A young mother may not be familiar with all the intricacies of breastfeeding, so at the first stage of motherhood there may be many difficulties associated with feeding and.
Believe me, these are temporary problems that can be avoided by remaining calm and common sense. Very soon you will learn to understand your baby’s wishes without words, but in the meantime, be patient!
Now let's look at this in more detail.
So how can you increase the number? breast milk at breastfeeding, what foods increase lactation in a nursing mother? Let's find out from our article.
How do you know if your baby has enough milk?
In the first days of a baby’s life, there are usually no problems with feeding. Of course: after all, next to the young mother there is medical staff, answering all questions at any moment!
Nurses will help a woman pump out the breast, teach her how to put her baby to the breast correctly, and doctors will monitor how the mother’s milk comes in and explain how to prolong breastfeeding for a long time.
But upon returning home, the young mother will need to independently learn to guess the wishes of the baby, determine whether he is full, and for what reason he is crying.
You can determine whether your baby is hungry or not by the nature of his stool. If the baby receives enough milk, his stool becomes dark yellow in color, has a faint odor and a slightly watery consistency.
You can tell if your baby is hungry by looking at the stool!
The number of bowel movements in a well-fed child in the first months of life is up to 8 times a day. This is completely normal and confirms that your baby is getting enough breast milk.
If the frequency of stools has changed and the color has changed to brown, the baby needs more food. Just don’t rush to introduce baby formula for complementary feeding: usually, adjusting the mother’s diet leads to an increase in her milk supply.
The second surest indicator of your baby's satiety is the amount of his urine and its color. If the baby's diaper is full every 3-4 hours and is heavy, and the absorbed discharge is light in color, the baby is most likely not experiencing malnutrition.
This sign is typical for a baby older than five days of age; before this time, urine may have dark color- this is a normal option, don't worry.
You can find out if your baby is getting enough milk by weighing him before and after each feeding. To do this, purchase special scales for newborns (you can rent them or buy them in a store).
Massage to improve lactation:
- Get on all fours, tilt your head down. Move around the room in this position until you get tired.
- Stand up straight. Spread your arms out to the sides, then cross them in front of you like scissors and spread them out again. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times, raising your arms higher with each swing, finally crossing them above your head.
- Sit cross-legged. Bend your elbows at chest level, placing your palms together and pointing your fingers up. Counting to 3, press your palms tightly together; on the count of 4, relax them without lowering your arms. Repeat 10 times.
Weigh your baby before and after each breastfeeding and note the difference. For 3-5 days, record the milk your child eats. A child aged one week should eat 30-50 ml of milk per feeding. By a month this norm reaches 100 ml.
Of course, each baby is individual: one may eat more milk, another may eat less. A weakened child will drink less milk than his strong counterpart who was born with a higher weight. Show the schedule you have drawn up to your pediatrician: he will determine whether your baby’s feeding rate needs adjustment and whether you are attaching him to the breast correctly.
Whether the baby has enough milk can also be determined by how correctly he grasps the breast when feeding: the baby should wrap his lips around not only the nipple, but also the areola. Wide open mouth the child grabs the mammary gland and begins sucking movements, then there is a pause, during which the baby takes a sip of milk and closes his mouth. The longer the pause, the more milk the baby got.
How to increase breast milk supply?
It would seem that you are doing everything right: the baby is confidently suckling at the breast, he is gaining weight well, is calm and cheerful.
But suddenly you began to notice that the amount of breast milk you have has decreased, your breasts are not as full before feeding, and your baby wakes up more often to eat.
Perhaps you are just tired and lost your usual rhythm of life. Try to calm down: help from your household will be useful now. Involve your family in caring for the child, get more rest, and, if possible, take solo walks in the fresh air.
Don't forget about proper nutrition nursing mother: your diet should include healthy, non-fatty foods and forget about spices. The amount of liquid you consume should be about 2 liters per day: preference should be given to decoctions of dried fruits and herbal infusions.
Recipes to enhance lactation:
- Healthy cocktail. Mix 100 ml of milk, 3 cups of kefir, 1 teaspoon of chopped dill, 1 teaspoon of honey, 2 walnut kernels. Beat all ingredients with a mixer or in a blender. Drinking a glass of this smoothie with breakfast will promote a good milk flow throughout the day.
- Milk-nut infusion. Brew 3-4 walnut kernels with a glass of boiled milk. Add 1 teaspoon of honey. Keep the mixture in a thermos for about an hour. Divide the serving into 4 parts and take throughout the day and at night.
Dairy products must be present in your diet: fermented baked milk, low-fat kefir, will have a positive effect on milk production and will have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.
A young mother should not forget about night feedings. As you know, the hormone Prolactin is responsible for high-quality milk production. And its greatest production occurs at night.
This is why it is very important to put your baby to the breast at night to increase your breast milk supply. At first it will seem very difficult, but motherhood is not an easy task, be patient for the sake of your child!
Modern multivitamins for nursing mothers can also cause an increase in the amount of breast milk. Your body is weakened by childbirth and caring for the baby, and getting enough useful substances from food is not always possible.
