Should You Increase Milk Supply?

A lot of first-time mothers will begin to wonder whether or not they should look into increasing their milk supply. It’s a difficult thing to understand, especially for those mothers that want to avoid the typical baby food you’ll find on shelves. Most of these products contain ingredients you’ve never heard of and are probably not great for your baby regardless of what the label says. Since the concern regarding baby food is becoming larger and larger every day, many mothers are turning to the natural technique we’ve been using for thousands of years. The problem? Not every mother knows if they need to increase their milk supply or not. Some mothers just do not produce enough milk on their own and that can become a big problem when the baby becomes hungry.

 

The Main Thing To Think About

Now whether or not you produce enough milk is not really decided or figured out by you. If you only produce a small amount of milk but it is sufficient for your baby, then you probably do not need to increase your supply unless you plan on breast-feeding longer than usual. However, if your baby is still hungry even after feeding and it seems that you have little milk left, then you obviously need to look into ways of increasing your milk supply and alternatives of feeding your baby. The first course of action is to make sure your baby is well-fed and if that means making a quick pit-stop to the grocery store to buy some, then so be it. Do not let your baby go hungry as increasing milk supply is not something that is done overnight.

 

Signs A Baby Is Still Hungry

In order to determine whether or not it’s something you should be concerned about, you’ve got to figure out whether or not your baby is still hungry even after feeding. The signs are generally pretty obvious and you don’t need instructions on how to observe them, but it is still good to recite them just in case.

1. Crying

The biggest and most obvious way a baby will tell you that he/she is still hungry is by crying. This is often done as a way to tell the mother that something is wrong, but more often than not it is due to hunger or some sort of discomfort. If you notice that when feeding the crying stops and that the crying begins again once feeding is stopped, then you can safely assume that your child is still hungry.

2. Lip Smacking

If your baby is smacking their lips together or sucking on their fingers/other objects, then that is a good sign that they are hungry. Again, this is something that could be done without being hungry and it could be for a different reason, but generally it is a safe assumption to think that lip smacking is a sign of hunger in babies.

3. Positive Reaction To Feeding

If your baby smiles, laughs, or shows any positive emotion when being fed, it is a sign that they are hungry. Now, of course this could just be your child’s way of saying that they’re happy in the moment, but a lot of the time it will be a way to show you that they are still hungry.

 

Bottom Line

If you are noticing these signs and are coming to the conclusion that your baby is still hungry, then it is time to do something about it. Of course we mentioned the potential dangers of some baby foods and why you may want to avoid them. If you are keen on breastfeeding your baby yourself and do not have enough milk supply to satisfy their hunger, it is time to look into a way of increasing your milk supply.

Ana S. Vargas

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Ana S. Vargas

Ana grew up in Oaxaca, Mexico. After her and her sisters’ life was endangered due to personal reasons, their mother had decided that they would immigrate to the United States. She worked two full-time jobs to support her 3 daughters and instilled a certain belief system and work-ethic in Ana and her sisters. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a doctor of medicine degree, Ana worked 4 short years in the field. Shortly thereafter, she decided to follow her passion of blogging and providing insightful information to those who would read her content. She is the primary author of Beauty Intensified.