Breastfeeding Questions: Do I Have Low Breast Milk Supply?
New mothers often pay close attention to how their child is nursing and may encounter some of the following conditions and mistake them for a diminishing breast milk supply. Most breast milk supply concerns fall into one of two categories: concern for your baby or concern for your breasts.
Baby factors:
- Your baby seems hungry sooner than expected – Adjust your expectations and make a chart of feeding times to ease your worries
- Breastfeeding sessions occur more often and last longer – This is a normal occurrence during a growth spurt
- Breastfeeding session suddenly gets shorter – Babies become more efficient at nursing as they gain more practice
- Your baby is fussy – Almost all babies no master how much they are fed go through fussy periods.
Mother factors:
- Breasts feel softer – This is normal after three or four weeks as your body’s breast milk production meets your baby’s needs.
- Breasts cease leaking – Some mothers never incur leaky nipples while others find that leaking nipples only happens during the first stages of breastfeeding.
- Breast milk release or let down is not felt – There are occasions when you may not feel your breasts let down even when it happens.
- You are unable to express quantities of breast milk – Expressing breast milk is a learned skill and not a test of your breast milk supply.
As you continue to breastfeed you and your baby will develop a rapport and begin understanding one another. Generally as long as they are satiated after nursing your breast milk supply is just fine and you are doing very well as a breastfeeding mom.
Read More:
How Are Feeding Intervals Counted?
Establishing A Routine
Breastfeeding Techniques Fine Tuned
Is My Baby Getting Enough Breast Milk?
Warning Signs While Breastfeeding
Increasing Breast Milk Production
Three Things Everyone Thinks Dramatically Increases Milk Supply