How to Increase Breast Milk Supply Fast: 11 Expert Tips
Are you struggling to produce enough breast milk for your little one? If so, you’re not alone. Many mothers find themselves in the same situation at some point during their breastfeeding journey. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to increase your breast milk supply fast. Read on for eleven expert tips!
Breastfeeding can be a challenge, especially when it comes to producing enough milk for your little one.
It can be frustrating and discouraging when you’re struggling to produce enough breast milk. You may feel like you’re not doing enough for your baby
While increasing milk supply usually doesn’t happen overnight, there are times where you may want to speed the process up. If you’re in that situation, you’re in luck – because in this article, we are sharing our top tips for doing that!
Before we get started, I wanted to invite you to check out my A-M-A-Z-I-N-G resource all about milk supply. Master Your Milk Supply is an online video and eBook resource designed to help you feel more confident in your ability to produce milk in less than one hour. Click here to check it out (use the code 10OFF for 10% off)
Increase Stimulation to the Breast:
The best way to increase milk supply is to increase the stimulation to the breast! THe more you stimulate the breast, the more your body is told to increase milk supply.
Did you know that the “emptier” your breasts are, the faster your milk production will be?
You can do this by:
- Increasing the frequency/number of nursing sessions
- Pump after nursing
- Pump while nursing – if you do this, I would suggest nursing on one side, switching baby to the other side and pumping on the side that you already nursed on
With my second child, I increased nursing to every 90 minutes when he was struggling to gain weight and my milk supply was low. It was A LOT, but it helped immensely, and it was pretty immediate.
Prioritize AM Feedings:
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Did you know that your supply tends to be highest in the early morning hours? By simply nursing or pumping more in the morning, you might automatically get a boost in the amount of milk that you are producing.
I find that this is almost always the best time of day to pump for extra milk in addition to breastfeeding.
Power Pump
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Power pumping is a really popular technique for increasing milk supply. It essentially mimics a growth spurt/cluster feeding, which tells your body to make more milk.
In my experience, this is one of the best ways to increase milk supply quickly. When I was nursing my second baby, the lactation consultant I saw would always say, “Power pumping is like putting an order in for your milk – you usually get the delivery within three days!”
While there’s no guarantee of this, if power pumping is going to help, it usually helps within about 24-72 hours.
To learn more about power pumping, be sure to check out this article – Power Pumping to Increase Milk Supply.
Compressions/Massage
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This is always one of my first recommendations for helping with milk flow and increasing milk supply. It helps to move milk more efficiently, which typically results in the baby or the breast pump transferring more milk.
I find that when someone starts to use compressions that weren’t previously, they almost always see a pretty immediate increase in their milk supply.
While your hands are always going to be your best tool, there are some great lactation massagers that can be helpful as well, especially if you are pumping hands-free.
Our recommendation – Lavie Heated Massager. Use the code TBM10 for 10% off
Heat
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Heat is another great way to increase your milk supply. I usually recommend applying heat to your breast before you start nursing. I personally recommend using the Lansinoh Therapearls or using the heated massager I mentioned above.
If you haven’t been using heat, I usually see this work pretty quickly to help milk flow.
Galactagogues
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Galactagogues are foods, herbs, and/or vitamins that are thought to have a positive impact on breast milk supply. They can be helpful, but only when combined with increased stimulation to the breast.
Here are some popular galactagogues – 30+ Galactagogues for Increasing Milk Supply.
Often you will see these in forms of vitamins or supplement or even cookies. I don’t find that there are typically instant results with these, but when combined with increased stimulation, some galactagogues can help.
I also caution against too many of the cookie and brownie companies out there – a lot of them are pretty high in sugar and expensive. If you want to try cookies, I recommend making your own – such as this protein packed lactation cookie recipe.
My personal favorite brand for lactation supplements is Mother Love. They are very high-quality, and I have seen people have good results with them. You can use the code TBM15 for 15% off.
I would recommend working with a lactation consultant to determine if galatagogues could help your supply. With certain underlying conditions, they may not help (or only certain ones will). If you need a consult, I offer virtual consults – click here to book!
Make Sure You Have the Right Flange
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If you are pumping, it’s SO important to make sure you have the right sized flange. It can make the biggest difference – and in my experience, most moms aren’t using the right sized flange.
I have seen moms go from getting a minimal amount of milk to quadrupling their milk output by simply getting the right sized flange.
I don’t recommend just going off of the recommendations from the pump manufacturer – usually, these aren’t accurate, and they often just try and push everyone into the same three flanges.
You can download my free flange measurement tool to get started. However, if you need more help, be sure to either book a virtual flange fitting or signup for my self-study course on flange fitting called Find Your Fit.
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Get a New Pump
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Not all pumps are created equally – some are just not very good quality! Other times, a pump may malfunction and getting a new pump
Now, I don’t recommend just running out and buying a new pump right away. However, if you feel like the suction isn’t very good, you’ve verified that your flange size is correct, etc., getting a new pump might be a good option.
A lot of hands-free pumps – such as the Willow and Elvie-type pumps – aren’t always effecient and many moms find they don’t empty them well enough. If you are relying on one of these pumps, getting a new pump might be helpful.
Here are the pumps I usually recommend:
- Spectra S2
- Pumpables Genie Advanced (Use code SHOP10-TBM for 10% off)
- BabyBuddha Breast Pump – Click here for our full review. Some moms do find this one to be a bit too powerful. Use code TBM10 for 10% off.
Skin to Skin
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Skin to skin increases the release of oxytocin, plus it can also encourage your abby to nurse more frequently. Anytime you are struggling with milk supply, I recommend putting your baby close to your body as frequently as possible. When you nurse (or even pump!) dress the abyb down to just a diaper and put them close to your bare skin. It really does help!
Induce Multiple Letdowns
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The more letdowns you get when nursing or pumping, the more more milk you will likely make (and the more your body is told to produce more milk). You can induce multiple letdowns by “switch nursing” (switching back and forth between each breast each time you get a letdown).
Some people also find that they have to train their body to react to the pump. One way to do this is to pump while you nurse on side with your baby.
Offer Both Breasts
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If you are only offering one side, try and offer your baby both breasts while nursing. This will increase your milk supply due to the increased stimulation.
Obviously if your baby won’t nurse on one side, you can also try to pump on the opposite side (either while or after nursing) or use a haakaa to help with stimulation.
There are many things you can do to increase your breastmilk supply fast . Talk to your doctor or lactation consultant if you have any concerns about your breastmilk production . They can provide personalized tips and advice on how to best increase your supply .
You forgot drink more water – a big glass after every feeding or pumping session helps tremendously!
Thanks for sharing!!