What is the reason for the varying amounts of milk supply during breastfeeding? What should I do if the amount of milk during breastfeeding varies?

Breast milk is the best nutrition for children, so many parents choose to breastfeed. However, for new mothers, there are many problems encountered in breastfeeding, such as unstable breast milk, sometimes more and sometimes less. They are afraid that the baby will not be full, so they give up breastfeeding. Today, let's talk about the reasons why breast milk is sometimes more and sometimes less during feeding.

Causes of unstable milk supply

Feeding time is too short

In order to train their babies to drink milk at fixed times, some breastfeeding mothers will limit the number of feedings or shorten the feeding time. This will inevitably lead to a decrease in breast milk production. Therefore, breastfeeding mothers do not have to set a fixed feeding schedule. Let the baby decide the feeding time and eat when he is hungry.

Mother's improper diet

In order to quickly regain their figure, some breastfeeding mothers go on a diet to lose weight while still breastfeeding, which leads to insufficient nutrition in the body and malnutrition, seriously affecting the secretion of milk and reducing milk production.

Wrong milking method

Many breastfeeding mothers need to return to work while still breastfeeding, so they must use a breast pump to express breast milk to feed their babies. Since most artificial breast pumps cannot increase breast milk production like the baby's mouth, the more milk is squeezed, the less milk will be produced.

Eating these is good for milk production

1. Tofu

Tofu has the effects of moisturizing dryness, producing essence, clearing away heat and detoxifying. It also has the effects of supplementing calcium and blood. It has a strong effect on lactation in pregnant mothers. Therefore, mothers who do not have enough milk after delivery can eat more tofu with brown sugar or eat tofu with eggs. It is also very effective in increasing lactation after delivery.

2. Lettuce

Lettuce is fragrant and delicious, and has a good effect on increasing milk production, especially the lettuce leaves. Eating more lettuce leaves will help mothers to better supplement iron, and eating more lettuce leaves after delivery will help mothers to increase milk production.

3. Peanuts

Peanuts are rich in vitamins and amino acids, which can improve postpartum anemia and insufficient milk supply in mothers in time. Therefore, mothers should eat more peanuts after delivery to improve their insufficient milk supply. However, be careful not to make the peanuts too greasy. Mothers who have just given birth are not suitable to eat too greasy food, which will affect their postpartum recovery and health.

4. Black sesame

Black sesame is rich in amino acids and can accelerate the body's metabolism. It is also rich in protein and fat, which can help postpartum mothers to produce milk and also help their bodies recover after childbirth.

Causes of insufficient breast milk

The general reason for insufficient breast milk is not frequent and effective breastfeeding. The general rule is once every 3 hours, 8 times in 24 hours, and it is best to breastfeed on demand. To promote milk secretion, you can try: early sucking and early skin contact, preferably within half an hour after the baby is born, and within half an hour after the mother responds in the case of cesarean section; frequent sucking and breastfeeding on demand; teach the mother the correct breastfeeding posture and the baby the correct sucking posture. If the feeding posture is incorrect, the baby will only suck the nipple, which is easy to cause the baby's nipple to crack. It is recommended not to breastfeed for one or two days when the nipple is cracked, and the milk must be squeezed out;

Psychological factors: encourage and support mothers to build confidence and be in a good mood, insist on breastfeeding on demand and at night (if the milk is not fed in time at night, it will affect the next lactation); the mother should ensure adequate rest; master feeding techniques correctly, have proper nutrition and rest, and do not add complementary foods to the baby too early. Breastfeeding is best after four months, and if the milk supply is sufficient, it is best to wait until six months. The amount of breast milk can be gradually reduced but it can be persisted.