Milk supply worries: too much or too little?

Plenty of breast milk is great, right? Not always… Some newborns struggle with the quick flow of overabundant milk. Also, mothers with an oversupply may have recurring mastitis and painful, leaky breasts. On the other hand, there are mothers who have a low milk supply, which is also a problem. However, both oversupply and low supply can be easily identified and remedied. Read on for the expert’s tips:

Too much milk supply

Milk supply worries can make new mothers go into panic mode and overthink things. Luckily, there are several solutions. Ask yourself two important questions:

Do I really have too much breast milk?
Oversupply symptoms (listed below) may have other causes. You shouldn’t try to lower your milk production unless you’re positive it’s overabundant.

Does oversupply affect you or your baby?
Don’t do anything if you and your baby are happy and you have a surplus of breast milk. Most oversupply instances resolve within weeks. As your baby develops, they will get better at handling quick flows and may even love it!

Breast milk oversupply symptoms in babies:

a. Fast flow, especially after the first letdown, is associated with higher milk production. If you have excess breast milk, your baby may initiate a feed by coughing and spluttering, clamping or biting, or holding the breast loosely.

b. They may come off the breast because the quick flow shocks them and they cry since their meal was stopped.

c. They will probably swallow a lot of milk and air and spit up, requiring regular burping. Burping them gently might help avoid vomiting and fussiness.

d. Another important indicator is your baby’s poop. Babies who have frothy green poop also indicate that they are lacking a balanced diet. This is because the first breast milk contains lactose (sugar) and protein with little fat. Then the hind milk becomes fattier as your breast empties. Oversupply might make your baby full before they finish nursing. Due to lots of lactose-rich breast milk but less high-fat milk at the end of the feed, your baby gets green frothy poop.

e. In this case, your baby may want to nurse frequently and be irritable between feeds since they are getting lots of calories but not enough fat. Because eating fat fills us. Cheese and biscuits are more filling than hundreds of rice crackers because cheese has more fat.

f. Reflux, allergies, or a poor milk supply might cause all of the aforementioned symptoms. Breast milk oversupply only occurs with substantial weight growth. With oversupply, babies grow double the typical 900g (2 lb) each month. See a lactation consultant or nursing expert if your infant has oversupply symptoms but is gaining weight normally.

Oversupply symptoms in mothers

a. Breast engorgement and overfullness are common in mothers having an oversupply.
b. Leaking breast milk is common in the first six weeks and does not indicate overabundance.
c. After this period, if you’re still soaking every time your baby eats, there may be a problem.
d. Oversupply can create clogged ducts or recurring mastitis since a baby can’t always drain a full breast. However, mastitis may have other causes.

How to reduce milk supply

a. Opt for reclined feeding as it provides your baby greater control of the milk flow. If your flow speed is too much, they can determine the tempo. Put a cloth beneath you to soak the milk!

b. Hand express or pump a little milk to ease sore breasts. Removing milk signals your breasts to create more. Thus, while expressing may help temporarily, it may worsen the issue. Before expressing and storing milk for times when you’re away from your baby, take care of your oversupply.

c. If you’re leaking milk, take help from disposable nursing pads or milk collection shells and keep them in your bra. Extremely thin disposable nursing pads can help you feel confident and discreet whether your leakage is light to moderate.

d. Avoid lactation tea. Stop drinking mother’s milk tea, eating lactation cookies, or using herbal supplements to boost breast milk supply in the early days—they may be the problem.

Do you really have too little milk supply?

If your kiddo is developing at an optimal pace, you probably have adequate breast milk. If you’re worried, get counseling early. Avoid feeding formula, as it may also lower your milk supply.

Before proceeding with the too little milk supply symptoms and remedies, let’s take a look at the low milk supply myths:

Newborns feed 10–12 times a day, or every two hours, but this doesn’t mean you don’t have enough milk. Remember that your baby nurses for comfort and that milk intake might fluctuate.

These are normal and not symptoms/reasons of reduced milk supply:

a. Baby wants to nurse often
b. Baby won’t sleep for long
c. Baby has lengthy feeds
d. Baby takes a bottle after a feed
e. Your breasts feel softer than they did in the early weeks
f. Your breasts don’t leak milk, or they used to but stopped
g. You can’t pump much milk
h. You have small breasts

Low milk supply causes

a. Severe blood loss or retained placenta pieces might hinder milk production (which usually happens around three days after the birth).
b. Having polycystic ovarian syndrome, diabetes, thyroid issues, or other hormonal issues. Such mothers sometimes have poor milk production.
c. The rare breast condition known as mammary hypoplasia, which lacks milk-producing glandular tissue.
d. Breast surgery or trauma, however many mothers who have had surgery breastfeed.
e. See a lactation consultant or nursing specialist in such cases.

How is breast milk produced?

Your breasts produce milk through “supply and demand” when your milk comes in. Your breasts produce more milk when you feed or express. When your milk doesn’t get drained, your body doesn’t know how to make additional breast milk.

How your baby nurses influence your supply. More milk is produced when your baby breastfeeds frequently and thoroughly. To keep up your milk supply, express periodically if your baby doesn’t take enough milk during a feed.

Insufficient milk

Even though not making enough milk is rare, your baby may have trouble getting enough in the first few weeks. If you’re nursing on a schedule rather than on demand, they may not be breastfeeding enough.

Signs your baby needs more milk:

a. Fewer diapers
b. Dehydration
c. Not gaining sufficient weight

Low milk supply remedies

a. See a lactation consultant if your baby isn’t getting enough milk. They will check how much milk you are making and watch you feed your baby to see if he or she is latching and drinking enough. They may recommend changing your feeding posture or your baby’s latch for better feeding.

b. Try to have more skin-to-skin contact with your baby before and during feeds to increase oxytocin, to produce more milk. To minimize worrying, listen to your favorite peaceful music.

c. Most mothers with poor milk production can partially breastfeed, and others can fully breastfeed with help.

d. If your baby was born early or has special needs, you may need to express breast milk to keep your milk supply adequate.

e. If a family faces separation of mother from baby due to any reason maternal or baby related where breastmilk is inadequate or not available then health care professionals may advise donor human milk or infant milk substitute as per availability.