How to increase lactation Komarovsky. How to increase lactation if there is little breast milk: ways to increase lactation. Main signs of malnutrition in infants

Breast milk is the best and most optimal option for feeding a baby. It contains not only vitamins and microelements, but also immunoglobulins, which protect the newborn from many infections. However, very often young mothers are faced with a sharp reduction in the production of nutrient fluid and transfer the baby to mixed feeding or completely to a specially adapted formula. Dr. Komarovsky is confident that if you act correctly, lactation can be increased.

Why a nursing mother may experience a lack of breast milk: Komarovsky’s opinion

Lactation is the physiological process of formation and release of milk from the mammary glands. From the moment the child is born, the body, under the influence of several hormones, begins to produce nutritious fluid, which the woman feeds the baby. However, doctors say that 80% of young mothers experience various problems with breastfeeding.

After the birth of a baby, a woman should be prepared for the fact that lactation will not be immediately established. This will take some time, because not only the mother’s consciousness, but also all organs and vital systems adapt to the new role.

It takes one to two months to establish lactation

The functioning of the mammary glands in the first one to two months is just being established. This happens because the body does not yet know how much nutrient fluid is needed to fully feed the baby. Some young mothers have a lot of it, others, on the contrary, have little. Also, two and four weeks, three and six months after the birth of a child, lactation crises may occur, during which milk production decreases significantly for several days, and the baby becomes capricious and restless. Many women worry that the baby does not have enough nutrition, so they immediately transfer him to a special adapted formula. Dr. Komarovsky explains that this should not be done hastily, because lactation can be increased.

When visiting a pediatrician, mothers often think that they are not eating well, and that is why little milk is coming. However, Evgeny Olegovich refutes this theory. The fact is that today there are no problems with food, so diet cannot be the main reason for the lack of valuable fluid. Of course, a balanced diet is required during breastfeeding. However, errors in the menu are only a minor factor, which, in combination with more serious ones, affects the reduction of lactation.

The diet of a nursing mother should be varied and balanced

The famous pediatrician identifies several important reasons that affect the decrease in milk production:

• improper attachment to the breast. It is very important that the baby grasps both the nipple and the areola while sucking. If this does not happen, the fluid is not completely released from the ducts, stagnation appears, which leads to lactostasis or mastitis. The mammary gland will be painful, hard, the temperature rises, and the woman will have to undergo treatment. This situation negatively affects lactation;
• stress and nervous tension. Young mothers are especially worried when the baby often cries; it seems to them that the baby is not getting enough to eat and does not have enough nutritional fluid. The woman is nervous, thereby aggravating the situation;
• fatigue. This reason is one of the primary ones. Lack of sleep at night, constantly being with the baby during the day is exhausting, and in those moments when he is sleeping, you need to have time to clean up, prepare food and take care of yourself. At some point, the body simply cannot stand it and refuses to do something, for example, produce milk;
• mother's illness. Producing nutrition for a baby takes a lot of energy. And during illness, the body must resist bacteria and viruses, so it distributes its capabilities on several fronts. Also, medications that the doctor prescribes for a speedy recovery can negatively affect lactation.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky about the features of breastfeeding

How to increase milk production according to Dr. Komarovsky

A woman must understand that it is very important immediately after the birth of a child to be constantly with him. Dr. Komarovsky considers the first mistake that doctors make in the maternity hospital to be giving the mother the opportunity to rest after childbirth, because the baby, as a rule, is taken to the children's department and brought in a few hours or a day later.

The most important criterion for successful breastfeeding is the attachment of the newborn to the breast immediately after birth. The baby begins to suck, thereby stimulating the nipple. At this time, the body receives a signal to start producing milk.

Video: how lactation occurs

Frequent breastfeeding

A woman who is faced with the problem of low milk supply must remain calm and collected. You should not immediately offer the baby an adapted formula. The best way to increase lactation is to put the baby to the breast as often as possible, because nipple irritation promotes the formation of nutrient fluid.

Dr. Komarovsky is concerned that in the modern world a woman knows even before the baby is born: if she has problems with lactation or simply does not want to breastfeed, nothing will happen to the baby, because there are breast milk substitutes - dry formulas. This is why young mothers do not put in enough effort to maintain breastfeeding.

Pediatrician Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky is of the opinion that feeding the baby should follow a regular schedule. In this way, the baby adapts to the needs of the parents, and mom and dad get the opportunity to plan their time and devote a couple of hours to themselves. However, this recommendation applies only after lactation has been fully established. In the first month or two after the birth of a son or daughter, the mother should put him/her to the breast as often as possible, thereby setting up sufficient milk production.

If for some reason a woman is unable to breastfeed her baby for some time (she is taking medications that are incompatible with breastfeeding, the baby is too weak and cannot suckle), it is necessary to stimulate the nipples by pumping. You can do this by hand or buy a breast pump.

If the baby is premature and cannot suckle, the woman should express milk and feed the baby this nutritious liquid, not formula

Most mothers are afraid that the child will feel unwell and lose weight due to a lack of milk. Dr. Komarovsky hastens to reassure women: if the baby eats very little for one day, nothing will happen to him. But the next day he will enthusiastically begin to suckle at the breast, obtaining food, which will serve as an excellent signal to the body to produce even more milk. But if within three days the amount of valuable liquid has not increased, the baby’s body weight decreases, he does not eat enough and constantly cries, then there is no other choice - give diluted dry food.

Emotional peace

Successful lactation largely depends on the psychological comfort of the nursing mother. If the baby is constantly next to the mother, gets access to the breast every half hour or even more often, but the woman continues to worry that the milk will not appear, the baby is hungry, and she is a bad mother who does not know how to properly raise the baby, nothing good will come of this . When trying to establish breastfeeding, you need a positive attitude; you cannot blame yourself for the fact that the baby does not have enough nutrition, you need to be calm and balanced.

To help, the husband and other relatives should shift some of the household responsibilities to themselves. And the mother will devote her time to communicating with the newborn and relaxing. According to Evgeniy Olegovich, a well-rested, happy woman in a good mood will cope with the problem that has arisen much faster than a lady on the verge of hysteria and depression.

Even when the baby cries, the mother should remain calm and try to calm the baby down.

Nutrition for a nursing mother

There is currently no consensus among doctors about whether a woman’s diet affects milk production. Some experts insist that the diet should include only certain foods, others argue that it is important for a nursing mother to enjoy food, then she will be in a good mood, and this is half of successful lactation.

Dr. Komarovsky adheres to the theory that the composition of a young mother’s menu has absolutely no effect on the increase or decrease in breast milk. The famous pediatrician explains his point of view: the child, along with the nutritional fluid, will take everything his growing and developing body needs. But the state of her health depends on how balanced a woman’s diet is. Eating sporadically, on the run, and not entirely healthy food leads to a lack of nutrients, which is fraught with health problems in the future. Therefore, it is necessary to eat foods rich in vitamins and vital microelements:

• lean meats. Turkey, rabbit, chicken or nutria are best;
• dairy and fermented milk products: milk (pure or added to porridge), cottage cheese (a low-fat product is undesirable, it is better to opt for natural homemade or store-bought 5% or 9% fat), fermented baked milk, kefir, yogurt;
• hard cheese. Avoid eating soft processed cheese products. They contain a lot of preservatives and harmful additives;
• porridge (rice, buckwheat and oatmeal);
• fish. Give preference to low-fat marine varieties, such as hake, cod or pollock;
• walnuts, almonds (can be added to dishes);
• eggs (only boiled to exclude the possibility of salmonellosis infection);
• fresh fruits and vegetables. Introduce them gradually, observing the baby’s reaction, because many of them can cause allergies;
• warm drink. Fluids are very important during breastfeeding. Avoid coffee and carbonated drinks. The best option is green or weak black tea. Dr. Komarovsky recommends drinking at least two liters a day, because this promotes a flow of milk to the ducts of the mammary glands. There are also special herbal preparations for sale to increase lactation. If the baby does not have allergies, you can drink them after consulting a doctor.
  

