How to Increase Breast Milk Supply during Confinement
How to increase Breast Milk Supply during Confinement period may be on your mind. Breastfeeding can be an emotionally and physically challenging journey – you may be wondering how you can boost your breast milk supply.
The benefits of breast milk are endless. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding infants for at least two years, with the introduction of solid complementary foods around six months. This aligns with the World Health Organization (WHO), which also recommends breastfeeding for two years or longer.
There are some tips you can adopt to increase your milk supply, which works on a supply and demand basis:
[1] Pump or Latch often to empty your breasts more
- Feed according to your baby’s needs rather than following a feeding schedule
- Offer both breasts at every feeding, to provide stimulation to both breasts to enhance milk production
- This helps to make sure that your breasts are relatively ’emptier’, which will result in faster production of milk
- If pumping, use a hospital-grade pump 8-12x a day to establish your supply
[2] Latch your baby correctly
- Keep your baby close to you, with his chin in contact with your breast
- Monitor your baby to ensure his mouth is open wide and he has a mouthful of your areola
- The latch should not feel overly uncomfortable, it should lean more towards a tug
[3] Maintain a healthy diet
- Opt for a wide variety of food
- Select wholesome food such as wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, low fat dairy products, lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts and seeds
- Confinement Meals often include such key ingredients to help with milk production and support overall body healing
- In addition, Confinement Herbs and Lactation Treats / Cookies can further accelerate milk supply
[4] Rest more
- Rest and sleep are important to breastfeeding mothers for keeping up their energy and their milk production
Integrate these tips in your daily routine to increase your breast milk supply during Confinement.
To add on, many families now opt for Confinement Nannies to support them along the 1st month of birth. Read here to see how to select a Confinement Agency.