Breast milk is considered the most favorable food for the baby. But there are times when it is not enough. It is extremely important for mothers in this situation to know how to increase lactation, so as not to deprive the baby of the components important for its development. The following recommendations will help determine the causes, signs of milk shortage, and how to solve the problem.
Process physiology
Lactation is a physiological process that involves the production and accumulation of breast milk by the mammary glands. It is carried out under the influence of hormones of a nursing woman. One of them is prolactin. It is secreted by the pituitary gland and stimulates the production of milk, which accumulates in the milk paths.
Another important hormone is oxytocin, which appears when a baby is sucking a breast. The child stimulates muscle contraction in the milky ways, stimulating milk production. Thanks to oxytocin, the uterus contracts, which helps to quickly return to the antenatal size and reduce the bleeding period.
On the first day of motherhood, a woman excreted colostrum from her breast. Sometimes it can appear during pregnancy. In this case, it should not be squeezed so that premature birth does not occur.
Colostrum contains a lot of nutrients, immunoglobulins and other components important for the development of a newborn. It is not split in the gastrointestinal tract, but is instantly absorbed in the intestines of the child. About 3-5 days, colostrum is replaced by milk.
Lactation Crises
Almost every nursing mother felt a shortage of milk for the baby. This is due to the lactation crisis. A decrease in the amount of milk produced occurs under the influence of changes in the hormonal background of a woman. Fortunately, this period does not last long, from 3 to 8 days.
Depending on the physiology of the mother, the timing of the crisis may vary. But most often they occur on 7-14, 30-35 days, as well as 3-3.5 months after birth. To calmly transfer the period of crisis, you need to use the tips below.
What factors affect lactation?
The amount of milk and the duration of feeding for each mother is different. These factors are responsible for the level of lactation:
- The appetite of the child. There are active and passive suckers. Children have a different need to stay at the mother’s breast, which depends on individual characteristics. This can be understood by the amount of weight gained monthly. Depending on the needs of the child, lactation may vary. And also the amount of milk produced may decrease during the illness of the baby. In this case, lactation will recover after its recovery.
- The age of the child. Children of the first month of life per day eat an average of 600 grams of milk, and the fourth - already 900 grams.
- Mother's well-being. Constant lack of sleep and fatigue can affect the level of lactation in women. Therefore, it is important to seek the help of relatives and regularly arrange a good rest. In this case, you can combine sleep in the same bed with the child.
- Lack of fluid in the body. A daily norm is two liters of water, no less. This amount includes any fluid that enters the woman’s stomach. Fruits or a bottle of water taken for a walk will help maintain the water balance.
- Menstrual cycle and time of day. Under the influence of hormones, lactation decreases in the evening. But feeding should take place, despite a small rush of milk. At night, it is advisable to apply the baby to the chest, because during this period the hormone lactation prolactin is actively produced. During critical days, milk may be added more slowly and in smaller quantities.
Do not stop breast-feeding. If the amount of milk varies during the day, then you can express a small portion of the milk at a time when there is a lot of it, and feed it during a shortage. But you need to do this not from a bottle, but from a spoon, syringe or drinker.
Signs of milk shortage
It often seems to mothers that the baby is undernourished. You can understand this by such signs:
- The child began to gain little weight in the absence of lactase deficiency. In the first 3-4 months, children add an average of 600 grams per month. If the figure is less, then this may indicate malnutrition. To correct the situation, you need to feed the baby more often and not remove it from the chest during a superficial sleep, the characteristic signs of which are the movements of the eyeballs under the eyelids and twitching of the limbs. If the baby sleeps for a long time, then you can wake him.
- A small amount of urination. Children on the 10th day of life urinate on average 10-12 times a day. You can use the counting method if the child does not receive another liquid or supplementary food.
- The baby, while sucking, behaves uneasily, cries. If at the same time the child inaudibly escapes the gas, the boiling in the stomach and stomach is not tense, then we can talk about insufficient milk. You can offer your baby another breast if it seems more full.
- Short intervals between feedings. At the same time, the baby asks for a breast every half hour, grabbing it eagerly. Perhaps the mother has little milk, or very much, and the child cannot fully fix it in her mouth. In this case, you need to express the excess.
If the baby has one or more signs of insufficient lactation, then you need to use the methods below. They will help both to increase the lactation of milk at home, and to extend it in time.
Baby feeding on demand
Lactation is established during the first 3-4 months of a child's life. If the baby is younger, then it is necessary to stimulate the production of breast milk. Do not feed the baby on a schedule. The child knows better when he wants to eat. There is no need to refuse a baby to feed, even when he asks for a breast too often. Perhaps he just did not have time to get to the back milk, which is more nutritious. Frequent breast sucking additionally stimulates the level of prolactin and oxytocin, which cope with such a task as increasing milk lactation at home.
Night feedings
The level of prolactin, which is responsible for milk production, is constantly changing throughout the day. At night, it reaches a maximum level. The most favorable hours are from 3 to 8 in the morning. To improve lactation, it is advisable to carry out at least two feedings at night.
