Recovering from having a baby and taking care of a newborn (along with your other children), coupled with sleepless nights, can cause even the most prepared mum to feel overwhelmed. Adding the stress of work, illness or financial problems can take its toll on your life and your body. This stress can also affect your breast milk production and/or your breastfeeding practice.
We cannot avoid stress but we can do our best to try and maintain it while keeping up with our milk supply! Here are some ways you can maintain your breast milk supply:
1.) 1-2 Milky Mummy lactation cookies daily. One in the morning and one in the evening is recommended to set you up for the morning and then night time.
2.) 2 cups daily of 'Clean Teas' Lactation Tea (or Mothers Love tea for colic/windy baby's. Available on our website.
3.) Have a ROLLED OAT based breakfast. Rolled Oats are one of the natural foods that promote lactation.
4.) Regular skin on skin with your newborn. Hormones will boost your milk supply just from your baby's skin resting on yours. Its best to remove baby's cloths for this (except nappy) and just get comfortable and cover yourselves in a blanket ( or Muslim wrap if it is summertime)
5.) If possible - Reduce Stress - Stress can affect breastfeeding in two ways: your milk supply and the contents of your milk. When you experience stress, your body responds by releasing cortisol, adrenaline and norepinephrine. While these hormones can temporarily help your body deal with a stressful situation, over time, they can have a negative effect on your body both physically and emotionally.
Stress doesn’t directly affect milk supply. The amount of milk your body makes depends on how often your baby nurses. The more milk he or she drinks, the more your body will make. Stress can indirectly affect your milk supply, however, if you aren’t taking the time to eat or drink enough water or don’t have the time to nurse your baby as frequently as he or she needs because you are dealing with a stressful situation. Maternal illnesses, along with the medications that are prescribed for these illnesses, can also cause stress and reduce milk supply. One of the hormones, cortisol, can enter into your breast milk, affecting its contents.
Above all, try and take some time out for yourself even if it means just some quiet time, a bath or having a family member or friend babysit for 1-2 hours while you do what makes you happy that you can do alone (gym, shopping, watching a movie in bed etc..)
We spend all our time caring for our precious little baby's- don't forget to take care of YOU!
6.)Use your Haakaa breast pump daily. Roll the lip of the silicone mould back & squeeze the air out of the base, then place it on the breast and slowly release ( tutorials for this on you tube). This pump is a effortless way of collecting extra milk that is let down from the other breast while your baby feeds. It is made from food grade silicone and works on suction - you can find it on our website for only $42.00 AUD!
You can get your Cookies, Tea, Haakaa pump & other lactation supported products from our website www.milkymummy.com.au
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