How to increase lactation and improve the quality of breast milk for a nursing mother?

The main task and concern of any young mother who has recently given birth to a baby is to provide her child with a sufficient amount of breast milk. Unfortunately, not all babies are breastfed naturally. And it’s not about the refusal or unwillingness of young mothers to breastfeed their children.

Very often, the production of breast milk in women is reduced, that is, there is hypogalactia. Many consider this situation irreparable and transfer their children to artificial feeding.

One can understand young mothers and pregnant women who are worried about whether their children will be able to receive mother’s milk, whether the child will have enough milk and how much milk is “enough” to breastfeed the baby for as long as possible.

However, although the problem of hypogalactia is relevant, it can be corrected by applying a competent and responsible approach to it.

Why does this happen?

Primary (so-called true) hypogalactia is no more than 5% of all cases and is caused by serious health problems, in particular, in the endocrine system. In 95% of situations, the problem can be solved by eliminating the root cause.

The main factors affecting the development of hypogalactia:

• A young mother does not have such a positive psychological attitude aimed at ensuring that her child is breastfed (there is no lactation dominant).

• An irresponsible approach to nutrition during periods of both pregnancy and lactation – the lack of a regimen, an unbalanced diet.

• Stressful situations in women related to work or family problems.

• Insufficiently frequent breastfeeding.

• The introduction of supplementary feeding and complementary foods in the child’s diet at the early stages of his growth and development, when this is not necessary.

• Breastfeeding the baby by the clock, and not by his demand.

Lactation crises

It happens that against the background of well-established natural feeding, a young mother sharply and for no apparent reason decreases the amount of her breast milk – a lactation crisis occurs.

Its reasons may be:

• Spasmodic increase in appetite in a growing baby;

• Temporary hormonal imbalance in the mother’s body;

• Combination of the above two reasons.

Most often, lactation crises occur in mothers at the age of the baby:

• From 3 to 6 weeks;

• On the 3rd month;

• On the 4rd month;

• On the 7rd month;

• On the 8th month.

The duration of lactation crises is approximately 3-4 days. They do not pose a threat to the health of the baby or mother. It is important for a young mother to know that such situations arise and are a variant of the norm. The best way to deal with this temporary condition is to respond calmly and breastfeed the baby more often than usual. At the same time, the volume of milk produced will gradually increase and the body will enter the normal mode of functioning of lactation.

How do you know if your baby is not getting enough milk?

The main presumptive signs indicating that the child is not full due to the lack of mother’s milk:

• The child is restless, naughty, often cries;

• The child does not gain the norm of monthly weight gain;

• The daily volume of breast milk has decreased;

• The daily volume of urine excreted by the child has decreased, the so-called symptom or “dry diaper” syndrome is observed – normally, the baby urinates 6-15 times a day, the urine is clear or pale yellow.

You can reliably verify that hypogalactia has occurred by determining the daily volume of breast milk. During the day, a control weighing of the child is carried out – the weight of the baby is determined before and after each feeding. The resulting difference will be equal to the volume of breast milk. The measurement is carried out purposefully, precisely for a day, and not for one of the feedings. At different times of breastfeeding, a baby can consume different amounts of breast milk, so the results are summarized over 24 hours. It is not necessary to weigh the child daily – this can cause his anxiety and the mother’s anxiety about, most likely, a far-fetched lack of breast milk.

The diagnosis of hypogalactia is confirmed only by a doctor. With one suspicion of this condition, in no case should you introduce supplementary feeding in the form of milk mixtures. Even with official confirmation, a mother can increase the amount of breast milk by taking the necessary measures, which we will talk about in the article. Sometimes it is better for a young woman to consult a psychologist in order to calm down and judiciously proceed with actions aimed at maintaining breastfeeding of her child.

5 groups of foods and drugs to increase lactation

Official studies have confirmed that one of the main causes of hypogalactia is an unbalanced diet and an irrational diet. It is important to pay increased attention to the nutrition of women during pregnancy and lactation. In this period, the female body requires a certain amount of vitamins, minerals, trace elements, proteins and other nutrients. Sufficient consumption of water, drinks and liquid food is also necessary. In total, a woman should consume from one and a half to 2 liters of fluid per day. Sometimes a young mother is prescribed specifically to enhance lactation:

• Products;

• Beverages;

• Complex preparations of vitamins and minerals;

• Biologically active food additives (BAA);

• Medications;

• Physiotherapy.