Consult your doctor: ask which vitamins are right for you, how and how much to take them. There are also medications that increase lactation: consulting a doctor, apparently, will not be superfluous for you.
Half an hour before feeding, drink tea with milk!
After feeding the baby, pour hot water over your breasts (about 40 degrees), and express excess milk in a circular motion from top to bottom for 5 minutes. This procedure stimulates milk production well and relaxes nervous system. And as you know, a calm mother does not have a child who cries.
Half an hour before each feeding, drink tea with milk. This is an old, proven method of producing breast milk over the years. The tea should not be hot and strong: dilute it in a cup with a small amount of milk. You can add a teaspoon of honey to this mixture: the healthy product is ready for use!
List. A proper diet for a nursing mother increases lactation and improves the quality of milk.
Find out what the pills for stopping lactation are called. Complete the feeding safely and painlessly.
What to do if a nursing mother loses her milk?
Milk cannot disappear in one day, therefore, if you have not had problems with feeding before, the baby is cheerful and cheerful, and is gaining weight - there is no need to be upset.
The milk supply may have decreased for psychological reasons or due to fatigue.
The attitude is important here: if you are confident in yourself, agree to go through all the difficulties just to continue breastfeeding your baby, you will be able to return lactation to normal.
If your baby constantly cries and makes quick movements while sucking, most likely he really doesn’t have enough milk! Don't panic! And don't stop feeding, especially at night. Try to feed the baby from both breasts: after he eats from one, offer the other.
Carry the child in your arms more often, focus only on the child. Entrust the care of the house to your loved ones. Don’t rush to bottle-feed your baby: having learned the nipple, he is unlikely to take the breast next time.
If your breast milk disappears, your doctor may advise you to take medications: for example, it is excellent for increasing lactation. Also, with small amounts of breast milk, many mothers take the drug Leptaden.
To increase lactation, it would be useful for the mother to use dry milk formulas: “Femilak”, “Enfa-mama”, “Olympic” - they are designed specifically for nursing mothers, do not cause harm, and are gentle.
If the amount of milk in your breasts begins to decrease, try drinking teas for nursing mothers: for example, Hipp tea is designed to maintain normal lactation, alternating it with fruit juices and drinks (both fresh and store-bought), you won’t know. What is a "lactation crisis"? You can also add dietary supplements “Apilactin” or “Lactogon” to your regular diet.
Extensive information regarding . How to treat mastopathy, reviews from experienced people.
Read about nipple shields for nursing. How to choose the right pads, reviews from moms.
Increasing lactation with folk remedies
How and with what to increase breast milk lactation using folk remedies? For many mothers, carrot juice helps increase the amount of breast milk.
Grate small carrots on a fine grater, squeeze through cheesecloth and take half a glass several times a day, after diluting the resulting juice with milk.
You can also add a few tablespoons of grated carrots to milk, add honey and consume 100 grams of this mixture 3 times a day.
Carrot juice increases lactation!
Anise seeds can also be used to make healthy drink to increase lactation: pour a glass of boiling water over the seeds, wrap in a towel and let it brew for several hours. Half an hour before meals, take the resulting decoction one tablespoon 3 times a day. You can prepare caraway infusion in the same way.
In late spring, juice from dandelion leaves improves lactation. Pass the young leaves of the plant through a meat grinder, squeeze through cheesecloth, salt the juice and let it brew for about an hour. Drink the resulting infusion 2 times a day, half a glass. To soften the bitterness, add a little sugar or a spoonful of honey to the drink.
An infusion of dill seeds also helps to increase lactation: brew them with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 2 hours and use a tablespoon 6-8 times a day.
For a new mother, the main thing is to establish the process correctly natural feeding. We can say with confidence that your baby is eating properly and has enough milk if:
- The baby's diaper is full every 3-4 hours, the urine is light and odorless
- The baby defecates after every feeding. The color of his stool is dark yellow and the consistency is slightly watery.
- When feeding, the baby grasps the nipple along with the areola, makes confident sucking movements: mouth open - pause - mouth closed.
- Sleep should be at least 10 hours a day - night and day.
- Walks in the fresh air for at least 2 hours.
- Frequent latching of the baby to the breast from birth (at least 10 times a day), with mandatory night feedings.
- Good nutrition and increasing the volume of fluid consumed to 1.5-2 liters per day (this includes tea, soups, decoctions, milk, sour-milk products).
- Shower-chest massage.
- Drink hot green tea 30 minutes before feeding.
- Take vitamins for nursing mothers.
To ensure that you always have a lot of breast milk, rest often and focus only on the baby. Entrust household chores to loved ones. Take your baby to your bed and be sure to feed him at night: this will perfectly stimulate milk production.
Eat right and drink enough fluids. If your milk begins to disappear, do not panic: be sure to consult a doctor.
Modern medicines, biological supplements, traditional methods Raising your lactation will definitely help you continue breastfeeding. Stay calm and confidently move towards your goal: feeding your baby only breast milk!
