Am I Producing Enough Breast Milk?

Ramai yang contact saya berkenaan milk supply diaorg...Sikit la..x cukupla..

Sebenarnya, perasaan ni adalah perasaan biasa bagi ibu-ibu, in fact, dalam 75% ibu ni rasa susu mereka tak cukup untuk anak mereka... Ada yang kata mcm tu sebab dia rasa breast dia tak penuh, atau susu x ada yang meleleh...Tapi yang sebenarnya, simptom/sign yang ada tu menunjukkan adalah natural, body anda sedang mengadjust keperluan penyusuan bayi sendiri. Adakala bayi yang mengalami "growth spurt" (nanti ada masa saya terangkan sikit2), kadangkala dia akan feed banyak kali, kerapkali dan akan menyebabkan breast anda tak pernuh... :)

Teknik yang betul

Bagi saya, ni adalah  sebab utama para ibu rasa susu yang terhasil adalah sikit. Jika kedudukan bayi adalah betul, latching juga betul, rasanya insyaAllah tak ada masalah susu x cukup ke, baby tak kenya ke, sakit nipple ke ..hehe...

Percayalah, lagi banyak susu keluar dari badan anda, lagi la banyak susu badan anda akan hasilkan.

Inilah single and important way nak inceasekan production susu... Ada ibu, yanga akan suplementkan dengn FM, tapi, lagi akan lagi memburukkan keadaan di mana, baby tak akan hisap susu anda dengan lebih kerap, menyebabkan susu akan lagi kurang... Signal yang menyatakan permintaan dari baby dah kurang ini akan dihantar ke otak, dan badan kita akan adjust naturally untuk kurangkan pengeluaran susu...

Diet anda mungkin juga berkait dengan pengeluaran susu anda. Kalau ibu tak minum susu dengan cukup, body akan dehydrate, dan menyebankan susu pengeluaran susu kurang...Jadi sila minum air dengan banyak! 

Penyusuan  menggunakan up to 500 kalori sehari. kalau ibu berdiet, makan x cukup, macamana nak kumpulkan 500 kalori tu... ni akan menjejaskan jumplah kalori dan menganggu pengeluaran susu yang optimum.

Patuhi piramid makanan yang telah Jabatan kesihatan sediakan, insyaAllah...

Strees?

Semua orang stress kan... Boleh bagi negatif effect tu... :) Carilah cara untuk kurangkan stress anda... Cari kawan, cari sokongan...boleh juga contact saya, kalau anda nak :)

How Can I Tell if I am Producing Enough Breast Milk?

First you need to rule out false alarms about your milk supply. Here’s how to tell whether your baby’s getting enough

• Your baby gains an ounce a day in the first three months of life and half an ounce a day from age 3 to 6 months. (Newborns will typically lose between 5 and 10 percent of their birth weight in the first few days before gaining it back.) Your baby should be back to his birth weight by ten to 14 days after birth. Weight gain is the best way to make sure your baby’s getting enough milk. Some home scales will measure weight in onces. If you weigh yourself first and then weigh yourself while you are holding you baby you can subtract the two weights to get your babies weight.
• In the first month, your baby has at least three stools a day and they lighten to a yellowy-mustard color by the fifth day after birth. After the first month, the stools become less frequent. Some babies will even go a day or two between stools.
• Does your baby nurse frequently — every two to three hours, for a total of at least eight to 12 feedings a day?
• Do you hear your baby swallow and do you sometimes notice milk in the corners of his/her mouth?
• Your baby appears healthy and active.
• Your baby wets seven or eight cloth diapers a day, or five to six disposables. Disposable diapers are more absorbent, making it hard to tell when one is wet. If you’re not sure, take one off and compare its weight to a dry disposable. A wet one should feel slightly heavier. (Note: Wet diapers alone are not enough to determine whether your baby’s getting enough milk: A dehydrated baby can still wet a diaper. Stools and weight gain are the best ways to tell how your baby’s doing.)

Increasing Your Breast Milk.

