ASI Terasa Seret? Coba 4 Cara Agar ASI Melimpah secara Alami

Discard the notion that low breast milk supply is the mother's fault. This assumption is completely untrue. Postpartum breast milk production, which may initially be low or limited, will naturally begin to flow smoothly one to two weeks after birth. Crucially, mothers need support from family and medical professionals to focus on implementing ways to boost milk supply.

This article will review in more detail the causes of low breast milk supply, ways to increase it, and what foods are suitable as natural breast milk boosters.

Reasons Why Breast Milk Supply Is Low

• Premature birth and temporary separation from the baby.
• Mother is obese.
• Undergoing a cesarean section.
• Excessive blood loss (more than 500 ml) during delivery, or retained placenta, which can delay the onset of breast milk (usually occurring around three days postpartum).
• History of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), diabetes, thyroid, or other hormonal disorders. Mothers with a history of these disorders sometimes experience low or even blocked milk supply.
• Rare medical conditions such as mammary hypoplasia, a condition where there is not enough milk-producing glandular tissue in the breasts.
• Previous breast surgery or breast trauma. However, many women can still breastfeed even after having surgery.

Effective Ways to Increase Breast Milk

When you find your breast milk supply is low or limited, there is no need to worry excessively as it can trigger stress. Calm yourself and be confident that there are many methods and ways to increase your milk supply. You can try the following tips while still in the hospital or once you are home.

1. Gently Massage the Breast Area

Stimulating breast milk by massaging the breast area can help the formation of milk receptor sites, thereby increasing milk production. Additionally, lactation massage can relieve tension, prevent clogged ducts, and serve as a relaxation technique. So, make it a habit to regularly massage your breasts before breastfeeding or pumping.

2. Healthy Lifestyle: Meet Hydration Needs, Eat Healthy Foods, and Get Enough Rest

Breastfeeding mothers need to consume at least 2-3 liters of water every day. Don't forget to consistently consume plenty of natural breast milk booster foods, especially fruits, vegetables, and proteins.

Besides maintaining a healthy diet, an effective way to increase milk supply is to get enough rest. This is because when the body is relaxed, it produces more milk-producing hormones in the breasts.

3. Play Calming Music

You can try this method to stimulate milk production. Play different types of calming music to help your body and mind relax, so that milk-producing hormones will work effectively. Listen to your favorite music while pumping to make the process more enjoyable and increase milk production.

4. Breastfeed and Pump as Often as Possible

Furthermore, another way to increase milk supply is to breastfeed and pump as often as possible to send signals to your body that more milk needs to be produced. In addition to breastfeeding directly, you are also encouraged to pump breast milk using a quality manual or electric pump to express the milk.

Pumping can be done at any time, especially after breastfeeding because sometimes the breasts still feel full. For optimal pumping results, try massaging both breasts simultaneously while using double flanges for more efficiency.

List of Natural Breast Milk Booster Foods to Increase Supply

To maintain breast milk supply, breastfeeding mothers require an additional 300-500 calories of daily intake compared to normal conditions. The following are several types of natural breast milk booster foods that are good for breastfeeding mothers to consume.

1. Foods High in Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in the baby's brain development, nervous system, and vision. DHA is one of the Omega-3 fatty acids that contributes most to a baby's brain development during the first 2 years of life.

Breastfeeding mothers are advised to consume between 300 and 600 mg of DHA per day. Omega-3 is found in fatty fish like salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds.

2. Galactagogues

One type of natural breast milk booster food is galactagogues, which contain iron to support the production of hormones such as prolactin, which are essential for milk production.

Examples of galactagogues foods include fenugreek (an ingredient in lactation tea), sweet leaf (katuk), peas, almonds, and oatmeal.

3. Foods High in Iron

The amount of blood lost during delivery can decrease blood supply and levels of substances that affect breast milk production. To overcome this, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are encouraged to increase their intake of iron-rich foods. Natural sources of iron include red meat, leafy green vegetables, beans, and nuts.

4. Bitter Melon

Although it has a bitter taste, bitter melon is rich in lycopene and vitamin C to stimulate breast milk. In addition, the lycopene and vitamin C in bitter melon can also thicken breast milk, making the baby feel full faster.

5. Red Root Vegetables

Besides leafy green vegetables, red root vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes are good to consume as breast milk boosters. Red root vegetables contain phytoestrogens that are effective in helping to increase breast milk production.

6. Avocado

Avocado is a natural fruit that supports breast milk supply and is safe for breastfeeding mothers. This fruit is suitable as an energy booster because it contains 80% healthy fats. It also contains vitamins B, C, E, K, folate, and potassium.

Ways to Increase Breast Milk: Breastfeeding and Frequent Pumping

The key to increasing breast milk supply is frequent direct breastfeeding and pumping to stimulate production. Frequent pumping can signal the body to produce more milk and increase supply.

You still need to be careful when pumping in the first few weeks after birth as it can lead to an oversupply of breast milk, putting you at risk of clogged milk ducts or mastitis. Therefore, consult your doctor regarding how often you should breastfeed or pump to meet your little one's needs.

Hegen offers manual and electric breast pump products that can be chosen according to your needs. HEGEN PCTO MANUAL BREAST PUMP MODULE and HEGEN PCTO™ DOUBLE ELECTRIC BREAST PUMP NEW are both equipped with SoftSqround™ flanges made of soft silicone for the best adhesion and gentleness on your nipple and skin.

Jika ingin lebih tahu tentang produk breast pump terbaik Hegen, cek katalognya sekarang juga dan berbelanja online hanya melalui situs resmi Hegen Indonesia.

Referensi

Kate Traverson. 6 Ways to Power Boost Your Breast Milk. The Bump. https://www.thebump.com/a/breast-milk-nutrition