How To Increase Your Breast Milk Supply FAST!

Let me first start off by saying that a decrease in milk supply is not permanent. When I was nursing my daughter there were 4-5 times when I did not have enough milk for nighttime feedings.

Luckily I pumped so she was able to sort of taking a bottle of breastmilk but after applying a few of these methods below I would wake up with breasts full of milk that I was leaking everywhere!

Those times I was low on milk supply were incredibly stressful I felt like a horrible mother because I was not able to give my baby what she wanted. I had to comfort a fussy baby during those times because even though I tried giving her a bottle of breastmilk she HATED bottles.

I would have to squirt milk into her mouth to get her to suck on the bottle which she would only take a bottle for 2 seconds before she would start crying again. I would try to get enough milk by squirting it into her mouth to tide her over while I waited for my milk supply to come back. Like I said it was incredibly stressful!

If you are wanting to increase your milk supply then keep reading! Like I usually tell my readers to make sure to read to the end of the post! You don’t want to miss anything that could help you get your milk supply up because I know how stressful it can be!

How long does it take to increase milk supply?

When you are low on milk this question can often run through your mind. The answer is that it is impossible to know how long it will take to increase your milk supply. Every mom is different. For me, it would take a few hours while for others it can take a few days or weeks.

It really depends on why your milk supply is low in the first place. With any of these methods below, they will work pretty quickly. If you have been trying any number of methods for a while I would make a doctor’s appointment because there may be something underlying that is making your milk supply low.

The best way to help increase your milk supply is to relax, eat healthily and nurse A LOT! But if you would like to try other methods then continue reading!

How To Increase Your Breast Milk Supply FAST!

1. Supply And Demand

Your body will produce more milk to keep up with the demand. Simply put, the more you nurse the more milk you will have. Newborns nurse often but as they get bigger their tummies can hold more milk so they can go longer between feedings.

To trick your body into thinking you need more milk after your baby’s feeding is done follow up with pumping. Your body will magically start producing more milk! This trick worked SUPER well for us. Instead of pumping after I pumped before because my letdown was really fast and my daughter would choke.

I would always pump until I got 4oz and then nurse my daughter. Doing it before also helped to loosen by breast up and made it easier for my daughter to latch on. Plus because I was pumping so often I had a huge supply of breast milk in the freezer that I was able to use it for the times I was low on milk.

I actually ended up donating a lot of the milk I bumped since I didn’t need all of it. If you have a lot of leftover milk that you don’t need. Check out Tiny Treasures they are an amazing milk bank and they even pay you $1 per ounce! All the donated milk goes to premature babies in the hospitals!

2. Mother’s Milk

This is an herbal tea that you can drink to help increase your milk supply. It tastes great and who doesn’t love a cup of warm tea in the mornings. Keep in mind that this tea is meant for boosting your milk supply not maintaining it.

Once your milk level is where you and the baby want it, give the tea remedy a break. Use Mother’s milk if you are looking to give a little push to boost your milk supply. If you are really focused on increasing your milk supply because you are really low try take a form of fenugreek.

But make sure to consult with your doctor beforehand! Mother’s milk is really amazing you can get it at any health food store or online. Click here to get yourself some Mother’s Milk! 

3. Drink Plenty Of Water

This is a big one. At least it was for me! If I did not drink enough water during the day I hardly had milk at night. I had to drink more water if I worked out that day.

Not drinking enough water can contribute to having a low milk supply. You need to keep hydrated while nursing. If you find yourself low on milk drink a big glass of water and wait a few hours. When I did this I had a lot of milk a few hours later.

Make sure you are carrying around a water bottle everywhere you go and set reminders on your phone to do whatever you need to do to remind yourself to drink water!

4. Lactation Cookies 

Yes! there are such things as lactation cookies. They have helped many moms boot and maintain their milk supply. They sure do give you the perfect reason to eat cookies! What makes these cookies so amazing is that they contain galactagogues, which are substances that promote lactation in humans.

They are also packed full of minerals and vitamins to help to breastfeeding mothers increase their milk supply!

5. Foods That Can Help Increase Milk Supply 

Eating certain foods can help to increase your milk supply. There are actually several foods and drinks that can help to increase your milk supply. Here are a few of them below!

• Oatmeal
• Flaxseed
• Salmon
• Beet leaves
• Basil
• Barley
• Asparagus
• Cumin
• Apricots
• Almonds
• Sweet potatoes
• Brewer’s yeast

Eat a number of these in recipes or by themselves and hopefully, you will start to see your milk levels starting to rise!

6. Limit Pacificer Usage 

Surprisingly pacifies can be the problem. They can affect the baby’s latch and make it so the baby does not need as much breast time which as we learned from supply and demand can decrease your milk if you are not nursing enough.

Try to refrain from sticking the pacifier in your baby’s mouth when they start to cry. They may be telling you they are hungry!

7. Scheduled Feedings 

Having scheduled feedings does have its benefits. It tells your body when to make milk and your baby will know when it is time to eat as well. If you are not on a schedule it can feel like you are nursing all day and create stress which will decrease your milk supply.

Establish a schedule early on that way your body will have time to store up on milk before the next feeding. When my daughter was a newborn she would eat every 3 hours and my milk would come in every 3 hours. As my daughter got older and she was able to go longer between feedings my milk was able to store up so I would have more than enough for feedings.

8. Less Stress 

Stress can be a big reason why your milk supply is low. If you are stressed your body will have a hard time producing milk. The times I was stressed when I was still breastfeeding my milk supply was low. It is easy to become stressed as a new mom it takes time to adjust to your new life.

When you are feeling stressed take a few deep breaths to help relieve some stress.

9. Sleep

You may have not gotten a lot of sleep during your pregnancy and once the baby is here you still won’t be getting much sleep (especially at night) and having little to no sleep can affect your milk supply.

Try to get enough sleep by sleeping during your baby’s nap times and have a daddy or family member watch the baby for a few hours so you can get some much-needed sleep. Make sure you are taking care of your needs too! If you have trouble sleeping because of your bed or pillow you may want to upgrade.

If you haven’t already established a good self-care routine start that now! I promise you will feel totally different when you take care of your needs too.

10. Relax 

Most importantly remember to relax! mom life takes time to adjust to. Don’t take on too much especially in the first month after having your baby. Give yourself credit for how amazing you are doing at adjusting to breastfeeding and being a mom. It is not an easy transition but you are doing it beautifully!

There you go! these methods have helped me and thousands of other moms! Don’t get discouraged if your milk supply is low. It is easy to feel the “mom guilt” when you can’t give your baby what they need. It doesn’t make you less of a mother if you struggle to keep your milk supply up.

Breastfeed as long as you can and if you stop earlier than you would have liked to that is okay! You are still an amazing mom and your baby thinks the world of you!

If this post helped I would really appreciate it if you could share it on Facebook or Pinterest! 

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