A new mom's biggest worry is not being able to provide breast milk for her baby. No or low milk supply is one of the most common reasons why moms stop breastfeeding. It's often made more complicated by other causes.
As lactation counselors say, there is a solution for every nursing issue. The results vary from one mom to another, but there's a lot you can try to see what works for you.
8 tips from celebrity moms to help increase your milk supply
Breastfeeding is not easy, and it involves a lot of hard work. Over the years, celebrity moms have succeeded in boosting their milk supply. Here's what worked for them.
Latching your baby often.
"Latch lang nang latch, kasi the more that she latches, 'yun 'yung signal ng katawan mo to keep making more milk," Bianca Gonzalez shared in her vlog in 2018.
During that time, her first daughter Lucia had weaned off breast milk after two years of nursing. She also reminded everyone that the amount of pumped milk is not the same as the amount of milk a baby gets from feeding directly from the breasts.
"Ang baby talaga ang pinakamagaling na mag-pump ng milk. Hindi dahil naka-pump ka lang ng two ounces e ibig sabihin yun lang din ang nakukuha ng baby mo sa 'yo," Bianca stressed.
Round the clock milk expression.
"If you're a working mom like me, don't miss a pump session, stick to your schedule, trick your breasts into making more milk because the demand is there," Camille Prats said. She breastfeed daughter Nala for two years, but exprienced a dip in her milk supply when son Nolan was just 3 months old.
Rica Peralejo agrees. "Consistency is key. Never miss a session or opportunity to drain breasts," Rica shared on Instagram. That's on top of nursing on demand. "When I became consistent with my schedule, the milk supply improved also. It wasn't fast, though! It takes time," she said.
Pump anywhere, everywhere.
Shamcey Supsup had to leave her son Nathan to attend to Miss Universe business in Bangkok. Still, she was able to maintain her supply and bring four days worth of breast milk home.
"I would pump in the car, in the restaurant, and even during Miss Universe," Shamcey proudly shared. It's the only way to be consistent with expressing milk. She did the same when she was still breastfeeding daughter Nyke.
"I know it's super hassle to be bringing all my pump parts everywhere I go, but whatever sacrifice as long as it's for the baby then it's definitely worth it!" Shamcey shared.
Learn to hand-express.
Rica had to first accept that she had a breast milk supply issue that she didn't have when she nursed her first son Philip. After that, it's easier to commit to whatever she needed to do to keep her supply up.
After latching your baby, pump or hand-express to empty your breasts. Emptying the breasts of milk is one of the signs that the body needs to produce more milk. Find the right breast pump or better yer, learn how to hand-express.
How do you know if a breast is empty of milk? "Hindi siya actually nae-empty completely, but you feel that milk is removed efficiently from the breast. Parang na-deflate na balloon," Rica described.
Get a lactation massage.
Singer Sitti Navarro and actress Yasmien Kurdi both experienced the miracle of lactation massages on their breastfeeding journeys. Sitti shared it helped relieve breast engorgement and mastitis, while Yasmin said the hilot worked wonders for her milk supply.
There are several ways to get a lactation massage. Some lactation counselors (try L.A.T.C.H. and Arugaan), home service massage providers also offer it. You can also try gadget innovations, such as the LaVie Lactation Massager, that you can buy available online.
Have all the support you need.
Dianne Medina says her husband Rodjun Cruz is 100% supporting her in her breastfeeding journey. "Talagang yung words of encouragement din niya to support me with this breastfeeding journey," Dianne said.
They say it takes a village to raise a child. Breastfeeding is not different. Surround yourself with fellow moms that lift up your spirits and will not judge you no matter what happens.
Think positive; don't stress.
Stress is a factor in your breastfeeding journey, so try to relax and think loving. Bianca used to always imagine that her milk supply is overflowing, and it helps.
Eat right, not just galactagogues.
It's crucial to hydrate often, eat healthily, and try to have a lot of soups and malunggay to support your body's breast milk production. Galagtagouges also help, and they come in many forms now.
There are lactatoin supplements such as malunggay capsules (Paulina Sott0, Ryza Cenon ), coffee or chocolate drinks, sandwich spreads (Chariz Solomon), and the all-time favorites breastfeeding treats like cookies and brownies. Max Collins swears by a milk-boosting smoothie recipe she made herself, with lots of seeds, nuts, and rolled oats.
Keep in mind that no lactation treats can help you if you don't latch your baby!
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