After a woman gives birth, there may be a loss of blood and energy. If labor is long and difficult, there may be challenges in supplying breast milk. Sometimes, there is enough milk but it may not flow properly because there is emotional stress. As a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist, I have been seeing more women come to my clinic with scanty or absent breast milk after childbirth. If you have little to no breast milk supply after birth, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may be an effective treatment for increasing breast milk supply.
Why is Your Breast Milk Supply Low?
1. Blood Loss During Labour
Women may lose lots of blood during labor and birthing. In Chinese Medicine physiology, blood is the source of breast milk and blood loss leads to low breast milk supply. In addition, the new mom also presents with pale complexion, dry skin, and poor appetite.
2. Long Labour
A long and difficult labour may lead to Qi or energy depletion which may result in insufficient lactation as there is not enough Qi to get milk flowing. The symptoms are similar to the above.
3. Emotions
In TCM, strong emotions such as worry, anger, frustration, or resentment may cause stagnation of Liver Qi. The Liver meridian influences the breast and controls the nipple, so stagnant Qi obstructs the smooth flow of breast milk. If Qi flow in the breast is compromised, the new mom may also present distended breasts, abdominal pain, and irritability.
“Breast milk is a product of the transformation of qi and blood..without qi breast milk cannot be transformed, without blood, it cannot be generated.”~Fu Qing Zhu’s Gynecology
Increase Supply and Flow of Breast Milk: Improve Your Qi & Blood
1. AcupunctureAcupuncture works wonders to tonify qi, build and nourish blood, and remove obstructions from the breast. Certain points stimulate the descent of breast milk. If there are strong emotions present, points can be added to smooth the flow. The acupuncture point at the end of the small finger is called “shao ze” meaning smaller marsh is specific for insufficient lactation.
2. Chinese HerbsHerbs are key for treatment here and can be prescribed in powder form. The beauty of being able to custom blend Chinese herbs is that I can add some herbs for nourishing the blood, some for moving Liver Qi, and some for calming the mind. All herbs chosen are safe to drink while breastfeeding.
3. RestIn Traditional Chinese medicine philosophy, when you lie down and rest, your blood flows back into the liver and can be rejuvenated. When the blood is rejuvenated, it can be transformed into breast milk. Additionally, often strong emotions come in new moms due to the lack of sleep from waking regularly to feeding a newborn child. Resting gives your body time to recharge, which not only gives you more energy but also makes the emotions flow more smoothly.
4. Nourishing Foods
- millet+ red date congee
- eggs + milk
- nuts & seeds
- whole grains
- Bone broth
Increase protein intake as breast milk is produced from protein drawn from either your diet or what is stored in your body (beef or chicken are especially good for nourishing blood) (vegetarians must pay great attention to eating enough protein). Increase fluid intake to ensure ample breast milk production.
Here is a Food Cure of Low Breast Milk -Pig’s Trotters Soup
- 2-3 pig trotters
- 3 TBSP soy sauce
- 2 green onions
- 6 garlic cloves
- ½ cup mixed raw peanut and soybean
1. Rub the chopped pig trotters with soy sauce and place in a pot.
2. Cover with 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
3. Remove any of the foam that rises to the surface of the water.
4. Pour everything into a crock pot. Add garlic, green onions, peanuts, and soybean, and continue to boil overnight.
6. Serve with steamed rice.
Herbal Tea: Nettle leaf, Alfalfa, dandelion, fennel, horsetail, and raspberry are excellent and safe for a breastfeeding mom.
More Breast Milk~Yeah!!! Together acupuncture, herbal medicine, rest, and nourishing foods and soups make a great team to support a breastfeeding mother to nourish her growing baby.