Mothers. During pregnancy, the female body prepares for breastfeeding with the help of special hormones that support lactation. It depends on many factors, and first of all it is nutrition.
Every nursing woman needs the most high-calorie and protein-rich food in order to replenish the body's losses during this period. And so that the choice does not turn out to be wrong, in the article we offer advice to nursing mothers on the rules for choosing products to create a healthy balanced diet.
Healthy foods for nursing mothers
The postpartum period is characterized by a woman’s increased appetite, since her body’s main function is to produce milk for the newborn. Mother and child are one, and when the lactation period begins, the mother's breast responds to the baby's cry if he needs nutrition
The main products should be highlighted. These include:
- Pure still water in the amount of 1.5-2 liters per day. The female body needs it to replenish fluid levels.
- Milk. This product was created by nature, and therefore the body will perceive it well, immediately absorb it and replenish protein reserves.
- A warm tea drink that is best combined with milk, which will increase lactation. You need to know that the more warm liquid a nursing mother drinks, the more milk she produces.
- Dried fruit compotes. A vitamin-rich drink that will replenish the body’s losses and pleasantly quench your thirst.
- Nuts are also very beneficial for nursing mothers. This is a high-calorie natural product that helps fill the body with fats and carbohydrates and therefore has a good effect on the quality of milk.
- Sunflower seeds are a product containing fiber and fats, which, like nuts, are necessary for the body of a nursing mother, as they improve the quality of milk, making it nutritious and healthy for the baby.
- tea made from dill seeds will do a good job of stimulating lactation in the female body. A tablespoon of seeds per glass of boiling water is the whole recipe. After the drink is brewed and infused, you can eat it.
Many mothers are interested in what to eat to produce more milk? The answer to this question is quite simple - you can eat almost everything. Moreover, it is even necessary to increase the diet of a nursing mother, since her body suffers huge losses of vitamins, microelements and fats.
Delicious and nutritious dishes that are beneficial during lactation
As menu items, you can offer dietary meat broth, without using subcutaneous fat animals. In order to cook it, just take a piece of lean beef, pork or chicken and after boiling, drain the first broth, fill it again with clean water, and then you can prepare the soup. This method of cooking is both healthy and safe for any organism - not only for a nursing mother, but also for the whole family.
Milk porridges are a healthy and nutritious food during the feeding period, because porridges are a source of carbohydrates, proteins and fiber. This composition helps digestion, and subsequently cleanses the body. In addition, a breakfast of milk porridge is simple and the most useful way get the right amount of energy for the body.
Hard cheeses help nourish the female body healthy fats, proteins and carbohydrates. The benefits and taste of the product will help to please mommy in a natural way, and will also replenish the loss of calcium in the body during lactation.
Fermented milk products for lactation of a nursing mother are also necessary to help replenish all calcium losses and nourish the intestinal flora with bifidobacteria. Mother and child are interconnected, so the entry of bifidobacteria into the mother’s body will have a beneficial effect on the baby’s health.
Juices, such as carrot or apple, are a storehouse of vitamins by nature. Apples help intestinal motility and nourish the body with natural hemoglobin.
Lettuce leaves stimulate the flow of milk into the mother's body. If cucumbers can cause fermentation in the intestines, and this can be transmitted to a newborn, then lettuce leaves are absolutely safe in this regard.
Thus, to increase lactation, you should choose everything natural and healthy, tasty and safe, homemade.
Tasty and healthy - let's talk about the benefits of watermelons
Natural resources are available in every season. For example, in summer and autumn you can see fruit and berry crops such as watermelons on the market. Their varieties are diverse, but they bring the same benefits - they saturate with vitamins and help remove toxins from the body.
Almost every woman is interested in whether nursing mothers can drink watermelon? An assessment of the condition of the body, the presence or absence of allergies in the mother and child, and the high quality of the product itself will help answer this question.
Doctors usually recommend conducting research on the suitability of watermelon at home. To do this, take a glass of water and dip a piece of pulp into it. If the water becomes cloudy, then it is a bad product and should not be eaten. If the water turns pink after two hours, then you have chosen a high-quality watermelon.
Nursing mothers should understand that the described berry has a large amount of pulp, in which harmful and dangerous bacteria quickly multiply. If a ripe fruit lies next to a rotten product, then pathogenic microorganisms can enter it, and thanks to this, the best watermelon can turn into a health hazard.
In addition, in the first months of feeding, you should not eat this berry, so as not to cause allergies in the child. The risk of poisoning is quite high, and therefore watermelon is most often not recommended for nursing mothers.
What to drink to make more milk?
This question is often asked by new mothers at appointments with pediatricians and gynecologists. It is these experts who, as a rule, advise consuming as many warm drinks as possible, such as compotes and foods, to maintain lactation. However, it is worth remembering that any product can cause allergies in a newborn, so you need to start with small portions.
A popular drink among nursing mothers is Hipp tea.
The natural composition of Hipp tea is completely compatible with the body of a nursing mother, as it contains herbs that promote milk production, restoration of health after childbirth and saturation with vitamins.
