Products that enhance lactation. Products that increase lactation: a healthy diet for a nursing mother

The baby is going through difficult period transition to life outside the mother's body. Nature has provided a special mechanism for easy and painless adaptation - breastfeeding. The WHO states that mother's milk is the ideal food for young children. Realizing this, many young mothers are wondering how to increase lactation in order to provide the child with good nutrition without the addition of artificial mixtures.

The rate of production and quality of breast milk

Nursing mothers often suffer from doubts about the quantity and quality of milk they produce. In such a situation, the question often arises: is there any norm that reflects ideal indicators?

Numerous studies have confirmed that throughout the day the rate of milk synthesis is not constant and is inversely proportional to the fullness of the breast: the more it is emptied, the faster and more milk appears in it. Therefore, it is not advisable to talk about the norms for the production of this product: it is individual in relation to each woman and her baby.

The same can be said about the quality breast milk. Its nutritional value changes not only depending on the age of the child, adjusting to his needs, but also during each feeding: the first portions are designed to give the child more to drink and therefore watery. The liquid produced further is more fatty and nutritious.

Therefore, it is difficult to establish the actual nutritional value of breast milk, it can only be judged by focusing on the child's weight gain, his behavior during sleep and wakefulness. However, these indicators are indirect and do not always directly depend on the quality of mother's milk.

Why breast milk disappears: common causes of reduced lactation

Flaw mother's milk from the first days of its production, called primary hypogalactia, occurs due to hormonal disruptions, postpartum complications and underdevelopment of women mammary glands. Such a phenomenon occurs infrequently.

Usually, young mothers experience secondary hypogalactia when initial stage milk is produced in full volume, and then lactation decreases.

During breastfeeding sometimes they make themselves felt physiological states accompanied by a decrease in milk production - lactation crises. AT medical practice it is believed that they are based on the adjustment of the mother's body to the growing needs of the baby, and it cannot happen at lightning speed.

Inadequate milk production is often the result of the wrong actions of the mother:

• Feeding the baby according to a strict schedule in compliance with well-established intervals.
• Strict time frame for each feeding.
• Incorrect application technique. The mammary glands are not stimulated enough if the baby does not latch on to the nipple properly.
• Uncomfortable posture of the mother: any tension in the process of feeding negatively affects the separation of milk.
• Supplementing a baby without a serious reason. Water gives the child an imaginary satiety, since the centers of saturation and thirst due to age anatomical features it is located close to each other.
• Use of bottles and pacifiers. Satisfying the natural natural need for sucking at their expense, the baby will stimulate the mother's breast less, and this reduces lactation.
• Attempts to create a dairy reserve. mammary glands work on demand: the more milk came out of the breast, the more will appear again. Left "in reserve" is perceived by the body as an unclaimed surplus.
• Refusal of night feedings, the most important for lactation.
• Separate location of the child and mother.
• Perception by a woman breastfeeding how ordeal. So she personally complicates the situation, obsessing over a possible (often hypothetical) lack of milk. The stress experienced by a woman does not affect prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production, but it affects another hormone, oxytocin, which acts on the release of fluid from the breast. Therefore, under stress, this process becomes more difficult: this is the natural defense mechanism, preventing milk loss during difficult periods of life.
• Lack of rest and sleep. Days spent in worries and sleepless nights- a standard situation for the mother of the baby.
• Reception medicines. Some of them are able to disrupt the hormonal regulation of lactation.

In most cases, it is possible to increase lactation by eliminating the listed factors and without taking additional measures.

Signs of a lack of milk

It is important for a nursing mother to be able to separate imaginary signs of a lack of milk from a real decrease in lactation.

Lack of lactation: an imaginary problem

“The baby is not full” is a popular misconception among young mothers, which results in supplementary feeding with milk mixtures, the baby getting used to the bottle and already a real decrease in milk production.

In many cases, mothers' concerns about lactation problems are unfounded.

