Inadequate milk secretion: how to increase lactation?

Insufficient lactation is one of the main reasons for the transfer of the child to artificial feeding. Therefore, it is important that a medical worker correctly assess the lactation function of a woman and help her to establish a full lactation.

The situation when a child receives an insufficient amount of milk can occur at any stage - in the maternity hospital in the first days after the birth of the baby (especially if the normal development of lactation has been disrupted for any reasons - the complications of childbirth and the postpartum period, the severe condition of the newborn, etc.), as well as at the stage of the children's polyclinic in the event of a lactation or famine crisis.

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Lactation crisis

A lactational crisis is a temporary short-term decrease in lactation, which occurs without an apparent apparent cause. The basis of the lactation crisis is the shifts in the hormonal system of a woman that are associated with the periodicity of hormonal regulation of lactation in combination with an increase in the motor activity of a woman and intensive growth of an infant.

Lactation crises occur at the 3rd-6th week, 3-4th, and 7th-8th months of lactation. Their duration is on average 3-4 days, they are completely reversible and do not pose a danger to the health of the baby. In some women in the dynamics of lactation, such lactation crises occur several times.

A hungry crisis is a situation when, in connection with the intensification of the child's growth processes in certain periods of its development, the volume of milk produced by the mother's mammary glands does not meet the child's needs. More often the hungry crisis occurs on the 4th week, and also at the 3rd, 7th, 12th months of lactation.

Like the lactation crisis, this phenomenon is also reversible and, under the condition of proper tactics, the mammary glands of the mother respond to the increased need for milk by increasing its production.

What to do with a lactation crisis?

To successfully overcome the lactation or hunger crisis, it is necessary to observe such tactics:

• obligatory informing mother-nurse about the possibility of such crises for the woman's calm perception of temporary reduction of lactation;
• the mother's explanation that in order to overcome the crisis it is necessary to increase the number of baby's attachments to the breast in time (up to 10-12 times);
• again enter night feeding;
• be sure to check the correctness of the feeding technique;
• to arrange appropriate rest and sleep of the mother, to attract relatives for help during this period.

With this tactic, lactation is fast enough (3-4 days). At the same time, if the mother is not prepared for such a situation, she will try to add a mixture to the child when the first signs of lactation decrease appear (even without the pediatrician's appointment). In order to help a woman who complained of insufficient lactation and fasting of the baby, the consultant should first of all find out such questions:

• whether the kid really lacks mother's milk or seems so to the mother;
• whether fasting of the kid is connected with insufficient receipt of milk to the child at a normal lactation at mother or with depression of a lactemia.

Significant signs that the baby receives insufficient amounts of breast milk:

• insufficient increase in body weight - less than 500 g for 1 month. Or 125 g for 1 week;
• allocation of a small amount of concentrated urine: a rare urination (less than 6 times a day); urine intensely yellow, with a pungent odor.

Significant signs that the baby receives insufficient amounts of breast milk:

• the baby is not satisfied after breastfeeding;
• often crying;
• very frequent feeding;
• very long breastfeeding;
• refuses to breast;
• stiff, dry or green stools;
• liquid stool in a small volume;
• when decanting, there is no milk;
• there is no feeling of milk arrival after childbirth.

If the consultant identifies reliable signs that may be related not only to the fact that the baby receives insufficient milk, but also to other factors, it is necessary to look for absolute signs of underfeeding.

The reasons why a child can receive an insufficient amount of milk:

• factors associated with the technique of breastfeeding: 
  • improper attachment to the breast;
  • lack of night feeding;
  • large intervals between feedings;
  • insufficient long-term breastfeeding;
  • late onset of breastfeeding;
  • use of dummies and bottles for feeding;
  • introduction of complementary foods and dopaivaniya;
• psychological factors in the mother: 
  • physical fatigue;
  • lack of confidence:
  • anxiety, stressful situations;
  • a negative attitude towards breastfeeding;
  • negative attitude towards the baby;
• factor of the general condition of the mother: 
  • extragenital pathology;
  • use of contraceptives;
  • pregnancy;
  • use of alcohol, drugs, smoking;
  • starvation;
  • delayed lobules of the placenta (rarely);
  • insufficient development of mammary glands (very rarely);
• child's condition:
  • disease;
  • anomaly of development.

Causes of Breastfeeding

Crying a child is the only way to report any discomfort (hunger, fatigue, dirty diapers, etc.). If the baby cries a lot, it can be an obstacle to successful breastfeeding. Parents most often associate crying with starvation and without timely proper help from the medical worker can not understand the situation, they begin to supplement the baby, which leads to premature extinction of lactation and artificial feeding. In addition, if a baby cries a lot, it can disrupt the relationship between mother and baby, cause psychological stress in the family as a result of negative emotions in a woman, can help reduce lactation.