During lactation, it is very important that nutrients enter the body not only with food, but also with drinks. In addition, it has been known since ancient times healing properties herbs such as fennel, nettle, lemon balm and others.
The benefits of this drink can be judged by what Hipp tea consists of:
- fennel and galega - increase lactation;
- cumin - has a calming effect;
- anise - has a sedative effect, relieves tension, stimulates the functions of the mammary glands;
- lemon balm - a sedative;
- nettle - strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
Additionally, to improve the taste, maltodextrin and dextrose are added to the drink, which promote the digestibility of proteins in the intestines. All these lactogenic products help the mother maintain the required level of milk production for breastfeeding.
Due to the fact that tea does not contain sugar or starch, it does not cause side effects. But still, before using it, you should consult with your doctor, who will identify incompatibility if there are any allergic reactions or other factors.
How to take tea
Before drinking the drink, you should prepare it in the simplest and most simple way. in an accessible way. To do this, brew 3-4 teaspoons or 1 tea bag with hot water in a 200-250 ml cup. After this you can drink it. The number of cups per day can be up to four. You should drink tea 20 minutes before feeding.
The use of the described drink helps to improve the condition of the body of a nursing woman and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, thereby improving the body's natural processes. In addition, milk contains substances that eliminate colic in the newborn’s intestines.
The calmer the mother, the calmer the baby, so it is necessary to find products that will contribute to this condition. One such product is Hipp tea. One package can last for a week or two, depending on how much of this drink you drink per day.
Before buying this tea, you should consult a pediatrician.
You can store it open for as long as it is written on the packaging, and at the same time try to adhere to the temperature regime specified by the manufacturer.
Before purchasing, you should familiarize yourself with the composition of the tea, since manufacturers use different raw materials to prepare it. If an allergy occurs, you should stop drinking this drink.
A little about breast milk substitute
At the same time, a hercules decoction with milk is useful and nutritious for a newborn. It is very easy to prepare and can then be given infant during the absence of milk or formula, starting from the age of two months, under the supervision of a pediatrician.
How to cook rolled oats
Hercules with milk is an old recipe known to our grandmothers. It's quite simple to prepare:
- One part of water is mixed with 3 parts of milk; it is better to take goat milk, as it is much closer in composition to human milk.
- There should be approximately 1 cup of liquid. For this volume, take 1 tablespoon of rolled oatmeal flakes ground in a coffee grinder.
- All this should be placed in a saucepan and boiled for 20 minutes.
Rolled oats with milk will be beneficial for the gastrointestinal tract because it contains fiber and protein.
The lactation period begins for a woman from the moment her child is born. In the first 2 days, the baby can be fed with colostrum, which is formed in the mammary glands before milk appears.
With the onset of lactation, the baby will be completely saturated with mother's milk and will not require additional nutrition. And in order to have enough of it, the nursing mother should create a rational menu and take care of her sleep and rest schedule. A woman’s psychological state directly affects the production of hormones.
Lactation products for a nursing mother should be only the healthiest and most affordable, such as cottage cheese, milk, cheese, meat, some fruits and vegetables. A sufficient amount of liquid will replenish the body with the necessary amount of moisture, restore the nervous system and allow milk to be produced in the required volume.
What to eat for lactation and what not to eat
A nursing mother often wants to eat something tasty that is sold in the store, which used to be always in her diet, but has now become forbidden. We offer a list of foods that should not be eaten during this period:
- alcoholic drinks;
- chocolate;
- bananas;
- citrus;
- smoked meats;
- salted fish;
- fried potatoes, chicken and anything fried in vegetable oil for six months;
- canned food;
- watermelons;
- grape;
- red vegetables;
- sweets;
- carbonated drinks.
Thus, we can conclude that the list contains almost everything that is present in the diet of an ordinary person until the time comes to take care of one’s offspring.
It should be noted that lactation products for a nursing mother must be selected with the participation of a pediatrician, who can either prescribe additional nutrition or cancel one of the products. Such cancellation is usually due to the fact that the child may have allergies, colic or constipation.
The best thing to eat for lactation is freshly steamed food. For example, for this you can use modern steamers, multicookers, blenders and other kitchen utensils, with the help of which food is transformed into culinary delights with useful substances. Sometimes after this regime dietary nutrition the family completely switches to healthy food.
To summarize, we should conclude that there is more milk to eat:
- cottage cheese, approximately 0.3 kg per day;
- fruits such as apples, 0.5 kg per day;
- milk and kefir, approximately 1 liter per day;
- butter - 50 g;
- meat - 0.5 kg.
The list of other products should be supplemented with cereals, steamed vegetables, without the use of refined oil.
Such restrictions are due to the fact that the first three months the newborn’s intestines are filled with beneficial microorganisms, bacteria, which will then serve as a protective environment.
