Hello! To all the amazing moms and dads, welcome to Hoopa baby. Many mothers are worried about not being able to produce enough milk for their babies, and they do want a healthy supply for feeding, so today’s blog addresses and provides 25 tips to increase breast milk supply and how to retain it.

1. An unbroken rule body follows for milk production, can be termed in simple words as “demand and supply.” It implies the quantity of milk generated by the body is equal to the amount of milk fed by the body and that’s why regular feeding is essential. At least during first six months, it is utmost necessary to feed the baby through the breast
2. Body produces the highest amount of milk in the morning. So after feeding baby, wait for 1 hour and then use the pump. This will give a more demand signal to your body for producing milk and lead to increase in the level of milk generation
3. When you start with your office, then too you should pump at regular intervals, i.e., if you feed your baby at every 2-3 hours interval, you should take out time to pump. This will keep on signalling your body about the more requirement of milk, and it will increase production of milk.  
4. If you do not wish to increase supply and you want to maintain present levels of milk generation, you may skip morning pumping. However, when you go to office then at intervals, you must pump; otherwise, the body will produce less milk.
5. You can pump both breasts together also, or if it is possible for you, you can feed the baby from one breast and the pump other.  Keep in mind, you don’t have to pump for long because then the body will produce a lot of milk and it becomes difficult for you to manage.
6. Whenever you pump and milk stops, pump for 3-4 mins more – extra pumping. This also communicates to the body that it must produce more, and eventually it escalates supply.
7. When you empty one breast, then only move to another, still, if you feel your body is producing less milk then after feeding baby, you can use the pump for 5 mins
8. Along with it, do not wear tight bras while sleeping. Choose comfortable T-shirt bras.

De-stress your body. Stress and nervousness affect the body psychologically. For reducing your stress, go for a walk, do a workout, hang out with friends; basically any activity which makes you happy. You can also watch our Hoopa Baby videos on how to handle stress.

11. At the time of feeding, have a soothing environment. Play light music, baby jingles; look at baby, sit comfortably, use Hoopa feeding pillow, try new breast feeding positions. Stay happy, also make baby happy and comfortable. It’s essential to have a positive environment while pumping. To know more about feeding positions, watch video on Breastfeeding positions by Hoopa Baby.

12. Skin touch with baby helps in boosting milk production. For this, you can sit with the baby in the bathtub, take a shower, or in the morning, lay down with baby skin to skin. Hug baby or make the babysit on a lap.

13. Do not use pacifiers or bottles in beginning months as it leads to nipple confusion. When baby becomes habitual to all these, it becomes difficult for the baby to latch onto breast.

14. There is a fun fact about regular breastfeeding- it helps reduce weight and contraction of the uterus. This is a desirable reason why you should breastfeed because every mom wants to make a sound body.

 Hand expressions are considered better than pumping. Hand expressing means using hand instead of pumps for milking, and mothers should learn this technique as it has many advantages. During early days, a minimal amount of colostrum is produced, and a lot of it will be stuck either in a tube, bottle, or will be wasted if you use pumps. 

Even when you feed the baby, you should express hand because milk is released in a better way, and the baby does not have to put much effort, and while feeding, you can use the pump. Hand expressing also does your breast examination, and if you find any problem, you can consult a doctor.

15. With the aid of hand expression or pumping, make your milk storage. This will give you stress relief from breast milk requirements.  If milk generation is less on any day, then you will be stress-free and you can serve stored milk.  This will make you happy, and milk generation will increase.

Ques 2: What to eat for a good milk supply?

1. Well-fed-mama- means- well-fed-baby, and for this, you have to keep a healthy and nutritious diet. Ensure that your diet has a rich amount of protein, calcium, whole grains with vegetables and fruits. 

These ingredients also help to increase milk production, so try to include these:

• Garlic 
• Coconut water – contains electrolytes and nutrients 
• Oats 
• Ginger
• Fenugreek
• Fennel 
• Sesame seeds
• Avacado

It would help if you also took healthy fats, especially omega-3 fatty acids, which contain low-mercury fish like salmon and sardines, and for vegetarians’ sesame seeds are there.

16. Regular classic oats with milk also improve milk production.

17. I will now present you the recipe for a special drink from Hoopa Baby, which will instantly increase milk supply with 3-5 times daily consumption. 

• Soak Maithi, saunf, jeera, in clean vessel containing water
• Boil soaked maithi, saunf, jeera, in clean vessel and add garlic
• Filter (with a filtration net) the liquid into a transparent glass vessel
• Consume 1 cup daily 3 to 5 times a day

18. It takes a lot of effort to produce milk, and water is also used because 70% of breast milk is water. So, in this case, you can feel thirsty every time, for that drink at least ten glasses of water in a day so that dehydration doesn’t take place and milk production takes place. It’s essential to drink water regularly, every 2 hours.

19. Smoking decreases your milk nutrients and also exposes the baby to nicotine, oxidative stress, or toxicity.

Question 3: Is it normal to feel knots in breasts?

20. During first six weeks, breasts may clog, especially when you are trying to increase breast supply, and if not taken care of in appropriate time, it may lead to issues such as mastitis. As aforesaid, empty your breast foremost, pump or feed regularly, and to prevent breasts from clogging, you may use a breast massager or a heating pad can also be used. If you feel knots while touching your breasts, then a breast massage can be done.

21. Massage your breasts with almond oil, use fingertips and from the outer surface, move your fingers towards nipples.  

22.Massage techniques –

• Use your three fingers and massage in a circular motion; start from the outer surface and move towards nipples; this will open your clogged pores. 
• With the help of 2 fingers, the second way out is to stroke the breast from the outer surface to the nipples.
• The third way is – cup and compress. Either hold breast from top and press from bottom or keep from right and press from left.

23.You can consider buying breast massage tools such as –

• Acupressure roller – you can move on your breast before feeding/pumping
• For removing clogs, there are tools that you can keep on your breast, and they will vibrate and remove clogs.
• You can even give the heating pad a shot; it has fenugreek, fennel, mustard seeds, and cumin, and application of the same stimulate milk glands.

24. If your breasts are engorging, means they are full and you feel pain and baby is not able to latch then you can do the following to correct it:

• Put a towel in hot water and keep on your breast for around 10 mins
• You can also take a hot water shower
• You can express your breast for 4-5 mins before feeding
• The best solution for breast engorgement is milk feeding

BONUS TIP

Even when mom is having a cold, she should still feed the baby; germs do not get transferred through milk. If mom keeps taking care of her hygiene, she can breastfeed the baby without making the baby ill. Wash your hands properly, do not cough near the baby, and keep fresh towels and napkins for covering your mouth while feeding. Covid has made everyone habitual of masks, so you can also wear that.  From breastfeeding, you not only transfer nutrients to the baby but also give immunity to the baby. Never stop breastfeeding, take proper care, and don’t feel guilty.

Please share your experience as comments on this blog. It will inspire and provide learning to others.  HoopaBaby/25tipsforbreastmilkincrease

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