  Many mothers prefer to add milk to black or green tea. If the child does not have a negative reaction to milk protein, this is not prohibited.

A nursing mother's menu should include a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.

But there is also a list of products that it is advisable to exclude from the menu during lactation. Evgeniy Olegovich explains that some of them are not dangerous, but they affect the smell and taste of milk, and then the baby may refuse to take the breast. But there are also those that cause negative reactions in the form of rashes, digestive disorders and other health problems for the baby:

• alcoholic drinks;
• fatty, fried foods;
• seasonings and spices, especially hot and with a strong aroma;
• garlic;
• onions (even green);
• chocolate, honey, condensed milk are the strongest allergens;
• citrus;
• canned food;
• halva.
  

  Many mothers believe that this product increases lactation. However, Dr. Komarovsky refutes this opinion. Halva is a very strong allergen, so you shouldn’t experiment on your baby’s health.

A well-known pediatrician points out that the products on a nursing mother’s menu must first of all be fresh and of the highest quality, so that both the woman’s body and the baby, along with the milk, receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

Video: Dr. Komarovsky about the main points of breastfeeding

Most women face the problem of lack of milk. Dr. Komarovsky insists that there is no need to immediately panic, be overly nervous and transfer the baby to a specially adapted mixture. First of all, you need to mentally prepare yourself for successful lactation, put the baby to the breast more often and eat a balanced diet. All these components are the main criteria for normal breastfeeding, during which both the child and mother feel comfortable and happy.

A young mother may not be familiar with all the intricacies of breastfeeding, so at the first stage of motherhood there may be many difficulties associated with feeding and.

Believe me, these are temporary problems that can be avoided by keeping calm and common sense. Very soon you will learn to understand your baby’s wishes without words, but in the meantime, be patient!

Now let's look at this in more detail.

So how to increase the amount of breast milk during breastfeeding, what foods increase lactation in a nursing mother? Let's find out from our article.

How do you know if your baby has enough milk?

In the first days of a baby’s life, there are usually no problems with feeding. Of course: after all, next to the young mother there is medical staff, answering all questions at any moment!

Nurses will help a woman pump out the breast, teach her how to put her baby to the breast correctly, and doctors will monitor how the mother’s milk comes in and explain how to prolong breastfeeding for a long time.

But upon returning home, the young mother will need to independently learn to guess the baby’s wishes, determine whether he is full, and for what reason he is crying.

You can determine whether your baby is hungry or not by the nature of his stool. If the baby receives enough milk, his stool becomes dark yellow in color, has a faint odor and a slightly watery consistency.

You can tell if your baby is hungry by looking at the stool!

The number of bowel movements in a well-fed child in the first months of life is up to 8 times a day. This is completely normal and confirms that your baby is getting enough breast milk.

If the frequency of stools has changed and the color has changed to brown, the baby needs more food. Just don’t rush to introduce baby formula for complementary feeding: usually, adjusting the mother’s diet leads to an increase in her milk supply.

The second surest indicator of your baby's satiety is the amount of his urine and its color. If the baby's diaper is full every 3-4 hours and is heavy, and the absorbed discharge is light in color, the baby is most likely not experiencing malnutrition.

This sign is typical for a baby older than five days of age; before this time, the urine may have a dark color - this is normal, do not worry.

You can find out if your baby is getting enough milk by weighing him before and after each feeding. To do this, purchase special scales for newborns (you can rent them or buy them in a store).

Massage to improve lactation:

• Get on all fours, tilt your head down. Move around the room in this position until you get tired.
• Stand up straight. Spread your arms out to the sides, then cross them in front of you like scissors and spread them out again. Repeat the exercise up to 10 times, raising your arms higher with each swing, finally crossing them above your head.
• Sit cross-legged. Bend your elbows at chest level, placing your palms together and pointing your fingers up. Counting to 3, press your palms tightly together; on the count of 4, relax them without lowering your arms. Repeat 10 times.

Weigh your baby before and after each breastfeeding and note the difference. For 3-5 days, record the milk your child eats. A child aged one week should eat 30-50 ml of milk per feeding. By a month this norm reaches 100 ml.

Of course, each baby is individual: one may eat more milk, another may eat less. A weakened child will drink less milk than his strong counterpart who was born with a higher weight. Show your schedule to your pediatrician: he will determine whether your baby’s feeding rate needs adjustment and whether you are putting him to the breast correctly.

Whether the baby has enough milk can also be determined by how correctly he grasps the breast when feeding: the baby should wrap his lips around not only the nipple, but also the areola. With his mouth wide open, the child grabs the mammary gland and begins sucking movements, then there is a pause, during which the baby takes a sip of milk and closes his mouth. The longer the pause, the more milk the baby got.

How to increase breast milk supply?

It would seem that you are doing everything right: the baby is confidently suckling at the breast, he is gaining weight well, is calm and cheerful.

But suddenly you began to notice that the amount of breast milk you have has decreased, your breasts are not as full before feeding, and the baby wakes up more often to eat.

Perhaps you are just tired and lost your usual rhythm of life. Try to calm down: help from your household will be useful now. Involve your family in caring for the child, get more rest, and, if possible, take solo walks in the fresh air.

Don’t forget about proper nutrition for a nursing mother: your diet should include healthy, non-fatty foods and forget about spices. The amount of liquid you consume should be about 2 liters per day: preference should be given to decoctions of dried fruits and herbal infusions.

Recipes to enhance lactation:

1. Healthy cocktail. Mix 100 ml of milk, 3 cups of kefir, 1 teaspoon of chopped dill, 1 teaspoon of honey, 2 walnut kernels. Beat all ingredients with a mixer or in a blender. Drinking a glass of this cocktail with breakfast will promote a good milk flow throughout the day.
2. Milk-nut infusion. Brew 3-4 walnut kernels with a glass of boiled milk. Add 1 teaspoon of honey. Keep the mixture in a thermos for about an hour. Divide the serving into 4 parts and take throughout the day and at night.

Dairy products must be present in your diet: fermented baked milk, low-fat kefir, will have a positive effect on milk production and will have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

A young mother should not forget about night feedings. As you know, the hormone Prolactin is responsible for high-quality milk production. And its greatest production occurs at night.

This is why it is very important to put your baby to the breast at night to increase your breast milk supply. At first it will seem very difficult, but motherhood is not an easy task, be patient for the sake of your child!

Modern multivitamins for nursing mothers can also cause an increase in the amount of breast milk. Your body is weakened by childbirth and caring for the baby, and it is not always possible to get enough nutrients from food.

Consult your doctor: ask which vitamins are right for you, how and how much to take them. There are also medications that increase lactation: consulting a doctor, apparently, will not be superfluous for you.

Half an hour before feeding, drink tea with milk!

After feeding the baby, pour hot water over your breasts (about 40 degrees), and express excess milk in a circular motion from top to bottom for 5 minutes. This procedure stimulates milk production well and relaxes the nervous system. And as you know, a calm mother does not have a child who cries.

Half an hour before each feeding, drink tea with milk. This is an old, proven method of producing breast milk over the years. The tea should not be hot and strong: dilute it in a cup with a small amount of milk. You can add a teaspoon of honey to this mixture: the healthy product is ready for use!

List. A proper diet for a nursing mother increases lactation and improves the quality of milk.

Find out what the pills for stopping lactation are called. Complete the feeding safely and painlessly.

What to do if a nursing mother loses milk?

Milk cannot disappear in one day, therefore, if you have not had problems with feeding before, the baby is cheerful and cheerful, and is gaining weight - there is no need to be upset.

The milk supply may have decreased for psychological reasons or due to fatigue.

The attitude is important here: if you are confident in yourself, agree to go through all the difficulties just to continue breastfeeding your baby, you will be able to return lactation to normal.

If your baby constantly cries and makes quick movements while sucking, most likely he really doesn’t have enough milk! Do not panic! And don't stop feeding, especially at night. Try to feed the baby from both breasts: after he eats from one, offer the other.