Over time, a nursing mother can introduce more and more healthy and nutritious foods into her diet, and the baby will gradually also prepare for the period of complementary feeding. It should be introduced into the diet starting at 6 months. Through the efforts of the mother, it will be possible to create strong immunity in the baby and restore her own health in the postpartum period. It is necessary to remember that most of all a woman’s body loses calcium, phosphorus and iron.
A woman's breast milk contains the entire range of enzymes and nutrients necessary for the full development of the baby. Its composition can change to suit the child. Through the process of feeding, a strong connection between mother and child is established, love and mutual affection arises. The closer contact a child has with his parent, the better he will be able to establish good relationships with other people in the future. Artificial feeding should be used in extreme cases.
Each woman's milk differs in composition and fat content. Most young mothers worry whether it is enough to feed the baby.
The main signs that indicate normal quality and quantity of milk include the following facts:
- the baby sucks the breast with appetite;
- the child is gaining normal weight and sleeping soundly;
- frequent, regular urination;
- good mood.
The amount of milk that a one-month-old baby usually consumes is about 600 ml. This normal indicator with slight deviations up or down. You can draw a graph for the production of breast “food” and track the factors of its fluctuation.
You should not overfeed the child, artificially increasing the amount of breast milk; a slight underweight in the child is better than its excess. The quality of breast milk, of course, depends on what the young mother eats, but it always contains the necessary vitamins and microelements for the baby. Even during the difficult and hungry war years, women raised their children.
A certain nutritional value of milk for a child is established during pregnancy; in part, its composition can be judged by the colostrum released. It is influenced by the state of the lymphatic system and the hormonal background of the body.
Mother's milk contains lipids that are easily absorbed by the baby's body, unlike artificial formulas that can cause upset in the baby's digestive system.
Breastfeeding provides benefits such as:
- the risk of developing diseases of the nervous and immune systems is reduced;
- the child grows up more physically developed;
- it does not need to be cooked and does not spoil;
- the risk of digestive system disorders is reduced.
The amount of milk produced does not directly depend on the size of the bust. It's all about the size of glandular, not adipose, tissue in the mammary gland; the more it is, the better lactation will be.
Products that increase milk supply
How to increase breast milk supply? To do this you need to use the following methods:
- Eat appropriate foods.
These include dairy products, nuts, honey, carrots, cumin. It is necessary to stop consuming citrus fruits, tobacco and alcoholic beverages. Contrary to popular belief, beer has a negative effect on the quality of breast milk due to its alcohol content. Therefore, its consumption should be avoided.
Breast milk is 85% water, so try to increase your fluid intake to 3 liters per day. The calorie intake should also be increased by 1000 kcal per day. Be sure to include meat and fresh vegetables in your diet.
It is better to consume carrots or carrot juice fresh, so they retain more nutrients. You can mix them with other vegetables. Fruit juice promotes the accumulation of essential multivitamins in milk and helps increase production.
Honey perfectly stimulates the functioning of the mammary glands, makes baby food more palatable, and has a beneficial effect on the child’s nervous system. Usually, after such feeding, babies fall asleep well at night.
It is also useful to eat cumin. The substances contained in it are beneficial for the functioning of the mammary glands. You can sprinkle it on bread or food while eating. Cumin tincture promotes lactation. To do this, pour a tablespoon of grains with a glass of boiling water and let it brew, then take 2-3 times a day before meals.
Nuts are high in calories, but are also strong allergens. Usually, they increase not only the amount of “food” for the baby, but also make it more nutritious. Before eating them during feeding, consult a specialist.
- Perform special exercises to improve breast milk production.
These simple movements will help stimulate the mammary glands to work more intensively in producing nutrition for the baby:
- You need to get on all fours and crawl like this for some time;
- Spread your arms to the sides and do scissor-type exercises;
- Sit with your legs bent under you and alternately press your arms bent at the elbows to your chest.
Such gymnastics allows you to speed up blood circulation and metabolism in the body, increase blood flow in the mammary glands, and stimulate their work.
- Do preventive massage.
Breast massage to increase lactation is very useful. It is an excellent prevention against the formation of congestion and lumps in the breast and can significantly increase the production of nutrition for the child. Before starting, you need to lubricate it with a special massage cream or oil. Then grab your bust with both hands and massage in a circular motion, first in one direction, then in the other. Rub the oil in gently, but do not touch the nipple area as this may cause irritation.
Feeding secrets
How to increase breast milk flow? These useful tips will help young mothers improve the quality of breast milk and increase its quantity:
- during lactation, allow the baby to completely empty one breast so that he can reach the “hind” nourishing milk;
- try to maximize the area of bodily contact during feeding;
- give the breast as soon as the baby asks;
- take a comfortable position;
- avoid stress and nervous tension;
- do not give your baby a nipple or anything he can suck on other than the breast;
- Let your child drink as little water as possible.
If all methods of increasing the quality and quantity of milk production have been tried, but there is no result, then you can consult a doctor who will select the appropriate medications for you to stimulate lactation.
Among the most popular and widely used are Apilak, Laktogon, Mlekoin, Femilak. In fact, these drugs are an active nutritional supplement that increases the tone of the female body and milk production. They are based on herbs and beneficial natural substances, such as honey, cow's milk whey, and mineral salts.
