Means to enhance lactation. the main factors influencing the increase and maintenance of lactation. Aids to increase milk supply

Should I take milk lactation pills? How do modern tools work? How effective are they? What should a nursing mother choose to increase breast milk production? Features of the products “Apilak”, “Mlekoin”, “Laktogon”, “Femilak” for normalizing lactation.

Concern about insufficient milk production occurs in most new mothers. He is called various factors: restless behavior of the baby, lack of feeling of breast swelling, increased intensity of sucking. In this situation, the most reasonable solution seems to be taking lactogenic agents. But lactation consultants warn that it's not that simple.

Primary and secondary hypolactation

Hypolactation is not a disease. This is an individual condition of a woman’s body in which the production of breast milk is reduced or completely impossible. There are two types of hypolactation.

Primary hypolactation. Observed during the first ten days after birth. Diagnosed in no more than 2.8% of women. It manifests itself as a sharp lack of milk or its complete absence (agalactia). The causes of primary hypolactation are endocrine, neuropsychiatric disorders, imbalance hormonal levels. In some cases, the condition can be corrected by taking hormonal drugs.
Secondary hypolactation. Occurs within a few weeks or months after birth. It is a consequence of diseases (previous mastitis, infectious and inflammatory processes) in which breastfeeding was temporarily suspended. Or a response to improper organization of breastfeeding: irregular, rare and incorrect attachments, lack of night feedings, use of pacifiers and pacifiers. Secondary hypolactation can be corrected by eliminating errors in the organization of feeding.

There is also a third type of hypolactation - false, when a woman's breast milk production is at a sufficient level. However, for a number of reasons, she is sure that it is not enough. In these situations, you should find out if the baby has enough milk and continue breastfeeding as usual.

Tablets to increase lactation are used only for secondary hypolactation. In case of primary, non-hormonal drugs, which are the drugs “Apilak”, “Lactogon”, “Mlekoin” and others, will not have any effect.

Signs of false hypolactation

According to the observations of consultants breastfeeding, breast milk deficiency exists only in Not large quantity women. At the same time, many mothers are worried that the baby is not receiving food in the required amount, completely due to detached signs.

Experts from the European Breastfeeding Association KellyMom cite the factors of sufficient milk supply. Mom should not worry about hypolactation if she observes them.

The baby pees 12 times a day. Check this if the baby is wearing disposable diaper, impossible. The test will help you make sure wet diapers" Do not use diapers for 24 hours and count how many times your baby peed. If there is enough urination, then there is enough milk.
The baby poops several times a day. Newborns have bowel movements very often. By the second month, the frequency decreases, but is usually 3-4 times a day.
The baby asks for the breast often. Milk is digested very quickly. Forty minutes is enough for the stomach to completely absorb one “portion” received. Accordingly, latching a newborn to the breast twice an hour is the norm.
The frequency of sucking has increased. The baby suddenly began to ask to be breastfed more often and to suckle longer. This is how growth spurts manifest themselves. They do not require taking medications to increase milk lactation. Just let your baby suckle as much as he needs. Growth spurts are usually overcome within a few days.
The sucking routine has changed. The baby began to suckle more often and spends less time at the breast. This does not mean that “the chest is empty.” As babies grow older, they learn to empty it more efficiently, which helps them cope with milk faster.
The child is “scandalous.” This fact could be related to anything. An abundance of emotions and impressions, a lack of mother’s attention, discomfort in the tummy, a feeling of cold or heat... The best cure for all problems in infancy is mother's milk. Therefore, it should be offered to the baby without restrictions.
The baby willingly eats the formula after breastfeeding. Indeed, many babies can happily feed from a bottle after nursing. But this does not indicate the amount of milk a woman has. Rather, it means that periodic supplementary feeding with the formula will gradually reduce the level of natural lactation.
Milk does not leak from the breast. Or the mammary glands do not “bulge” as before. These factors indicate that your body has adapted to breastfeeding. And it produces as much milk as the baby consumes.
Milk is not expressed. Many women cannot fully express their breasts even with a breast pump. The reason for this is a combination of many factors that provoke milk production. The child does this much more productively than the most advanced breast pump. Therefore, comparing the amount expressed with what the baby consumes is a waste of time and effort.