• The baby often asks for a breast. This is not always a sign of hunger: perhaps the baby needs communication with his mother or satisfaction of the need to suckle. If an hour has passed after feeding, he could really get hungry: mom's milk is absorbed faster than an artificial mixture.
• Baby anxiety. The reasons for this behavior can be varied, and they are not always associated with hunger.
• Sensation of soft, not filled breasts, lack of "tides" before feeding. If the baby is fed on demand, the production of milk adjusts to this regime, it arrives when applied.
• The baby does not refuse the bottle after feeding. In fact, many babies, even when fully satiated, are not averse to giving free rein to the sucking reflex, moreover, it is easier to do this with a bottle or nipple than with a breast.
• Lack of milk when expressing. With established lactation, it is produced depending on the needs of the baby, so there is no need for this procedure.

Reliable signs of reduced lactation

Medical practice recognizes only two criteria for assessing the sufficiency of lactation as reliable:

• Counting the number of urinations of the child during the day. Disposable diapers and supplements for this period should be excluded. 10-12 and more wet diaper in 24 hours - an indicator that the baby has enough milk. If there are fewer of them, we can talk about insufficient lactation.
• Weighing. If the baby is healthy and has enough mother's milk, monthly weight gain will be from 0.6 to 2 kg, and an average of 120 g weekly.

An additional guideline for assessing the sufficiency of lactation may be the stool of the baby. On average, a breastfed baby has 6-8 bowel movements per day, stool have a mushy texture and a yellowish color. Prolonged absence of stools sometimes indicates "hungry constipation" caused by a lack of breast milk. However, this sign is not always informative in itself. If available, a wet diaper test is recommended.

Mother's milk or formula?

With an obvious decrease in lactation, all measures should be taken to restore it, since today all studies confirm that breastfeeding provides significant benefits for the child and his mother.

The uniqueness of mother's milk lies in its ability to change the composition based on the needs of the child. different stages development, in different time days and even during each individual feeding.

This product contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates in a ratio that is optimal for a child. early age. In addition, it contains immune cells, immunoglobulins and several types of bifidobacteria. Such a composition not only contributes to the full development of the baby, but also increases the resistance of his body to foreign agents and forms correct microflora in the intestine.

Unlike artificial mixtures, breast milk has an optimal temperature, is never stale or adulterated, and is always sterile.

Breastfeeding helps the baby develop correct bite and facilitates the process of eruption of the first teeth.

None of the highest quality milk formulas will provide your baby with nutrition that meets his needs like mother's milk.

With an obvious decrease in lactation, it is not advisable to immediately transfer the baby to artificial nutrition. The best option will be the transition to mixed feeding. At the same time, measures should be taken to restore lactation, gradually reducing the amount of supplementary feeding.

How to increase lactation

If the lack of milk has become obvious, do not immediately panic. Often simple measures help to increase lactation to the required level.

Stimulation of milk production

• It is necessary to evaluate how correctly the child is applied to the breast, if necessary, changing the technique to the correct one.
• To stimulate lactation, frequent applications are important, at least every 1.5-2 hours a day. daytime, at night - after 4 hours. Night feedings are very valuable for milk production, so you should not refuse them.
• You can take the baby from the breast only after he releases it himself.
• To increase lactation, close physical contact between mother and baby is important: carrying on hands, sleeping together.
• Do not supplement the baby with water unless absolutely necessary.
• Mom should forget about the fears associated with a lack of milk, and relax - in the truest sense of the word. A woman needs to learn how to find an opportunity for rest and good sleep.
• Breast massage is useful, which is done between feedings with kneading and stroking movements. Massage manipulations are periodically interrupted to express some milk.
• If the goal is to increase lactation, pacifiers and bottles should not be used. Supplementary feeding is offered to the child from a spoon, from a cup, using a syringe without a needle.

In addition to these methods, it is worth paying attention to the diet: foods eaten can affect milk production in different ways.

Products that increase lactation

A complete diet will not only help solve problems with lactation, but also prevent disorders in the mother's body during breastfeeding. It is worth paying attention to the following products:

• Fatty fish.
• Low-fat cheese and cottage cheese.
• Walnuts.
• Beekeeping products: royal jelly, honey, perga, royal jelly (use in the absence of allergies in infants).
• Dried fruits.
• Weak meat broths and soups cooked on them.
• Carrot.
• Buckwheat and oatmeal.

As you know, lactation is cyclical - and every 1.5-2 months the milk decreases. If you endure the first, most difficult “crisis” well, then you don’t have to worry, because in this case you will be able to continue breastfeeding by almost 100%. And if all the same milk has noticeably decreased? What to do in this case?