These drugs are used if a nursing woman's milk has significantly decreased or started to disappear. Mlekoin is available in capsules, unlike other substances, which makes it easier to take. The drug does not need to be pre-diluted in a glass of warm water. These active supplements must be taken before meals. If allergic reactions occur and the general condition of the body worsens, use should be discontinued.
Also, in order to increase the amount of milk, you can use a special massage shower according to the recommendations of Dr. R. Seitz. Exposure to hot water has a beneficial effect on the glandular tissue in the breast, dilating the milk ducts and stimulating blood circulation.
After feeding your baby, get into the shower and massage your breasts one by one, pouring hot water over them (temperature no more than 40ºC) and pumping at the same time. The duration of the procedure should be 5-10 minutes 1-2 times a day.
An hour before lactation, drink tea with condensed milk. The lactose contained in it will speed up the arrival of milk and increase its fat content.
Try not to listen to the advice of numerous relatives about the methods, quality and quantity of feeding. This will help save you from unnecessary stress and boost your self-confidence. While feeding your baby, try to relax and think only about yourself and your baby. Massage your breasts, which will help improve lactation and mix the “back” and “front” milk.
Before or during feeding, steam your feet, this helps to significantly increase secretion breastfeeding and improve thermoregulation of the mother's body. Not worth taking at all small child with you to bed. You can accidentally damage something to him, and you won’t be able to get a good rest, since the baby may wet himself.
Following these simple rules, can be avoided possible problems with the work of the mammary glands during lactation:
- Wear comfortable clothes. It is best to use specialized bras without wires that hold the breasts well and do not cut into the body, creating discomfort.
- Follow your diet. A nursing mother needs to eat regularly. You need to sleep more than 9 hours a day, you should definitely be in the fresh air. Avoid anxiety and tension. If the body is under stress, the ducts in the breast begin to contract intensively, reducing milk production and reducing its nutritional value.
- Give up bad habits. Smoking, alcohol and drugs greatly reduce the value of breastfeeding and cause significant deviations in the development of the baby.
- Don't get too cold. Keep your breasts warm. During lactation, the skin on them is greatly stretched, thinned and sensitive, any impact low temperatures causes a risk that increases the possibility of an inflammatory process. Feed your baby in a closed, warm room.
Young mothers need to take into account that the period of breastfeeding is very important for normal development and the growth of the baby, so you need to approach this process with all responsibility.
All young mothers who are committed to serious and long-term feeding of their baby with breast milk are concerned about lactation issues: will there be enough milk, will it be rich enough, how to protect yourself from its disappearance and how to increase lactation while breastfeeding? Breastfeeding will always be enjoyable and useful point, both for the mother and for her baby, if this process is properly organized and measures recommended by experts are taken to improve lactation (both qualitatively and quantitatively).
It has been scientifically proven that the hormone responsible for lactation in the body is prolactin, and its production depends entirely on the number of times the baby is latched to the breast. Thus, the more the baby suckles at the breast, the greater his production will be.
For the same reason, there is no need to supplement the baby with water in the first months, mistakenly assuming that in this way milk will be “save” for the next feeding. It is important that the child empties the breast actively and well (this will stimulate the production of the next milk portion), but if the baby’s appetite is interrupted, the sucking activity will decrease.
To increase milk lactation during breastfeeding, the baby should be fed according to his demand; the once-recommended strict hourly feeding does not give the desired result. Night hours are very useful for increasing milk production, so night latching should not be ignored.
A young mother definitely needs time for sound sleep and rest; fatigue and anxiety always have a negative impact on lactation. The fact is that in the female body, the hormone oxytocin is responsible for the secretion of milk, and its production directly depends on the psycho-emotional state of the woman. The level of this hormone decreases during depression, nervous exhaustion, and after stress.
All lactation teas recommended today contain herbs aimed at normalizing nervous condition women: lemon balm, chamomile, fennel seeds. This once again confirms that to increase lactation you need emotional calm.
Stimulates milk secretion, helps speed up the process and increase the volume of warm drinks. A nursing mother definitely needs to drink tea with milk, rose hip decoction, dried fruit compotes, herbal teas, or just warm boiled water as much as possible.
Warm drinks, neither hot nor cold, promote milk formation to a greater extent. It is better to drink half an hour before the expected time of the next feeding and immediately after it.
How to improve lactation with nutrition
When considering how to increase your milk supply while breastfeeding, don't forget about its quality. It should be rich in all necessary proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and beneficial microelements. All this gives milk to the mother’s body, which needs to be saturated as much as possible.
A nursing mother does not need to eat for two in the literal sense of the word; she just needs to balance her own diet.
