Best way to increase milk supply?

[LittlePinapple]

Hello all,

Does anyone have any tips to increase my milk supply?
My DS is 9 weeks old and exclusively breast fed but I'm starting to feel a lot less full ad he has started sleeping around 7hrs at night and constantly seems hungry throughout the day. I know he's feeding well as he's already put on 6lbs since he was born. But if anyone has any tips to increase my supply I would be very great full

My grandmother always said to have some beer. She breastfed five babies and was brilliant at everything else, so I believed her and it worked for me.

Lots of skin to skin and feeding on demand. The feeling of fullness does change as your body gets used to feeding. Your baby may not be hungry at each feed but 'putting in their order' for the oncoming days, this in itself boosts production.

Your milk supply settles down so you feel less full. This is because your breast make milk as you are breastfeeding. The best way to make more milk is to remove more milk. Offering extra feeds is the simplest. That said if baby is growing and having 6 plus wet nappies a day and is having some periods of awake and content there probable isnt a reason to increase milk production

Rest, eating loads of really good food, drinking lots of liquid, and skin to skin cuddles all day in bed watching box sets. An occasional light exercise like a pram walk.

As other posters have said, what you've described sounds absolutely normal and (as long as baby is gaining weight and having 6 heavy wet nappies a day) your supply is totally fine.

Your body makes enough milk to feed your baby. In the early weeks you often have more milk than baby needs. When your breasts are full of milk it actually signals to your body to make less milk as baby hasn't removed it. Soft breasts don't mean empty breasts and as long as you are responding to baby's needs and feeding responsively you're doing great.

This article explains it well: kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/breast-fullness/

Also, 7 hours a night sounds totally fine at that age and sleep changes so frequently you should enjoy it while you can. That said, if baby isn't gaining weight well then you'd need to re-look at it and possibly wake in the night for a feed.

If you are having lots of wet nappies and your baby is growing there is nothing wrong with your supply. DS is just falling into a bit of a pattern for now and as he is having such a long sleep at night is making up for it in the day. He will organise your supply as long as you are eating and drinking enough.

Mine is 10 weeks old.
I used to express every 3 hours and my milk supply really increased. I was expressing about 250ml each time.
But then because we had so much milk (and I'd started back at work) I reduced the expressing to every 5 hours, and I've noticed a drop in the amount when I express.

Do you express in between feeds? As this May encourage milk supply.

Do nothing. Your body has adjusted to make enough milk as shown by weight gain and wet and dirty nappies.

And wow I'm jealous of the sleep! Still breastfeeding here at 13m and she's only now doing 4 hour stretches some nights. Enjoy this time!