You don’t need to blame yourself for everything and become isolated in depression - this will not lead to anything good. And here to find available ways increasing lactation would be nice. Moreover, they are not at all complicated.

This tea not only improves lactation, but also has a calming effect for a nursing mother. If you and the baby do not have allergies, you can add honey to tea - however, it is better to do this before nightly feeding, since honey has a hypnotic effect.

Black tea with milk should be drunk half an hour before feeding 3-4 times a day. Then you will soon find a noticeable increase in your breast milk.

In addition, freshly squeezed carrot juice is very useful for increasing lactation.

Recipes herbal decoctions there is a great many. But you need to keep in mind that only one decoction of herbs can effectively help you specifically. Therefore, if after a day of using any decoction of lactation improvements were not found, try another herb. There are 3 groups of herbs to increase lactation, helping to support mom during various problems with health:

Group I - anise, fennel, cumin, dill help if mom has digestive problems.

Group II - mint, oregano, lemon balm are useful for mom's nervous overload.

Probably the oldest recipe for increasing lactation is a decoction of dill seeds. To prepare it, you need to take 1 tablespoon of dill seeds, pour them with 1 cup of boiling water and let it brew in a thermos for 2 hours. This decoction should be taken chilled 2 times a day for half a cup. Instead of dill, you can use cumin or anise - they work the same way. Only now you need to drink an anise drink in 2 tbsp. spoons before each feeding for 3 days. If this is “Your” grass, this time should be enough for the final establishment of milk production.

In addition, it is very useful to drink herbal teas from lemon balm and oregano. The only thing that a nursing mother needs to pay attention to is where these herbs grew. The area where they grow must be environmentally friendly.

Nuts and milk, as well as honey, are extremely useful products for a nursing mother. Therefore, to increase lactation, you can prepare "nut milk". To do this, take 2 cups of hot milk or cream, 100 g of crushed kernels walnuts, pour nuts with milk or cream - and let this mixture brew for 20-30 minutes. In another version, nuts and milk in the same ratio are boiled until thickened. After that, 25 g of sugar is added to the mixture - and they drink 1/3 cup half an hour before feeding.

It is very important for successful feeding - to observe the drinking and food regimen, as well as to sleep fully (at least 8 hours a day) and feel psychological peace.

It is useful for a nursing mother to drink green and herbal teas, mineral water without gas, compotes, freshly squeezed juices (you just need to make sure that the juices do not cause allergies).

The total volume of liquid drunk per day should be approximately 2.5 liters. This also includes soups, cereals, and other liquid foods. Moreover, the drink should be very warm.

As for the diet, a nursing mother should always have on the table protein products: 250g of veal, poultry or fish, 100-150g of cottage cheese, 250g of milk or kefir, 100-150g of cottage cheese, 20-30g of hard cheese.

Frequent attachment to the breast greatly contributes to the production of milk. Therefore, if the baby has problems with lactation, it is recommended to feed not according to the schedule, but according to his desire. If he does not ask for a breast for a long time and sleeps a lot, offer him to eat every 2 hours. And, of course, frequent night feeding is very important. After all, the hormone responsible for the amount of breast milk is produced at night.

When feeding, create close contact between you and your baby. Touch your skin to each other, look your child in the eyes, show him your love. It is also very important to ensure that the child takes the breast correctly. He should touch his chest with his chin, underlip- turned outward, and above the top - a part of the areola is visible.

In addition, it is very important to choose a comfortable position for feeding.

Dandelion juice is made from young dandelion leaves. In the spring, when they first appear, you need to collect them, rinse and scroll through a meat grinder. After that, the juice must be filtered and let it brew. Take 1/3 cup 1 time per day before meals.

Hot "component" contrast shower should be about 45 degrees. Cold - according to your feelings. Under a hot shower, it will be good to massage the mammary glands: stroking with the palm of your hand or water from the shower, massage the mammary gland from the center to the periphery.

A contrast shower should be taken in the morning and evening, directing streams to the chest and making a light massage in a clockwise direction. Then turn around and submerge your back and shoulder blades under the water.

