12 Natural Ways to Increase Breast Milk Supply

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I want to start this post out by saying something a bit wild. Here it is: not every woman can exclusively breastfeed.

Yes, it is true that the vast majority of women are capable of breastfeeding, given the support, resources, and information they need (which some women simply don’t have).

However, there are a few medical conditions that cause low milk supply. Sometimes breast trauma, surgery, hormonal imbalances or endocrine conditions can prevent a mother from producing enough milk to exclusively breastfeed her baby. So if you try all the things in this article and find you are still not producing enough milk, you may want to speak with a medical professional.

I just wanted to put that out there for the mamas who are unable to breastfeed. You are still a woman, and a mama, and you can still form a secure attachment with your baby!

**Hint: if you’re short on time, scroll to the bottom of this post for a bulleted list of my tips to increase supply!

That being said, the first thing to know if you’re struggling with breastmilk supply is this:

Meaning the more milk that is removed from your breasts, the more your body will produce. Very frequently, low supply is simply caused by not removing enough milk from the breasts, which can occur when either:

1. Not enough milk is removed at each feeding (due to ineffective latch or simply not feeding/pumping for long enough).
2. The frequency of pumping/feeding is not enough.

So how much is enough?

Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer because every mom and baby pair is unique, and because each mom with each baby has a different milk storage capacity in her breasts. (Yes, your storage capacity can change with each baby you have).

So while it can seem discouraging to be able to pump less than other moms you know, there is really no problem with having a smaller storage capacity, you will just need to feed/pump more times throughout the 24-hour day to be able to feed baby the ~30 ounces they eat per day (from about 6 weeks onward).

Differences in breastmilk storage capacity are part of the reason some mommy/baby pairs feed only 6-7 times/day while other babies seem to be at the breast 12+ times/day. Other factors are that many babies like to nurse frequently for comfort or to snuggle up to sleep at the breast, while other babies get upset tummies if they take large feedings, and do best with small, frequent feeds.

If you are struggling with low supply, the first thing to do is breastfeed/pump more.

Below are some 12 Ways to Increase Supply, in no particular order:

For newborns, there are a number of ways to stimulate Baby’s instinct to breastfeed, and therefore, to remove more milk from your breasts.

       1.) The most important two factors are skin-to-skin contact and togetherness.

If you are worried about your supply and the breastfeeding relationship, one of the best things you can do is combine these two factors in what The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding calls “The 24-Hour Cure.”

      2.) To practice the 24-Hour Cure:

• Plan to do the cure on your next day off, and enlist someone to care for any older children.
• Set up your nightstand with books, possibly your computer, your favorite tv shows (especially if baby is young enough not to get distracted trying to watch them, usually >3 months), diapers, wipes, etc.
• Set yourself up with water, snacks, frozen burritos, whatever (mmm…burritos…), and/or ask someone to make and bring food to you.
• Remove your bra and shirt, let your hair down, and feel free! Bonus for wearing a flower crown, but let’s be real, ain’t no one got time to make a flower crown when they have a little baby. You could always take a selfie and photoshop one on, right?
• Undress your baby down to a diaper.
• Snuggle up, skin-to-skin in bed and offer to nurse your sweetheart every time they show any interest.
• As a bonus, stroke their soft baby skin, smell their sweet baby head, count their tiny baby toes.

Many nursing problems correct themselves after one day in bed, skin-to skin with baby.

That being said, you don’t need to spend 24 hours in bed to increase your milk supply.

You can take advantage of the magical-nursing-instinct benefits of skin-to-skin contact anytime you have 10 minutes, anytime you take a bath, anytime you’re changing Baby’s clothes, anytime you’re bathing them, anytime you’re sitting down to watch a show or read, etc.

Babies get cray-cray for “baba” when they are skin-to-skin with mama.

3.)Another way to nurse Baby more frequently is to take up nursing for comfort. Baby bumped her head? Offer to nurse. Baby has hiccups? Maybe some “bobby” will help!

4.) If baby sleeps in her own room, you might consider bringing her into your room at night, so you will have an easier time hearing her if she fusses and so you can just roll over to feed her. Yes, in essence, I am recommending feeding more at night. Desperate times call for desperate measures. When you’re struggling with low supply is not the time to night wean.

