5 Tips for Increasing Breast Milk Supply: Expert Advice from an IBCLC

Get ready to increase your milk production with these helpful tips.

Your baby is finally here and you are planning on breastfeeding. But for some reason, you’re not sure if you have enough milk. I’m here to give you five tips for increasing milk supply, but there are a couple of things I want to talk about first.

I’m so glad you stumbled upon my blog post! I’m a licensed practical nurse, doula, and IBCLC lactation consultant based in Worcester County, MA. For 14+ years, I’ve helped new families with breastfeeding in MA and RI. I offer personalized support on short notice, even during evenings, weekends, and holidays. I work as a lactation consultant at UMASS Memorial Hospital and teach classes in Worcester County. Let me support you too, in person or virtually! Okay back to the milk production tips…

First, before we explore how to increase your supply, we want to figure out if your supply is low to begin with. The main reason why a parent thinks they have low milk supply is because their baby isn’t gaining well, or their baby doesn’t seem satisfied after eating. Sometimes low pumping output can also make a parent think they have low milk supply. But the thing is…none of these situations are for sure signs that your supply is low!

There really is a difference between perceived low milk supply and true low milk supply. Maybe your baby isn’t gaining because the milk is there, they just can’t pull it out of the breast when latched. Or maybe your baby seems fussy and unsatisfied after being at the breast because of they are having tummy aches. And maybe you don’t get much when pumping because your pump settings are wrong, you are you using the wrong flange size.

That’s why it’s so, so important to work with an IBCLC to help figure out what is truly going on in your situation. Click here to work with me!

In the meantime, let’s talk about those five tips for increasing supply!

1. Frequent and Effective Breastfeeding

Breast milk production is based on supply and demand. The more milk your baby removes from your breast, the more your body will produce. This means the more you feed your baby at the breast (or pump), the more milk your body will be told to make.

But remember, this relies on having a baby that is feeding well at the breast. An ineffective latch or tongue tie can lead to poor milk transfer, which can cause a decrease in milk production.

You want to be either breastfeeding or pumping at LEAST 8 times per day.

2. Pumping to increase milk supply

If you are latching your baby to the breast, try pumping after feedings. Feed your baby at the breast, then double pump for 15 minutes. As mentioned above, make sure you are using a quality pump on the right settings, with the right flange size for you. Check out my podcast episode with Nichelle Clark about pumping to deep dive into this topic, click here.

3. Nutrition for increasing milk supply

You should eat various nutrient-rich foods to ensure your body has the energy and nutrients it needs to produce milk. Adding in foods that have been shown to boost milk production can be helpful, too! Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about nutrition in the 4th trimester, click here.

Foods that can help to increase milk production include:

• Oatmeal: Oatmeal is a great source of iron and fiber, which can help to boost milk supply.
• Fennel: Fennel is a natural galactagogue that can help to increase milk supply.
• Brewer’s yeast: Brewer’s yeast is a rich source of B vitamins and protein, which can help to boost milk production.

It is also important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Breastfeeding makes you feel thirsty anyway, so might as well fill your Stanley cup with water and keep it next to you whenever you are nursing or pumping.

4. Rest and Relaxation

Listen, I know how stressful having a baby can be, so I’m not going to lecture you on this. Getting rest and relaxation may not be realistic for you at this time, and that’s okay! The reality is you are probably stressed and don’t have time to go for a massage or a pedicure. But even taking some deep relaxing breathes before feeding or pumping, or listening to your favorite music, or taking a bath can help. Just do your best with this one.

5. Breast Massage and Compression for milk production

Breast massage and compression can help to increase milk flow and milk production. You can gently massage your breasts in a circular motion or use a hands-free pumping bra to compress your breasts while pumping.

You can also try breast compressions while nursing. Place your hand on your breast and gently squeeze and release your breast while your baby is nursing. This can help to increase milk flow and milk production.

These five tips are good places to start, but I do encourage you to work with an IBCLC. The best way to increase your milk supply is to figure out the reason why your supply is low to begin with, and go from there. When I’m working with a family with low milk supply, once we find out why the parents supply is low we can try things targeted to that specific cause and make it much more easier to boost supply.

I do offer virtual consults and in person consults if you need support with milk supply. You can book here.