Carry the child in your arms more often, focus only on the child. Entrust the care of the house to your loved ones. Don’t rush to bottle-feed your baby: once he recognizes the nipple, he is unlikely to latch on to the breast next time.

If your breast milk disappears, your doctor may advise you to take medications: for example, it is excellent for increasing lactation. Also, with small amounts of breast milk, many mothers take the drug Leptaden.

To increase lactation, it would be useful for the mother to use dry milk formulas: “Femilak”, “Enfa-mama”, “Olympic” - they are designed specifically for nursing mothers, do not cause harm, and are gentle.

If the amount of milk in your breasts begins to decrease, try drinking teas for nursing mothers: for example, Hipp tea is designed to maintain normal lactation, alternating it with fruit juices and drinks (both fresh and store-bought), you won’t know. What is a "lactation crisis"? You can also add dietary supplements “Apilactin” or “Lactogon” to your regular diet.

Extensive information regarding . How to treat mastopathy, reviews from experienced people.

Read about nipple shields for nursing. How to choose the right pads, reviews from moms.

Increasing lactation with folk remedies

How and with what to increase breast milk lactation using folk remedies? For many mothers, carrot juice helps increase the amount of breast milk.

Grate small carrots on a fine grater, squeeze through cheesecloth and take half a glass several times a day, after diluting the resulting juice with milk.

You can also add a few tablespoons of grated carrots to milk, add honey and consume 100 grams of this mixture 3 times a day.

Carrot juice increases lactation!

You can also make a healthy drink from anise seeds to increase lactation: pour a glass of boiling water over the seeds, wrap them in a towel and let it brew for several hours. Half an hour before meals, take the resulting decoction one tablespoon 3 times a day. You can prepare caraway infusion in the same way.

In late spring, juice from dandelion leaves improves lactation. Pass the young leaves of the plant through a meat grinder, squeeze through cheesecloth, salt the juice and let it brew for about an hour. Drink the resulting infusion 2 times a day, half a glass. To soften the bitterness, add a little sugar or a spoonful of honey to the drink.

An infusion of dill seeds also helps to increase lactation: brew them with a glass of boiling water, let it brew for 2 hours and use a tablespoon 6-8 times a day.

For a new mother, the main thing is to establish the process of natural feeding in the right way. We can say with confidence that your baby is eating properly and has enough milk if:

• The baby's diaper is full every 3-4 hours, the urine is light and odorless
• The baby defecates after every feeding. The color of his stool is dark yellow and the consistency is slightly watery.
• When feeding, the baby grasps the nipple along with the areola, makes confident sucking movements: mouth open - pause - mouth closed.

1. Sleep should be at least 10 hours a day - night and day.
2. Walks in the fresh air for at least 2 hours.
3. Frequent latching of the baby to the breast from birth (at least 10 times a day), with mandatory night feedings.
4. Good nutrition and increasing the volume of fluid consumed to 1.5-2 liters per day (this includes tea, soups, decoctions, milk, sour-milk products).
5. Shower-chest massage.
6. Drink hot green tea 30 minutes before feeding.
7. Take vitamins for nursing mothers.

To ensure that you always have a lot of breast milk, rest often and focus only on the baby. Entrust household chores to loved ones. Take your baby to your bed and be sure to feed him at night: this will perfectly stimulate milk production.

Eat right and drink enough fluids. If your milk begins to disappear, do not panic: be sure to consult a doctor.

Modern medicines, biological supplements, and folk methods of increasing lactation will definitely help you continue breastfeeding. Stay calm and confidently move towards your goal: feeding your baby only breast milk!

Breastfeeding is a special period in the life of a young mother. Breastfeeding helps you recover faster after childbirth, provide protection from mastopathy and establish a close relationship with your baby. Often nursing mothers face a lack of milk. Today we will tell you how to increase lactation at home, and what to do if there is practically no milk in the breast.

5 main factors influencing the increase and maintenance of lactation

Proper development of a child is impossible without proper nutrition. Mother's milk is ideally suited to the baby's body's ability to absorb food. From breast milk, the baby receives everything it needs: enzymes, growth factors, immunoglobulins that protect the child’s body from infections.

Important! Every child should receive breast milk for at least 6 months, because it is completely tailored to the individual needs of the baby.

Among the many factors influencing the occurrence, increase and maintenance of milk secretion, the most important are:

1. Health status of nursing mother and baby.
2. A mother's desire and will to breastfeed her baby.
3. The mental state of a nursing mother and the family situation.
4. Regular latching of the newborn to the breast;
5. Conscientious preparation and learning of proper breastfeeding techniques.

What to do if there is not enough milk? We will definitely tell you about many effective ways to improve lactation, but first we recommend watching this video:

Before concluding that the mother has little milk, it is necessary to exclude the above factors. If there are errors in the correct latching of the breast, physical fatigue of the nursing mother or excessive mental stress (anxiety, anxiety), then the lack of milk is only a consequence of existing problems. Their solution will help to avoid decreased lactation and premature weaning.

Menu for a nursing mother: list of products to increase milk supply

The quality of milk and its quantity directly depend on the diet and diet followed by the nursing mother. A varied diet stimulates improved lactation and helps establish proper breastfeeding.

Products that should be included in a mother's daily diet:

• boiled milk and fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt) - at least 0.5 l/day;
• cottage cheese or curd products – 50-100 g/day;
• boiled meat – at least 200 g/day;
• fresh vegetables (carrots, onions, sweet peppers, radishes) – 600 g/day;
• butter – 30 g/day;
• boiled chicken eggs – 1-2 pcs.;
• fruits (green apple, pear) – at least 300 g/day;
• black bread with cumin – 400 g/day.

Also during the lactation period, daily consumption of vegetable oil is recommended as a dressing for fresh vegetables or dishes with cereals (about 20 g/day). Sunflower oil is a natural source of vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. We talked about it in one of the previous issues.

Products that cause increased lactation:

• warm green tea (weakly brewed);
• hot chicken broth;
• liquid porridge with milk from rice and barley;
• bee honey (as a substitute for sugar);
• watermelons;
• walnuts;
• first courses with sea and river fish.

A nursing mother needs to monitor the amount of fluid consumed per day. It must be at least 2.5 liters (including all liquid dishes). 10-15 minutes before the start of the next feeding, it is useful to drink a glass of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey - this simple drink helps enhance lactation and stimulates the flow of milk in the breast.

What foods to avoid during lactation:

• natural coffe;
• semi-finished meat products;
• fast food, chips and crackers with flavoring additives;
• store-bought sauces (mayonnaise, ketchup, cheese sauces, etc.);
• canned products of industrial origin;
• products with a high cocoa content (including chocolate);
• any alcoholic drinks (strictly prohibited!).

Note! In recent years, there has been a trend of babies being born with a deficient immune system. Try to avoid eating foods that can cause allergies in your baby.

Increasing lactation with folk remedies

Homemade methods to increase milk production were used by our grandmothers. Complaints about a lack of breast milk have been encountered at all times, and nursing mothers have tried all available methods to solve the problem of breastfeeding. Many of them are still relevant today.

More liquid!

Drinking fluids helps increase milk production - this is a well-known fact. Try to drink whenever possible as often as possible. Lactation improves by consuming warm herbal infusions, milk, and special herbal drinks for mothers.

Many of the herbs can be found in the pharmacy at cheap prices: dill seeds, anise, caraway seeds and fennel. A vitamin drink will help cope with the lactation crisis.

Recipe 1. Take a teaspoon of cumin seeds and add a glass of water. Bring to a boil over heat, simmer covered for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, let it brew for half an hour, strain the resulting broth. To improve the taste, you can add 0.5 tsp. honey

Recipe 2. Pour anise seeds into a thermos and add 200 ml of boiled hot water. Close the lid and let it brew for 2-3 hours. Then strain the infusion and cool. Take 50 ml of the drink before each feeding.

