The perception of weak or insufficient breast milk is a common denominator for many breastfeeding mothers. Due to a lack of confidence in their ability to breastfeed, many women believe they have little milk or that their milk is weak. Most of the time, this is nothing more than a mistaken perception and is often reinforced by family and close people in response to the baby's crying.
Almost all women can produce milk in an amount that exceeds the baby's needs. A baby may not get enough of it, but this is usually because they are not getting what they need or are not being breastfed effectively. It is rarely related to production issues.
“Too much”, persistent or frequent crying is, during the first months, a reason that leads the mother to question the quality of her milk. Many even start unnecessary supplements or complementary foods.
Crying is a form of baby communication and is multifactorial. One of its causes may actually be hunger. Hunger, for example, because you cannot easily obtain the milk you need or because you are going through a period in which you need more, as happens during growth spurts.
Often, the baby cannot obtain milk easily due to inefficient feedings due to poor attachment or inadequate positioning on the breast. This can result in a greater demand from the baby for more frequent and/or longer feedings to obtain enough milk. In these cases, the mother and baby need help so that the breasts are emptied at each feeding.
When a baby is going through a growth spurt, he seems to be hungrier for a few days. This is possibly because it is growing faster than before. During these periods, the baby demands to be fed more often, not because the milk has lost quality and now no longer satisfies him, but because his needs have increased.
It is important to emphasize: whenever any doubt, question or insecurity arises regarding this topic, contact a health professional who can carry out an assessment and consequent advice.
Nurse Ana Patrícia Dias - Postgraduate in neonatal medicine and breastfeeding counselor from UNICEF/WHO.
We hope this article has helped you, if you have any questions or concerns, you can contact Nurse Ana Patricia Dias, through her Instagram. Take the opportunity to follow and follow his Instagram page @camomille.amormil.
