A little milk during breastfeeding often makes mothers anxious, for fear that their baby's growth and development will be disrupted due to lack of nutrition. To be able to prevent and overcome this, Busui needs to know first what causes a little breast milk.
Breast milk is a very important food for babies. In the first 6 months of life, babies are recommended to only consume breast milk as a source of nutrition. At this time, breast milk is the best food to support the baby's growth and development and protect him from disease.
No wonder when there is little milk production, mothers feel stressed because they are worried that their baby will not get adequate nutritional intake.
Signs of Low Milk Production
If Busui experiences it, don't worry about your little one being nutritionally deficient. There are signs that Busui can pay attention to to find out if your little one is getting enough milk or not.
The following are some signs that indicate that the baby is deprived of milk:
- Easily cranky and looks lethargic
- Dry eyes and mouth
- Urinating less than 6 times a day
- Dark urine
- Stools are dark in color and small in size
- Little weight gain or no weight gain at all
This is the cause of less breast milk
Basically, milk production depends on the emptying of milk from the breast. The more milk that comes out of the breast, either because it is sucked in by the baby or pumped, the more milk will be produced.
However, there are some conditions that can make milk production a little, namely:
1. Delay in milk production
Normally, breastfeeding mothers will start to produce milk in large quantities from 3-5 days after giving birth. However, mothers who have certain health problems can experience delays and decreased milk production up to 7-14 days after giving birth. These health problems include:
- Diabetes
- Hypothyroid
- Use of hormonal contraceptives
- Alcohol consumption
- Smoking habit
- History of heavy bleeding after delivery
If indeed Busui has certain conditions that might make milk production a little, consult a doctor while still breastfeeding your little one. If the amount of breast milk is not sufficient for your little one, the doctor may suggest a combination of breast milk and formula.
2. Formula feeding
Formula feeding from the beginning of the baby's birth is sometimes recommended in certain conditions, for example if the baby is born prematurely or is jaundiced. This can make some mothers become more focused on giving their babies formula milk instead of breast milk.
If this is the case, the mother's body will assume that the baby does not need milk anymore, so that milk production will decrease. In fact, breast milk is still a better source of nutrition than formula milk, so formula feeding is only recommended as an addition to breastfeeding.
3. Breastfeeding schedule
Some mothers may think that breastfeeding will be easier if it is scheduled, for example every 2-3 hours. In fact, every baby's desire to breastfeed varies at different times. A feeding schedule that doesn't suit your baby's preferences may make him suckle less milk with each feed.
If each feeding the baby only sucks a little milk, the mother's body will also reduce milk production because there is little demand.
4. Suboptimal adhesion
When breastfeeding, the entire nipple must be in the baby's mouth to be able to express a lot of milk. Improper attachment of the mouth will make the baby's sucking and emptying of the breast not optimal. That way, the signal asking for milk production will also decrease.
5. Stress
Another condition that can cause low milk supply is stress, both emotional and physical stress. Emotional stress can reduce the release of oxytocin, a hormone that plays a role in breast milk production. This will certainly cause a little milk production.
Physical stress includes fatigue, lack of sleep, and lack of nutrition. However, physical stress that can directly cause low milk production is injury or surgery to the breast that causes damage to the breast glands, so that milk production is disrupted.
If your milk production is low in the first few days after your baby is born, Busui doesn't need to worry because this is normal. Continue to breastfeed your baby as usual to stimulate milk production. Busui is also advised to relax and eat healthy foods so that milk production can run smoothly.
However, if after 1 week the milk that comes out is still little or not at all, there could be a health problem that is causing it. If this is the case, Busui should consult a doctor.