In these situations, there is no reason to talk about a woman’s lack of milk. Taking medications to increase milk lactation can lead to an excess of milk. This condition is dangerous due to the formation of stagnant processes due to the fact that the child cannot suck it out completely. And the woman’s discomfort due to leakage of milk from the breast, a feeling of “fullness,” and pronounced hot flashes.

Myths about lactation products

The role of drugs that stimulate breast milk production is exaggerated. According to AKEV breastfeeding consultant Irina Ryukhova, they often only have a psychological effect.

Lactogonic agents should be taken when restoring lactation, if the technique is used mixed feeding or a woman wants to transfer the baby from artificial feeding to natural feeding. In this case, taking “special medications” will help the mother better tune in to increasing lactation.

Let us dwell on the popular misconceptions associated with taking lactogenic drugs.

Pills to improve lactation should be taken by all nursing mothers. A huge number of women raised their children without using pills. Others took them only during “lactation crises” and were able to maintain lactation. In each case, the woman resorts or does not resort to additional funds, based on the circumstances. If a drug allows her to remain confident that she is doing everything right, she can take it as much as necessary.
The tablets increase milk production. The production of breast milk does not depend on the woman’s nutrition and drinking regime. This information is provided by the World Health Organization in its recommendations for feeding children under two years of age, based on scientific research. The level of milk production is determined solely by the intensity of the synthesis of hormones - prolactin and oxytocin. And lactogenic drugs have no effect on them.
Thanks to the tablets, you can prolong lactation. The best way to prolong lactation is the mother's desire to breastfeed. And the best tactic for this would be frequent and regular feeding of the baby to the breast. The female mammary glands work according to demand-supply tactics. That is, they produce exactly as much milk as is extracted from them. There will be “demand” and there will be milk.
If you take pills, the milk will not “burn out.” The very concept of “milk burnt out” has nothing to do with physiology. Even if there is insufficient production of it in the breast and the absence of the baby’s latching or pumping, it remains in it for forty days. You can restore lactation in full, even if you have not breastfed for a month.
The tablets are completely safe. Used in lactation products natural ingredients: plant extracts, vitamin complexes. However, there is no guarantee that any of the ingredients will not cause an allergic reaction in you. Considered to be the safest homeopathic remedies. But modern medicine does not classify them as medicinal drugs. The content of active substances in them is so small that it cannot have any effect on the human body.

Drugs to stimulate lactation should only be used in combination with other techniques. They are ineffective as stand-alone “therapy.” Regular latching of the baby to the breast, continuous tactile skin-to-skin contact, co-sleeping and a positive attitude from the mother are required. Then the milk will come back!

Popular drugs

Let us dwell on the features of popular products recommended for nursing women to increase breast milk production.

Apilak

The active ingredient of the drug "Apilak" is royal jelly. It is recommended to take it for decreased immunity, neurological disorders and hypolactation. It is produced in tablets, the course of treatment is 15 days, three tablets per day.

It has no contraindications, since royal jelly is a safe natural product. Doesn't call side effects, except for possible individual intolerance.

Mlekoin

Homeopathic remedy with three components: stinging nettle, meadow lumbago, agnus cactus. Plant substances normalize venous blood flow, improve sleep, relieve anxiety and stimulate the production of breast milk. Produced in granules, it can be taken during the entire period of breastfeeding.

The volume of active ingredients in the composition of Mlekoin is C50-C200. Theoretically, this means that at least one molecule has a chance medicinal herb getting into even one granule is negligible. Therefore, the main active ingredients of Mlekoin granules can be considered sugar and water. And its effectiveness is due to the “placebo effect,” in which self-hypnosis has a greater impact on the result than the drug itself.

