Causes of low breast milk production
Causes of low breast milk production
Mother’s milk is the basic element in the nutrition and growth of the child, and there are several factors that affect the production of milk in the breast. Learn about the reasons for the decrease in the amount of breast milk production in detail.
Causes of low breast milk production
Sometimes a woman suffers from a lack of milk or breast milk during the breastfeeding period, which negatively affects the health of the child, as breast milk is rich in natural nutrients that have a direct role in the formation of his immune system.
Not getting your baby enough milk is worrisome; Because it is the food that depends on it since birth, it is the basis of proper nutrition that he deserves to increase his weight, grow, and enjoy good health.
In this article, we will discuss the main reasons behind the decrease in the amount of breast milk production:
Causes of low breast milk production
Several reasons have been identified that lead to a decrease in the amount of breast milk production during the breastfeeding period, and they are as follows:
Previous breast surgery
Such surgeries can affect the production of breast milk, and the amount of their impact varies on how the operation is performed and the time between surgery and the birth of the baby, and these surgeries can also cause scarring or damage to the breasts.
For example, nipple piercings, a type of breast surgery, may damage the milk ducts in this area, thus reducing the flow of milk to the baby during breastfeeding.
Hormonal disorders in the endocrine glands
Hormones are chemical transporters in our body, produced in the endocrine glands and transported with the bloodstream to tissues and organs to tell them their functions.
If you find that you cannot produce enough milk to satisfy your baby, this may be a sign that you are suffering from the following hormonal disorders:
Thyroid disorder
Lack of thyroid hormones slows down the body’s functions, and since thyroid hormone plays a role in helping to produce milk, hypothyroidism leads to a decrease in the amount of breast milk production.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
It is a problem caused by an imbalance in the secretion of hormones within a woman’s body, and it leads to many health problems, such as menstrual disorders.
The hormones in women with this syndrome are unbalanced, as the secretion of male hormones increases, while the secretion of female hormones decreases.
This leads to a decrease in the level of the hormone prolactin, which is a hormone necessary in order to prepare the breasts for lactation and secretion of milk, known as the prolactin hormone. Prolactin is secreted from the pituitary gland, and the lactation process itself keeps its level high after birth as well.
What can you do?
A visit to a breastfeeding clinic or a lactation consultant can help you find an approach that works with your specific condition, and therefore treatment of your health issue can help you increase milk production in your breasts.
Birth Medicines
Mothers are not always aware that medications used in labor, such as laryngectomy, which is one of the best ways to relieve labor pain, can negatively affect the baby’s ability to latch on to the breast and to breastfeed effectively.
The child has jaundice
Jaundice is a common condition in newborns that can make your baby sleep longer than usual, thus reducing the number of times he wakes up to eat.
If your newborn is sleeping a lot due to jaundice, you may need to gently wake him and encourage him to nurse more often. This step will stimulate your breasts to secrete more milk; This is because your breast produces milk in proportion to the requirements and needs of your baby.
The more the baby breastfeeds, the more milk is secreted.
Schedule meals or use a pacifier
When you try to regulate the number of times you feed your baby by giving him a pacifier to increase the time between feedings, you are reducing the time allotted for feeding on your breast each day.
The rate at which milk is made depends mainly on how well they are emptied, meaning you will get more milk when your breasts are empty.
When babies are breastfed in response to their needs without interference from the mother, they tend to have short and frequent feedings, meaning that the breasts are overproducing most of the time.
Take birth control pills
Some medications, such as birth control pills reduce breast milk production; This is because they contain estrogen, a female hormone secreted by the ovaries that affect the function of the female reproductive system, and estrogen inhibits the production of breast milk.
The chances of this happening may increase if you start using these pills before your baby is four months old.
Avoid breastfeeding at night
Not feeding your baby at night can cause your milk supply to drop dramatically, so if you want to increase production, night feeding sessions are important.
Mothers vary a lot in the amount of milk they can store in their breasts between feedings, and with no meals for long periods of time, milk production begins to decline.
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