Five (Not-So) Traditional Tips for Getting Your Milk Flowing

Newborn baby first days drinking breast milkThe long wait is over! You have endured ten months of insanity, hormones, and emotional roller coasters and you’re finally home with baby. You may find yourself confronted with questions such as: Am I producing enough milk? Is baby eating well and fully satisfied after such a short feeding? Don’t worry! The most likely answer to these questions is yes, yes, and yes! Your baby will start feeding very lightly and slowly work her way to being able to drink more. As your baby’s demands grow, so will your milk supply.

Still worried about how to increase your milk flow? Here are our favorite methods favored by breast-feeding moms we spoke with. Some you may have heard of, others not. Take your pick and find what works best for you to get the milk flowing.

1. Drink lots of fluids.

Other than having a healthy diet, staying well hydrated will help your milk production immensely. Some women prefer water or milk, others prefer tea or coffee, (though it is not recommend because of the caffeine); one mom swears by beer and insists that one glass is all you need to make sure your breast milk production is always on a steady flow. As long as you remain well hydrated and keep your fluid intake level high, your body will have plenty of water to work with to create that precious resource

2. Concentrate on your baby.

Sometimes when we breast-feed we tend to detach ourselves from the experience, especially if we’re dead tired. An excellent tip is to really focus and think about your baby. Having baby on the mind will cause your brain to produce hormones that will increase your milk production almost instantly. This works especially well if you are busy pumping at work which, by the way, is an excellent time for you to start a daily Mom ? journal for your child. The more you focus on baby, the more milk will come.

3.Massage!

For this tip, include your spouse. It may seem a little weird to use intimacy as a means for milk production but that’s exactly what this is about. Lay down, put your arms over your head, and allow yourself to relax and enjoy an intimate breast massage. Your partner should focus on the base of the breasts rather than the areolae and nipples as they may likely be sore. Have them give you a gentle but firm circular massage starting where the breast connects at the arm pit, working all around the base and up towards the tip of the breast. They should massage the milk glands to stimulate the milk flow. The relaxation and intimacy-building of this technique will surely have many other added benefits as well. Don’t be surprised if there happens to be some leaking going on.

4. Keep those milk bags warm!

We have all heard that taking a warm shower will help release milk flow but you can take it a step further and just make sure that your breasts are always warm and cozy. Keep your environment at a comfortable temperature. Also, wear a double undershirt if need be because it’s known by all breast-feeding mothers that once your nipples feel the cold, the feeding will be painful and the milk just won’t come out.

5. Let it flow.

It’s extremely important you let your body know you have use for the milk it’s producing. When you feel your milk come in and want to increase milk production, make sure you release that milk. Whether it’s by feeding baby, or pumping and storing the milk for later, encourage that flow by expressing the milk as soon as possible. The more milk your body thinks your baby needs, the more milk it will produce.

Want to learn more about all the ins and outs on breastfeeding and caring for your baby? Contact us today, we’ll be happy to help.

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