Reasons for the child	Causes of the mother
Effects of sedatives Difficulties in coordinating sucking	Excess milk in the mammary glands
Changes that can upset the baby (especially at the age of 1-2 months): Separation from the mother New face or many new, persons who look after the child Changes in the family environment	Menstruation Changes in body odor changes the smell of milk
Apparent refusal: the newborn "takes aim" The kid at the age of 4-8 months turns away - something distracts his attention	After a year - weaning from iriti
Acute infectious (respiratory or intestinal) disease Craniocerebral injury (pressure on the site of injury) Thrush Do not cut teeth	Incorrect attachment to the breast Bottle feeding, including pre-lactation feeding Breast engorgement Pressure on the head from behind during attachment to the breast Incorrect breast support during feeding The frequency of feeding is limited (large intervals between feedings)

To eliminate the reason for which the child refuses the breast, the woman must:

• constantly to be near the baby: it is mostly to take care of the baby not only during breastfeeding, but also at any other time to keep it in your arms (for the children of the first months - close skin contact), to involve other family members in performing other seminal duties (cooking eating, washing, cleaning, caring for older children, etc.), if the mother went to work - take a temporary leave;
• breastfeeding is needed on demand. The mother should allow the child to suckle the breast as often as possible. Some children in this situation more actively suck the breast after feeding from a spoon, and not when they are very hungry. You can try feeding in different positions. If the mother feels that she has an oxytocin reflex, she should also offer the baby a breast;
• help to take the breast in the following way: to express a small amount of milk in the baby's mouth, apply a free diapering, it is convenient to place the baby near the breast and give him the opportunity to examine the mother's breast, avoid pressure on the baby's head from behind and properly support the mammary gland, make proper attachment to the breast, that will ensure effective sucking of milk;
• if necessary, feed from a cup in the intervals between breastfeeding: express breastmilk and give it from a cup or a spoon. In the absence of sufficient lactation, give the milk mixture also from a cup or spoon. Avoid using bottles with nipples for feeding, as well as using artificial soothing agents (pacifier).

How to increase lactation?

It should be recommended to perform such measures for the resumption of lactation:

• rest at least 48 hours (no hard work, house cleaning, washing, cooking, receiving visitors);
• temporarily increase the frequency of feeding up to 10-12 times a day if the baby is calm and maintains intervals between feedings 3-3.5 hours, even with a lactation crisis wake him, offer a breast every 2-2.5 hours;
• during each feeding give both breasts .;
• temporarily introduce night feedings to stimulate the production of prolactin;
• express milk after each feeding;
• practice close contact of the mother and the child (for the newborn directly skin contact) for 6-8 hours;
• use relaxation techniques (massage, auto-training, music therapy) to improve the emptying of the mammary glands;
• if necessary, do not use any imitators of the mother's nipple, use alternative means for feeding (cup, spoon, pipette);
• use lactogenic food products and herbal teas (decoctions, infusions and drinks from herbs and seeds - lemon balm, thousand liters of plant oil, dill, cumin, anise, fennel, walnuts, carrot juice with milk, etc.).

Juices, infusions and teas for increasing lactation at home

• a drink from lemon balm, nettle, oregano. Herbs are mixed in equal proportions. One tablespoon of the mixture is washed down with 2 cups of boiling water and insisted in a thermos for 2 hours. Drink 1/2 cup 2-3 times a day;
• infusion of dill seeds. One tablespoon of dill seeds is poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted in a thermos for 2 hours. Filter, drink 1-2 tablespoons 3-6 times a day (depending on the tolerance);
• infusion of anise. Two teaspoons of seeds pour a glass of boiling water and insist 1 hour. Cool and filter. Drink 2 tablespoons 3 times a day for half an hour before meals;
• a beverage made from cumin. To prepare 0.5 liters of a drink, take 10 grams of cumin seeds, 50 grams of sugar, lemon juice of medium size. Caraway seeds are poured with water, boiled on low heat for 5-10 minutes, filtered, sugar and lemon juice are added. Drink half a glass 2-3 times a day;
• Walnut milk is an effective tool for increasing secretion and improving the quality of milk. Peeled nuts are ground with sugar until a mass of a dough-like consistency is obtained, the mass is put into boiled milk, stirred and infused for 2 hours. To prepare one serving of the drink, 0.5 liters of milk, 100 g of peeled nuts, 25 grams of sugar are needed. Take 1/3 cup 20 minutes before each breast-feeding;
• carrot juice Freshly prepared juice drink half a glass 2-3 times a day. To improve the taste qualities in carrot juice can be added milk, honey, fruit and berry juices (1-2 tablespoons per 1 cup of juice);
• Milk cocktail with carrot juice: 125 ml of milk (curdled milk or yogurt), 60 ml of carrot juice, 10 ml of lemon juice and 15 g of sugar, whisk together with a mixer immediately before consumption and drink 1 glass 2-3 times a day. In the evening, in a cocktail, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of honey instead of lemon juice (to eliminate nervous tension and good sleep). Sometimes a good result is given to the appointment of a woman with medicinal vitamin and restorative drugs (apilac, multivitamins, mineral complexes, nicotinic acid, dry yeast extract), as well as physiotherapeutic procedures (UFO for mammary glands, ultrasound, massage, acupuncture).

It is necessary to explain to the woman that excessive consumption of liquid does not lead to an increase in lactation, since among mothers there is a thought that this drug helps to increase lactation.

With excessive use of liquid, the amount of milk can really increase temporarily, but in it the nutrient content decreases, while the load on the maternal organism increases, which leads to a subsequent decrease in lactation.

Relaxation is the resumption of completely extinct lactation. Such a situation can arise, for example, in such cases:

• with the temporary separation of the mother and the child in connection with the departure of the mother, during which she did not support lactation;
• the baby is breastfed, but the mother wants to breastfeed;
• a temporary illness of the mother, during which she did not breast-feed the baby and did not express the milk;
• the infant is not suitable for artificial feeding and there is a need to resume breastfeeding;
• mother adopted a baby and wants to feed him with her milk.