Low milk supply, What am I suppose to know?

It’s perfectly normal to worry about your milk supply, especially when you begin breastfeeding. In fact, the numero uno reason ibu-ibu give for abandoning breastfeeding is that 'susu saya sikit', 'saya takde susu', 'dah urut tapi tak keluar' and the list goes on. The good news, though, is that nearly all mums are capable of making plenty of milk for their baby. SEMUA ibu mampu menyusukan.

I don’t feel I’m producing much milk, should I worry?

The first thing to do is rule out false alarms about your milk supply. A good way of telling if your baby is getting enough milk is by keeping track of his/her weight gain or wet diapers.

Your newborn baby will probably have lost between five per cent and 10 per cent of his birth weight in his first few days. It's natural for newborns to take a little dip in their body weight. But after a few days your baby should start to put on weight again. If your baby is weighed when he's between seven and 10 days old, you should see that he’s starting to grow. There are other ways to tell if your baby is thriving, too. You can be reassured that he’s getting enough breastmilk if he:

• wets five to eight nappies a day;
• looks healthy and alert;
• does yellowy-mustard poos which lighten in colour about five days after birth.

Kita sering menganggap kita tidak menghasilkan susu yang cukup apabila:

• Your letdown reflex feels weaker or your breasts feel less full

       In fact, this is a sign that your body is adjusting to your baby’s feeding requirements.

• Milk stops leaking from your nipples

      Again, this happens when your body adjusts to your baby's feeding pattern.

• Your baby seems to want more milk than usual

      Check your baby is latching on well. Try changing breastfeeding positions to ensure he's able to feed      comfortably.

• Your baby’s feeds have become shorter

     Some babies simply become more efficient and faster feeders. You may feel you're not satisfying your baby, when, in fact, he's able to fill his tummy more quickly.

What causes a low milk supply?

Sebenarnya, apa yang dihasilkan itu adalah keperluan anak kita atau adjusting yang telah berlaku dalam badan. The more he feeds, the more milk you’ll produce. So if your supply does dip temporarily, there has to be a good reason. Jadi, kalau jadual pump ke laut, jangan kelam kabut mencari makanan dedak yang biasanya diwar-warkan sebagai penambah susu or milk booster bagai.

It's possible your milk supply might dip if breastfeeding is disrupted, for any of these reasons:

• Apabila puting anda luka dan proses penyusuan adalah menyakitkan.
• You’re giving your baby a pacifier, which cuts the amount of time that he’s at your breast in each 24 hours.
• Kecenderungan untuk menyusukan secara rutin 4 jam rather than on demand.
• Your baby is sleepy and needs coaxing to feed.

Bayi baru lahir cenderung untuk tidur as they are still adapting the new world situation. If your newborn is very sleepy, you may need to wake him and gently encourage him to feed more often. This will stimulate your breasts to produce more milk. If your baby is difficult to wake or doesn’t feed well, try expressing some colostrum or breastmilk and giving it to him in a feeding cup. This will satisfy your baby's needs, and encourage your milk supply to build up at the same time.

Milk supply is sometimes affected by medical conditions. See your doctor if any of these apply to you:

• You have a hormonal disorder, for example, if your thyroid level is low (or, in some cases, high).
• You’ve had breast surgery or a breast injury in the past.
• You’ve lost a large amount of blood during or after labour. Your milk supply may be affected until you recover.
• You’re taking certain medicines. Medicines such as the combined contraceptive pill or a cold remedy with a decongestant such as pseudophedrine can affect your supply.

However, in most cases of suspected low milk supply, the real problem is not about how much milk you have. It's about how much milk your baby is able to get at. If your baby isn’t latching on well, he'll struggle to get enough of your milk.

What can I do to boost my milk supply?

Once you've checked your baby is latched on properly, you could also try the following:

• Let your baby feed on demand, as often and for as long as he wants. Always allow him to finish the first breast before offering him the second.
• Give your baby only breastmilk. It may be tempting to top him up with a bottle of formula. However, if you satisfy your baby's hunger with formula, he will need less breastmilk and you won't produce as much.
• Try not to give your baby a pacifier.
• Try expressing your milk after each feed. Removing leftover milk in your breasts will help you to produce more milk.

Will a low milk supply affect my baby?

If your baby often needs more milk than he gets, he might grow more slowly than other babies of his age. This is called failure to thrive. In most cases, improving your breastfeeding technique will be enough to solve the problem.

How to boost milk production?

1. Fahami konsep penghasilan susu ibu, Demand vs Supply; lebih banyak demand, lebih banyak supply.
2. Plenty of plain, warm water.
3. Take more REALFOOD. We don't really those artificial food supplement and all. Setiap makanan semulajadi itu mmg penuh dengan zat.
4. Ibu yang menyusukan tidak perlu makan selahapnya. Cukup dengan moderation, well-balanced but frequent food intake.
5. There are numerous number of food yang boleh boost our milk production. Malt is one of them, sebab tu horlicks digambarkan sebagai milk booster. Banyak lagi and each and every person differ from each other. Tapi kalau sebeban pun mkn so-called milk booster tapi jadual pump ke laut mmg tak guna jugak.
6. Niat and mind-setting kena btulkan. Have ever heard of Mind Control?

InsyaAllah...Nak seribu daya, tak hendak seribu dalih.