8 Proven Tips for an Amazing Milk Supply

If you’ve ever googled or asked a mom friend for suggestions on how to increase your milk supply, you’ve probably been given a thousand different answers. Sometimes the things you were told to do or not do even contradicted each other. So how do you know what actually works and which things you should try?

We want a quick fix when we go searching for this information. We want to be told exactly what to do to fix our problem. The trouble with this, however, is that there are many different factors that impact milk supply, and understanding how milk production works and what is happening specifically to you is the key to finding the solution that best meets your need. By first following the basics of supply and demand, you can then implement the strategies that will increase your milk production.

The Basics of Supply and Demand

You’ve probably heard that milk production is all about supply and demand, but what does that actually mean? Picture a hungry baby. That baby is put to the breast and drains the milk through suckling. This is the demand, and accomplishes two things. First, baby suckling at the breast provides the necessary stimulation to produce prolactin, the milk making hormone. Second, the breast is drained of milk. Every time a milk removal occurs (demand), prolactin ensures that more milk is produced (supply). More frequent removals equals more milk production. Less removals equals less production. Therefore, empty breasts make more milk, and fuller breasts make less milk. This is also true with pumping. The stimulation from the pump acts to produce prolactin, while the suction removes the milk.

So, the best tips to increase your milk supply come from what I refer to as supply hygiene, which is maintaining the basics of supply and demand.

1. Frequency

As we just discussed above, empty breasts make more milk. Therefore, one of the most important ways to increase your milk supply is to increase milk removals to ensure that breasts are more frequently empty. These removals should be mostly evenly spaced throughout the 24 hour period of the day, including overnight. Night time milk removals are actually some of the most important. You want to avoid long stretches between milk removals, as this will interrupt the feedback loop of milk production. A general rule of thumb is to aim for 8-12 milk removals in a 24 hour period. That’s generally every 2-3 hours. Milk removals can be either baby feeding at the breast, or pumping.

2. Empty the breast completely

Again, empty breasts make more milk, so you want to make sure that you are getting the maximum milk removal possible. The breasts are never truly empty, as they are always replenishing what has been removed. However, there are ways of making sure that you get every last drop possible. Because emptying the breast with every milk removal will help increase milk supply.

Before any milk removal (breastfeeding or pumping) prepare the breasts by applying heat for 5-10 mins. There are products specifically for this, but a warm washcloth, a hot water bottle, or even a warm shower can easily do the trick. After applying heat, massage the breast gently with circular motions for 1-2 minutes. This helps to stimulate let down as well as loosen up the sticker fat molecules.

If pumping, you can perform breast compresions to aid in milk removal. This is called hands on pumping, and is generally easier to do if you have a hands free pumping bra. Gently squeeze the breasts. It should not hurt.

If directly breastfeeding, you can also apply compressions, but it is best to wait until after baby has finished from the first let down. When baby’s sucking seems to slow, gently squeeze the breasts. You will likely notice that baby will start vigorously feeding again.

After feeding the baby, massage the breast again and hand express the last few drops of milk. This helps to strip those larger, stickier fat molecules from the walls of the milk ducts, ensuring an emptier breast. If you feel as though baby did not empty you completely, you can also pump for 5-10 minutes after feeding.

3. Skin to Skin

You’ve probably heard about the importance of skin to skin in the first few hours after birth, but the benefits don’t stop as baby gets older. Skin to skin contact can help to increase milk supply by promoting the production of oxytocin. Oxytocin is known as the love hormone, or cuddle drug, because it is stimulated by touch. But, the benefit in milk production is that it also is the hormone responsible for the milk ejection reflex. This reflex allows the milk that is made in the milk glands to release in to the milk ducts and sinuses, thus making it available to baby. More skin to skin means more oxytocin, which means more available milk for baby to drain.

Have you heard of a nursing vacation? This is when you and baby relax in bed together, not just for a short period, but for a day or two. This provides ample skin to skin, as well as plentiful nipple stimulation via feeds and comfort nursing. Also, this allows mom to rest and reduce stress levels, two things that are also super important in milk production. So, strip down both you and baby and snuggle up. Make sure you have lots of snacks and drinks within arms reach, and take a vacay with your baby.

4. Hydration

Speaking of drinks, you’ve heard that staying hydrated in important for milk supply, and this is very true. Milk is primarily water, so you are drinking for two. However, when it comes to staying hydrated, it’s not just water that matters. Electrolytes actually play a large role in hydration. Water has the tendency to go right through us, but water follows electrolytes, so when you are getting adequate electrolytes, water is more likely to “stick”.

If anyone has ever suggested to you a sports drink as a means of increasing milk supply, this is why. It is the electrolytes that matter. However, sports drinks are packed with sugar, which can negatively impact milk supply, so they are not a good option. Coconut water is naturally rich in electrolytes. There are also electrolyte add-ins on the market. I personally liked Nuun tablets, which get added to water and are low in sugar.

Breastfeeding can make you incredibly thirsty, so a great rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water every time you sit down to feed or pump.

5. Milk friendly diet

Breastfeeding also makes you very hungry. Every calorie your baby eats first came through you. Plus, you burn calories during milk production. However, this is not an excuse to go buck wild with eating. Your milk is a reflection of what you eat and is impacted, both positively and negatively, by what you eat. As mentioned above, sugar can be detrimental to milk production because it can cause insulin resistance. Insulin resistance directly and negatively impacts milk production. It’s recommended to limit added sugars and simple carbs to increase milk supply.