Laktogon

The drug is in tablets and is positioned as a biologically active food supplement. It contains carrot juice, ascorbic acid, ginger, dill, nettle, and royal jelly. Recommended for stimulating lactation. And there is a sound grain in this, since one of folk remedies Increasing milk production is freshly squeezed carrot juice.

We can say that every woman dreams of becoming a mother. And for her child, every mother wants only the best: first - only quality food , Later - good toys, then - an excellent education...

As soon as the baby is born, the mother tries to spend as much time as possible with him.

And nothing can compare with that feeling of happiness, unity with the little life of the dearest person, like the process of breastfeeding.

In addition, it is through breast milk that the baby will receive from the mother all the beneficial substances he needs. Exactly with breast milk The first formation of the baby's future immunity occurs. Therefore, new mothers are very worried if they cannot feed their baby on their own.

So what should those mothers do who do not have milk or have it, but not in sufficient quantity for the baby? Should I immediately run for the mixture? And transfer the baby to artificial feeding? Not necessary. In fact, there are many ways that can help improve lactation: this and special massages, and special herbal teas, and, of course, medical supplies - tablets to increase lactation. This is exactly what we will talk about in our article.

How to tell if you really don't have enough milk

Anxiety that not enough milk is being produced is present in almost every mother. And the fear of this is a fact support many points:

Restless behavior of the baby;
Lack of sensation of milk coming in (breast swelling);
Increasing the intensity of sucking (the baby requires the breast more and more often).

Lack of breast milk (hypolactation) - what is it?

Scientifically, this is called hypolactation. Hypolactation is not a disease. It's just a personality trait female body, in which the ability to produce breast milk is weakened or completely eliminated.

Hypolactation can be primary or secondary:

Primary hypolactation- it can occur during the first week (sometimes 10 days) after birth. It is detected in only less than 3% of women. How it is expressed: it is either a complete absence of milk (agalactia) or a lack of it. Among the reasons why primary hypolactation is possible are hormonal imbalances, endocrine problems, and neuropsychiatric disorders. In some cases, this disorder can be corrected by taking hormonal pills medicines.
Secondary hypolactation- it appears as a result of past inflammation (the same mastitis, or flu, accompanied by high temperature), in which breastfeeding was temporarily interrupted. In addition to illness, secondary hypolactation can be a reaction to an incorrect breastfeeding process: incorrect and single attachments, insufficient night feedings of the child, the use of pacifiers or nipples. This type of hypolactation can be corrected if you simply get rid of mistakes made when feeding your baby.

False hypolactation

There is another type of hypolactation - false hypolactation. In this case, the woman produces milk in the required quantity, however, she is firmly convinced that it is not enough. In this case, you can simply find out if the baby has enough milk and continue breastfeeding your newborn as usual.

How to make sure that hypolactation is false:

Conduct a “wet diaper” test - if the baby pees about 10-12 times a day, then there is no need to worry - he has enough milk.
Bowel movements occur quite often: in the first months of life, the baby “walks around” often; by the second month of life, the frequency decreases, but it still happens on average 3–4 times a day.
The child often requires the breast - breast milk is absorbed almost completely and quite quickly, so if the baby asks for the breast twice an hour, this is normal.
The frequency of sucking has increased - if the newborn begins to ask for the breast more often and suck longer - this is how “growth spurts” demonstrate themselves, in this case there is no need to worry.
The sucking regime has changed - the baby begins to ask for the breast more often, but quickly gets full - the baby is growing, so he needs less and less time to eat all the milk.
The child has become capricious - this is not necessarily a manifestation of a lack of milk. In fact, there can be many reasons for this: colic in the tummy, fatigue, and the desire to receive an additional portion of mother’s attention.
The baby happily supplements with formula after sucking - this does not mean that the mother has less milk, but rather that supplemental feeding with formula will reduce the frequency of natural lactation.
Milk does not “leak” from the breast - this only indicates that the woman’s body has adapted to breastfeeding and began to produce as much milk as the baby needs.