Self-massage of the mammary glands

Kneading the breasts after feeding develops the inflows well, stimulating milk production and frequent flows. The massage should be done on the breast that the baby was fed on. Hand movements during the massage should be circular, from the nipple to the periphery, with light finger pressure over the entire surface, for 5-7 minutes.

Breastfeeding on demand

Feeding your baby on demand is the key to proper breastfeeding and producing the right amount of milk for each feeding. Do not take night breaks; let the baby latch on to the breast as many times as his body requires. Frequent application is the best way to stimulate lactation without any additional methods. Try to get by during the first months without calculating feeding by the hour - the baby knows better when it’s time for him to eat, and your breasts will “adjust” to his requirements.

What to do to prevent your child from starving and how to improve lactation? Advice for a young mother:

Medicines to improve lactation

Currently, the question of how to increase lactation can be solved with one trip to the pharmacy. Many medications have been tested by mothers and help solve an acute problem with breastfeeding - decreased lactation and lack of milk. If folk remedies do not help, and the lactation crisis has dragged on, then it’s time to contact a breastfeeding specialist and choose a suitable drug to increase your milk supply.

Means for stimulating lactation can provide real help in reducing milk in the breast. But you shouldn’t expect a quick effect: in one case it will take a couple of days to normalize feeding, in another it will take a week.

On a note! A lactation consultant will help you choose the most suitable drug - by studying your specific feeding history and observing the process, it will be easier for the specialist to suggest the optimal solution to your problem and, if necessary, choose a drug together with you.

5 Best Ways to Stimulate Milk Production

Before turning to medication, it is better to try simple methods that you can use at your own discretion and without the recommendation of a doctor.

1. Frequent breastfeeding
   Nature itself made sure that the baby gets enough of its mother’s milk. At the time of each breastfeeding, two important hormones are released and activated in a woman’s body: oxytocin and prolactin. They are responsible for the amount of milk produced during lactation. The more often the baby suckles at the mother's breast, the more milk will arrive at each feeding moment.
2. Feeding your baby at night
   A night break is detrimental to breastfeeding - if the baby does not breastfeed for a long time, there is less milk. The body of a nursing mother believes that the baby will receive enough milk, which means that its amount can be reduced. This is how the decline in milk production occurs. Try to feed your baby at least twice at night to maintain lactation at the proper level.
3. Ensuring tactile contact with the baby
   “Skin to skin” is the basic recipe for increasing milk supply without any additional recipes. Lactogenic hormones wake up at the moment of communication between mother and baby, when the child is rocked or carried in her arms. Caress your baby more often, and the problem with lack of milk will be solved by itself.
4. Rest, rest and only rest
   During the period of lactation, free yourself from at least some household chores and chores. Sufficient sleep - at least 7-8 hours a day, good nutrition and peace of mind - these are the main conditions for the full production of a sufficient amount of mother's milk.
5. Easy and healthy “chest” gymnastics
   Daily breast exercises stimulate the functioning of the ducts, blood circulation and the production of breast milk. You need to exercise standing or sitting on a fitball in a comfortable position. Place both hands together, palm to palm. Place them behind your head. Tilt your head back, then vigorously press the back of your head onto your folded hands several times. Repeat the exercise 2-3 more times.

P.S. Previously, we talked about the nutrition of a nursing mother and about products. Let's reinforce this topic once again, since proper nutrition is the key to good lactation:

Women often ask the question - how to increase lactation while breastfeeding at home? Before we start talking about this, let's figure out why breastfeeding is worth actively fighting for. After all, it is the understanding of how important breastfeeding is that motivates a woman not to give it up when problems arise, but to try with all her might to cope with the difficulties.

Experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) say that “Virtually all mothers can breastfeed if they have accurate information and support from families and communities, as well as health care systems.” A woman who understands the importance of breastfeeding will do everything necessary to understand what lactation is, how to increase lactation and maintain breastfeeding for as long as possible.

The key argument in favor of breastfeeding is the irreplaceable value of mother's milk for the baby. In the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, WHO experts characterize breast milk as “ideal nutrition for healthy growth and development of infants”.

Why is breast milk the ideal food for a baby? Why is increasing milk lactation a priority in cases of milk deficiency? Because breast milk is a living product containing unique components such as immune cells, protective proteins - immunoglobulins, beneficial bacteria, enzymes, hormones and other substances.

Of course, bottle-fed babies can also grow up to be healthy children. Especially today, when there is a wide choice of formulas adapted to the needs of the infant. They will be able to provide them with the necessary energy for growth and development, structural components for cell construction, vitamins and minerals. However, such children have a more difficult time when faced with unfavorable factors, primarily infection. This is due to a deficiency of valuable resources (immune cells and proteins) that are contained in breast milk and help the body’s own defense mechanisms mature faster and more efficiently. Also, allergic diseases and digestive disorders are much more common in such children.

Thus, the components of breast milk are necessary not only to meet the nutritional needs of the baby, but also directly affect the digestion of food, the formation of protective immune mechanisms, and the regulation of growth and development processes. All these valuable substances can only be transferred from mother to baby during feeding.

In addition, as the baby grows and his needs change, the composition of breast milk also changes. Thus, no matter how highly developed the technology, not a single formula manufacturer is able to produce such a perfect product, optimally adapted to the constantly changing needs of the baby, as breast milk.

Famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky, talking about the benefits of natural feeding, emphasizes a number of its advantages over mixed or artificial:

• Breast milk is the ideal purity of food. There is no risk that microbes will get into the baby's food, which can cause an intestinal infection. This is very important because in the child’s body, especially in the first weeks and months of life, the mechanisms that help resist dangerous microbes have not yet matured.
• Breast milk has a temperature that is most comfortable for the baby.
• Breast milk contains not only all valuable substances, but also enzymes that help digest and absorb them.
• Mother's milk contains a huge number of immune factors that protect the baby's body from viruses, bacteria, and fungi.
• Breastfed children are much less likely to suffer from allergic diseases due to the optimal protein structure (cow's milk proteins are foreign to the baby's body, and therefore often provoke allergic reactions).

Evgeniy Olegovich also draws attention to the fact that with natural feeding, the mother has virtually no inconvenience when feeding the child outside the home: she always has healthy food for the baby with her, which does not need to be heated, sterilized, etc. Also, a significant advantage of breastfeeding is financial savings: purchasing high-quality artificial formula is a serious expense for the family budget, while breast milk is given to us by nature absolutely free.

Why is it necessary to know what increases milk lactation, and how you can take care of maintaining breastfeeding? Because babies who receive mother's milk, as a rule, develop motor skills faster, begin to crawl and walk earlier, and learn the world faster, which has a beneficial effect on their mental development. It has also been proven that children who receive mother's milk have higher intellectual development than those born artificially. (Kildiyarova R.R. 2011).

Another argument in favor of the fact that in case of insufficient lactation you need to look for a way to increase milk production in a nursing mother is the importance of breastfeeding not only for the baby, but also for the woman herself. The textbook “Pediatrics” (edited by Shabalov) presents the following positive aspects of breastfeeding for a woman:

• Providing the best conditions for the rapid recovery of a woman immediately after childbirth (subject to early attachment of the baby to the breast) - contraction of the uterus, reducing the risk of uterine bleeding;
• If you follow a diet (the absence of a large amount of fat in the diet of a nursing mother), breastfeeding helps to reduce weight in a woman, prevent obesity and metabolic disorders;
• Reducing the risk of developing malignant diseases of the genital organs (ovaries, mammary glands)

An unconditional argument in favor of breastfeeding for a woman is the joy of feeling close to the baby, which is difficult to experience in any other way. During breastfeeding, a woman often experiences an increase in self-esteem and self-confidence. So, talking about how and how to increase lactation, Dr. Komarovsky focuses on the importance of breastfeeding for a woman’s self-realization.

The baby you breastfeed will very quickly prove to you that you are a real woman, explains the doctor. - No man, no matter how Casanova he may be, is able to do this.