Lactation experts have identified several types of products that will help both increase milk production during breastfeeding and maximize satiety. The recommended list includes:
- caraway. It can be chewed separately, eaten with bread, or used as a spice in cooked dishes, or added to herbal tea when brewed;
- nuts, almonds are best, walnuts and pine nuts are also possible. They can be eaten every other day in very small quantities; this is a very fatty product that can cause severe constipation in the baby and provoke the accumulation of gases. In addition, a nursing mother should not eat salted or roasted nuts. It’s good to make a drink from pine nuts: pour a glass of water over them overnight, leave until the morning, boil, leave for a little, drink, sweetening with a little honey;
- ginger. It can be added to cooked dishes, used as a spice, but warm ginger tea gives the best effect;
- Hercules. This porridge is an ideal breakfast for a nursing mother; you need to prepare it with milk, add dried apricots and an apple; when the baby gets a little older, you can sprinkle it with grated nuts every other day;
- broths from lean meats;
- fish broths;
- vegetable soups;
- feta cheese and Adyghe cheese;
- carrots (in any form);
- barley coffee. This drink except beneficial influence for lactation it will help those coffee-loving mothers who are having a hard time with the lack of their favorite drink;
- lettuce leaves mixed with dill, seasoned olive oil– a particularly healthy dish for a nursing mother;
- cocktail of seeds: dill, caraway, anise and fennel fruits. All ingredients need to be mixed, pour boiling water, leave, and then drink, sweetening with honey.
Honey and anise can cause allergies in the baby; be sure to introduce them gradually, starting with a very small portion.
Increasing milk production with drugs
Looking for effective ways How to increase the amount of milk in a nursing mother, many women try to choose a complex of medications, considering it the fastest and most reliable. Today for nursing mothers we offer:
- homeopathic remedies;
- multivitamin complexes;
- various dietary supplements;
- teas to increase lactation.
How to increase lactation for a nursing mother?
Of the entire list, the safest and most free of side effects are multivitamin complexes and teas. Dietary supplements are biologically active additives; for nursing mothers they are made on the basis of lactogenic herbs and containing royal jelly. The need for young mothers to use these supplements, the benefits or dangers for the child’s body - today all this remains a controversial issue among doctors. From homeopathic remedies the most common Mlekoin.
For such a question as how to add milk to a nursing mother, teas are produced by many manufacturers, the most popular: “Humana”, “HiPP”, “Laktavit”, “Nestik”. They differ mainly in price; as for the main components, they most often include: lemon balm, anise, fennel, nettle, cumin. Nestik has added chamomile and rosehip, while Humana offers an improved taste with blackberry and hibiscus extract.
You can make tea in order to successfully solve such a problem as increasing the amount of milk in a nursing mother yourself at home, by looking at the composition from the manufacturer you like. You can also add hawthorn and oregano to homemade tea.
Breastfeeding is a very important process for health and physical development baby. Sometimes in the life of a young mother the situation develops in such an unfavorable way that the baby is sorely lacking in breast milk or it practically disappears altogether. If you have the desire and desire to continue feeding your newborn, you need to know ways to improve lactation, what methods you can use to increase the production of breast milk and provide your baby with the right amount.
To ensure that the baby always has enough milk, the mother must monitor her lifestyle, nutrition and psychological balance
In order to improve lactation, women are advised to adhere to several simple tips, which doctors usually give in such cases. They are aimed at stimulating the functioning of the mammary glands and increasing the amount of breast milk. They relate to the lifestyle of a young mother.
- Drink at least 1.5 liters of high-quality (filtered, mineral) still water per day.
- Special teas to increase lactation.
- Try to rest more in any free minutes, do not overwork.
- Get enough sleep: a nursing mother, according to doctors, needs at least 10 hours of sleep a day.
- Two hours a day - walks in the fresh air.
- Avoid stress, domestic and family quarrels and worries, do not be nervous.
- Avoid excessive physical activity.
- No weight loss diets.
- Frequent feedings (at least 10 times a day).
- Do not give up night feedings, which actually contribute to the production of prolactin in the female body, a hormone that improves lactation.
- Do things you love that will give you positive emotions. This could be knitting, reading, or even watching your favorite movie. Grandma or dad can stay with the baby at this time.
- Do special self-massage at home. Castor oil wet your palms generously. Left hand place it under your chest, the right one on it. Make light, massaging movements in a clockwise direction. Avoid getting oil on the nipple.
- Sign up for a massage with a specialist, but first be sure to warn him that you are a nursing mother.
In addition to these recommendations, which mainly affect the lifestyle of a nursing mother, her diet is very important. It should include products whose consumption increases milk significantly.
Ginger is one of those foods that promote milk production, but you shouldn’t get carried away with it: strictly follow the recommended servings
To improve lactation, young mothers need to include drinks, dishes, and individual foods that increase breast milk production in their daily menu. These include:
- warm tea: black (weak) with milk or green with honey - it is recommended to drink half an hour before feeding the baby;
- cumin: chew a small amount of cumin seeds daily or eat bread with this cereal;
- fresh almond, cedar, walnuts(be careful: they can cause profuse gas formation and constipation in the child);
- herbal teas (from oregano, lemon balm, nettle, dill, hawthorn, anise);
- juices: carrot, currant, blackthorn;
- meat, but low-fat broths and soups,
- fermented milk products, milk, feta cheese, Adyghe cheese;
- carrots, watermelons, onions, lettuce;
- buckwheat, rolled oats;
- seeds, nuts;
- barley coffee with honey and milk (the product can be found in a regular store);
- ginger.