Consider the products listed in the table that have a beneficial effect on increased lactation, for each of these groups.

Group I. Preparations for correcting the diet for proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, microelements

The composition of the Femilak mixture includes milk protein, which is enriched with a complex that includes 15 vitamins, corn oil, and taurine, the most important component of breast milk. The use of Femilac is indicated during pregnancy and lactation. taking the mixture has a beneficial effect on the health of the woman and the development of the child (both before and after birth), increases the amount of milk and improves the chemical composition during lactation.

“Dumil Mama Plus” and “Enfa-Mama” are similar in composition to the mixture (excluding the content of taurine). Their properties are also similar, but somewhat inferior to Femilak.

Developed for athletes, the soy dry mix “Olympic” has proven itself to be used by nursing mothers to improve milk production processes.

Group II. Products for diet correction with a lactogenic supplement

Specially created for breastfeeding mothers, the Milky Way formula contains dry cow’s milk and soy protein, chicory, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and a particularly important component – galega herb extract. This substance has the strongest lactogenic property. The Milky Way mixture is prescribed to young mothers from the first days of lactation. It is used by women from the so-called “hypogalactia risk group” – with a delay in the formation of breast milk, a short period of breastfeeding older children.

Group III. Vegetable lactogenic products in the form of drinks

Some plant foods, as well as spicy-flavored foods, increase lactation:

• Carrot and radish;

• Hazelnut (hazelnut);

• Anise;

• Caraway;

• Sweetheart;

• Rosehips.

• Leaf salad;

• Dill;

• Melissa;

• Fennel;

• Yarrow.

Decoctions, water infusions, juices and teas are prepared from the listed products. You need to take them fresh, freshly brewed, infused or pressed. This also includes tea collections enriched with lactogenic components.

Group IV. Supplements for lactation

Especially for women with hypogalactia, Leovitnutrio has developed dietary supplements, which include components of spice-flavoring plants and bee waste products. Let’s talk about the approbation of 2 main dietary supplements. The drugs were prescribed to a group of women in labor. Apilactin was given to mothers with high risk factors for hypogalactia. Lactogon – for women from the same group, who are in the same group, but whose obstetric anamnesis was aggravated.

• “Apilactin” – a preparation containing the already known Apilak (royal jelly of bees in combination with pollen). Of the 100 women in labor who took Apilactin from the very first days of lactation, 80 successfully continued breastfeeding at home after discharge from the maternity ward.

• “Lactagon” – a preparation containing royal jelly and components of lactogenic spicy-flavoring crops used for medicinal purposes (oregano, nettle, ginger, carrot juice, dill). In 90 out of 100 mothers studied, active lactation continued after discharge from the maternity ward.

A contraindication to taking these drugs is only an individual intolerance to beekeeping products.

Group V. Complex vitamin and mineral preparations

With the ineffectiveness of all measures associated with taking drugs of groups I – IV, the doctor prescribes the treatment of hypogalactia with the use of medications. In this case, it is necessary to find out the cause that caused this state, and, first of all, act on it.

Medicines used to treat hypogalactia:

• Vitamin preparations;

• Preparations containing trace elements;

• Hormonal drugs;

• Calming (sedative) drugs.

It is possible for a doctor to prescribe homeopathic remedies and physiotherapy procedures.

The use of products from various product groups that increase lactation

We emphasize the features of the listed products and medicines from various groups:

• Products of groups I and IV are indicated for women at risk of developing hypogalactia; are prescribed in the second half of pregnancy or from the very first days after the birth of a child and, accordingly, lactation.

• Group II products have particularly pronounced lactogenic properties. They are prescribed for women in labor with a low level of lactation in the maternity wards, as well as for mothers during lactation crises.

• Group III products are designed to correct the diet during periods of lactation crises.

• Group V products are prescribed exclusively by the attending obstetrician-gynecologist at a personal medical appointment, individually, taking into account complaints and anamnesis.

What should I drink for lactation milk?

Let us consider in detail what drinks you need to take in order to increase lactation and increase the volume of breast milk produced.

