Many mothers start out breastfeeding their baby exclusively, but they may add bottle feeding and infant formula to their baby feeding as time goes on. As a result, some mothers stop breastfeeding less often or weaning earlier than they would like—sometimes by choice, sometimes not, and These mothers may decide they want to begin breastfeeding again. Reestablishing your breast milk supply is called re-lactation. Regardless of breastfeeding plan, low milk supply can be a disturbing issue forthe mother and infant.
Here are some ways to boost your breastmilk supply and achieve the healthiest amount of breast milk possible
- Breastfeed the baby or pump the breast milk from the breasts at least 8 to 12 times per day. If it has been a while that your baby was at the breast, it may take a lot of loving endurance and consistency. With perseverance, your baby should find its way back to breastfeeding easily with skin to skin. If your baby has difficulty latching on, you may need to correct breastfeeding positions and latching techniques or ask for a Lactation Consultant’s help.
- Breastfeed from each breast at every feeding. Breastfeeding from both sides at each feeding stimulates each breast at least every two to three hours. The more the breast is stimulated, the greater chance you have of making more breast milk.
- Use breast compression. Breast squeezing boosts the breast milk flow and encourages the baby to keep breastfeeding. When the breast milk flow decreases and the baby is no longer receiving breast milk as they suck, breast compression can assist get more breast milk out of the breast. Press the breast, hold it in your fingers with your thumb on one side. Squeeze your thumb and fingers together. Squeezing encourages the baby to get extra breast milk, keeping the baby sucking longer at the breast and putting your body to make more breast milk.