• Feed your baby often and for as long as your baby is actively nursing.. Frequent nursing sessions stimulate your body to produce more milk.
• Get the best latch-on possible. Check for proper positioning at the breast.
• When your baby’s sucking and swallowing pattern slows down, use breast compression to increase milk flow to your baby and to completely drain the breast.
• When your milk flow with compression seems to be slowing, switch sides and repeat. Keep switching back and forth between breasts until your baby is satisfied or stops swallowing. A more effective measure may be to nurse your baby for ten to 15 minutes per breast, then use a fully automatic electric breast pump with a double collection kit to completely drain your breasts and increase milk production. To make sure your baby’s getting enough, you may have to supplement the milk you’ve collected with formula.
• A sleepy baby may need to be awakened and encouraged to nurse more vigorously (thus stimulating your glands to produce more milk). To arouse him, try switching sides frequently, alternating positions, or even undressing him. Some mothers play with their baby’s feet during feedings to keep him awake.
• Mothers who determine that their milk output is actually low may want to have their thyroid level checked. Hypothriroidism is known to reduce milk supply.
• If you’re not sure your baby is sucking well, or are still concerned about your milk supply, don’t hesitate to call on a lactation consultant for help.
• Breastfeed or pump at least 8 to 12 times a day

If it has been a while since your baby was at the breast, it will take a lot of loving persistence and consistency. With patience, your baby should find his way back to breastfeeding comfortably. If the baby is having trouble latching on, you may need a refresher in positioning and latch techniques.

• Offer both breasts at every feeding
• Avoid timing your feedings. Instead, wait until the baby comes off the breast himself, then switch to the other side. This will ensure that the baby is getting the proper balance of foremilk and hindmilk.
• Avoid artificial nipples
• Elicit the milk ejection reflex first.
• When using a breast pump only use as much suction as necessary. You shouldn’t feel any pain while pumping.
• Massage your breast in quadrants while you’re pumping.
• Give yourself enough time so you don’t feel any stress.
• Give baby only breast milk.

Increasing Your Breast Milk Supply With Medicinal Herbs

Medicinal herbs used to help increase breast milk are called galctagogues. Mothers have reported overwhelmingly positive responses to herbal therapy, in addition to frequent stimulation of the breast. Here are some herbal remedies that have been shown or reported to help boost milk supply:

• Herbal teas

Mother’s Milk Tea, is said to promote “healthy lactation.”

• Fenugreek capsules

You should take approximately 3500mg/day of Fenugreed to get the full effect. Once milk production is at a good level you can start reducing . Mothers typically see an increase in supply within 72 hours. The most common side effects reported are profuse sweating and excretions that smell like maple syrup. Fenugreek is not recommended for women with diabetes (it may lower blood sugar) or asthma (it may aggravate symptoms). Speak with a lactation consultant and your health care provider before using fenugreek.

• Blessed thistle
• Alfalfa

Remember that it is important to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day to maintain a healthy supply. Oatmeal has also been known to boost supply slightly. Once again, this is anecdotal, but it can’t hurt.

Increasing Supply with Prescription Medication

A few prescription medications that, when taken while continuing frequent stimulation of the breast, have been found to raise prolactin levels. This, in turn, increases milk supply

Here are the details on two of the most common medications used for this purpose:

Domperidone

This is the option with fewer side effects; it has been approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics for use in breastfeeding mothers. Unfortunately, it is not available in regular pharmacies in the United States. It is used in Canada and other countries, but it is legal in America; a mother can obtain it by ordering (with a doctor’s prescription) from compounding pharmacies in the United States. Outside of the U.S. (Mexico and New Zealand), no prescription is needed. The typical dosage that is recommended is 20mg, four times a day.

Reglan (metoclopramide)

This medication has been shown to increase milk supply anywhere from 72% to 110%, depending on how many weeks postpartum a mother is. The recommended dosage is 10mg, three times a day for 1 to 2 weeks. Once supply is stable, dosage should drop by 10mg per week. Mothers with a history of depression are cautioned against taking Reglan. Other side effects include headaches and fatigue.

The process of relactation is intense. It is important for you to take care of yourself. If stress levels are too high, attempts to establish a full milk supply will be futile. Any kind of help, whether it’s physical, psychological (or even domestic!), will aid the process of relactation. You will be on her way to a strong supply yet again.

Beer has been touted for years as being a stimulus to milk production. However, research shows that babies don’t like alcoholic breast milk, and actually drink less of it, resulting in less stimulation to the breast. Ultimately, this means a decrease in milk production.