Does no milk swelling mean no milk?

Breast milk is the best food for newborn babies and can also provide the best nutrition. Therefore, many pregnant women find that their milk supply is not increased after giving birth, and they worry that their milk supply is not enough and that their babies will not get enough nutrition. But if milk doesn’t increase, does that mean there is not enough milk? Let me introduce it to you below.

If milk does not increase, does that mean there is not enough milk?

The problem of milk engorgement is very common among postpartum women, but whether the milk engorgement can be reduced immediately has nothing to do with the size of the breasts. It depends on how actively the mother breastfeeds and whether the mammary ducts are unobstructed. Mothers with unobstructed mammary ducts can secrete milk easily, and the milk will be automatically replenished after breastfeeding. However, if the milk cannot be discharged and accumulates in the breasts, it will cause milk engorgement and even mammary duct obstruction, leading to mastitis. The whole breast feels like a hard lump, is very painful, and may even become hot or ulcerated. At this point, the only thing you can do is take medicine to stop the milk from coming out.

Many mothers worry that if their milk does not increase, it means they do not have enough milk. Actually, not necessarily.

For new mothers, the body and baby lack the running-in period, so the baby often does not want to eat but has milk bursts. Especially when the baby cries, new mothers often feel a tingling sensation in their breasts, which is the milk burst. However, when the newborn is feeding, there is often no milk in the breasts, which is also due to the lack of a running-in period. In addition, newborns are weak and often cannot produce milk. But I think when the baby is small, there are fewer large milk bursts, but the breasts are always supplying milk drops by drops, and the newborn's swallowing ability is poor, so it's okay to eat slowly, drop by drop. When the baby does not want to eat, the milk comes, and the milk produced is not swallowed, it will remain in the mammary ducts. The function of the mammary duct is to act as a hose, not to store milk. When the milk ducts are filled with milk, the mother will feel engorgement. As the baby grows older, the so-called supply and demand are balanced, that is, the milk comes only when the baby eats, and not when he is not eating. In this way, the mammary ducts will not be filled with unnecessary milk, and of course you will not feel breast engorgement. The baby usually grows bigger only when it should be breastfed but has not been fed for a long time. The brain thinks it is time to secrete milk according to the usual rules, so it will not eat and secrete milk, resulting in breast engorgement. If you breastfeed normally on demand, you won't have breast engorgement.

What to do if you don't have enough milk

1. Improve baby's sucking. Experiments have confirmed that after the baby drinks milk, the prolactin in the mother's blood will double. This is because the baby sucking the nipple can promote the mother's hypothalamus-pituitary gland to secrete lactation hormone, thereby increasing the secretion of milk.

2. Avoid taking medicine. During breastfeeding, you must remind your wife not to take any medicine randomly. Some medicines and foods can affect the metabolism of breast milk, such as anti-thyroid cyst drugs, hawthorn berry, etc. If your wife is sick, it is best for her to take medicine under the doctor's advice.

3. Supplement nutrients. All kinds of nutrients in breast milk come from the mother's body. If the mother is in a state of malnutrition for a long time, it will naturally affect the normal secretion of milk. You must take your job as a chef well and choose nutritious foods for your wife, such as milk, eggs, vegetables, fruits, etc. In addition, prepare some more nourishing soup in advance, which can catalyze the secretion of maternal milk.

4. Maintain a good attitude of the breastfeeding mother. After giving birth, the mother's mood fluctuates greatly due to physiological and environmental factors, and she often feels depressed, which will hinder milk secretion. Medical research shows that when a mother is depressed, her milk secretion will be significantly reduced. Therefore, it is your responsibility to create a good living environment for your wife and always care about her mental health.

5. Diet therapy. On the basis of taking the above measures, combining with lactation-promoting foods will have a more significant effect. Foods such as pig's feet and peanut kernels have a good positive effect on the secretion of milk.