DISCLAIMER- I am not a doctor or a dietician, if you are having trouble in breastfeeding your baby or in your milk supply please talk to your doctor. These things helped me a lot and if it helps any new mother I will be more than happy ?

Once your newborn baby is in your hand and you are back home from the hospital, what worries you the most is breastfeeding and milk supply. I myself worried a lot. In fact, I felt that I am out of milk and worried my baby is not getting anything. But if your baby is gaining weight and having enough wet diapers, there is no reason to worry about the milk supply.

It took me few days to understand this. The easiest way to know if your baby is getting enough milk is to keep track of wet diapers. I am including the standard chart here for your quick reference.

STANDARD CHART FOR WET DIAPERS FOR A NEWBORN BABY

• DAY 1- 1 wet (Pee) and 1 soiled (Poo).

• DAY 2- 2 wet and 2 soiled (minimum).

• DAY 3- 3 wet and 3 soiled (minimum).

• DAY 4 – 4 wet and 3 soiled (minimum)

• DAY 5 and beyond minimum 5 to 8 wet and at least 4 yellow soiled.

Again if baby is having adequate wet diapers then no need to worry, you and your baby are doing a great job 🙂 Some days there will be slight change in these numbers, but don’t worry you will be back on track. If not contact your paediatrician.

The best way to increase your milk supply is to keep feeding the baby at regular intervals(supply and demand). Baby’s latch and suckling naturally increases milk production. There will be days when you will be so tired and sleepless that you might want to give up on breast feeding. But be patient, things will change soon.

WHY MILK SUPPLY IS LOW?

There are many reasons for low milk supply like insufficient removal of milk(baby not latching and not showing interest in feed), hormonal imbalance in mother (due to various reasons like hyperthyroid), giving other substitute etc.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR MILK SUPPLY?

Some ways to increase milk supply naturally are increasing feeding sessions, sleep (haha I know its impossible with a newborn but try to get sleep whenever you can), stop stressing and pumping. Need not to say, mothers diet plays an important role in increasing milk supply naturally. I personally included these 6 food items in my diet postpartum and saw change.

6 FOODS THAT HELP IN INCREASING MILK SUPPLY NATURALLY

DISCLAIMER- I am not a doctor or a dietician, if you are having trouble in breastfeeding your baby or in your milk supply please talk to your doctor. This Things helped me a lot and if it helps any new mother I will be more than happy 🙂

• OATS – Eat oats dialy in the breakfasts or early breakfast ( breastfeeding can make you hungry all the time). It is rich in protein and fiber. Oats
• GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES – Spinach (palak), fenugreek leaves(methi), muringa drum stick leaves, dill leaves etc. Have them as soup or in dal or stir fry.
• GREEN MUNG DAL– You can sprout the mung dal or drink as soup. Green mung
• FENUGREEK SEEDS -These are very good for breast feeding moms. You can sprout them and make stir fry. Fenugreek seeds
• NUTS– Almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts etc. Fry them in little ghee with salt and black pepper to taste and eat as snacks when ever hungry after feeding.
• FENNEL SEEDS -Chew simply after each meal or boil water with it and drink through out the day as breastfeeding makes you feel thirsty all the day. Fennel seeds