What is the danger of a situation when a child does not have enough breast milk?

So why is the situation dangerous when the mother does not have enough milk? Why is it necessary to know how to quickly increase breast milk lactation so as not to deprive your baby of this valuable food? To understand this better, let's look at some of the consequences of hypogalactia (insufficient milk production) in different areas of a baby's life (based on WHO information "Nutrition of infants and young children", the textbook “Pediatrics” edited by Shabalov, as well as some other sources).

It is important to know the reasons why a nursing mother has little milk, since knowing the reasons allows you to find an effective method to eliminate them and thus increase lactation. You can read about the most common reasons.

Lactation after childbirth in the first month

The first month after the birth of a child is the most important time for the formation of lactation. It is the correct behavior of the mother during this period that will help prevent the development of various problems with feeding in the future, understand what increases lactation and what affects it negatively. During the first days and weeks after childbirth, mother and baby get to know each other; at this time, a special physiological and psychological mutual “attunement” of woman and child occurs.

Each baby has its own unique characteristics that a nursing mother must learn to understand. How and when is the best time to breastfeed? How can you tell if your baby is full? How do you know if a newborn has enough milk? What is the reason for his concern? The more a woman is committed to breastfeeding immediately after childbirth, the faster she will learn to understand her baby.

How to increase breast milk lactation in the first month of breastfeeding? The most important point is early attachment of the baby to the breast. Experts from the World Health Organization recommend doing this no later than 30 to 60 minutes after the baby is born. The value of breastfeeding for the development of the baby’s psychological well-being lies in the rapid restoration of the closeness between mother and mother and baby that arose during pregnancy.

Early breastfeeding is beneficial from the point of view of the baby's psychological well-being. It helps restore and strengthen the bond between mother and child formed during pregnancy, gives the baby a sense of security, facilitating mental and physical adaptation to new living conditions. The taste of early milk - colostrum - plays a special role in creating a sense of psychological comfort in a newborn at the first breastfeeding.

According to psychologist, candidate of medical sciences, dealing with the psychological aspects of breastfeeding I.A. Tishevsky, the organs of taste and smell are the first to form in the fetus in the womb. Therefore, taste sensations in a newborn baby are the main source of information about the world. “That is why all newborns recognize the taste and smell of mother’s milk, which is similar in composition to amniotic fluid; children cope with the stress of birth faster and calm down precisely when they are applied to the mother’s breast early.”(I.A. Tishevskoy, “Psychological aspects of organizing breastfeeding of young children”).

Early breastfeeding is also very useful for the development of the child’s physical health. Colostrum is a valuable product, a source of energy, nutritional components, vitamins, and immune components for the baby.

And, of course, early attachment is a powerful impetus to stimulate lactation in the mother. How to increase milk flow after childbirth? Place the baby on the mother's breast immediately after birth. In this case, the nerve endings in the nipples are stimulated, and this activates the production of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for the production of milk and oxytocin, which promotes its separation. Thus, early attachment contributes to the rapid activation of the mechanisms of milk production and secretion, which subsequently ensures more stable lactation in the mother (T.E. Borovik, K.S. Ladodo, G.V. Yatsyk, 2008).

Feeding on demand

How to increase breast milk lactation at home in the first month of a child’s life? An important point that allows you to establish the production and separation of mother's milk is feeding on demand. Encouraging breastfeeding not on a schedule, but on demand, is one of the ten principles developed by WHO/UNICEF as guidelines for successful breastfeeding of newborns.

What is demand feeding? The Union of Pediatricians of Russia defines it as a feeding regime in which the mother gives the baby breasts not according to any schedule, but on demand, including necessarily at night. Feeding on demand is the answer “What can I do to increase lactation in the first month of a baby’s life?”. This is due to the fact that with this feeding regimen, the child receives breastfeeding on average 10-12 times a day (maybe a little more often or less often depending on the individual characteristics of the child). With this frequency of latching, the mother's nipples constantly receive stimulation, in response to which hormones are released that ensure lactation.

How to increase breast milk supply? They will help with this night feedings. The fact is that prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, is more actively secreted at night. The peculiarity of prolactin is that it is responsible for the formation of milk in the breast, which will be used for the next feeding. Therefore, putting your baby to the breast at night will ensure better milk flow in the morning.

Famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky explains that many mothers (at the suggestion of some breastfeeding specialists) perceive feeding on demand as the baby constantly being at the breast and latching “at the first squeak.” In this case, the number of applications can be up to 30 times a day or more. This often leads to a woman’s overwork, rejection of her social role, and deterioration of her relationship with her husband.

Speaking about how to increase lactation, Komarovsky recommends reasonable feeding on demand in the first month of a child's life. Evgeniy Olegovich suggests putting the baby to the breast often, but not constantly, for example, every hour. At the same time, milk production is fully stimulated, and the mother has time to do other things. After the child turns one month old - and by this time, as a rule, the process of establishing lactation has already been completed, Komarovsky recommends switching to free feeding. In this case, the child is fed according to appetite (including maintaining night feedings), but not more often than once every two hours. The time spent at the breast is limited to 15-25 minutes.

Is it necessary to supplement the child's drinking?

What should you do to increase lactation? Both WHO experts and Russian pediatricians say that to maintain breastfeeding, it is important not to give the child additional liquids, including water, for up to 6 months. The Manual on Natural Feeding of Children, published by the Union of Pediatricians of Russia, states that When breastfeeding, the baby is fully provided with liquid, since mother's milk consists of 83-87% water. Due to the fact that in a newborn baby the centers of thirst and hunger are combined, when consuming additional amounts of liquid (even those that do not contain nutrients), the child feels full and may begin to refuse the breast. And this, in turn, leads to a decrease in lactation.

Pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky explains that breast milk is able to fully compensate for physiological fluid losses. What does it mean? In the process of life, the child’s body constantly loses fluid: it produces sweat, urine, saliva, and digestive juices. Also, a lot of liquid is spent by the baby’s body to humidify the inhaled air. All of this is normal (physiological) fluid loss, which is covered by the water contained in milk.

The problem is that fluid losses are not only physiological, but also pathological, that is, abnormal, unnatural. So if a child is in a room where the air temperature is 30 degrees and the humidity is about 20% (and such conditions are often created in children’s rooms, as parents are afraid that “the child will catch a cold”), then he will additionally spend a huge amount of liquid to humidify the inhaled air and produce sweat.

According to Evgeniy Olegovich, massive overheating of children and dry air, especially in winter during the heating season, are a huge problem. The situation is often aggravated by the fact that adults dress the baby too warmly - they wrap him up, fearing drafts. At the same time, the child sweats and fluid loss increases.

Many lactation consultants (usually without pediatric education and unable to analyze the problem comprehensively) believe that supplementation carries enormous risks for breastfeeding and is therefore unacceptable, explains Dr. Komarovsky. “At the same time, they do not want to see the difference between physiological and unnatural fluid losses. As a result, children suffering from heat and dry air at the height of the heating season (and it lasts for six months in our country!) scream from thirst. Mothers apply their breasts 20 times a night, but do not replace fluid losses. Issues of climate control technology and correct air parameters are often ignored by lactation consultants

What to do in such a situation? Create optimal conditions in the room where the baby is located to prevent additional fluid loss. The air temperature should not exceed 18-20 degrees Celsius, and the humidity should be in the range of 50-70%.

According to Dr. Komarovsky, if the radiator in the room is not equipped with special regulators, you can simply cover it with blankets, rugs, etc. To increase air humidity, you can use special humidifiers and evaporators. Evgeniy Olegovich explains that when the air temperature does not exceed 20 degrees, the baby himself will refuse to drink water.

The desire or unwillingness to drink water is an extremely convenient criterion for answering the question: is there overheating or not. – says Dr. Komarovsky. - He’s healthy, but he drinks greedily, which means he’s overheated.

