Most moms will experience challenges or a dip in milk production at a few crucial times, including growth spurts, mom returning to work and mental leaps. This post is dedicated to helping Moms of newborns increase milk production.
There are some simple ways to boost your milk supply fast to make sure your baby is getting all the nutrition they need.
If your baby is only a few weeks old, your body may still be getting into rhythm and figuring out how much milk it needs to feed your baby. Since the amount of milk each baby needs is different, the first few weeks is a trial and error for mother nature as your body and baby learn from each other.
If you are a new Mom trying to increase supply or would like to be able to have some pumped milk available so someone else can help out with middle of the night feedings, here are some easy ways to boost your milk supply fast:
This post may contain affiliate links to products I love. Please see our full disclosure policy here.
#1 Pump after feedings.
Once your baby is finished nursing, pump for at least 10 minutes immediately after they are done. This is usually easy to do because baby will be most content and/or sleeping after eating. If you have a colicky baby that needs to be held upright after nursing, a pumping bra, like this one allows you to be hands-free to hold and burp your baby.
Don’t fret if you only get a few drops of milk in the beginning, if you are consistent with pumping for 10 minutes after nursing for feedings during the day, your body will learn to produce more milk at that time and you will be pumping a few ounces in no time.
In the beginning, you can save or store a few drops in a small bottle in the fridge and then transfer to a storage bag in 2 oz increments. This might take a few days at first, but will soon improve and you will be on your way to building a good back up supply stash.
#2 Boost your water intake!
In order to boost your milk supply fast, it’s very important to make sure are giving your body the tools it needs to make enough milk. This starts with drinking enough water and consuming enough calories.
It can be tough to think about yourself as a new Mom, but a good rule of thumb is to at least consume 16 ounces of water every 90 minutes. For newborns, that’s about every time they nurse. By yourself a big hydroflask and keep it near your nursing spot. Every time you sit down to feed your baby, make sure you drink at least 16 ounces.
Protein-packed snacks like almonds are also great to have on hand. When my babies were newborns I had a “Mommy Snack Basket” filled with bananas, almonds, granola bars, dried fruit and crackers stashed away at my nursing spot so I could always grab a quick snack without needing to get up to wake a nursing (or sleeping baby).
I know you are exhausted, but self-care is extremely important in order to give you the energy you need to take care of your newborn!
#3 RELAX!
There is a lot of stress that comes with having a newborn from latch issues to milk production and everything in between.
Some newborns nurse every 30 minutes and that alone can be overwhelming! Because milk production is something your body does naturally, when you sit down to nurse for the six thousandth time of the day, try to relax.
Try some positive affirmations. You can say to yourself:
“I am a Mom and feeding my baby is what I am meant to do. I can do this! “
It can be easy to use nursing as a time for a mommy break to jump on the phone and check Facebook and respond to messages. If you instead relax and focus on your baby for the first few minutes, you will get a much better nursing session and naturally boost your milk supply for the future.
#4 Have a beer!
There is a lot of conflicting research about how safe it is to consume alcohol while nursing, but many studies point to the milk production benefits of drinking a stout beer like Guinness to boost supply. I drank about one stout beer per day with both my babies and never needed to supplement with formula. I strongly believe it helped my supply.
If you have concerns about drinking any alcohol while nursing, I recommend doing your own research, but this article covers a lot of studies that examine this in detail.
#5 Nurse, nurse and nurse some more!
The first several months of nursing are focused on supply and demand. The more you nurse your baby, the more quickly you will boost your milk supply.
New moms should not feel guilty about feeding around the clock in the early weeks. There will be plenty of time to get baby on a schedule, but the most important job new moms have in the early weeks is to make sure their little ones are fed and taken care of. Leave the chores, call in back up and plan to spend your days on the couch cuddling and feeding. It’s the one time in your life that you should not feel guilty about binging on TV shows and cuddling with your little one.
There will always be dishes to do and carpets to vacuum. This time is extremely special and is over in the blink of an eye, so try your best to enjoy every moment of it!
How Do I Boost My Milk Supply Fast?
In summary, in order to quickly boost your milk supply remember the following tips:
- Pump After Feedings – even a few extra minutes will give you a boost.
- Up Your Water Intake – 40 ounces a day might be sufficient for one person, but you are feeding too. Aim to boost your water intake to 80 ounces in a 24-hour period if possible.
- Relax! Stress is a production killer. Trust your body to do what it’s designed to do!
- Have a Beer! Preferably a Stout beer like Guinness.
- Keep on nursing! The more you nurse the more quickly you will boost your milk supply.