World Breastfeeding Week: Ways to Increase Milk Supply

I am frequently asked what to do to increase milk supply. Here are a few ways that women have found helpful. You may find some or all of them helpful for you. 

Increase Your Nursing Sessions

Simply offer the breast more frequently to your baby. Breastfeeding works on the basic principle of supply and demand. The more you are demanding of your body to make milk, the more milk you will make. 

Drink plenty of fluids

There is no proof behind a correlation between drinking more water and producing more milk. That being said, it is easier for your body to produce milk when it is well hydrated. 

Add 3 Key Ingredients To Your Diet

One of my favorite suggestions for increasing milk supply is to simply add three ingredients into your diet: oats, flaxseed meal, and brewer's yeast. Perhaps the easiest way is a bowl of oatmeal each morning with flaxseed meal and brewer's yeast sprinkled on top. You can also add these ingredients into lots of recipes, including cookies. 

Completely Empty Your Breasts

Your milk increases quicker the emptier your breast is. So make sure to completely empty your breasts at each feeding in order to increase supply. You may need to pump after a feeding to ensure you have completely emptied. 

Pump

Wait about an hour after a feeding session where you have completely emptied your breast and then pump. This will allow your body time to replenish the milk that was just drained and will trigger your body into knowing it needs to make more. Try to pump for at least two let-downs or around twenty five minutes. 

{Disclaimer: This post is not intended as medical advice or as breastfeeding counseling. For professional help with breastfeeding, please contact a lactation consultant in your area or speak with a physician or trusted health care worker}