So what should you eat? A diet rich in whole, nutritious foods supports healthy milk production. Also, a diet higher in healthy fats can produce a richer, higher calorie milk for baby. This helps baby to grow and gain weight.

Some specific foods that encourage milk production are green leafy vegetables, orange root vegetable, seeds, whole grains, nuts, and avocado.

When thinking about food, there are also some common foods and kitchen herbs that can negatively impact milk production and should be avoided. These include sage, peppermint, spearmint, oregano, and cabbage, to name a few.

6. Sleep

Any new parent knows that sleep is hard to come by, but it’s especially important for the breastfeeding mother. Prolactin, the hormone that drives milk production, is produced during sleep, so inadequate sleep can lead to low milk supply. Also, sleep deprivation can increase stress and the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol can also have a negative impact of milk production.

So how does a new parent get more sleep? I found the old adage “sleep when baby sleeps” to be nearly impossible. There were always so many other things to do. But, catnaps can be a good way to catch a little bit of extra sleep, and prioritizing you and your health is necessary to increase milk supply.

Depending on baby’s sleep habits, you can also get a chunk of sleep in the early half of the night. I mentioned above the importance of middle of the night feedings, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be up feeding and pumping all night long. If baby sleeps for a chunk of time in the early evening, this is a great time for you to also sleep a longer stretch. Milk supply is at it’s lowest from late afternoon until about midnight. Therefore, you want to maximize your feeding and pumping between midnight and 6am. But from 6pm until midnight, milk production is low enough that you could realistically sleep a 5-6 hour stretch during that time without negatively impacting your milk supply. So make it an early night, since you know it will be an early morning.

7. Power Pump

I talked earlier about supply and demand and how that is the driving factor in milk production. Frequent milk removals keep the breast from being too full and slowing down production. But the stimulation from those milk removals also increases prolactin to tell the body to make more milk. You can hack this biologic response by using your pump to simulate a baby who is cluster feeding. Cluster feeding is when babies feed very frequently, sometimes multiple times per hour. You frequently see this happen in the early days after birth and when they go through growth spurts. This is the baby’s way of increasing milk production to meet their new needs. But you can replicate this effect using your pump.

Power pumping follows a simple cycle over the span of one hour. First, pump for 20 minutes. Then take a break from pumping for 10 minutes. Pump for another 10 minutes, break for 10 minutes, pump for 10 minutes. It’s likely that you will get very little if any milk after the first 20 minute pumping session. That’s totally okay. Power pumping is not really about milk removal. It is about stimulation and telling the body to make more milk. This won’t happen immediately, as it takes the body some time to adjust to the new needs of baby.

You can incorporate power pumping in a variety of ways, depending on what works best for your schedule and situation. You can power pump once or twice a day for 5-7 days. This imitates a cluster feeding baby. You can also power pump 2-3 times per week to encourage ongoing milk production.

Time of day does not really matter. I personally liked to power pump in the morning when milk supply was at it’s highest, so that I was removing the most milk, but you can also power pump in the evening when milk supply is lowest. This is when a baby would naturally be cluster feeding. Either way works.

8. Seek Help

Breastfeeding is natural but that does not mean that it’s easy or that we all immediately know how to make it work. Knowing when to seek help is an important part of the journey. A basic lactation counselor can help with things like positioning, latching, finding the correct flange size for your pump, and much more. For bigger issues, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is the gold standard. They have extensive hands on training in complex cases, and are skilled in getting to the root of feeding and/or supply problems. If you have tried the basic recommendations and are still struggling, find an IBCLC in private practice who can do a full assessment and develop a plan of care. Having the right support is essential to meeting your breastfeeding goals.

Bonus Tip: What Not To Do

You may have noticed that I did not mention lactation treats or supplements on this list. There are a few reasons for that, but the biggest is that supplements are not a magic pill. If you are not following the above tips and practicing the basics of milk supply, no pills will magically make you produce milk. You still have to do all of the other things. That being said, when used in combination with the above tips, supplements can help support lactation. However, there are still some things to take in to consideration.

You will frequently see lactation treats, fenugreek, or beer suggested as lactation aids. These are not good suggestions. As we discussed in tips 4 and 5, sugar can negatively impact milk production. Lactation treats are generally packed full of sugar and empty calories. Eating nutrient rich foods will have a greater impact on milk supply.

Fenugreek is often used in lactation treats, or is available in pill form. Some women do experience an increase in milk supply from fenugreek, however, many women actually have the opposite reaction to it, and milk supply will drop. There is no way of knowing how your body will react to it, and I personally think that it’s not worth risking it. Fenugreek can also make baby gassy.

Beer is also not a recommended lactation aid. Brewers yeast is the active ingredient in beer that is suspected to increase milk production. However, it also has the side effect of making you and baby very gassy. Babies can become very uncomfortable from gas due to their immature gastrointestinal systems. This will lead to a lot of crying and a miserable baby.

Putting It All Together

There is no quick fix when it comes to increasing milk production. Frequently and effectively emptying the breasts, encouraging hormone production through skin to skin, sleep, and power pumping, and maintaining a nutrient rich diet with adequate hydration are the keys.

Working with the biology of your body and the basics of supply and demand are the best ways to ensure an adequate milk supply for your baby.

What things have you tried to increase your milk supply? Let me know in the comments!

Milk on, Mama