There are several causes of low milk, ranging from incorrect breastfeeding techniques to stress. Lack of breast milk often makes mothers worry that they will not be able to meet the nutritional needs of their babies. However, you don't need to worry, because there are ways to deal with a little milk.
One of the main problems that are often experienced by mothers when breastfeeding is a little milk production. In fact, breast milk is the baby's main food that is needed to support its growth and development and protect it from various diseases.
Various Causes of Little Breastmilk
Low milk production can be caused by several things, ranging from improper latch on, lack of breastfeeding intensity, to certain diseases. The following are some of the factors that cause low breast milk that you need to know:
1. Improper attachment
The attachment of the baby's mouth to the nipple that is not appropriate when breastfeeding will lead to reduced stimulation of the mother's body to produce breast milk. As a result, milk production becomes less and the baby cannot breastfeed optimally.
There are several things that often cause the baby's mouth to not stick well to the mother's nipple, including a poor breastfeeding position or problems with the baby's tongue, for example. tongue tie.
2. Lack of breastfeeding intensity
The more often the mother breastfeeds the baby, the more milk is produced. Conversely, limiting the time and rarely breastfeeding the baby will cause the breasts to become less active to produce milk.
3. Formula feeding
Giving formula milk as additional nutrition for babies can indeed be done under certain conditions. However, giving formula milk continuously in large quantities causes the intensity of the baby to breastfeed directly from the breast to be reduced.
This will make the stimulation to produce milk in the breast decreases, so that there will be less milk. In addition, the adaptation between the nipple and the pacifier in the baby can make the latch more difficult.
4. Consumption of drugs and contraception
Some types of medicine, such as allergy and cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, can reduce milk production. Not only that, the use of hormonal contraceptives in the form of birth control pills and injections after giving birth can also cause less breast milk.
5. Stress
The need to care for the baby after delivery can cause the mother to experience stress due to fatigue and lack of sleep. This condition will reduce the release of the hormone oxytocin which plays a role in milk production. As a result, milk production is reduced.
In addition to the various factors above, low milk production can also be caused by:
- Overweight or obesity
- History of previous breast surgery
- Bleeding after childbirth
- Certain medical conditions, such as retained placenta, breast hypoplasia, thyroid disorders, diabetes, and breast cancer
How to overcome the cause of a little breast milk
In general, the cause of low breast milk can be overcome by applying the correct breastfeeding technique and stimulating milk production by breastfeeding the baby as often as possible.
Here are some ways you can do to increase breast milk so that your little one's nutritional needs are still met:
Check latch and feeding position
The first thing that can be done to overcome the low milk production is to check whether the baby's mouth is perfectly attached to the breast. If not, try another breastfeeding position that is comfortable for you and your little one. In addition, you can also consult directly with your doctor or lactation consultant.
Give breast milk as often as possible
Scheduling breastfeeding is not a good thing, because the baby's sucking is very influential on the stimulation of subsequent milk production. Therefore, give breast milk as often as possible, especially when your little one shows signs of hunger.
In addition, if your little one also consumes formula milk as an additional intake, keep pumping breast milk as often as possible to provide good stimulation for milk production.
Apply a healthy lifestyle
During the breastfeeding period, avoid smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages which can cause the quality and production of breast milk to decrease. On the other hand, drink plenty of water and eat healthy food for breastfeeding mothers so that nutritional intake is adequate and breast milk production increases.
Avoid giving formula milk
It's best to avoid formula feeding for the first 6 months, unless the baby has certain medical conditions. However, if you are worried about the nutritional adequacy of your baby, be sure to consult your doctor first before giving formula milk.
In addition, if you want to use drugs or contraception while breastfeeding, choose a type of contraception that will not interfere with your milk supply. If necessary, consult your doctor first before using birth control pills or other contraceptives.
Low milk production often makes mothers feel anxious. In fact, the breast milk given may actually be sufficient for the baby's needs.
Therefore, mothers also need to recognize signs that the baby is getting enough milk, such as weight gain, regular urination, and the baby looks calm and comfortable, so as not to panic in response to low milk production.
However, if some of the methods above do not work to overcome the lack of milk production or you are worried about insufficient milk production, you can consult a doctor. The doctor will find out the cause of low milk and provide appropriate treatment according to your condition.