increased supply because the frequency [baby] has been feeding. In any case, things seem much better. Thank you.”

– R, Norway (Acupuncture for Not Enough Breast Milk)

“My milk supply improved especially on the left side soon after the session. It went from around 20ml to around 70ml. My baby also became equally as comfortable on the left as she was on the right. It continued for about 2 or 3 days then I noticed that I was only expressing around 40 to 50 ml on each side. I’m still taking Shatavari as well as using fennel oil.”

– H.D., India (Acupuncture for Insufficient Breast Milk (Hypogalactorrhea)

To Wrap Up

Most of our patients are women whose lactation consultants have referred them to our clinic for acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment. The results vary across individuals – some do better with acupuncture, others just need to drink down those amazing herbs!

Even if things don’t go as planned initially, you shouldn’t give up on breastfeeding. It can be empowering and scary to think your baby only needs breast milk to stay healthy. Especially if your breasts don’t feel full and your milk volume doesn’t seem to grow in the first few days after giving birth, you may worry that you’ll never be able to keep your baby full and that you’re not a good parent.

Remember that many things could cause your milk to be a little late. Talk to a lactation consultant about how to make the most milk possible. They help ensure that a woman can make milk for a long time.

Last, don’t blame yourself if you’re sick and your milk doesn’t come in at all. Your baby will be fine, and you’re still doing a great job.