5.)If you have a sleepy baby who prefers to sleep rather than eat, you might consider waking your baby in order to be sure you’re feeding them at least every 3 hours during the day. Count the three hours from the start of one feed to the start of the next.

 6.) Offer both breasts at each feeding until your supply has increased, or anytime baby seems to want two helpings. There’s no need to interrupt Baby’s feed to switch sides, though! Just wait until they slow down and seem “done” or until your first breast is totally drained, then take a burp break and offer the other side.

7.) Get in touch with a lactation consultant or your local La Leche League. There could be an underlying issues causing insufficient milk removal, such as an ineffective latch or a tongue tie. A good lactation consultant is worth their weight in gold. Or breastmilk, as the case may be.

If a lactation consultant is out of your budget, you can find your local La Leche League group to connect with experienced and newbie breastfeeding mothers alike, who can provide advice, support, and reassurance. My sister-in-law is a smartie-pants and she wrote down the contact info for nearby lactation consultants and La Leche League groups while she was pregnant, just in case she ran into trouble with breastfeeding postpartum.

My final five tips: using herbs, nutrition, hydration, oxytocin, and stress-reduction all relate to self-care for the mom.

8.) Fenugreek, an herb used in Asian and Indian cooking, is an excellent galactagogue, and can increase milk supply up to 20%, according to my daughters’ pediatrician. It stars, along with blessed thistle (another galactagogue), in Mother’s Milk Tea, which I use to give my supply a boost whenever Grace Girl seems to be having a growth spurt.

 9.)

*Drones, “My favorite food is oatmeal. I have never known joy.”

This is a very random family joke between my sisters and I, but dude, I love oatmeal, and it can help support a healthy milk supply. Dark leafy greens, veggies, sesame seeds, and garlic have also been said to improve milk supply. 

10.) Hydrate well. Consider carrying a water bottle around with you if you don’t already do so and sipping throughout the day and every time you sit down to nurse.

11.) Aim to get more rest and reduce stress. Okay, this one can be really hard when you have a new baby, or an older baby, or a child of any age. However, if you even have 5 minutes to yourself, it’s theoretically possible to make those few minutes restful-ish.

When I know I need to reduce stress, I try to put my phone away and take 5 minutes to recharge. One way to do this is to lay with your legs elevated or up the wall, perhaps while listening to some relaxing music like this. If you fall asleep, that’s a bonus. If you stare into space, that’s called resting.

Consider whether it’s possible for you to reduce stress in your life by delegating, letting things go, saying no, or asking for help.

Often it is, but sometimes it isn’t.

If the latter applies to you, look for the tiny spaces of rest that exist in your day. While you’re sitting here reading this post, are you breathing? Can you listen to that inhale and exhale? Rest for one moment in the space of one breath.

12.) My favorite tip is to get oxytocin flowing.

Oxytocin is called the “hug hormone,” and it’s released when we get that warm, fuzzy, snuggly feeling. Oxytocin triggers the breastfeeding woman’s milk to let down.

You can get your oxytocin flowing any number of ways… watching a sappy rom-com or Hallmark movie, snuggling your baby, taking a bath with your baby, kissing and being romantic with your partner, taking out your baby’s tiny newborn clothes and gaping at how small they are/were, giving your baby a massage, asking your partner or friend for a massage, etc. Anything that makes you feel safe, secure, loving, and loved can give you an oxytocin boost.

       13.) Finally, if your breastfeeding journey doesn’t go the way you hoped or expected, give yourself grace. Remember that what your baby most needs is YOU–to snuggle and love them, and to feed them…whatever that looks like for you. Remember, you are good enough already.

Your Short and Sweet Guide to Increasing Breastmilk Supply:

1.) Skin-to-skin contact and togetherness

2.) 24-hour cure

3.) Nurse for Comfort

4.) Room-In

5.) Wake baby for feeds

6.) Offer both breasts

7.) Find a lactation consultant OR a local La Leche League group

8.) Fenugreek/Mother’s Milk Tea

9.) Nutrition/Oatmeal

10.) Hydration

11.)Rest, relaxation

12.) Get that oxytocin flowing

13.) Give yourself grace; you are good enough already.

*Important thing that we all already know: I am not a doctor and my advise is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition. Just putting it out there. You know, to cover my rear-region.

Okay ladies, what are your favorite ways to increase breastmilk production? What has your breastfeeding journey been like? Share in the comments below!