Although it is common to hear mothers who say "not having enough milk to breastfeed their baby", the truth is that in very few cases it is a real event (hypogalactia), provided that breastfeeding is carried out on demand and there is no medical problems that justify it.
However, there may be others factors that affect breast milk production and to the correct feeding of the baby. We explain to you in what cases this can happen and what steps to take to solve it.
How to know if my baby is getting enough milk?
To determine if the baby is receiving enough milk we must pay attention to two especially important signs:
- Weight gain
A newborn baby has to gain between 120 and 150 grams a week, and after two weeks have regained his birth weight. If this is not happening, it is important consult with the pediatrician for an evaluation.
In Babies and more This way the baby gains weight month by month during his first year of lifeHowever, in routine check-ups, the pediatrician will monitor the baby's weight and its evolution, so it is also not advisable to obsess daily with the subject, much less perform a double weighing (before and after the taking) to check if he has Eaten.
- The wet diapers
The amount of urine and its characteristics is another of the singles that will help us know if our baby is getting enough milk. Thus, if under normal circumstances it wets diapers less than six times a day and the urine is yellow and has a strong odor, we should consult it with the pediatrician.
Other factors such as the number of shots you take, the type and amount of stools you make, your physical appearance or your interaction with us can also give us clues in case there are problems with your diet.
Causes why the baby receives little milk
Once the warning signs by the pediatrician have been assessed, and in the event that it is concluded that the baby is actually receiving little milk, they must look for the causes to remedy. In most cases this situation is due to:
A bad grip or a bad position
When putting your baby to the breast you should look at his mouth. This should be wide open, and cover the entire nipple and part of the areola. The nipple must be located on the palate of your mouth, so to achieve a good grip it is recommended to place the nipple at the height of the baby's nose so that he orients his mouth up.
If you take only the nipple or cover it with the center of your mouth, it is easier to have pain due to a bad position and milk production is also affected.
In Babies and more, sore nipples? Seven tips for painless breastfeedingA bad use of the teat cups
If there is any reason why we are using teat cups to breastfeed our baby, we should be very aware of the importance of place them well and use a suitable size to our chest. Otherwise, they could not only cause us discomfort, but also affect milk production.
Therefore it is advisable to always consult with a lactation consultant to guide us about the need or not for its use, and how to do it correctly.
Lactation on demand is not respected
Breastfeeding should always be on demand, both day and night. That is to say, No schedules, watches and when the baby wants. If you put the baby to the breast every time he asks for it, milk production will be stimulated naturally. Take your time and respect its rhythm. Breastfeeding should be a calm and relaxed experience.
In Babies and more, do I wake up my newborn baby to breastfeed?The time it takes to complete a shot is different for each baby and each mother, and it also varies depending on the age of the baby and from one dose to another. However, in the first days of life it is recommended that they take at least 8-12 shots per day.
Short lingual frenulum
Between 1.7 and 4.8% of newborns each year in Spain have ankyloglossia or short lingual frenulum. It is a disorder that restricts the range of tongue movements and, therefore, it can affect the production of breast milk.
If, in addition to gaining low weight, your baby asks for breastfeeding frequently, emits clicks when breastfeeding or the nipple escapes from the mouth several times while breastfeeding, you should consult with a lactation consultant. In any case, you should know that short lingual frenulum and breastfeeding are not incompatible.
Lack of trust
The lack of confidence of mothers in their ability to breastfeed their baby It can also end up affecting production. And it is that if the mother believes that "she does not have enough milk", she will end up offering a bottle to her baby, and since there is no breast stimulation the production will end up going down.
This lack of trust can be caused by several factors, such as the experiences of other mothers in the environment. For example, some women have the belief that they will not be able to breastfeed their babies because their mothers, grandmothers or other women in the family also failed. But breastfeeding success or failure has no genetic inheritance.
Likewise, if our baby cries frequently and breastfeeding is on demand, we should not think that he does it because "we don't have enough milk and he is hungry." That is, there can be many factors that are behind the crying of the baby.
He breast pump can also negatively affect mothers' confidence. And there are many women who decide to check if they have milk with a breast pump, but the fact that little comes out has nothing to do with the amount of milk the mother produces.
Nor does having a small breast, noticing soft breasts or not always feel the rise of milk, means that "we have no milk." They are false myths that we must banish.Hypogalactia: a real problem that affects production
But although there are many women who claim "not to have enough milk", the truth is that the vast majority of mothers are able to produce all the milk their baby needs (or their babies, in the case of twins or breastfeeding in tandem).
Only in a minority of cases does hypogalactia, or low breast milk production, occur for justified medical reasons. According to the Alba Breastfeeding Association, the medical causes behind hypogalactia are:
Undiagnosed thyroid disorders, such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism or postpartum thyroiditis. With medication compatible with breastfeeding, milk production should not be affected.
Eating Disorders that produce sustained amenorrhea.
Breast hypoplasia, an alteration in the breasts that affects the breast tissue and that has nothing to do with the fact of having little chest.
Breast reduction surgery.
Other diseases such as Shehann Syndrome, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, diabetes or morbid obesity.
Other phenomena such as placental retention, emergency or scheduled caesarean section, or taking certain medications may temporarily affect breast milk production.
What to do if the mother thinks she has little milk?
Mothers who are experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding and think they do not have enough milk, they need the help and support of an expert person. In this way, it will be the health staff specialized in breastfeeding, or an advisor, who can help the mother to find the causes of this possible or supposed feeling of low production, and remedy.
It is also important that the mother knows what are the "breastfeeding crisis" or "growth outbreaks", because in many cases, these normal episodes in the development of the baby end up breastfeeding thinking that he is hungry for lack of milk.
And another fundamental aspect is the support of the family and the environment closest to the mother, because as we have seen, this supposed "lack of milk" is often due to a problem of trust because of phrases and myths that the Recent mom keeps listening.
"The baby has been hungry, that's because you have little milk," is a terrible phrase, often said by the surrounding environment, which can damage the confidence of a mother at this delicate time, in addition to causing breastfeeding to fail .In any case, if really the pediatrician notes that the baby is receiving little milk, the causes must be determined and help the mother to increase production (without falling into false myths) so that the baby continues to receive the best food in these first months of life.
