Patient's question:
I am a 27-day-old mom. My milk isn't enough to eat. What methods can I use to increase milk production?Doctor's answer:
Insufficient milk supply has two reasons: physical reasons and objective reasons. From a traditional Chinese medicine perspective, physical reasons are due to insufficient qi and blood. Many people 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 sufficient milk supply have a quicker postpartum discharge, while those with insufficient milk may experience recurrence after the discharge has cleared. In reality, that is not postpartum discharge but menstruation, which is why mothers with less milk have an earlier return of menstruation. Therefore, from a physical perspective, to have a sufficient milk supply, it is not just about replenishing qi and blood during breastfeeding. In fact, it is important to prepare adequate blood during pregnancy for breastfeeding.From an objective perspective, breastfeeding must be frequent, especially night feedings. As long as your breasts are unobstructed, milk is produced as much as it is removed.