Massage can also be done like this: smear your hands castor oil- and massage the chest for 2-3 minutes, placing one hand under the chest and the other on the chest. With the hand that is on the chest, you need to make light movements in a clockwise direction, rubbing the oil, trying not to get on the nipple and areola.
Very useful back massage in the area thoracic spine. True, an experienced massage therapist should do it - and the touch should also not be too strong.

If you do not want (or you cannot) take a hot shower, there is another, no less effective remedy - chest compresses. The only thing is that this compress cannot be done if you suffer from mastitis or lactorrhoea (that is, excess milk).

If you have no contraindications, soak a terry towel (or any other terry cloth) in hot water and apply a compress on the chest. It will be possible to remove it when the fabric has completely cooled down.

If you do not have varicose veins or thrombophlebitis, you can try soaring your legs while feeding your baby. Lower your legs into your pelvis hot water(only, of course, the water should be tolerably hot - there is no need to burn the limbs) - and start breastfeeding. Milk should come in gradually.

When using such a bath, make sure not to chill your chest, so immediately after the end of the procedure, go to bed, covering your chest with a blanket.

The bath is done before bedtime. Pour into a large bowl hot water and put the bowl on the table. Get comfortable next to the bowl and lower your chest into it. Add hot water as the water cools. In total, the duration of the bath should be about 15 minutes. At the end of the procedure, wipe your breasts dry - and put on cotton underwear. From above, it is advisable to wear something woolen that covers the chest - a vest, sweater or bolero.

Special gymnastics to increase lactation will help you not only breastfeed longer, but also maintain your appetizing shape.

What are these exercises to increase lactation?

Bend your elbows at chest level and join your palms with your fingers pointing up. Count to four: on the count of 1-2, squeeze your palms, on the count of 3-4, relax. The position of the hands should not change;

Get on all fours, raise your head up. Move around the apartment in this position for a while. The effect will be enhanced if you remove your bra before doing this exercise;

Spread straight arms to the sides, then cross them in front of you and spread them again. Gradually understand the arms up, crossing and spreading them, counting each crossing. On the count of 10, your arms should be crossed above your head, after which you should also gradually return to the starting position.

In addition to the above methods, there are also some conditions on which the level of lactation of a young mother may depend. Firstly, a nursing mother simply needs positive emotions. You can get them by doing what you love or by talking to people who are pleasant to you. Remember what you liked to do before pregnancy - and try to do it again. Of course, you may not be able to afford extreme sports or performing ballet steps yet. But the usual knitting, embroidery, modeling, listening to pleasant music, drawing, reading or classes in a flower bed are quite up to you.

Secondly, fresh air is very important for you and your child. Walk more often, ventilate the apartment - especially in the warm season. And lactation will not keep you waiting!

The issue of nutrition for lactating women is relevant in a special way. The lactation period involves some restrictions on food, but at the same time I want to eat so that my mother has a lot of strength, good mood and, of course, enough milk was produced.

Products for lactation: myths and truth

It is hardly possible to find a product that would be one hundred percent "cure for lack of milk." By itself, food can not affect lactation. Education women's milk is a process controlled by hormones. Nutrition plays a supporting role: it supplies the mother's body with proteins, fats and carbohydrates, trace elements and vitamins. All this allows the body to function properly, including the production of milk when there is a demand for it.
The main "locomotive" of lactation is frequent application: the more milk the baby gets, the more it will be produced by the next time. However good nutrition will help the mother to create an internal basis that will help support the production of milk. In addition, eating certain foods, the mother can slightly change the composition of milk.

Squirrels

A lactating woman, like any person, needs protein foods. The amount of protein in milk does not depend on the food consumed. But mom will be full of energy and strength. During feeding, you can and should eat:

• lean beef, veal;
• poultry meat: turkey and chicken;
• rabbit meat;
• fish (preferably white, pollock, cod will do);
• eggs.

The benefits of proteins are obvious: this is the main " construction material" for human body and energy supplier. Harm from the above types of protein can only be in case of an overabundance. If there is a strong bias towards protein foods in the diet, the body works at full capacity, the liver, kidneys and immune system are under load.
eggs like allergenic product, should be introduced into the diet with caution.

