Patient's question:
I am a 27-day-old mom. My milk is not enough to eat. What methods can I use to stimulate milk production?Doctor's answer:
Insufficient milk supply has two reasons: physical and objective reasons. From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, the physical reason is due to insufficient qi and blood. Many may not understand the relationship between milk supply and qi and blood. In fact, milk and menstruation have the same origin. After giving birth, ovulation actually resumes, but why doesn't menstruation return? It's because of breastfeeding. Mothers with ample milk supply have a quicker postpartum discharge, while those with insufficient milk may experience recurring discharge after it ends. This is actually not postpartum discharge but menstruation, which is why mothers with less milk experience earlier menstruation. Therefore, from a physical perspective, to have a sufficient milk supply, it's not just about replenishing qi and blood during breastfeeding. Instead, one should prepare an ample supply of blood during pregnancy for the breastfeeding period.From an objective perspective, breastfeeding must be frequent, especially night feedings. As long as your breasts are unobstructed, the amount of milk removed is the amount produced.