Thus, to increase milk supply in a nursing mother, it is necessary to exclude unnatural loss of fluid from the baby’s body, requiring supplementation. To do this, you need to take care of creating the right microclimate in the room, providing the baby with cool air saturated with a sufficient amount of moisture, and stopping wrapping the baby up.

It is important to remember that pathological ones also include fluid losses that occur during intestinal infections (if there is diarrhea), with elevated body temperatures associated with respiratory infections and other diseases, etc. Dr. Komarovsky emphasizes that If a child has pathological fluid loss, then it is necessary to supplement him with food! To do this, Evgeniy Olegovich advises using spring or artesian water (which has not been boiled), neutral-tasting mineral water without gas, as well as raisin decoction. It is advisable to supplement with a spoon in between feedings.

Pumping to increase lactation

Will pumping help increase lactation? When it comes to how to increase lactation, there are different reviews about a method such as pumping. According to the basic rules for successful breastfeeding (WHO/UNICEF), with properly organized breastfeeding, milk is produced exactly as much as the baby needs, so there is no need to pump after each feeding.

At the same time, when the question arises of how to increase milk in a nursing mother when its production is insufficient, both WHO experts and Russian pediatricians consider pumping as one of the methods of stimulating lactation (along with frequent breastfeeding). Expressing is recommended after the baby has finished feeding.

Expressing is also necessary in situations such as milk stagnation -, and. In these situations, milk separation is difficult, which aggravates the situation of stagnation. Therefore, with these disorders, it is necessary to express milk from the sore breast to the last drop.

How to increase lactation with a breast pump? A breast pump is an excellent alternative to manual expression; it allows you to spend much less effort on the procedure. According to pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky, the use of electric breast pumps both to increase breast milk in case of insufficient lactation, and in situations with lactostasis and mastitis, can significantly make a mother’s life easier.

Also, thanks to pumping, you can create a supply of breast milk, which is useful in a situation when the mother needs to leave. Also, milk reserves can be very important in the event of a lactation crisis - a temporary shortage of breast milk associated with an increase in the child’s food needs. Lactation crises quite often occur 2-3 weeks after birth.

How to store breast milk after pumping? The best way to store it for a long time is freezing. According to the recommendations of neonatologist, candidate of medical sciences E.K. Budaeva, breast milk intended for long-term storage is best frozen immediately after receiving it in a deep freezer with a constant temperature below 20 degrees Celsius. Milk frozen in this way can be stored for up to 7 months while maintaining all its beneficial properties.

When milk is frozen in a chamber with a constant temperature above 20 degrees Celsius, the shelf life is reduced to 3 months. Breast milk can be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0 - 4 C for no more than 2 days.

How to warm frozen breast milk before feeding your baby? According to Dr. Komarovsky, The best way is to heat the milk in a “water bath”- the bottle is placed in a container of water standing on the stove. As the water in the container heats up, the milk also warms up. Under no circumstances should you defrost breast milk in a microwave oven, as this will destroy the most valuable components in its composition!

How to increase milk lactation? In order for a mother to successfully breastfeed her baby, she needs to remember that this is a process provided by nature itself to support the life of a newborn baby. Therefore, the best means for increasing lactation are not miracle teas and pills, but frequent breastfeeding and a positive psychological attitude that helps to cope with emerging difficulties.

Also, it can be considered as an effective means for lactation, allowing a woman to recover faster after childbirth, avoid complications, and increase vitality and emotional tone. In addition, when a mother is faced with the question “how to increase the volume of breast milk during feeding?” It is important to remember how to properly organize the breastfeeding process itself, how to attach the baby to the breast. Do not forget about such aspects that affect feeding, such as maternal nutrition, breast massage, etc.

How can you increase milk lactation? As we said above, the best way to stimulate the production of breast milk is for the baby to suckle at the breast. Why are we talking about psychological attitude as the most important factor for maintaining breastfeeding? Because these moments are closely interconnected. The connection between a woman’s ability to breastfeed and her psychological state has been repeatedly emphasized by the famous pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky.

So, speaking about how to increase the amount of breast milk, Komarovsky explains that the stage of lactation formation, which lasts 2-3 months, is considered the most responsible for establishing and maintaining breastfeeding. A lot depends on how breastfeeding goes during this period.

Often a woman begins to get nervous that the baby does not have enough milk, and begins to feed him, explains Evgeniy Olegovich. – In this case, instead of sucking at the breast and stimulating lactation, the child simply eats up the formula and falls asleep. This, in fact, puts an end to breastfeeding.

The experiences that a woman experiences, in turn, inhibit the production of the hormone oxytocin, which regulates the release of milk from the breast. Thus, a nervous nursing mother essentially starts a vicious circle. The more negative emotions, the less milk she has. The less milk, the more negative emotions.

The most difficult times for nursing mothers are when lactation crises occur, when the baby actually lacks milk. They can be observed at 2-3 weeks, at 2-3 months of the child’s life and later. Lactation crises are not associated with the fact that there is less milk production, but with the fact that due to the baby’s growth, his food needs increase. The woman begins to worry - how to increase milk lactation urgently? Dr. Komarovsky says that in these situations, two factors are important to maintain breastfeeding - constant stimulation of the breast through sucking and a positive attitude.

Sometimes it seems - why put a baby to the breast when there is nothing there? – says Evgeny Olegovich. – Just the opposite, precisely when it seems that there is nothing in the chest, you can and should apply it. Because the very process of intense sucking even on an empty breast sends signals to the lactation center. Wherein The main task for the mother is to maintain the attitude “everything will be fine, the milk will appear now!”

WHO/UNICEF experts in guidance "Breast-feeding. How to ensure success", talking about how you can increase milk lactation, they emphasize that A woman's confidence in her ability to breastfeed is a critical factor for success. What does this confidence consist of and how can a mother maintain a positive attitude, even when faced with difficulties in feeding her baby?

Very important a woman's initial attitude towards breastfeeding– formation of the so-called dominant lactation. Because, as E.O. says. Komarovsky, in humans, most physiological functions are controlled by the cerebral cortex; a conscious attitude towards lactation, combined with physiological restructuring of the body, gives the best results in ensuring long-term breastfeeding.

It is advisable that a woman’s attitude towards breastfeeding be formed during pregnancy (or even better, during pregnancy planning), through studying literature, consultations with medical professionals (preferably participating in WHO/UNICEF breastfeeding programs), and communication with other mothers who successfully implement breastfeeding. Knowing how to properly organize feeding, what problems she may encounter while feeding a baby, and how to overcome them correctly, will help a woman gain confidence in her abilities and set herself up for long-term, full-fledged feeding.

The emotional state of a nursing mother is greatly influenced by the atmosphere in the family. According to pediatrician E.O. Komarovsky, the big mistake of many mothers is the desire to fanatically follow the recommendations of some breastfeeding specialists. The situation when the baby “constantly hangs on the chest”, leaving the woman no time for rest or communication with other loved ones, can lead to a deterioration in the situation in the family. When a mother is concerned only with the same questions - how to maintain breastfeeding, how to increase the amount of milk, all other family members are out of her field of attention.

– Many breastfeeding experts believe that only the mother, mother’s breasts and baby are involved in the lactation process. But besides this, there is also society that influences this system,” explains Evgeniy Olegovich.

Alienation from loved ones leads to a deterioration in the atmosphere in the family, the emergence of conflict situations that adversely affect the emotional state of the nursing mother. Therefore, Dr. Komarovsky advises not to forget that From the moment of birth, a child is a member of the family like everyone else. Therefore, you should not take attention and love for the baby to the extreme, forgetting about everyone else, jumping up to him at night every ten minutes and not leaving him for a second during the day. We need to look for the right balance, the golden mean.

Most often, dads suffer from the attention deficit of a woman who is overly keen on breastfeeding. Unfortunately, men, as a rule, are unprepared for what will happen in the family after the birth of the baby. And if a mother does not find time to give her husband her attention and care, the relationship may be in serious jeopardy. Dr. Komarovsky says that as a result of this approach, situations very often occur when the child is left with milk (although as a result of stress, it is often lost), but without a father.

