How Meditation Can Help Boost Your Milk Supply
By Wendy, Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
One of the most common concerns that breastfeeding moms have is that their baby isn’t getting enough milk. This is totally understandable! You can’t exactly count the ounces of breastmilk that reach your baby’s stomach, and it can be hard to trust that your baby is getting enough.
The good news is that in most cases, moms make just the right amount of milk for their babies. As long as your baby is healthy and gaining an appropriate amount of weight, your milk supply is likely just fine.
That said, sometimes moms do encounter worrying decreases in their supply. Milk supply may dip when you go back to work and start pumping, when your baby’s sleep patterns change, or when your baby is going through a nursing strike.
In some cases, your own stress may impact your milk supply. Sometimes the stress about your supply itself can have an impact! This is where meditation and other relaxation techniques can come in handy.
Let’s take a look at how meditation and relaxation can give your milk supply a boost.
How Your Mood Affects Your Milk Supply
The most effective way to increase your supply is by nursing or pumping more frequently. Breastmilk supply is a “supply and demand” system, where the more milk you take out, the more you produce. Additionally, some moms do have medical reasons why they are unable to produce a full supply. Talk to a lactation consultant or your healthcare provider if you think this may be an issue for you.
That said, there is evidence that your mood can have an effect on your milk supply—most notably, your “milk ejection reflex,” or letdown. Milk supply is orchestrated by two hormones: prolactin and oxytocin. Prolactin stimulates your milk production overall, and oxytocin causes your breasts to release milk, or let down. Oxytocin is released by your body in response to your baby suckling, but it’s also triggered by your emotional state. That’s why you might have a letdown reflex when you hear your baby cry from the other room. There is also evidence that oxytocin is released in greater amounts the happier and more relaxed you are.
How Mediation (And Relaxing In General) Can Help With Milk Flow
Many mothers find that their milk flows more readily after meditation or guided relaxation sessions. A small, but fascinating experiment reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition backs up this idea. The researchers studied a group of breastfeeding mothers who participated in relaxation therapy for two weeks. They found that these moms had lower levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in their milk, and their babies gained more weight than the moms who didn’t partake in relaxation therapy.
Pretty amazing, huh?
Other Relaxation Techniques That Can Help
Another study, published in Advances In Neonatal Care, found that moms of premature infants who listened to music while pumping produced “significantly more milk” than moms who didn’t; they were also able to increase the fat content of their milk. Mediation and listening to soothing music are both great ways to enhance your oxytocin and get your milk flowing.
But if those techniques don’t work for you, there are many other ideas to try, including:
Mindfulness breathing exercises
Yoga
Guided visualization
Aerobic exercise (walking, running, swimming)
Drawing, singing, dancing
If you are finding it hard to stimulate your letdown during pumping, adopting some relaxation techniques can help:
Distract yourself while pumping (watch funny videos on your phone, scroll social media)
Cover up the bottle you are pumping into so you don’t have to scrutinize each ounce that comes in
Look at cute pictures of your baby
Bring something that smells like your baby
Listen to video/audio of your baby
What To Do If You Still Have Milk Supply Concerns
Adding some relaxation techniques into the mix when you are dealing with milk supply issues or fluctuations can be really helpful. But if you continue to experience issues with your milk supply, these methods alone may not be enough. Reach out to a local lactation consultant or breastfeeding counselor: they can help you assess the problem and come up with possible remedies. There is almost always a way to boost your supply, so don’t give up.
