Ask the Expert: TCM perspective on increasing milk supply

Hi Joy Love Faith! For your issue, we would advice to look at the causes of blocked ducts and treat that first before addressing the lesser milk production of the left breast. There is a possibility that lesser milk production is caused by the blockages. TCM believes that the stagnation of Qi are reasons for causing blockages in the milk ducts. Hence we will recommend you to have meridian lactation massage and consumption of TCM herbs to help boost your Qi for a better flow of breastmilk. When this blocked ducts issue has been resolved, by increasing the number of feeds or pumps for the left side, we believe your left side supply should increase over time. - Yen & Judy 💕

Yes, it is definitely possible to increase your milk supply by latching often. Latching often and latching on demand is one of the key methods to increase your milk supply. Do note that the frequency that we’re talking about is 8-12 times a day.Besides the frequency of milk removal, we will also need to ensure other breastfeeding basics are being fulfilled, such as the duration and efficiency of baby’s latch. Is your baby emptying your breast well? Yes, there are recommended TCM herbs targeted to help mothers increase their milk supply. TCM believes that a healthy lactation is dependent on a good circulation of Qi and blood. Consuming recommended TCM herbs such as dang seng, tong cao, mai dong, jie geng, huang qi, dang gui will boost your Qi and Blood, boosting production of breastmilk. It really depends on each body’s constitution. Some mommies will need to continue to supplement with regular intake of TCM herbs especially for mommies who have Qi and Blood deficiency. We will recom

Hi Channie! It is important to seek your Chinese Physician for their advice, when you are prescribed Chinese herbs for any medical condition while you are breastfeeding. For example, Madam Partum confinement herbal products are formulated specially to support breastfeeding that you consume during your confinement period and you can actually breastfeed directly after consuming the herbal soup. It is safe to consume ginseng during breastfeeding as ginseng boost Qi for new mothers. Qi is one of the primary factors in boosting breast milk supply. - Yen and Judy 💕

You are welcome! For your first question, it is not necessary to pump if your baby latches and drinks well from your breast. Some of the signs that you can tell if your baby drinks well from your breast are the amount of outputs such as dirty and wet diapers your baby makes and meeting his/her growth milestones. There are situations where you will need to pump after latching your baby when your baby sleeps after latching on only one breasts, and the breasts still feel full. Remember it is important to empty your breast well after each feed. This way, you can ensure that you will have a smooth production of breast milk. As for your second question, we can tell from the contentment that babies show when they have drank enough and release the breasts on their own at the end of feeds. A rhythmic movement of sucking and swallowing of milk will also be seen and their mouth looks moist after feeding. Some of the signs that you can tell if your baby drinks well from your breast are the am

Some mothers do experience a delayed onset of lactation, sometimes taking up to five days. Just because your milk is coming in later doesn’t necessarily mean that you are not able to produce milk or is a low supply mum. We understand that this is a stressful period and this itself can interfere with let-down and hence leading to a vicious cycle. It will be good to understand some factors resulting in delayed lactation are caused during childbirth, poor breastfeeding management or medical and health issues. From TCM perspective, it could be due to poor qi and blood deficiency or liver and qi stagnation that has caused a delay in lactation. Do come in for a consultation and seek breastfeeding support from us early to understand better. Until your milk comes in, latching your baby often, emptying your breasts regularly and holding your baby skin to skin will definitely promote milk production. - Yen and Judy 💕

Hi Mama! There are many factors that could contribute to this difference. Some of the reasons could be: - Pre-existing medical and individual body constitution is a critical factor - Poor breastfeeding management - Inadequate rest and nutrition - Poor Emotional state So it is important to keep a positive mindset and find support amongst the new mothers to encourage each other continuously. Check in with us at Madam Partum anytime if you face any issues or challenges, we are here to support you in your breastfeeding journey. - Yen and Judy 💕

Hi Sarah Bateman! Yes, it is possible. To help advice better, we will need to understand more information from you. For example how long have you breastfed your baby before you stopped. Are you still currently able to see any milk oozing out from your breasts? This is a relactation process and similar to the early days of breastfeeding, you will need to fulfill all the breastfeeding basics to kickstart the milk production. We will be happy to share more and advise you on how to go about the relactation process. Check in with us anytime to arrange to meet with our Chinese Physician Judy, who is also a certified lactation instructor, to guide you on this journey together. - Yen and Judy 💕

Hi Anini, how many days postpartum are you currently? Do note that breastmilk supply will take a while to increase if you are in your early days of childbirth. To help boost your milk production, we will always recommend mommies to consume pro lactating food and herbs first as they are the most natural ingredients to increase your breast milk. Food such as oats, almonds, avocado, fish are amongst the popular recommendations. Herbs such as Tong Cao 通草, Huang Qi 黄芪, Dan Sheng 党参, Dang Gui 当归, Jie Geng 桔梗, Mai Dong 麦冬 are one of our recommended recipe for Pro-Lactation soup.

Hi Calyn! Most mommies do notice a difference in milk supply between breasts. This is normal and usually not a problem if the difference is not huge. However, for those mommies who prefer to even things out or for those mommies that a noticeable breast size is seen, you may wish to take note of the few possible causes such as: - Differences in number of milk ducts and alveoli. - Were there any blocked ducts occurrence? - Were there breasts surgery or injury previously? - Were there any mommy’s or baby’s preferred side of breast. These above could be reasons for the differences. There are definitely ways to increase the lesser side, 1 of which is to encourage more feedings and emptying of the lesser side first. Adding in breast compressions during feeds/pumps, regular massages, TCM herbs and even acupuncture are also ways to help increase the milk production. - Yen & Judy 💕

Hi Zoey! Yes. Both methods that you’ve mentioned are effective ways to increase your milk supply. However the key is still to fulfil on your breastfeeding basics. Frequent milk removal is still the primary way to increase your milk supply. As they always say, SUPPLY=DEMAND. - Yen & Judy 💕