Therefore, after the end of the neonatal period - the first month of the child’s life - during which, indeed, it is necessary to put the child to the breast very often in order to ensure the formation of lactation, E.O. Komarovsky advises switch to free feeding.

With this regime, the mother retains the opportunity and time to implement social functions and communicate with other family members,” explains Evgeniy Olegovich.

At the same time, it is important for those closest to us - dad, grandparents - to remember that A nursing mother needs emotional support and help with household chores. Unfortunately, there are often situations when during pregnancy a woman is literally “carried in her arms”, and after the birth of the baby she is left alone with her problems. Sometimes, to help a mother increase her milk supply while breastfeeding, you just need to provide her with basic assistance, such as laundry, cleaning, washing dishes, etc. This will give her the opportunity to rest, which will have a positive effect on her emotional state and breastfeeding.

Another problem that a nursing mother often faces is intrusive advice from older family members regarding feeding and child care. Very often, refusal to breastfeed begins with psychological pressure (primarily from grandmothers) that the child does not have enough milk, he is starving, and is gaining little weight. Illiterate advice on how to increase the milk supply of a nursing mother, statements that the baby needs to be supplemented - all this increases stress in a woman who is already experiencing anxiety. And at some point, she may follow the lead of the “advisers” and begin to supplement the baby’s feeding, reducing the chances of maintaining natural feeding.

In order to avoid such situations, a woman should talk in advance (preferably before the baby is born) with potential helpers about modern views on feeding and caring for children. Explain why feeding on demand in the first month of life and free feeding thereafter is the most optimal for the baby and mother. If possible, give literature to your relatives to read, for example, the book by E.O. Komarovsky “The Beginning of Your Child’s Life”, where there is a special chapter dedicated to grandparents. In the book, the doctor explains why some approaches that were effective earlier will not help keep a child healthy today. Evgeniy Olegovich says that children from families in which grandmothers live separately or do not interfere in their upbringing are much less likely to end up in the hospital.

- The most important rule that grandparents must follow: never, under any circumstances, make any decisions regarding the child’s lifestyle, much less impose these decisions on his parents, says Dr. Komarovsky.

Dr. Komarovsky advises the nursing mother to strive to organize her life in such a way that the need for assistants is minimal. Proper organization of the day, according to the pediatrician, will allow you to find time for feeding and activities with the child, and for household chores, and for relaxation, and for self-care, and for communicating with other family members. With this approach, the nursing mother will be able to enjoy the baby and maintain a calm, friendly atmosphere in the family. Which is the most important condition for maintaining breastfeeding.

The source of microvibration in the body is muscle cells. The fact is that in addition to the skeletal muscles that give us the ability to move, there are millions of other muscle cells in the body - they are found in most organs. Muscle cells constantly vibrate - even at rest or during sleep. About 80% of the energy generated in the body is spent on maintaining the functioning of muscle cells, and half of this energy is spent on microvibration at rest. Why does the body spend so much energy to maintain it?

The fact is that all metabolic processes in our body, the delivery of useful substances to tissues and the removal of harmful substances and dead cells depend on the level of microvibration. Microvibration affects the functioning of all organs and systems, but it is especially significant for the state of the lymphatic system (and the closely related immune system) and excretory organs - the liver and kidneys. The main source that provides the body with a high level of microvibration is physical activity. Exercising, walking, swimming - all this allows you to create the necessary microvibration background, which persists even at rest and during sleep.

Maintaining a sufficient level of microvibration is especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding. While carrying a child, a woman needs to provide this most valuable resource not only to her body, but also to the growing body of the fetus. In addition, an additional burden falls on the expectant mother’s excretory organs, because it is necessary to neutralize and remove harmful substances formed both in her body and in the baby’s body.

Why do we talk about microvibration when we consider the question of how to increase breast milk lactation? Because a woman’s milk production is affected by the condition of her body. In the first months of a baby's life, a woman needs a lot of effort to care for her baby. At the same time, many mothers experience fatigue and weakness after childbirth, which negatively affects lactation. Lack of energy also affects the emotional state of a nursing mother, giving her uncertainty about her ability to breastfeed her baby.

How to increase the amount of breast milk in a nursing mother? Increasing the level of microvibration allows you to feel a surge of physical strength, fill yourself with energy, and recover faster after childbirth, which will have a beneficial effect on lactation. But how to do this if a nursing mother does not have enough energy and time for sufficient physical activity? Exercise, regular bathing, daily walks - not every woman has enough energy for this in the first weeks of a baby’s life.

In this situation, vibroacoustic therapy would be the best solution. with help, it helps to compensate for the deficiency of biological microvibration of tissues, to have a beneficial effect on metabolism, immune and regenerative processes. What are the benefits of phonation during breastfeeding?

• allows a woman restore resources faster after childbirth. Increasing the level of microvibration, which is achieved with the help of Vitafon devices, helps to activate the overall tone of the body and gain energy. All this has a positive effect on a woman’s emotional state, which is so important for lactation. That is why vibroacoustic therapy is the choice of women who are thinking about how to recover faster after childbirth, how to maintain breastfeeding if there is little milk. Also, the use of Vitafon devices allows you to restore metabolic processes, which are often disrupted during pregnancy and lactation, which also has a beneficial effect on the general condition of the nursing mother.
• Improving the beneficial properties of milk. How to increase milk flow during breastfeeding and improve its properties? To do this, it is necessary to support the systems responsible for milk production. Thus, the lymphatic and circulatory systems are actively involved in the formation of milk. The circulatory system is responsible for delivering fluid and nutrients to the mammary glands, where milk is produced. The role of the lymphatic system is to remove harmful, processed substances, as well as dead cells, from cells and tissues. Due to the fact that during pregnancy the excretory organs (kidneys, liver) have a double burden, they become overloaded with harmful substances. If this situation persists after childbirth, it may negatively affect milk production. In addition, the state of the lymphatic system is closely related to the functioning of the immune system. At the same time, one of the most important functions of breast milk is to provide the baby with immune cells and protective substances.
• The ability to share a resource with the baby. A newborn baby experiences an acute deficiency of microvibration energy. In the first weeks and months of life, the child is deprived of the opportunity to actively move, that is, to independently compensate for this deficiency. The only resource available to him is crying (sound, acoustic microvibration). This is especially true for premature babies, for children born with insufficient muscle mass. Often, such children cannot sleep and constantly scream, because during sleep, background muscle activity decreases and is no longer enough to provide basic support to the body. During breastfeeding, the mother not only satisfies the baby’s hunger, but also intensively exchanges microvibration energy with him. The closest possible physical contact that occurs during feeding allows you to create conditions for the baby that are reminiscent of those in the womb, when the exchange of energy between mother and fetus was very active. In order to fully provide the child with a valuable resource, the mother herself needs to maintain the microvibration energy at the proper level, in which phonation using Vitafon devices can help her.
• Microvibration therapy can also be used directly to improve the health of babies themselves. Resource support has a beneficial effect on the functioning of all organs and systems of the baby. By having a positive effect on the digestive system and accelerating its maturation, vibroacoustic therapy reduces the risk of intestinal colic. Supporting the immune, lymphatic system and excretory organs reduces the likelihood of developing allergic diseases and increases the baby’s body’s resistance to infections. Also, the use of Vitafon devices helps the child recover faster from birth injuries, helps normalize muscle tone, and creates favorable conditions for the development of the baby’s motor and mental activity.
• Prevention and treatment of serous (lactation) and (milk stagnation). These problems often arise during breastfeeding and seriously complicate feeding. Phonics using Vitafon devices allows you to get rid of these complications, helping to eliminate congestion, accelerating the healing of cracks, which are the entrance gates for infection, stimulating general and local immunity. That is why, when analyzing effective means for milk lactation, it is necessary to consider vibroacoustic therapy as a way to support and maintain breastfeeding. You can read more about the treatment of serous mastitis using Vitafon devices; the method of treating lactostasis is described.

