Breast-feeding - A Story of Supply & Demand

Did you know that breastfeeding works on the law of supply & demand? Your baby tells your body exactly what they need…try not to interfere with this process. There are several different ways a baby communicates to their mother that they need more milk. First, by being insatiably hungry for 2-3 days, a baby tells it’s mother that they need to eat constantly & this increased feeding sends a relay to the mother’s brain to increase the milk supply. Secondly, if babies need more milk and they are not getting it at the feeding, they will attempt to eat more frequently. Sometimes, well meaning mothers begin to feel as if they are not making enough milk for their baby and begin to supplement with formula. What actually is happening though, is that human nature is just trying to regulate things on it’s own. The best thing you can do is allow your baby to eat more frequently and 2-3 days later they will settle back into a routine with your breasts making enough milk to their increased needs.

Did you know that your breasts are on a 24-hour clock? Your breasts “know” what times of day your baby feeds and automatically makes milk for that time. Your body also knows if you miss a feeding and will not make as much milk the next day at that specific time. Consistency is important, especially if you have a hectic or irregular schedule. Mothers that are trying to balance home & work are especially impacted by this. An example will help to explain this better. If you wanted to only breastfeed at 1pm every day, your breasts would learn not to fill up except for that time of day! Isn’t that amazing?