How to Promote Your Milk Production When Your Baby Is First Born?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends mothers breastfeed their babies when possible.

Many women hope to breastfeed their babies. According to an article in Pediatrics, the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 83 percent of mothers attempt breastfeeding while in the hospital, but by six months, only 50 percent are still doing it. Of the mothers who stopped breastfeeding, over half gave "I didn't have enough milk" as a reason why they quit. For this reason, establishing a good milk supply in the first weeks after a baby's birth is critical to a successful breastfeeding relationship.

Instructions

1. Hold your baby with skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth. Early skin contact between mother and baby helps baby latch on better and encourages a smoother start to breastfeeding. A 2007 study in the Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health found that babies held skin-to-skin by their mothers sucked better and established effective breastfeeding faster than swaddled babies.

2. Nurse your baby on-demand. Lactation consultant Kelly Bonyata describes breastfeeding as a "'use it or lose it" process." Removing milk from the breast through nursing encourages a hormonal process that results in the production of more milk. The more you nurse, the more milk you create. To establish a good milk supply, nurse at least 10 to 12 times within a 24 hour period.

3. Drain the breast at each feeding. When your breasts are full of milk, it inhibits prolactin -- the hormone required for milk production. Once baby has completely drained the breast, though, prolactin activity increases and creates more milk. To boost your milk production, let baby nurse on one breast as long as he wants before stopping or switching to the other side.

4. Use a breast pump. If your breasts still feel partially full after nursing, use a pump to fully drain them. Pumping between nursing sessions will also stimulate further milk production.

5. Avoid supplementing with formula. Milk production is based on supply and demand. Every time your baby receives a supplementary bottle, it decreases the amount of milk your body produces for your baby.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't introduce a bottle or pacifier until breastfeeding is successfully established. For some babies, artificial nipples can create "nipple confusion" and interfere with breastfeeding.

• Don't assume a problem with breastfeeding -- such as a poor latch or a baby who isn't gaining enough weight -- means you have to give up. Getting help from a board certified lactation consultant or a member of La Leche League may help you resolve the problem so you can successfully breastfeed your baby.

References

• "Pediatrics;" Infant Feeding and Feeding Transitions During the First Year of Life; Laurence M. Grummer-Strawn, et al.; 2008
• "Pediatrics;" Why Mothers Stop Breastfeeding: Mother's Self-Reported Reasons for Stopping During the First Year; Ruowei Li, et al.; 2008
• "Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health;" Randomized Controlled Trial of Very Early Mother-Infant Skin-to-Skin Contact and Breastfeeding Status; Elizabeth R. Moore, et al.; March-April 2007
• Kellymom; How Does Milk Production Work?; Kelly Bonyata; Mar. 30, 2010
• Kellymom; Nursing Your Newborn -- What to Expect in the Early Weeks; Kelly Bonyata; Oct. 10, 2005
• "Pediatrics;" Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk; Lawrence M. Gartner, et al.; February 2005

Resources

• Kellymom; Increasing Low Milk Supply; Kelly Bonyata; Mar. 29, 2010