Not producing enough milk is one of the main reasons mothers give for stopping breastfeeding. The vast majority of women are physiologically able to breastfeed, but need the right information and support to establish breastfeeding and a plentiful milk supply, especially in the early days. Sometimes normal newborn behaviour (feeding frequently, fussing and appearing unsettled) is also confused as a sign a mum is not making enough milk.
To increase your milk production you will need to:
Get feeding off to a good start by having lots of skin-to-skin contact with your baby and breastfeed as soon as possible after birth.
In a minority of cases, some mothers want to breastfeed but can’t (for example, if they have had a double mastectomy) while other women may not be able to breastfeed for medical reasons, such as being on medication which is not advised during breastfeeding.
If the latter applies to you, then chat with your doctor about whether you can change medication so you can breastfeed. Information about drugs and breastfeeding is also provided by the Breastfeeding Network.
If you’re worried about other factors that might affect your ability to breastfeed, such as inverted nipples, speak to your midwife while you’re pregnant. It’s perfectly possible to fully breastfeed with inverted nipples. The important thing to remember is to have extended skin to skin contact to enable your baby to familiarise themselves with your breast and nipples. Babies don’t come with any preconceived ideas of what the perfect nipple should look like so if given time they will generally work out how to attach. Remember babies don’t nipple feed – they breastfeed.
If your baby appears distressed you can always express a little colostrum and give it by cup whilst she is getting to know you and your breasts.
Mums and their breasts come in all shapes and sizes. Small breasts are just as capable of making enough milk for a baby as large breasts and babies can latch on to nipples both big and small!
Nipples come in all shapes and sizes. Some women have a large areola and some small; some have large erect nipples and some tiny and bud-like.
When babies breastfeed they take the whole nipple to the back of their mouth and should also have a large mouthful of breast tissue. If your baby is attached and sucking properly, they should be able to breastfeed no matter what size and shape your nipple and breast.
If you’re concerned, get help from a midwife, health visitor, breastfeeding drop-in clinic or an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) to reassure yourself that your baby is latching on properly.
Do this immediately if you’re finding it difficult to latch your baby on and it’s painful to breastfeed. Remember that even just a small change in position can mean the difference between a painless, satisfying feed and sore, cracked nipples and a hungry baby.
Many new mums worry that they have inverted nipples when in fact they’re just flatter than other women’s nipples. They may also have encountered negative comments about their chances of breastfeeding, which lowers their confidence. However, midwives and breastfeeding counsellors are frequently able to help mums with inverted nipples to breastfeed.
If you have truly inverted nipples it can help to give your baby lots and lots of skin contact and free access to the breast so that they can familiarize themselves with your breast and work out how best to feed. Frequent feeding also helps prevent your breasts from getting engorged which can make latching onto a flatter nipple trickier. Remember, your baby has no preconceived ideas of what a nipple should look like.
Once your milk starts coming in, offer your baby lots of feeds and keep the breast soft so it’s easier for him to navigate – sometimes it helps to do a bit of expressing first, just to release some of the fullness.
If you’re worried that you might have very inverted nipples, you should speak to your midwife or an experienced breastfeeding counsellor when your baby is born. Allow your baby lots of time to familiarize himself with your breast and nipple by letting him lick and nuzzle around – time and patience are your best friends with this issue. Get lots of help with positioning and latching him on so that he gets a full mouthful of your breast and is stimulated to suck.
In some cases, you may be given a negative pressure suction device which helps to make the nipples erect. If baby is struggling to attach to the breast, it’s important to get specialist help. You will be encouraged to protect your supply by pumping and in rare cases, a nipple shield might be suggested but this should only be used with careful guidance and may cause added complications.
Many mums note that during the early days of breastfeeding, their babies seem to be feeding constantly. If your baby is attached properly, sleeping well, alert and producing lots of wet nappies, it might be that she’s stimulating your milk production in preparation for a growth spurt.
In most cases, your breasts will respond to your baby’s frequent feeding by producing more milk over the next 24-48 hours.
Sometimes unsettled behaviour and wanting lots of feeds is because your baby is becoming more aware of the world around her and needs some reassurance. Breastfeeding provides food, closeness and comfort and you cannot over feed a breastfed baby. The comfort they get from being offered your breast helps them feel loved and secure which helps with their ongoing brain development.
Some babies feed for only ten minutes while other mums say that their babies feed for over an hour. All mums and their babies feed differently. As long as your baby is producing lots of wet and dirty nappies and putting on weight (after the first few days) and you are not experiencing discomfort when feeding, there’s no cause for concern.
Generally, once breastfeeding is established, babies will feed for shorter periods than in the early days. However, you may find that the evening feed is always longer than your other feeds and your baby loves to have an extended, comforting feed at that time of day. Every baby is different.
