How to increase breast milk supply
The best way to establish a healthy supply of breast milk is to start early, breastfeed frequently and make sure your baby is latching on correctly.
Some women have low supply, particularly during the early weeks of breastfeeding. This is the main reason some mothers start weaning or move to formula feeding. However, it's rare for a mother to produce less milk than her baby needs.
What are some reasons for a low supply?
There are many different reasons why some women have low supply including:
delays in breastfeeding after delivery or separations of mother and baby such as if the baby needs to be admitted to the special care nursery or if the mother is unwell after delivery
poor attachment to the breast, which can be caused by flat or inverted nipples, a tongue or lip tie, a sleepy baby because of jaundice, or a difficult or prolonged delivery
if the mother is unwell due to problems like mastitis, retained placental tissue or large blood loss after the baby is born
scheduled or timed feeding, rather than feeding baby on demand
taking an oral contraceptive pill that contains oestrogen
formula feeding as well as breastfeeding.