Freshly squeezed carrot juice

The carrot root should be washed with a brush and grated on the smallest grater, squeeze the juice out of the mass through cheesecloth.

If you don’t like the taste of carrot juice, you can improve it by adding a small amount of your choice:

• Cream;

• Natural milk;

• Honey (in the absence of allergies);

• Fruit, other vegetable or berry juice.

The number of additional components should not exceed 1-2 tablespoons in relation to 1 glass of juice. Otherwise, its lactogenic properties will be reduced. It should be taken half a glass, 3 times a day.

Milk with finely grated carrots

We rub the carrots on a grater with the smallest cloth. In a mug, glass or cup, place the resulting puree in the amount of 3-4 tablespoons. Pour 200 ml of milk at a temperature comfortable for drinking, mix. You can use cream instead of milk. Take a whole glass of the resulting mixture 2 to 3 times a day. In the evening portion in the absence of intolerance and if desired, add a little honey: one or two teaspoons. This will help you relax and get a good night’s sleep.

Lettuce Seed Drink

20 grams of lettuce seeds should be crushed with a non-metallic pestle in a glass or porcelain bowl. Add 1 cup of fresh boiling water and leave to infuse for 2-3 hours. You can improve the taste of the drink by adding one to two teaspoons of honey to 1 glass of liquid. Strain through cheesecloth. drink intake: three times or twice a day for half a glass.

Cumin drink

This drink needs to be brewed. To prepare, take:

• Cumin seeds – 15 grams;

• Granulated sugar – 100 grams;

• 1 medium lemon (or 2 grams of citric acid).

Mix everything, pour 1 liter of water, put on fire. Boil with stirring, reduce heat and cook for five to ten minutes. Strain after removing from heat and leave to cool. drink intake: three times or twice a day for half a glass.

Cumin drink with heavy cream

Prepared in a ceramic pot. Pour and pour into a pot:

• Cumin (crushed seeds) – 2 tablespoons;

• Cream of ten to fifteen percent fat content – 2 full glasses.

Preheat the oven to just below medium heat. Put the pot to languish for 30-40 minutes, then cool to a comfortable temperature. Take a drink during breakfast and dinner for half a glass.

Kvass caraway

For cooking, take the products:

• Black (rye) bread – 1 kg;

• Cumin seeds – 40 grams;

• Granulated sugar – 500 grams;

• Yeast – 25 grams;

• Water – 10 liters.

Cut the bread into cubes or strips, dry and fry a little in a dry frying pan or on a baking sheet in the oven. Pour the pieces of bread into a glass bottle, then pour cool boiled water, remove to infuse for 3-4 hours at room temperature. Then take out the bottle, strain the infusion, and then add granulated sugar, caraway seeds and yeast. Remove the bottle in a warm place and leave to ferment for 10-11-12 hours.

Dill Seed Infusion

Pour 1 tablespoon of dried dill seeds with 1 cup of fresh boiling water and leave to infuse for 2 hours, then strain.

Take depending on the individual reaction:

• Half a glass of infusion twice a day.

• 1 full tablespoon of the product 6 times a day.

Correct technique: take small sips, holding each sip in the mouth for a few seconds.

Anise Seed Infusion

Pour 2 teaspoons of anise seeds with 1 cup of fresh boiling water. We insist for 1 hour, filter, cool. It should be taken half an hour before breakfast, lunch and dinner (three or four times during the day), 2 tablespoons.

Herbal drink

We mix vegetable raw materials:

• Anise fruit mashed – 10 grams;

• Fennel fruit – 10 grams;

• Oregano herbs – 10 grams.

Take 1 teaspoon of the resulting collection, pour 1 glass of boiling water, leave to brew for 2 hours, then strain. Take half a glass 2 or 3 times a day.

Honey and radish juice

Grate the fresh radish on the finest grater and squeeze the juice through double gauze.

Mix ingredients:

• Radish juice – 100 grams;

• Boiled, chilled and slightly salted water – 100 grams;

• Natural honey – 1 tablespoon.

Take 1/3 – 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day.

Products that increase milk lactation

For a sufficient level of breast milk production, a young mother needs to eat well. You should observe the required daily calorie content of food products, take plenty of fluids (up to 2 liters per day), consume the right amount of protein. Stimulation of lactation is facilitated by the usual diet of home-cooked dishes.

