What to do if your milk is too thin? What are the reasons for low milk supply?

Generally, mothers will breastfeed their children after giving birth. Breast milk is rich in nutrients and has many benefits for the child's health. Many mothers will insist on breastfeeding, but some mothers have less milk.

If the mother's milk is thin, various nutrients should be strengthened, including protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, vitamin D, water-soluble cellulose, etc. If the mother has more foremilk, the foremilk can be squeezed out to ensure that the baby can drink enough hindmilk.

1. Supplement protein, fat and carbohydrates

During the breastfeeding period, mothers can reasonably increase the supply of various nutrients, especially high-quality protein, calcium, zinc, iron, iodine and B vitamins. At the same time, attention should be paid to the appropriate proportion between the nutrients. For example, the heat supply ratios of protein, fat and carbohydrates should be 13%-15%, 27% and 58%-60% respectively.

Among them, protein intake is controlled at about 80g per day, which can be obtained from lean meat, eggs, pig's trotters, milk and dairy products. Fat is controlled at about 166g, which can be obtained from soybean oil, walnut oil, meat and other foods. Carbohydrates are controlled at about 350g, which can be obtained from rice, sweet potatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, grapes, peaches and other foods.

2. Supplement calcium and vitamin D

If the mother's body is calcium deficient, in order to ensure the constant calcium content in the milk, the body will absorb calcium from the mother's own bones, which will cause osteomalacia, osteoporosis, waist and leg pain, etc. Therefore, in daily life, mothers can drink more soups with high calcium content and get more sun exposure.

3. Supplement water-soluble fiber

Many mothers lack water-soluble cellulose such as vitamin B1, B2, and C in their diet, which changes the nutritional components of breast milk, so mothers should pay attention to reasonable supplementation in their diet. Among them, common water-soluble cellulose foods mainly include barley, beans, carrots, citrus, etc.

Note: Mothers should try not to be partial to certain foods during breastfeeding, especially for vegetarian mothers, as the nutrients in the body are not comprehensive enough, which will affect the synthesis and nutritional content of milk. Therefore, mothers should pay attention to the absorption of comprehensive nutrition during breastfeeding, and remember that they are not eating alone, but for the sake of their babies.

If the milk is thin, you can squeeze out the foremilk

Some mothers have more foremilk, so their babies always cannot drink the hindmilk with higher nutritional content. In this case, you can squeeze out some of the foremilk to ensure that the baby can drink enough hindmilk. But you should also note that foremilk contains relatively high water content and protein, so when feeding with foremilk, the baby does not need to drink extra water, which is also good for brain development. It is generally not recommended to squeeze it out, which can increase the baby's sucking time.

1. Reasons for low milk supply: improper feeding

01. Too few feedings

If the mother does not breastfeed for a long time or prolongs the interval between feedings, it will not only be detrimental to the secretion of milk, but will also lead to insufficient milk.

02. The baby does not suck enough

If the baby does not suck enough, the mother's milk will decrease. The baby should be allowed to suck on both breasts for 5-10 minutes. If the baby falls asleep while feeding, you should pat his cheeks to wake him up and continue feeding.

03. The baby cannot get milk

If the baby's oral motor function is poor, such as facial defects, or the baby's sucking posture is incorrect, this will result in the baby not being able to suck milk, and the lactation reflex cannot be stimulated, affecting the secretion of milk.

04. Delayed breastfeeding

You should know that the earlier you start breastfeeding, the better it is for the baby and the mother's health. It is generally recommended to start breastfeeding within one hour after birth, because the baby's sucking reflex is the strongest within the first hour after birth. At the same time, the baby's sucking can also promote the mother's uterine contraction, which helps prevent postpartum hemorrhage and other conditions. If you haven't started breastfeeding within three days after birth, it may affect breastfeeding in the future and lead to less milk.

2. The reason for low milk supply is that the mother’s breasts are not healthy

If the mother has poor breast development, has undergone breast surgery, has inverted nipples, is pregnant again, or has low thyroid function, milk secretion can be reduced. If the mother has a physical illness or takes medication that affects milk secretion, or has placenta residue, it can also lead to insufficient milk.

3. Reasons for low milk supply: unreasonable diet

Many mothers eat very little after giving birth in order to keep slim. They only emphasize eating more fruits and vegetables. Even the staple food necessary for maintaining normal body function is included in the "blacklist". This partiality often leads to a serious lack of nutrients such as protein and fat in the body, and of course, less breast milk. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, young mothers should consider the health of themselves and their babies more, and never be picky, partial or eat less.

4. The reason for low milk supply is that the mother is not wearing the right clothes

In addition to some internal factors, one of the reasons why modern mothers have less milk is related to dressing. For example, the fibers of clothes, especially underwear, can block the milk ducts. In order to avoid this, it is recommended that expectant mothers should not tie their underwear too tightly at the beginning of pregnancy, especially in the late pregnancy. They should pay more attention to:

01. The fabric used to make underwear must be soft, and it is best to choose high-quality pure cotton.

02. Avoid direct skin contact with chemical fiber clothing, and do not wear woolen clothes directly over underwear.

03. Be extra careful when washing underwear and never wash underwear with other clothes.

04. Before using underwear each time, be sure to carefully brush away the dust, fibers, and feathers on the inside.

5. The reason for low milk supply is that the mother is in a bad mood

Mental stress The pace of modern life is very fast. The tense living environment and complicated interpersonal relationships often cause people's emotions to fluctuate greatly. Emotions such as irritability, surprise, sadness, depression and anger may occur at any time. These factors may affect the activity of the pituitary gland through the cerebral cortex of the parturient, thereby inhibiting the secretion of prolactin and leading to a lack of milk. Therefore, mothers should consciously exercise their ability to regulate their emotions, listen to music, read good books, do aerobic exercises, and live a healthy life with tension and relaxation.

First of all, mothers must know that thin milk is not a bad thing, it is a normal phenomenon. Because mother's milk is specially prepared for the needs of the baby, foremilk (front milk) is thinner, but rich in water and protein, which is prepared for the baby to quench thirst and nourish the brain. Hindmilk (back milk) is thicker, rich in fat, lactose and other nutrients, which is used to fill the baby's body and grow.

The thinness of mother's milk does not mean that it has less nutrition. The nutritional content is definitely better than that of formula milk. The nutrition of formula milk is constant, while mother's milk can be thin or thick, which is specially made for babies. Therefore, when mothers feed their babies, they must let the baby suck up all the milk on one side before switching to the other side. This can not only quench the baby's thirst but also ensure that the baby can eat the thicker hind milk. If the baby can finish one side of the milk and eat the other side at one time, the next time you feed the baby, start feeding from the side that has not been sucked out. This ensures that the baby can eat at least one side of the hind milk every time. Don't think that thin foremilk is bad and squeeze it out. Babies who eat breast milk do not need to add water because they get enough water from breast milk. There is nothing wrong with thin milk. Thick milk is just fat. The child will have higher calories and will easily grow meat after eating it. There is no other special benefit.

During a normal pregnancy, expectant mothers should also pay more attention to changes in their breasts.

1. The breasts become larger and swollen symmetrically on both sides.

2. Sometimes there will be odorless, clear or milky white milk discharge. If one breast enlarges asymmetrically, and there is local redness, swelling, heat and pain, or even abnormal pus or bloody fluid discharge, you should go to the hospital for examination immediately, because these are all abnormal signs.