Joint stay with a child
Skin-to-skin contact has a beneficial effect on the level of lactation in women. Therefore, it is necessary to spend as much time as possible with the baby. It is important to carry it in your arms, clutching to yourself, and also to sleep together. This method will help both to increase the lactation of breast milk, and it is better to relax and relax the nursing mother.
Proper attachment
Newly made mothers who are concerned about how to increase the lactation of breast milk, it is important to make sure that the baby is correctly applied to it. During feeding, the baby should completely capture the areola of the nipple. Otherwise, the baby will swallow a lot of air, filling it with the stomach. In this case, the child eats less than expected, thereby reducing milk production. A woman during feeding should take the most comfortable position in which she can relax as much as possible.
Traditional medicine
You can increase lactation with the help of medicinal plants that have lactogonous properties. Traditional medicine helps to cope with the task of increasing breast milk lactation at home.
The following herbs are considered the most effective: fennel, wild rose, nettle, anise, licorice and carrots. They are used as part of such recipes:
- Anise infusion. 2 tsp seed brew 1 tbsp. boiling water, then let it brew. Take 10 g three times a day 30 minutes before meals.
- Carrot juice. It is considered the most effective product that increases milk lactation. The vegetable is rubbed on a fine grater and squeezed. The juice of one carrot is taken twice a day, diluted with cream or milk.
- Infusion of caraway seeds. Brew 1 tsp. seeds in a glass of boiling milk. The broth should be infused for two hours. Take an infusion for 15 minutes before each feeding half a cup. Ground cumin is also added to the finished dishes for several seeds. Thus, you can not only cope with the task of increasing lactation at home, but also remove colic from the baby.
- Tea with lemon balm and oregano. Take before each feeding in 15 minutes.
- Infusion of lettuce. 1 teaspoon is ground in a mortar seeds and brewed with a decoction of boiling water and insist for three hours. Ready infusion is used 3-4 times a day in half a glass.
- Barley coffee or broth, as well as blackthorn juice, have a positive effect on the amount of milk.
It is important to know that herbs such as mint, parsley and sage inhibit lactation. Therefore, they are not used in the preparation of decoctions and infusions.
Full relaxation and walks
Sleep of a nursing mother should be at least 8-10 hours a day. Therefore, it is necessary to add in the daytime, if the night's sleep was defective or the woman feels overworked. It is also useful to spend time daily in the fresh air, at least two hours a day. The absence of stress, a relaxed atmosphere in the family and a good rest will help increase milk lactation.
Drugs to improve lactation
Medicines have gained popularity among women due to their effectiveness and the rapid achievement of the desired result. Drugs to improve lactation are divided into:
- homeopathic remedies;
- biologically active additives (BAA);
- multivitamin complexes;
- special teas;
- hormonal drugs.
The most safe are special teas, which include medicinal plants and royal jelly, as well as multivitamin complexes and products that increase lactation of breast milk. Hormonal drugs are usually prescribed by a doctor after an additional examination.
Hormonal drugs
These drugs to increase lactation are based on estrogen and progesterone. These hormones help increase the amount of prolactin, which is responsible for the amount of milk in the mother. The doctor prescribes the safest scheme for stimulating lactation, and also constantly monitors the health status of the woman, since there is a risk of uterine bleeding. Also, manifestations of signs such as swelling of the uterine glands and pain in the chest during feeding the baby are also possible.
"Domleridone" - is the most effective drug that can cope with such a task as an increase in lactation during breastfeeding. Take the medicine 30 minutes before meals, 10 mg three times a day. The visible effect occurs 3-4 days after the start of the course. Cancel the drug gradually, reducing the dosage to one tablet per day, observing the production of milk for 4-5 days.
Homeopathic remedies
The composition of such funds includes plant extracts that contribute to the production of milk. Drugs can be produced in the form of granules, capsules, tablets. Their main advantage is the natural composition of homeopathic remedies.
"Mlekoin" - a drug based on stinging nettles, which has a beneficial effect on the endocrine system and stimulates the production of the pituitary gland, which is responsible for lactation. And also the composition includes sleep grass, which improves blood circulation, activates the production of breast milk, and the Abraham tree, which improves mood. Take the drug 5-10 granules 30 minutes before a meal.
Vitamin Complexes
Before using this means of improving lactation, the exact cause of the lack of milk should be identified. Vitamin complexes are used for a lack of nutrients in a woman's body, as well as overwork.
"Materna" is an effective tool that copes with such a task as increasing lactation. The complex compensates for the lack of vitamins and nutrients, but can cause an allergic reaction in the baby. Take 1 tablet after meals once a day for one month.
"Elevit" - a complex of vitamins for mothers, helps to establish lactation. Take one tablet daily. There is no iodine in the composition of the drug, so it is necessary to replenish it additionally.
So, a nursing mother may face a shortage of milk. In order to cope with the problem of increased lactation, it is very important to identify the true cause. Perhaps the woman incorrectly puts the child to the chest, or the baby quickly falls asleep. According to the signs listed above, you can understand whether the child has enough milk or not, as well as how to increase lactation with the help of traditional medicine and medicines.