The right breakfast for a mother who wants to improve lactation: oatmeal porridge with dried apricots, milk and a few walnuts.
By including enough of these in your diet healthy products, women can be sure that they will have more milk within 3-4 days of the new diet. However, there are products that have exactly the opposite properties - they should be avoided by those who have problems with lactation.
Too spicy foods, as you know, are categorically not recommended to be consumed while breastfeeding
You will have to remove foods from your diet that reduce lactation by retaining fluid in the body. These include:
- hot seasonings, spices;
- parsley, sage, mint;
- smoked meats;
- canned foods.
Those women who regularly consume these products will not be able to avoid problems with lactation: they will have much less milk with such food incontinence. And if they do not take urgent measures to somehow improve lactation and exclude these products from their menu, the baby will soon have to be transferred to artificial feeding. To make more milk, it is recommended to prepare various folk remedies.
Uzvar is a wonderful folk remedy for increasing lactation; in addition, it saturates the young mother’s body with the vitamins she and her baby need.
You can improve lactation with the help of certain foods and drinks that promote the active production of breast milk by the body of a young mother. From all the variety, you need to choose one of the recipes that can be prepared daily and consumed throughout the day: the results usually do not take long to arrive.
- Caraway drink
Pour cumin (1 teaspoon) with boiling milk (200 ml), leave covered for 2 hours. Take 100 ml shortly (15 minutes) before feeding.
- Uzvar
Rinse dried fruits (200 g each of dried pears and apples, prunes, raisins), cover with cold water for 10 minutes. Then pour 3 liters of water over the pears and apples and cook for 15 minutes over low heat. Add raisins and prunes, cook for another 15 minutes. Add 200 g of honey, wait until it boils, remove from heat, cover with a lid, leave for 3 hours. Uzvar is considered one of the most effective means in order to improve lactation in case of problems with breast milk production.
- Cedar cocktail
Pour fresh pine nuts (1 tablespoon) with water (200 ml) overnight. In the morning, boil, add honey (2 tablespoons), drink.
- Dill tea
Pour boiling water (200 ml) over dill seeds (1 tablespoon) and leave in a thermos for 2 hours. Drink 100 ml twice a day.
- Dill cocktail
Grind and mix together anise and dill seeds (20 g each), fenugreek seeds and fennel fruits (30 g each). Pour 1 teaspoon of the resulting mixture with boiling water (200 ml), leave covered for 2 hours. Drink 100 ml twice a day.
- Milk-dill cocktail
Grind dill seeds (1 tablespoon), pour in kefir (200 ml), add nutmeg and salt to taste. Drink before breakfast.
- Nut milk
Boil peeled ground walnuts (100 g) in milk (500 ml) until thickened, add to taste granulated sugar. Drink 30 minutes before feeding.
- Radish with honey
Grate the radish, squeeze out the juice (100 ml), dilute with boiled, but cold water (100 ml), add honey (1 tablespoon).
- Dandelion juice
Grind young, fresh dandelion leaves in a meat grinder, squeeze the juice out of them, add salt, and let it brew for half an hour. Drink 100 ml twice a day in small sips. To remove bitterness, add a little lemon juice, honey or granulated sugar.
- Dandelion decoction
Grind the roots and leaves of dandelions in a meat grinder (1 teaspoon), pour boiling water (200 ml), leave for 1 hour, covered. Strain, drink 50 ml 4 times a day half an hour before meals.
- Dandelion milkshake
Grind dill leaves and dandelion petals and mix. Take 1 tablespoon of the mixture, add grated walnuts (10 g), pour in kefir (4 cups), beat with a mixer, drink 100 ml for breakfast.
- Ginger tea
Grind fresh ginger root (3 tablespoons), add a liter of water, and boil. Add lemon and honey to taste. Drink 60 ml three times a day.
- Vitamin mass
Mix dried apricots, raisins, figs, prunes, peeled walnuts (1 tablespoon each). Grind, add honey. Eat half an hour before feeding, wash down with warm tea.
- Herbal infusions
Herbs that improve lactation must be chosen wisely, since each plant will work only in a certain case:
- for stomach problems: anise, cumin, fennel, dill;
- for stress: lemon balm, oregano;
- for anemia: nettle.
Any herb (1 teaspoon) is poured with boiling water (200 ml), boiled for 10 minutes, infused under the lid for half an hour. Drink 50 ml every hour.
Knowing how to improve lactation, young mothers will be able to provide their baby with a sufficient amount of breast milk even in the most critical situations, when its production is on the verge of stopping. It is very easy to adhere to the tips outlined above, organizing a unique lactation diet is also quite possible, and preparing tasty and healthy folk remedies that improve lactation is a pleasure. Enjoy and make your baby happy.
