How to build an abundant milk supply

Milk supply is hormonally driven, although hormonal problems can interfere with milk supply. Hormonal levels play a much lesser role in established lactation. Under normal circumstances, the breasts will continue to make milk indefinitely as long as milk removal continues.

Milk is being produced at all times, with speed of production depending upon how empty the breast is. Mom’s milk storage capacity is a factor that can affect milk production and breastfeeding management. Storage capacity is the amount of milk that the breast can store between feedings. It varies from mom to mom and also between breasts for the same mom. Note that storage capacity does not depend upon the breast size, though breast size can certainly limit the amount of milk that can be stored. Moms with large or small storage capacities can produce plenty of milk for baby.

A mother with a larger milk storage capacity may be able to go longer between feedings without impacting milk supply and baby’s growth. A mother with a smaller storage capacity needs to nurse her baby more often to satisfy baby’s appetite and maintain milk supply because when her breast is full it will slow the production of milk. Milk collects in mom’s breasts between feedings, so the amount of milk stored in the breast between feedings is greater when more time has passed since the last feed. The more milk in the breast results to the slower the speed of milk production. Milk production slows when milk accumulates in the breast, and speeds up when the breast is emptier. This means, when the breast is full there will be slower milk production but when the breast is empty then milk production would be faster.

To accomplish this goal (abundant milk supply) and increase milk production:

Empty the breasts more frequently (by nursing more often and/or adding pumping sessions between nursing sessions). To speed milk synthesis and increase daily milk production, the key is to remove more milk from the breast and to do this quickly and frequently, so that less milk accumulates in the breast between feedings: Empty breast will result to faster milk production. Research indicates that fat content of the milk is also determined by how empty the breast is; that is, emptier breast will result to higher fat milk. Fat content tends to increase as the day progresses. Milk volume is greater in the morning hour which is a good time to pump if you need to store milk; it falls gradually as the day progresses. To increase milk supply, aim at keeping the breasts as empty as possible throughout the day. Empty the breasts as thoroughly as possible at each nursing or pumping session.

 To better empty the breasts:

• Make sure baby is nursing efficiently.
• Use breast massage and compression.
• Offer both sides at each nursing; wait until your baby is finished with the first side before offering the second.

Pump after nursing if baby does not adequately soften both breasts. If baby empties the breasts well, then pumping is more useful if done between nursing sessions in other to keep the breasts as empty as possible.