16 Ways To Increase Breast Milk Naturally At Home
Low milk supply is a common concern among breastfeeding mothers. In fact, it’s the #1 reason women give up breastfeeding! (yikes)
But good news! There’s only a small percentage of women (roughly 1-4%) who truly aren’t capable of making enough milk.
In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, a majority of women make more than 1/3 MORE more milk than their babies need.
If you’re worried about your milk supply or simply want to give it a boost, increasing your milk supply naturally at home is usually as easy as making a few tweaks to your daily routine.
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The golden rule to increase breast milk naturally at home
The absolute key (and non-negotiable) to building and maintaining a healthy breast milk supply is removing enough breast milk, enough times per day... consistently.
The most common reason for low milk supply is inefficient breastfeeding (due to a bad latch) or breastfeeding too infrequently or for too short a time.
This means the best way to increase breast milk naturally at home is to increase the number and length of breastfeeding sessions.
How do you know you’re producing enough breast milk? Baby is putting on weight, growing along their growth curve, and having enough wet/dirty diapers per day.
Things that DO NOT indicate a low breast milk supply
How your breasts feel. A lot of times when your milk supply stabilizes, your breasts won’t feel full of milk anymore. Need not worry… this doesn’t mean you’ve run out of milk or your supply has dipped.
Cluster feeding. Cluster feeding is when your baby wants to breastfeed for longer periods of time and more often. Fear not! Cluster feeding fakes out a lot of women and makes them think their supply is low, but it’s usually not true! Cluster feeding a natural thing babies do when they’re going through a growth spurt.
Not pumping a lot of breast milk out. Some women don’t respond well to a pump. How much breast milk you pump out is not a good indicator of how much milk you’re making.
Your baby starts breastfeeding for shorter periods of time. As babies get older, they get more efficient at getting milk out and may naturally breastfeed for shorter and shorter lengths of time. This is very common and doesn’t mean they’re not getting enough to eat.
Things that may decrease breast milk supply
Certain behaviors and life events may contribute to your breast milk production going down, fluctuating, or not being where it needs to be:
Baby is teething
Traveling
Baby has problems latching
Baby is sick
Returning to work
Taking certain medications/supplements
You’re sick or will
Separation between you and baby
Baby is starting solids
Baby is being supplemented with formula
Smoking cigarettes
Anxiety/Stress
Certain birth control pills
Diabetes
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Drinking alcohol
Previous breast surgery
16 Ways To Increase Breast Milk Naturally At Home
1. Breastfeed longer
When your baby seems tired, full, or uninterested in breastfeeding more, try switching sides and offering the other breast. They may perk up and nurse again on the other side.
PRO-TIP: Increasing the frequency is more important than length for boosting supply.
2. Breastfeed more often
Do you know your baby’s hunger cues? Breastfed babies don’t follow a schedule and will display certain behaviors when they’re hungry. Offer the breast every time your baby gives you a hunger cue.
3. Add an extra pumping session DAILY
Doing this will tell your body to ramp up its milk making.
4. Use THIS GADGET on the other side while you’re nursing
THIS is an easy, super affordable tool that pulls and collects milk on the other side while your baby is breastfeeding. You’ll be amazed at how much more milk you’ll collect for the freezer, and you’ll boost your supply while doing it!
5. Use breast compressions
Breast compressions during breastfeeding or pumping are a fabulous way to get more milk out and increase your milk production. Here’s exactly how to do it.
6. Wake a sleepy newborn
Newborns are naturally super sleepy the first 2 weeks of life. They often will sleep through times when they should be breastfeeding. If it’s been longer than 2-3 hours since their last feed, wake them up using one of these techniques.
7. Take a nursing vacation
A nursing vacation is where you and baby cuddle together, stay skin-to-skin, and remain in bed for 1-2 days. This is a great way to boost your milk supply because it’ll give you and baby plenty of chances to breastfeed more often. Don’t have time to fit in a nursing vacation? Just try to get skin-to-skin with baby when you’re both relaxing around the house… cozy up skin-to-skin for the win!
8. Do breast massage before feeding/pumping
Massaging your breasts beforehand helps clear your milk ducts and will cause your milk to flow more freely when you breastfeed or pump.
9. Decrease formula use
If you’re supplementing with formula it may lower your milk supply over time. If you’re interested in decreasing your baby’s formula intake, see a lactation consultant so they can create a plan for you to naturally increase your milk production while gradually decreasing formula supplementation.
10. Use warm compresses
You can use a warm washcloth or Booby Tubes before breastfeeding or pumping to stimulate your letdown and help you release more milk.
11. Power pump
Add an extra pumping session to your routine. For a whole hour, pump on and off to increase breast milk. (pump 20 minutes, rest for 10, pump for 10, rest for 10, pump for 10). Give this a few days to take effect.
12. Ensure your baby has a deep latch
A good latch is the key to breastfeeding efficiency. If your baby has a bad latch they may not be removing enough milk and that may make your supply not be where it should be. Get 9 breastfeeding latch tricks from lactation consultants here.
13. Hand express in between breastfeeding sessions
Hand expressing is a skill every breastfeeding mom should learn. It’s an easy, efficient way to get milk out of your breasts whenever you need a boost. Here’s how to do it…
14. Eat enough
Breastfeeding moms need to eat about an extra 500 calories per day. Make sure you’re choosing nutrient-rich foods that will nourish your body.
15. Drink enough
While drinking tons of water won’t increase your milk supply, being dehydrated will lower your supply. So ensure you’re drinking enough water during the day to keep your supply up where it needs to be.
16. Eat a galactagogue!
(aka breast milk inducing foods/herbs)
DISCLAIMER ABOUT GALACTAGOGUES: The absolute non-negotiable to maintaining and increasing milk supply is removing plenty of milk… and often. Galactagogues will not work without adequate and frequent milk removal.
Here are our favorites:
THIS tea.
THIS protein powder.
PRO-TIP:
You can turn ANY smoothie or baked treat into a lactation aid by adding some brewers yeast! Our favorite brand is this one because it doesn’t have a funky taste like most do.
Still concerned about low milk supply?
See an IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). They have the most training in lactation and can diagnose breastfeeding issues and help you develop a plan to boost your supply. Find one here.
Our 3 FAV Breastfeeding Products
🌛 1. This nursing bra is the absolute BEST for breastfeeding at night. It’s super comfortable and made of the softest material ever. You’ll want to wear it forever to sleep in, even after you’re done breastfeeding.
💪 2. Boost supply and tone up postpartum. Milk Dust is protein powder made just for breastfeeding moms. It nourishes and tones postpartum bodies (and contains milk boosting ingredients too!) Get 10% off Milk Dust using the code MILKOLOGY at checkout
🤱 3. If your nipples are sore, these are an absolute lifesaver. They’re super cheap, can be worn for multiple days (perfect when you’re trying to get a good latch), and are soooo soothing.
Related Posts:
How To Increase Your Milk Supply In One Day
5 Hyrdrating Lactation Drinks That Boost Milk Supply
57 Lactogenic Foods To Increase Milk Supply