Kiddipedia
Breastfeeding offers numerous health benefits for both mothers and babies, however, the journey isn’t always straightforward. It’s common for mothers to stop earlier than they planned due to low milk supply or problems arising from an excess of milk, such as mastitis.
If you’re worried about your milk supply, it can be helpful to consult your healthcare professional and seek guidance from a lactation expert or peer support breastfeeding counselor as early as possible. Babies can become fussy, cry more and sleep less from either too much or not enough milk to meet their needs for growth and development.
If you feel that there is something not quite right with your breastmilk supply, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) can help to pinpoint contributing factors, create a feeding plan that meets your baby’s needs, and support you in building your supply.
Low milk supply
A low milk supply means not having enough milk to meet the baby’s needs for growth. If this is a problem for you, you may notice fewer wet or dirty nappies and your baby may not be growing in head circumference, length and/or weight as expected. They may also be either very sleepy or very difficult to settle.
Feeling like you don’t have enough milk is common, especially if your baby cries a lot or seems hard to soothe and babies often seek comfort at the breast even when adequately fed, contributing to this feeling. Though these may be signs that your supply is not meeting your baby’s needs, there are many reasons that your baby could be fussy or unsettled and it’s important to check in with a health professional to identify any contributing factors.
Increasing your milk supply
Allowing the baby to breastfeed as often and for as long as they want can significantly boost milk supply in many cases. Removing milk from the breast triggers your body to produce more milk, so frequent milk removal leads to increased milk production. Sometimes, low milk supply can result from the baby not feeding effectively, or there could be hormonal issues for the mother.
If you’re concerned that you don’t have enough milk despite frequent breastfeeding, consult your baby’s doctor or child health nurse. A thorough assessment of factors affecting both the baby and the mum, as well as how they work together is necessary to help work through this issue.
I’ve got too much milk!
Typically, your milk production adapts to your baby’s growth needs within 6 to 8 weeks. However, some individuals continue producing more milk than their baby requires even after this period, this is commonly referred to ‘oversupply’.
While this might seem like a blessing rather than a problem to some, oversupply brings challenges for both mothers and babies during breastfeeding and can create problems that cause breastfeeding to stop sooner than they’d hoped. It frequently leads to breast inflammation and needs management strategies to prevent the progression to complications like bacterial mastitis or breast abscess.
Signs of too much milk
- Breasts may soften after breastfeeding but quickly become heavy.
- Lumpy and tight feeling breasts.
- Baby gagging or gulping milk, especially at the start of a feed.
- Baby bringing up milk after feeding.
- Baby being fussy between feeds or during feeding.
- Baby having a lot of wet nappies.
- Baby burping or passing a lot of wind.
- Baby having a bowel motion at each feed, often explosive and green/frothy.
Managing a surplus of milk
In the early days of breastfeeding, producing excess milk is common but usually settles after a couple of weeks. Putting your baby in control of when and for how long to breastfeed, along with experimenting with different feeding positions can help with latch and effective breastfeeding, which will help your breasts adjust to the volume of milk that your baby needs.
Many babies might need just one breast per feed. If your breast still feels full after feeding, a helpful strategy can be to offer the same breast for three to four hours before switching; this is known as block feeding. Sometimes, a mother’s breasts get too full for the baby to latch, in which case hand expressing just enough milk to soften the breast can help the baby latch and breastfeed more effectively. It’s important not to remove any more milk than necessary to avoid signaling.
Where to go for help
An IBCLC lactation consultant is an expert in managing breastfeeding issues, and if you are not able to see on in person, online consultations can be very effective. It’s also advisable to discuss concerns with your doctor, midwife, or infant health nurse.
Your local Australian Breastfeeding Association group or La Leche League group is a valuable resource for information and support and can help by linking mothers who want to breastfeed to others who have personal experience and some training in supporting breastfeeding. These groups are especially helpful for mothers who want to breastfeed but don’t have any friends or family with positive breastfeeding experiences that can support their decision.
The most important thing when reaching out for breastfeeding help is to do it as soon as you start experiencing difficulties. You don’t have to struggle alone and the right help at the right time can make a world of difference to how you experience breastfeeding.
Julie is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), nutritionist and naturopath on a mission to help women reconnect to the wisdom of their bodies, cycles, and communities to navigate modern motherhood with peace.
Julie provides information, tools and support at naturaltransition.com including home visits throughout Sydney, and online consultations for families everywhere.
