9 Things That Reduce Breast Milk Supply

Monday, May 5, 2014, 15:45 [IST]

Breast milk supply is very important for nursing mothers. If your breast milk supply is suddenly reduced for no apparent reason, then it is a cause of worry. All medical experts advise you to breastfeed your baby for at least 6 months after birth. So if your breast milk supply is decreased suddenly, it can cause many problems for your baby. Your baby can go hungry if your breast milk supply is not appropriate.

That is why you should be very careful when breast milk gets reduced suddenly and what you should do to supplement it. Once the baby is attached to the breast and latches on to it easily, he or she is reluctant to be weaned away easily. So you must be wary of your breast milk supply decreasing. You must maintain your breast milk supply constantly until you are ready to offer outside food supplements to your baby.

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Some factors can be responsible for breast milk supply being reduced suddenly. One of the main causes of not producing enough breast milk is improper nutrition of the nursing mother. However, there can be other factors that make things worse. Here are some of the things that can be responsible for decreasing breast milk production suddenly:

Improper Nutrition

If the mother is not given enough foods to boost breast milk production, then she might not have enough milk to feed the baby. The mother's diet needs to be rich in milk producing foods to ensure that she has sufficient breast milk supply.

Birth Control Pills

Birth control pills contain estrogen which is a hormone that interferes with the normal lactation process. So birth control pills are not advisable while you are feeding the baby. You should try other means of contraception.

Calcium Deficiency

Calcium deficiency is a big reason for the milk to dry up too soon. When your body does not have enough calcium, you might not produce enough milk to feed the baby as the main component of breast milk is calcium.

Erratic Feeding

Erratic feeding is another cause of reduced breast milk production. You have to feed your baby every 2 hours when he or she is completely breastfed. So try to maintain a regular feeding schedule.

Gap In Breastfeeding

If you are not able to feed your baby for a couple of days due to illness or an infection, then too your breast milk supply can be reduced suddenly.

Mastitis

When the breast milk coagulates and forms lumps in your breast, you can call it mastitis. Usually mastitis happens due to irregular feeding. However, once you have mastitis as an infection, you will be advised to stop feeding immediately.

Poor Feeding Technique

Sometimes, poor feeding technique can be a cause of reduced breast milk supply. If your baby is not able to latch on properly, the mammary glands are not stimulated to produce enough milk.