Seafood contains a lot of protein, but due to allergenicity and the ability to accumulate harmful substances breastfeeding should not use them

There are excellent resources vegetable protein: peas, lentils, mushrooms, beans. These foods can provoke colic, so it is also better to postpone them until the baby is 6-7 months old.

nuts

Any nuts are a source of vegetable protein, fats and trace elements. In the diet of nursing mothers, they are distinguished especially, because. it is believed that these foods help increase the fat content of milk. Breastfeeding experts say: this is nothing more than a myth. The fat content of milk depends very little on the fat content of the food consumed.

The fat content is mainly affected by the season (in summer milk becomes more liquid, because it is easier to digest in the heat) and feeding time (“back” milk and milk that is produced at night is fatter than “front” and daytime).

However, you should not give up nuts. If there is no allergy, then you should definitely eat a small handful of walnuts, cashews, unsalted peanuts, pistachios per day. This will give the body a good boost.

Fruits and vegetables

This is the basis of a healthy diet, and hence the nutrition of a nursing woman. These products saturate the body with vitamins, minerals, fiber. In addition, they are easily digested and do not leave a feeling of heaviness.
In order not to provoke allergies or colic (allergens and substances that provoke bloating enter the milk unchanged), they should be properly introduced into the diet. In the first months, focus on green and white vegetables and fruits: zucchini, broccoli, leafy vegetables, potatoes, green apples and pears. Then carrots, pumpkin can be introduced into the diet. The very last on the table with mom should be White cabbage, eggplant, citrus fruits, tomatoes, red peppers, grapes.

Dairy products

Another essential part of a healthy diet. Fermented milk products have a beneficial effect on bowel function, normalize stools, saturate the body with calcium and are much less allergenic than milk in pure form.
In the first week after childbirth, you can start eating cottage cheese, then yogurt and kefir. It is important that the sour milk is of high quality and fresh: poisoning with such products is very dangerous! Those who like to buy cottage cheese by weight should switch to the factory packaged product at the time of feeding, where the production date is indicated.
It is best to choose natural yogurts for nursing mothers, and if you want to make a treat out of them, you can add sugar and dried fruits, berries.

With HB, you can also eat sour cream, but it is better to choose not too greasy, store-bought

Kefir is useful for everyone, despite the content of alcohol in it. Its quantity is negligible, and the benefits for a woman are very great. One or two glasses of fresh kefir drunk by the mother will not harm the baby. The lower the fat content of the product, the lower the alcohol content.

Honey

This product can be an excellent natural delicacy for mom, it is only important that the honey is natural and of high quality. It saturates the body with B vitamins, carbohydrates, relieves inflammation and acts as natural antibiotic. Like other products, honey does not directly affect the quantity and quality of milk. Hot drinks with honey warm up the body - this can help improve milk flow.

Like any sweet food, honey helps reduce stress, which means it improves the synthesis of prolactin, the hormone responsible for lactation.

Honey and other bee products are allergenic. Usually people who are allergic to honey know this from childhood. Even if there has never been a reaction, honey should be introduced into the diet a little bit. It is also not worth abusing it: 2-3 teaspoons per day is enough.

Drinks to increase lactation

Various drinks to increase lactation are used everywhere. Basically, they act relaxing, saturate the body with vitamins. Increasing the amount of fluid in the body improves the outflow of milk. Warm liquids work best. In order to improve lactation, you can use:

• ready-made lactogenic herbal teas, mixtures like children's (many brands produce such a product for nursing mothers);
• green tea with milk;
• chamomile tea with honey;
• compotes and fruit drinks;
• Dill water ().

Sufficient, but not excessive drinking helps to restore water balance organism.

In the first months of breastfeeding, a small thermos with a mug lid helped me a lot - I brewed green tea in it with milk and a little sugar. I always put this thermos next to me when I sat down or lay down to feed: the process was quite long, and warm tea at hand helped a lot to recover. This is convenient when you have to feed a lot at night so as not to run anywhere.

Thermos is convenient not only at home, but also during walks, trips by car

How to make nut milk for lactation

Some girls try to drink nut milk during the feeding period. “Milk” is called conditionally: the drink is made from nuts and water. Such a cocktail saturates the body, gives strength, and at the same time it is quite tasty.
The drink is made like this:

1. You need to take your favorite nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, Brazilian nut) in a ratio of 1:4, where one part is nuts, and 4 parts is water. For example, half a glass of nuts and two glasses of water.
2. Scroll water and nuts in a blender at maximum power. The water will turn white and become like milk.
3. To remove solid particles from the "milk", it can be passed through a sieve.