The diet of a nursing mother should include soups, broths, cereal milk and crumbly cereals, meat products, fresh fruits and vegetables, dishes from vegetables and cereals, dairy products. Food should be tasty and varied. It is recommended to drink milk, kefir, weak tea, including milk, natural juices, herbal and fruit decoctions, infusions, teas, compotes and kissels.

If a nursing mother follows all the principles of nutrition during breastfeeding, but not enough milk is produced, you should pay attention to individual products.

To increase, you need to include in the diet:

• Soups on meat and vegetable broths;

• Dairy products;

• Dishes from buckwheat, rice, oatmeal;

• Greens, especially lettuce;

• Fresh vegetables – carrots, pumpkin, radish, onions;

• Fresh fruits and dried fruits;

• Unpeeled rice dishes;

• Blackcurrant berries;

• Hazelnut;

• Fennel;

• Watermelons.

It is good to add seeds of anise, cumin, dill to soups and side dishes.

Supplement food intake with drinks that enhance lactation, for example:

• Herbal teas;

• Decoctions and infusions of lemon balm, oregano, wild rose;

• Ginger tea;

• Sea buckthorn tea.

What products are prohibited?

In addition to the allergen products already mentioned, during breastfeeding, one should also refrain from those that inhibit milk production. Basically, these are herbs and leaves of medicinal plants.

In order for the lactation process to proceed without interference, the following herbs must be abandoned:

• Parsley, lingonberry, bearberry

• Sage

• All parts of peppermint and spearmint;

• Horsetail;

• White bloodroot;

• Jasmine leaf.

4 most effective products

Proven folk recipes that have been used by women for more than one generation will help strengthen lactation. We offer 4 effective products with a powerful lactogenic effect.

1 Black cumin oil to increase lactation

Cumin, as mentioned above, is one of the powerful lactogenic herbal remedies. Regular consumption of black cumin oil promotes the formation of breast milk and its accumulation in the mammary glands.

From black cumin seeds, you can make drinks that enhance lactation:

• Cumin tea: take 1 tablespoon of cumin (crushed seeds) pour half a liter of boiling water. We insist 10 minutes, filter and immediately drink, you can add milk, honey.

• Cumin infusion: we fall asleep in a thermos 1 tablespoon of cumin (crushed seeds) and pour 1 cup of fresh boiling water. We close the thermos, leave it to infuse for 10-11-12 hours. Then we filter and take 2-3 tablespoons 5-6 times during the day.

• Cumin drink: take 1 tablespoon of cumin (crushed seeds), put it in an enamel bowl and pour 1 liter of chilled boiled water. Add peeled and chopped lemon (can be replaced with 2 grams of citric acid), 100 grams of sugar. Put on low heat and cook with stirring for 10 minutes. Filter, cool and take half a glass 2 to 3 times a day.

• Cream with cumin: Pour 2 cups of cream into ceramic dishes, add, stirring, 2 tablespoons of cumin (crushed seeds), cover with a lid and put in the oven on low heat – for half an hour. We filter, we cool. We take 1 glass – in the morning and in the evening.

• Caraway kvass: cut rye bread into slices, dry and fry it a little, then pour 10 liters of boiled water. We insist for 3-4 hours, add 25 grams of baker’s yeast, 1/2 kg of sugar and 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds to the liquid part. We clean in a warm place for 10-11-12 hours. Ready cumin kvass drink half a cup twice a day.

2 Nettle to increase lactation

Nettle decoction helps to increase the amount of breast milk. Recipe: 1 tablespoon of chopped nettle leaves is poured into 100 ml of boiling water. Take 1 tablespoon three times a day.

3 Fennel for lactation

The active ingredients of fennel have a stimulating effect on the production of estrogens – female sex hormones. Estrogens, in turn, contribute to the production of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the production of breast milk by the mammary glands. In addition, fennel has a calming effect, which helps a woman to be in psychological balance. And thanks to the vasodilating property of fennel, there is a rush of blood to the mammary glands. As a result – free outflow of milk. All factors together have a beneficial effect on increasing the lactation of a young mother.

Scientists have conducted studies on goats and mice as experimental subjects. The results showed an effective increase in lactation from taking fennel preparations.

