These are the common causes of insufficient breast milk

What many people fear most during breastfeeding is insufficient milk, which will not only make the child hungry, but also have an impact on the child's body. Although breastfeeding is the most reassuring and safest, there are actually many common reasons for insufficient breast milk, mainly including mental factors, psychological factors, excessive stress and anxiety, and inability to guarantee diet, which are all reasons that lead to insufficient milk.

Causes of insufficient milk supply

1. Psychological factors : Expectant mothers may be overly nervous during childbirth, feel aggrieved because someone in the family is dissatisfied with the baby's gender, or the baby is born prematurely or has a difficult birth, the mother is overly worried about the baby's health, and other social and psychological stimuli may cause mental burden on new mothers, all of which may cause insufficient milk. In order to relieve the mother's mental burden, the guidance, companionship and care of family members are most important. Poor sleep, mental anxiety or worry, and unhappy things happening can all cause the mother to have insufficient milk.

2. Improper breastfeeding method :

(1) Improper breastfeeding methods can cause milk deficiency. Mothers should learn to help their babies suck milk normally.

(2) When the baby is less than two months old, the mother needs to feed on demand. The interval between feedings is determined by the baby, rather than on a scheduled feeding schedule. Feeding on a regular basis will reduce the amount of breast milk a mother produces.

(3) Do not add formula milk to your baby's milk too early, as this will increase your baby's sense of fullness, thereby reducing the number of sucking times and resulting in insufficient milk.

(4) The baby loves to sleep and needs to be woken up before continuing to feed, or feeds repeatedly for a long time.

(5) Your baby may use a pacifier frequently, which may reduce the time he spends breastfeeding.

3. Mother’s physical factors :

(1) Poor physical condition of the mother, such as poor breast development, nipple pain or physical illness, or anemia, insufficient qi and blood, etc., can also cause milk deficiency.

(2) Low thyroid levels (and sometimes high thyroid levels can also be a problem) can also affect breast milk secretion.

(3) If there is a large amount of blood loss during or after delivery, the mother’s milk secretion may be affected until she recovers.

(4) Part of the placenta remains in the mother's uterus and may cause insufficient milk supply before it is expelled or removed.

(5) Taking medications that may reduce breast milk supply, such as combined contraceptives and cold medicines containing decongestants (such as ephedrine).

There are many reasons for insufficient milk supply. Mothers should take appropriate measures according to different situations to achieve the expected therapeutic effect.