You can pre-soak the nuts overnight in water to help them grind better.

General recommendations for maternal nutrition during breastfeeding

When organizing your nutrition during lactation, it is important to understand that milk is not formed from food eaten. Nutrients enter the milk through the blood and lymph, which means that they are significantly modified. This is a very important fact that should stop women sitting on strict diet. Nutrition of a nursing mother should be rational, complete and healthy.
Serious restrictions are imposed only on uniquely harmful products, which and ordinary people should not eat:

• fast food;
• chips, ready-made snacks;
• canned food;
• alcoholic drinks, sweet carbonated water;
• cheap sausages and sausages;
• any semi-finished products.

In the diet of a woman who is breastfeeding, there should be protein foods, cereals, vegetables and fruits, vegetable and animal fats.

All products for proper nutrition available in stores, no need to look for "superfoods"

The two main principles are attentiveness to yourself and the child and gradualness. When introducing new foods into the diet, you need to monitor the reactions of the baby. Then, by six months, mom will be able to eat almost everything without restrictions.
Of course, moderation is also important: often sitting on maternity leave negatively affects the figure, so you should not overeat either.

WHO opinion: nutrition and increased lactation

The World Health Organization, which strongly supports breastfeeding and its propaganda, does not give specific guidance on the nutrition of a nursing mother. The documents only say that a nursing woman should eat a balanced diet, receive all types of products and enough calories. In order for the lactation process to occur correctly and not deplete the body, a woman needs an additional 500 kilocalories per day, in excess of the “norm”. There are many ways to calculate your own calorie intake, but according to the average data for a woman from 26 to 50 years old, 2200 kcal per day is enough. So, during the feeding period, this figure should tend to 2700 kcal. Practicing rational and healthy eating, a woman will be able to maintain lactation for as long as it takes.

The well-known Ukrainian pediatrician Evgeny Komarovsky often makes references to the WHO recommendations, and has a similar opinion regarding the nutrition of nursing mothers. Food should be varied, nutritious and healthy. According to Komarovsky, you should not stick to a strict diet, but it makes sense to limit too much fatty foods and hot spices such as garlic, onion, because. they can impair the taste of milk.

Dr. Komarovsky about breastfeeding - video

Breastfeeding is a unique natural mechanism that cannot be overestimated. Breastfeeding provides nourishment to the baby, psychological contact between mother and child, the formation of the immunity of the newborn, and many more. important functions, which are probably not fully understood even modern science. But the lack of milk in a woman in labor becomes a problem that is obvious beyond any research. Without mother's milk, the development of children slows down, they are inferior to their peers in height and weight, they get sick more often and are more capricious. So it is better to improve the lactation of a nursing mother in a timely manner than to expose the child to such dangers.

Natural lactation is too complex mechanism in order to be able to evaluate its unambiguous characteristics. Breast milk may be delayed and/or insufficient for full feeding amount, may disappear over time or for a while, and then return. One way or another, it is imperative to know how to improve lactation for a nursing woman, and find them out even before the baby is born. It is good if you do not have to increase the quantity or quality of milk, but you can always suggest these effective methods a friend or roommate in the hospital.

Why does lactation worsen? Lactopoiesis and hypogalactia
Nature took care of mothers and babies, but could not foresee many features modern world that adversely affect lactation. Some young women in labor arbitrarily refuse to breastfeed their baby even in the first months of life. Fortunately, there are few such parents, and most mothers are sensible about breastfeeding and try to provide it to the baby for at least six months, and even better - up to a year. But even they are not immune from hypogalactia, that is, lactation disorders. Hypogalactia is caused different reasons, physiological and psychological. Most often, lactation worsens due to:
Each of these factors, and even more so several at the same time, pose a threat to lactation and endanger lactopoiesis, that is, the maintenance of milk production in a nursing mother. Therefore, the first thing to do to ensure normal, sufficient lactation is to prevent possible bad influences. Moreover, it is desirable to do this in advance, even during the planning and course of pregnancy, and then, during the entire period of breastfeeding, do not violate the selected regimen.