The International Association of Lactation Consultants conducted a study of the effect of fennel on lactation in a group of five lactating women. For 10 days, nursing mothers were allowed to take an infusion of fennel, and then canceled. As a result, it turned out that during the intake of the infusion, the volume of milk produced by all five women increased, and after the abolition, it decreased after 3-5 days.

A similar study was conducted at the Moscow Center for Family Planning and Reproduction, but on 2 groups of women. Nursing mothers of the 1st group were given a natural preparation – tea with fennel from HIPP, the 2nd group was not given supplements. In mothers from the 1st group, the frequency of feeding increased by 3,5 times, in the 2nd group it did not change.

Fennel recipes:

• Tea “Classic”. Pour 1 ml of boiling water over 200 tablespoon of fennel fruits, leave for 2-3 hours, filter. Cool and take 2 tablespoons before meals 3-4 times a day.

• Fennel in sour cream. Mix 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds with 1 cup of sour cream, put in a fireproof dish in the oven for an hour. We take it warm, preferably at night.

• Milk fennel. Pour 2 tablespoons of crushed fennel seeds with warm milk. To improve the taste, you can add a pinch of nutmeg or table salt. We insist, we persevere. Take 10 minutes before breakfast. Instead of milk, you can use kefir or natural white yogurt.

4 Dill seeds to increase lactation

Dill has long been used as a means to enhance lactation.

• Preparation of dill infusion: take 1 tablespoon of chopped dill seeds, pour 1 glass of fresh boiling water. We insist 2 hours, filter and accept. Or half a glass in the morning, half a glass in the evening; or like this: 1 tablespoon, but distribute into 6 doses throughout the day.

• Infusion of seeds and herbs: take 1 tablespoon: dill seeds and chopped dill. Pour the mixture with 2 cups of boiled water at room temperature and put in a water bath. Heat, stirring, for 15 minutes. Then we cool, after which we already filter. Take half a glass 3-4 times a day.

Useful tips on how to increase lactation

The establishment of lactation occurs by 3-4 months from the date of birth of the child. During the first time, the state of the mammary glands may change: they increase or seem “empty, change in size during the day. With the establishment of regular lactation, breast milk is produced by the mammary glands only during the period of feeding the child.

It is important to know that the volume of breast milk produced by a nursing mother is directly related to the level of prolactin in her body. It is necessary to influence the volume of milk produced in the first months of feeding, when lactation has not yet been established. Here are some helpful tips for increasing lactation.

Feed your baby on demand

In the old days, it was believed that a baby needs to be strictly on schedule. Now this opinion has long been refuted. You need to feed the baby when he requires it. It happens that the baby wants to eat already 30 minutes after feeding, but it happens that he is calm and full for 6 hours.

You need to put the baby to the breast often, you can feed for a long time

During breastfeeding, a woman’s body produces the hormones oxytocin and prolactin responsible for milk production. Therefore, the longer the baby suckles the breast, the higher the level of prolactin in the mother. Therefore, the more milk the mammary glands will produce.

You can understand some mothers complaining about many hours of breast sucking by a child. It’s not that the child is hungry, but often that he needs contact with his mother. Therefore, it is impossible to forcibly tear off the child from the breast, no matter how long he would not want to suck it. Even if the child is worried about something, he may feel the need to suck on the breast. So the baby feels protected and somewhat calms down. Sometimes a baby may require a mother’s breast for 6-7 hours, either starting to suck, or just being near the breast. You should not worry about this, because such behavior of the child is the norm.

Be sure to feed your baby at night

Previously, it was considered normal for a child to observe a six-hour nightly break between feedings. Moms, of course, are calmer when the child sleeps all night. Sometimes mothers try to “teach” the child not to eat at night. You shouldn’t do that. Modern pediatricians and neonatologists advise feeding the child at night, if he asks. Some babies keep waking up at night to feed for up to a year.

It is especially important to provide the child with night feedings, if he requires them, in the first months of his life. At this time, the process of lactation in the mother has not yet been established, and the production of prolactin is more active at night. Therefore, night feedings stimulate the production of more milk.

Homeopathic remedies

There is no consensus on the benefits of homeopathic remedies. Evidence-based medicine has not been involved in the study of these drugs, so they are unpopular with doctors. However, taking it according to the instructions does not bring harm to the body. Many mothers note a positive effect on lactation after the use of homeopathic medicines. This may be due to the placebo effect or the natural end of the lactation crisis. However, the fact of an increase in the level of prolactin under the influence of these funds is not excluded.

