Worrying about whether your baby is getting enough milk is incredibly common, particularly in the first few weeks of breastfeeding.
Your baby may suddenly want to feed much more frequently, your breasts may feel softer than they did a few days ago, or you may express less milk than you expected. Understandably, this can make you wonder whether your milk supply has dropped.
Often, these things are a normal part of breastfeeding.
Babies frequently go through periods of cluster feeding, when they want lots of feeds close together. Your breasts may also become softer as your milk supply settles to match your baby’s needs. Neither of these automatically means you have a low milk supply.
So before trying to increase your milk, the first step is working out whether there is actually a problem with supply and, if there is, what might be causing it.
Here are five things that can help.
1. Feed Responsively and Frequently
Breast milk production works largely through supply and demand. The more effectively milk is removed from your breasts, the more signals your body receives to continue making milk.
Rather than watching the clock, respond to your baby’s feeding cues.
Early signs that your baby may be ready to feed include:
- moving their head and opening their mouth
- putting their hands or fingers towards their mouth
- rooting or turning towards your breast
- becoming more alert or restless.
Crying is usually a later feeding cue.
There may be times when your baby wants another breastfeed only 20 or 30 minutes after the previous one. This can be completely normal.
Breastfeeding is also about more than nutrition. Your baby may want to breastfeed for comfort, reassurance and closeness, and responsive breastfeeding recognises these needs too.
Night feeds are also important, particularly while breastfeeding is becoming established.
2. Check That Feeding Is Effective
Frequent feeding helps milk production, but your baby also needs to be able to remove milk effectively.
A comfortable position and deep attachment at the breast can make a significant difference.
Some signs that feeding is going well include:
- you can see or hear your baby swallowing
- your baby’s cheeks stay rounded during feeding
- your baby has periods of deep, rhythmic sucking
- your baby appears relaxed during the feed
- your baby releases the breast when they have had enough
- your breasts may feel softer after feeding
- breastfeeding is comfortable rather than persistently painful.
You can offer the second breast after your baby has finished the first, although they may not always want it.
If feeding is painful, your nipples are damaged, your baby repeatedly slips off the breast or feeds for very long periods without seeming satisfied, ask someone experienced in breastfeeding to watch a whole feed.
Sometimes a relatively small adjustment to positioning and attachment can make a big difference.
3. Look at Your Baby, Not Just Your Breasts
How your breasts feel isn’t a reliable way of measuring milk supply.
Neither is the amount you can express with a breast pump. Babies can often remove milk differently from a pump, and the amount you express can vary considerably depending on the time of day, when your baby last fed and how familiar your body is with expressing.
A better guide is looking at how your baby is feeding, their nappies and their weight.
From around day 5, a baby who is getting enough milk would usually be expected to have at least six wet nappies in 24 hours. Their stools should also have changed from the dark meconium of the first few days to softer, lighter stools. Your midwife or health visitor will also monitor your baby’s weight.
If you’re concerned about your baby’s nappies, weight or feeding, ask for help rather than trying to increase supply on your own.
4. Express Milk if Extra Stimulation Is Needed
Sometimes your midwife or infant feeding specialist may recommend expressing alongside breastfeeding.
This might be useful if:
- you and your baby are temporarily separated
- your baby is sleepy or isn’t feeding effectively
- your baby was born prematurely or is unwell
- you’re trying to establish or rebuild your milk supply
- additional milk has been recommended for your baby.
Hand expressing can be particularly useful in the early days when you are producing small quantities of colostrum.
Once your milk volume increases, you may choose to hand express, use a breast pump, or combine both.
If you’re expressing specifically to increase supply, getting individual advice can help you work out how often to express and how to fit it around your baby’s feeds without making feeding feel overwhelming.
5. Look After Yourself Too
Breastfeeding can make you hungry and thirsty, particularly during periods when your baby is feeding frequently.
You don’t need a special breastfeeding diet and there is no particular food that you must eat to make milk.
Aim for a varied diet when you can, eat regularly and drink according to your thirst. Keeping a drink beside you when you feed can be useful simply because breastfeeding sessions can be long and it’s easy to forget about yourself.
You do not need to force yourself to drink large amounts of water. Drinking more fluid than your body needs has not been shown to increase breast milk production.
Rest is easier said than done with a new baby, but accepting practical help with meals, housework, shopping or caring for older children can give you more opportunity to feed, rest and recover.
Your wellbeing matters too.
Does What I Eat Affect My Milk Supply?
You don’t need to eat specific foods or follow a perfect diet to breastfeed.
Eating a balanced and varied diet helps support your own health and recovery, but individual foods haven’t been shown to suddenly increase milk production.
Cultural foods traditionally eaten after birth can still be an enjoyable and important part of your postnatal care. If they’re safe for you to eat while breastfeeding, there’s usually no reason you can’t enjoy them.
What About Alcohol?
The safest option is not to drink alcohol while breastfeeding, particularly while your baby is very young.
If you do choose to drink, NHS advice recommends keeping alcohol intake low and taking steps to reduce your baby’s exposure.
Alcohol does not improve milk supply and heavier or frequent drinking can interfere with feeding and caring safely for your baby.
How Do I Know if My Baby Is Getting Enough Milk?
Signs that are usually reassuring include:
- your baby feeding regularly
- being able to see or hear swallowing
- your baby appearing relaxed during feeds
- your breasts feeling softer after some feeds
- your baby appearing satisfied after many feeds
- increasing numbers of wet nappies during the first few days
- at least six wet nappies every 24 hours from around day 5
- appropriate weight gain following the expected early newborn weight changes.
Your midwife and health visitor will look at the whole picture rather than any one sign.
When Should I Ask for Help?
Ask for feeding support if:
- breastfeeding is persistently painful
- your nipples are cracked or damaged
- your baby seems unable to attach or stay attached
- your baby is feeding very infrequently or is difficult to wake for feeds
- your baby has fewer wet nappies than expected
- your baby isn’t gaining weight as expected
- your baby appears persistently unsettled after feeds
- you’re worried about your supply for any reason.
You don’t need to wait until feeding has become a major problem.
Your midwife, health visitor, infant feeding team or breastfeeding specialist can assess a feed and help work out what is happening.
If your newborn baby is very sleepy and difficult to wake, isn’t feeding, has significantly fewer wet nappies, seems dehydrated or appears unwell, seek medical advice promptly.
A Word About Combination Feeding
Sometimes you may be breastfeeding alongside expressed milk or formula, either through choice or because your baby needs additional milk.
There is no place for guilt or judgement around how you feed your baby.
If you would like to maintain or increase your breast milk supply while giving additional milk, ask your maternity or infant feeding team for personalised advice. They can help you protect your milk supply while making sure your baby receives the milk they need.
Want More Support With Feeding?
Our free Guide to Breastfeeding Course in association with Momcozy includes evidence-based information about breastfeeding, responsive feeding, expressing and caring for your baby during those early days and weeks.
The course is self-directed, so you can work through it at your own pace.
Feeding rarely follows a textbook. Having someone to talk things through with can be just as useful as having the information itself.
References
- NHS. Milk supply: breastfeeding.
- NHS. Breastfeeding: is my baby getting enough milk?
- NHS. Common breastfeeding problems.
- NICE Guideline NG194. Postnatal care.
- NICE Quality Standard QS37. Postnatal care: information and advice about babies’ feeding.
- UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative. Responsive Feeding.
- UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative. Maximising breastmilk.
- UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative. Baby Friendly standards.
- World Health Organization. Infant and young child feeding.
- PIF TICK. Criteria for trustworthy health information.