How to improve lactation at home? Folk remedies for lactation
Even strict adherence to the rules without deviations does not guarantee that there will be no problems with lactation. Medicine knows cases when the amount of milk in a nursing mother suddenly decreased without apparent reason. This unpleasant, but quite tolerable phenomenon is called a lactation crisis and is explained by the growing appetite of a growing baby, who now lacks the amount of food that he was satisfied with until recently. As a rule, lactation crises appear (if they do) after a month, 3 months, 4, 7 and 8 months after the start of lactation.

Faced with a lactation crisis for the first time, do not be alarmed, but wait 2-3 days, without ceasing to put the baby to the breast and, if necessary, supplementing it with mixtures. Most likely, the crisis blows by itself, and the mother's body adapts to the baby's new appetites. And if not, you will have to use home methods to improve lactation:
Get at least 8-10 hours of sleep a day, including during the day, spend as much time as possible on fresh air and worry as little as possible. Give your baby a breast every 1.5-2 hours, and during feeding or immediately before it, keep your feet in a bowl of tolerably hot water.

How to improve lactation with foods and drinks? Nutrition for lactation
Together with breast milk, the child receives in a processed form the same products that his mother eats. In addition, the diet directly affects the ability to female body to lactation, therefore, it is necessary to draw up a menu for a nursing woman very carefully:
Eat foods to increase lactation throughout the day, without allowing long breaks, and drink special drinks about a glass half an hour before the start of each feeding. Listen to your reactions child's body to determine which foods improve lactation for you personally.

How to increase lactation with drugs? Preparations for lactation
Pharmaceutical companies produce a lot of drugs to increase lactation. Some are best avoided unless absolutely necessary, using natural remedies. But there are medicines that are useful to all nursing mothers. In any case, their reception should be prescribed by a doctor:

• Biologically active additives to food to improve lactation are not considered drugs, but still have noticeable activity. As a rule, their composition is based on royal jelly, herbs and other lactogenic natural remedies, which can be found in folk recipes or use in ready-made, in the form of dietary supplements.
  
• Homeopathic preparations for lactation are quite popular, but without a prescription from a doctor, you should not experiment with them, even despite microdoses. homeopathic remedies take on an empty stomach, as much as breastfeeding lasts, and especially during stress and stress.
  
• Vitamins for pregnant women are prescribed regardless of breastfeeding, but must be consistent with it, because they directly affect lactation. There are many pharmacy brands, the composition of multivitamins is similar, but not identical, so you should not buy and drink pills without an appointment.
  

Scientists have proven that the quantity and quality of milk during lactation directly depends on the products that a woman consumes. Therefore, if the question arises of how to increase lactation, you should first of all think not about drugs and medicines, but about how to increase the calorie content of your own diet. But this should be done correctly, without going beyond the use of healthy and wholesome food.

Diet as a means to increase lactation

Before you start eating more, you need to analyze the existing diet and determine its nutritional value. During lactation, it should be on average 700-1000 kcal higher than in the normal state, for which the energy value food consumed per day should average 2300 kcal.

The daily diet of the mother should include poultry or fish, milk and dairy products, cottage cheese, cheese, vegetables and fruits. From fats it is better to use butter, but not more than 20 g per day. The main tool that helps a woman both increase lactation and maintain it at this level is to maintain the correct ratio of these products. You can not allow an overweight in the direction of proteins, carbohydrates, and even more so fats. By increasing the consumption of one component, you need to adjust the amount of the rest.

The amount of water you drink should be at least 2 liters per day. Some women find that if they drink more fluids, the amount of milk produced will increase. And this is true, but at the same time its composition will change. It must be borne in mind that in this case, milk will contain less protein and vitamins. Therefore it is not the best The best way how to increase lactation. The level of protein in breast milk is also affected by how much a nursing mother consumes sweets - sugar, buns, confectionery, of bread. The more such foods are eaten, the less protein the child receives.

Products that increase lactation and reduce it

Before you start artificially increasing the amount of milk, you need to be firmly convinced that it really is not enough. If you can’t determine this on your own, you can always consult a pediatrician.

