Is it low milk supply?

It is so easy for you to doubt yourself as a new mum (or not so new mum). The smallest little thing that your baby does can make you feel like you’re doing it all wrong and send you into a spiral of anxiety and worry that you’re not good enough. Breastmilk supply is often one of the first things mums start to worry about. There are many “signs” that make mums think they don’t have enough milk, but these are usually unreliable signs and can lead you to think you have a low supply when you actually don’t (also called perceived low supply).

Some common things that make mums think they have low supply:

Unsettled baby, especially in the late afternoon/early evening

Have you heard of “the witching hour”? It is very common for babies to have some period in the day where they’re fussy and cranky for no apparent reason. Even when they have been fed, nappy has been changed and they’re having cosy cuddles. We don’t really know why this happens, but so many babies do it, we know it must be normal. Most often this happens in the late afternoon or evening, but some babies do it at other times. This behaviour on its own does not mean you have a low supply.

Cluster feeding (baby wanting to feed on and off for hours at a time, often in the late afternoon/early evening)

As above, unsettled periods of the day or night where baby wants to feed on and off many times close together is normal baby behaviour, especially in the first few months. However, it is not normal for a baby to do this all day, every day – this would be a red flag and good reason to investigate the cause with a lactation consulant to rule out a feeding issue and GP to rule out a medical issue.

Baby won’t sleep for long periods

Short naps are a variation of normal baby sleep! There is no research evidence to say that cat naps are bad. Some babies naturally have fewer sleeps but sleep for longer each time and some babies naturally have shorter sleeps and nap more often. It all depends on how quickly their sleep pressure builds which is different from person to person (in adults and babies). This behaviour on it’s own is not a sign that you have low supply.

Breasts feel soft or don’t get engorged anymore

When breastfeeding is going well, most mums start with more breastmilk than their baby needs. Your milk supply naturally settles down so you only make what your baby needs at around 6-8 weeks. It’s common to feel less full at this time and no longer get uncomfortaably full. 

Breasts don’t leak

This varies from mum to mum. Some mums leak a lot and some not at all – this related to the anatomy of your breast and nipple and is not related to supply at all.

I can’t express much milk

Many mums worry that they have a low milk supply when they can’t get much milk from expressing. The amount you get when you express doesn’t show what’s inside your breasts. Your milk is released from the storage areas of your breast by a reflex called the milk ejection reflex (commonly known as the let down reflex). This reflex is triggered by hormones in response to your baby sucking at the breast. For some mums, this reflex is easily triggered (e.g. they start leaking milk when their baby cries, not necessarily while feeding), but for others it can be harder to get the letdown happening when your baby is not doing the sucking. Our bodies are designed to respond to our babies, but breast pumps are not as cute and cuddly as babies, so our bodies don’t always respond as well, making it hard to get the milk flow happening. So, the problem is not your supply, it’s actually getting the milk out of your breasts.

The only reliable signs you need to watch for to know that your baby is getting enough breastmilk are:

• Your baby is having at least 5 heavily wet nappies each day
• Your baby is doing 3 runny/soft poos each day (babies older than 6 weeks may do less, but they should still be runny/soft)
• Your baby is gaining enough weight
• Your baby is growing in length and head circumference
• Your baby is generally content (remember, all babies have fussy periods throughout the day)
•  Your baby is meeting all their developmental milestones

If you are noticing things that make you worry about your supply, bring your focus back to the reliable signs! Use this as your reassurance when you are doubting yourself.

If your baby is not showing the signs that they are getting enough breastmilk, get help from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) ASAP to help you work out what’s going on and get your supply back on track.