The effectiveness of vibroacoustic therapy lies in the fact that it has a positive impact on both general and local resources. What is the best way to use Vitafon devices as a means to increase lactation?

One of the problems that concerns nursing mothers is insufficient milk production. The reasons are different: poor nutrition, temporary separation from the child, the baby’s reluctance or inability to breastfeed, stressful situations, periodic lactation crisis, etc. At the same time, I would like to maintain full breastfeeding longer and postpone the use of formula.

Not everything is as scary as it seems at first glance. There are many ways to increase lactation. You just need to follow the advice of experts and expect that everything will work out.

First of all, you need to take a few points as a rule.

• Put the baby to the breast not according to a schedule, but at his request every 2-2.5 hours, including at night. Experts have long abandoned the belief that feeding by the hour is the only correct way. The body itself will tell the baby when and how much he needs to eat. The advantage for the mother is obvious: milk does not stagnate and the more it is consumed, the more it is released in the future.
• Watch your diet and drink more: at least 2 liters of fluid per day, half of which is water without gases. Decoctions of some medicinal herbs, known since ancient times, have a positive effect on lactation.
• After feeding, massage the breasts, for example, with circular movements starting from the nipple and under running water.
• If necessary, express milk.

How to increase lactation while breastfeeding: Komarovsky

How to increase milk lactation at home

In addition to what has been said, we can give some advice from the famous doctor E.O. Komarovsky.

• The duration of feeding should be increased gradually: in the first 3 days - up to 5 minutes, then up to 10, 15, 20. This is due to the physiological needs of the child and the characteristics of increasing lactation. The best option is to feed the baby, provided that the mother does not feel discomfort in the chest, for about 20-30 (but not more than 40) minutes.
• Night feeding is very important - it is at this time that the greatest amount of prolactin is produced, which promotes lactation. But jumping up every hour, according to Komarovsky, is harmful - a woman should get enough sleep and feel rested in the morning. 1-2 night feedings or pumping will be enough.
• One of the factors that promote milk production is the skin-to-skin sensation when the baby presses his cheek to the mother's breast or lies naked on her stomach.
• Good nutrition, frequent walks in the fresh air, lack of stress and a positive attitude, relaxation immediately before feeding - this is a guarantee that the baby will be provided with the healthiest food for him for a long time.

Belief in success, as well as the ability to resist the opinions of others, are also important.

Now directly about how a nursing woman should eat.

Experts have calculated that for normal lactation she needs to receive an additional 500 KK in addition to the established ones in the form of meat, dairy products, vegetables, and fruits. There is a list of foods that both promote lactation and cause it to decrease. Here is an approximate daily diet for mom:

• various soups and broths;
• lean meat (beef, veal, poultry, rabbit), liver, fish - preferably boiled or steamed;
• dairy products: milk (1-2 glasses), kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese, hard cheese, butter;
• cereals in soups and cereals (rice requires caution if the baby suffers from constipation);
• a sufficient amount of vegetables, especially onions, carrots, pumpkins, radishes, and herbs;
• berries and fruits, including dried fruits and watermelon, natural juices without preservatives, compotes;
• teas: green and black with milk or with milk, herbal (from rose hips, lemon balm, sea buckthorn, oregano, dill, anise, nettle).

In addition to stimulating lactation, these products will provide the baby with the necessary complex of vitamins and minerals.

We must not forget about junk food. These are all fatty, spicy, confectionery dishes, coffee, alcohol. Citrus fruits, nuts, and chocolate can provoke allergies in a baby.

Products that increase milk lactation

Grandmother's recipes contain many options for preparing vegetable, fruit, and herbal drinks, which were always prepared for nursing mothers. They are usually drunk warm 2-3 times a day.

• From carrots. Finely grate the vegetable and squeeze out the juice, drink it half a glass. You can add milk or cream (3-4 spoons per glass) to the grated carrots, stir and drink. In the evening it is good to add a little more honey if the child is not allergic to it.
• From cumin seeds, take half a glass. To 1 liter of water add 15 g of cumin, 100 g of sugar, a small lemon. Cook for 5-10 minutes, strain.
• From dill seeds, drink in sips or half a glass twice a day or 1 tbsp. spoon 6 times. Pour water over the seeds (1 tbsp per glass) and leave for 2 hours.
• From the fruits of fennel and anise, crushed oregano - drink 0.5 cups. Mix 10 g of all ingredients. Pour the mixture (1 tsp) with a glass of water for 2 hours.

When choosing a suitable drink, you can experiment, but be very careful so as not to harm the baby. The best way is to brew the herb and take ¼ cup of it every hour in the morning. By midday, breast milk production should increase. It is important to monitor the baby’s reaction. If his behavior does not change (i.e. there are no signs of allergy), the drink should be drunk in the same amount before feeding. Otherwise, you can try brewing another herb.

How to increase lactation with folk remedies

What drugs increase breast milk lactation?

There are also special industrial products that have been studied and approved by pediatricians as safe for babies.

• "Milky Way". In addition to dry skimmed cow's milk, vitamins, mineral salts, and dietary fiber, the product from Vitaprom LLC contains a powerful stimulator of milk production - galega extract. It is often prescribed from the first days of feeding to mothers who are at risk of lactation.
• "Femilak" from the Russian manufacturer "Nutritek" - it is prescribed during pregnancy and lactation. Thanks to milk protein, enriched with taurine and a complex of other beneficial substances, it has a good effect on fetal development and promotes lactation. The effect of the American “Enfa-mama” and the Danish “Dumil Mamaplus”, which does not contain taurine, is similar.
• Special teas, fruit drinks and juices from the Austrian companies HIPP, the German Nestlé, and the Polish Kruger.

Also, Leovit Nutrio has developed dietary supplements “Lactogon” and “Apilactin”, based on beekeeping products, medicinal and spicy herbs. One of the vitamin-mineral complexes will also help: “Gendevit”, “Materna”, “Centrum”, etc.

How to express breast milk to increase lactation

For a long time, mothers have used another way to stimulate milk production - expressing it. It helps if the baby for some reason temporarily does not suckle or if there is not enough milk produced.

Full pumping should be done every 2-3 hours, just like feeding a baby, and partial pumping should be done when the breasts feel full of milk. Here are the tips doctors give for expressing milk to increase lactation.

• The time to express is immediately after the baby has eaten, or after about half an hour.
• The scheme of alternately expressing the left and right breasts stimulates lactation well: 5-5 minutes, 4-4 minutes, etc. up to 1 minute.
• It is effective to express both breasts at the same time using a breast pump or manually.
• It is not the amount of milk expressed that is important, but that it is expressed completely. Therefore, after the last drop disappears, you need to massage your breasts for another 3-4 minutes.

The method of pumping is selected individually. Some people need a breast pump, while others are better off doing it manually.

How to increase lactation with a breast pump

The breast pump can be electronic or manual. Both work effectively, but a manual one may be more convenient and practical for a woman.

In order for a breast pump to fully cope with its task, it must be selected and used correctly.

• The diameter of the nozzle should be suitable in size to the areola and breasts.
• The cleanliness of the device is a guarantee that no infection will enter the breast during the procedure.
• You need to start expressing with minimal power, gradually increasing it to a comfortable level, i.e. painless.

It is advisable to finish expressing with a breast pump with a breast massage.

How to increase lactation after cesarean section

Carrying out the operation is a separate issue.

During a natural birth, the baby is immediately put to the breast, which promotes lactation. After a cesarean section, this moment is postponed for at least several hours until the mother recovers from anesthesia.

And subsequently she will not immediately be able to hold the child. Here's what we can advise women in a similar situation, in addition to the recommendations given above.

• Try to negotiate with the maternity hospital doctors so that they allow the baby and a relative to be in the ward, who will put the baby to the mother’s chest.
• Constantly stimulate lactation with massage and pumping.

And soon milk will begin to be produced in sufficient quantities.