But if nevertheless it turned out that the baby was malnourished, then first of all you need to limit yourself in products that reduce lactation: chocolate, coffee, citrus fruits, mushrooms, cocoa. In addition, it is necessary to exclude alcohol in any of its manifestations. Contrary to the stereotype, not only is it not a product that increases lactation, but it also negatively affects the health of the child, since it quickly enters milk through the bloodstream. The same applies equally to nicotine.

Onions, garlic and spices should also be excluded from the diet, as they give milk bad taste, because of which the baby may refuse to breastfeed.

If we talk about how to increase lactation, one cannot fail to mention such a tool as warm tea with milk. Sometimes it is advised to drink it with honey, but since honey - strong allergen, add it to tea with caution. Tea should be drunk half an hour before feeding the baby. This simple method does not affect the amount of milk, but the intensity of its production.

Lactation is also stimulated by meat and chicken broths, cheeses (especially Adyghe and feta cheese), seeds and a variety of fermented milk products. In addition, you can start drinking drinks with natural lactation enhancers - dandelion, ginger, cumin, radish, carrot and fennel on a regular basis.

Means to increase lactation: simple recipes for healthy drinks

• Carrot juice. Washed carrots should be poured over with boiling water, grated and squeezed out the juice. 1 glass of juice should be drunk 2-3 times a day, and it should be prepared immediately before use;
• Carrots with cream. One of the variations effective remedy to increase lactation. Grated carrots (3-4 tablespoons) should be poured with a glass of milk and let it brew a little. Take 1 glass 3 times a day;
• Dandelion leaf tincture. Wash freshly picked leaves, scroll through a meat grinder, squeeze out the juice and salt a little. Leave to infuse for half an hour, then take half a cup 1-2 times a day. To slightly improve the taste, you can add a few drops. lemon juice and sugar;
• Cumin cocktail. 8 g of cumin seeds pour 0.5 liters of water, add half a chopped lemon and 50 g of sugar. Mix everything, put on low heat and cook for 5-10 minutes. Strain the finished drink and cool. Take half a glass 3 times a day.
• anise drink. Anise is a wonderful product that increases lactation. To prepare a drink, you need to pour 15 g of the seeds of this plant with a liter of boiling water and leave for 1 hour, then strain, cool and drink 2 tablespoons 3-4 times a day.

Drugs to increase lactation

In some cases folk remedies to increase lactation do not help. It often happens that a young mother simply does not have enough time to prepare tinctures and drinks. In this case, the woman is forced to use some medications with a similar effect.

At the same time, taking pharmaceutical drugs and teas to increase lactation does not cancel the normalization of the diet, since this is the main way to increase the amount of milk. Here is a list of some effective drugs to increase lactation:

• Lactagon. The composition of the drug includes royal jelly in combination with nettle, carrots and some other components, due to which the desired result is achieved;
• Femilak-2. Dry milk product, which contains protein, vitamins and some useful minerals;
• Lactavit. Cumin, fennel, nettle and anise - here are collected the most strong herbs that improve lactation;
• Apilak. The drug for royal jelly with a variety of trace elements and vitamins;
• Tea "Grandma's basket". It contains useful herbs in the right proportions. This is a ready-made answer to the question of how to increase lactation - packaged and waiting for a woman on the shelf of a store or pharmacy. Such tea saves time spent on self-cooking collection for brewing drinks;
• Mlekoin. homeopathic remedy in granules that are taken before meals.

How to increase lactation and maintain it?

After enough milk has been produced, women often wonder how to maintain this condition.

Firstly, you need to remember the quantity and quality of the products you consume, and secondly, follow simple recommendations:

• Observe the regime of the day: sleep for 8-10 hours a day, walk in the fresh air for at least 2 hours;
• Do not skip night feedings, they are required. This point is especially important because the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for lactation, is produced at night. Due to this, the night feeding of the baby turns out to be of better quality, and the process itself is lengthy. If a mother has stopped feeding at night and is interested in the question of how to increase lactation, then all she needs to do is resume them;
• Consume more dairy products;
• Apply the baby to the breast more often;
• Drink multivitamins;
• Less nervous, have a positive attitude;
• Relax during feeding and put off everything for the sake of this process.

These are the main methods of how to increase lactation. If after their application the situation does not change, then you will need to consult a doctor for advice. You may also need to feed your baby formula milk.

Text: Alina Litovchenko

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