Harm of cow’s milk during lactation

Modern research confirms that there are no such products that would affect the level of prolactin. In particular, there is an opinion about the benefits of a large amount of cow’s milk to increase lactation.

Let’s name the reasons that reveal its fallacy:

• Taking cow’s milk does not increase prolactin levels.

• There is no way cow’s milk can be “recycled” into human breast milk.

• The use of cow’s milk in food can lead to an allergic reaction in a child.

• When a mother consumes fatty cow’s milk, fermented milk products, and especially in large quantities, the child may experience intestinal colic and persistent constipation.

Mistakes of new mothers

There are 2 basic rules to remember for a breastfeeding mother:

• Do not set a feeding schedule;

• Do not give your baby formula milk as a supplement.

Some mothers independently conclude that the child is hungry and “supplement” him with milk formula. However, this is not only not necessary, but also expedient. Moreover, it harms both the health of the baby and breastfeeding. Formula milk can cause an infant with its immature intestines to experience severe bouts of painful colic and constipation. Formula tastes sweeter than breast milk, and formula is much easier to suck out of a bottle than breast milk. Therefore, there is a high risk of losing lactation completely.

But besides these two mistakes, young mothers make a number of other mistakes:

1. Don’t give water before weaning. If the baby is breastfeeding, he does not need to give additional water until the first solid food is introduced. Many mistakenly consider milk to be food for an infant, and he should be given some water to drink. In fact, breast milk provides both nutritional and fluid needs. 80-90% of breast milk is water, so the baby should not be “drinked” even in the heat or when the ambient air is dry. It will be much better if you attach the baby to the breast and thereby further stimulate lactation.

2. If a child is crying, it does not mean that he is hungry. Often the crying of a baby is perceived solely as a signal of the need for food. However, a child may be disturbed by a host of other reasons: wet diapers, various pains, cutting teeth. The baby may be scared, bored, just wish to be with his mother. When a child cries in the evenings and at night, he may have increased intracranial pressure. There are many more reasons for children’s crying, so you should not make an unambiguous conclusion “crying means hungry.”

3. Soft breasts are not a sign of lack of milk. As we have already mentioned, milk production occurs directly at the time of feeding the baby. If the breast is not swollen by the time of the next feeding, remains soft, this does not mean that it is “empty”. On the contrary, this is a good sign, meaning that there is no stagnation of milk in the milk ducts. It can also mean that lactation has been established.

4. About pumping. Expression is necessary only in case of stagnation of milk – lactostasis. In other cases, this action is considered inappropriate. After the end of feeding, a portion of “hind” milk remains in the mammary glands, which has a high nutritional value. By expressing milk, mothers lose a useful part of the baby’s diet. The best option would be to attach the baby to the breast additionally a little later than feeding.

5. The old norms of weight gain have lost their relevance. We should not write off the modern achievements of medicine. It is not advisable to use the old tables of weight gain and height by age periods. The “norms” used in them were applicable to “artificial” children, not to mention the fact that they were compiled several decades ago, based on a level of knowledge that is outdated today.

6. Say “no” to a pacifier. A pacifier is contrary to nature itself, which is supposed to suck only the mother’s breast. A pacifier is used when the child is worried and crying, and the parents do not know what to do in this situation. You need to find out the cause of crying, if necessary, consult a pediatrician. But the sucking reflex of the baby must be satisfied only by attaching to the mother’s breast. Needless to say, further weaning from a pacifier will cause a child a serious stressful situation.

7. Do not rely on control weighing. There is a method for determining the amount of milk eaten by a child – control weighing. The child is placed on the scales before feeding, then after. However, it should be borne in mind that not every feeding the child eats the same amount of milk. The daily allowance can be eaten mainly in the morning. Then the child can eat little and often. But if the mother sees that the child has eaten 10 grams two or three times in a row, this can cause a serious panic, which is completely unfounded.

8. Don’t introduce complementary foods early. You should not give your baby complementary foods until they are 6 months old. New food can only do harm, because in the children’s body up to this age, enzymes are produced that can only digest breast milk.

13 ways to increase lactation