Many young mothers face the problem of insufficient breast milk. Due to the young age of their children, many mothers choose to breastfeed. But what can they do when they have very little breast milk? Try traditional Chinese medicine dietary therapy!
Reasons for low breast milk supply in lactating women
1. Lack of rest
During the breastfeeding period, new mothers often have disrupted sleep schedules due to frequent night awakenings. This can lead to insufficient rest and fatigue, which can hinder lactation reflex and affect the quality of breast milk.
2. Poor mood
When taking care of the baby, it is inevitable to have disagreements with the mother-in-law. If the expectant mother is in a bad mood, she may often suppress her emotions, which can also affect the quality of breast milk and cause a sudden decrease in milk production.
3. Physical discomfort
During breastfeeding, if the mother shows signs of a cold or high fever, it can lead to a decrease in breast milk supply. If there are signs of a cold or fever, it is necessary to follow the doctor's advice and continue breastfeeding while taking medication. Do not wean the baby easily, as this can lead to a vicious cycle of decreasing breast milk supply.
4. Possible clogged milk ducts
If there is a clogged milk duct, the mother's breast milk production will naturally decrease. At this time, it is very necessary to clear the milk ducts to prevent the accumulation of milk, which can easily lead to mastitis.
5. Inconsistent breastfeeding
Even if the baby cannot consume a lot of breast milk, mothers should insist on pumping milk at regular intervals every day and completely empty the milk in the breasts. This will promote a healthy cycle of milk production and demand balance.
6. Eating the wrong foods
During the postpartum confinement period, expectant mothers must pay attention to the nutrition in their diet. If there is insufficient Qi and blood, it will be difficult to produce breast milk. In addition, eating the wrong foods during the breastfeeding period, such as accidentally consuming foods like leeks, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, tea leaves, vinegar, bitter gourd, grapefruit, can lead to a decrease in milk supply.
Traditional Chinese medicine dietary therapy to solve low breast milk supply
1. Malted Licorice Glutinous Rice Porridge
Take 30 grams of malted barley and 9 grams of licorice, add 200 milliliters of water, and cook until there is 100 milliliters of liquid remaining. Filter the juice and remove the dregs.
Cook the filtered juice and 150 grams of glutinous rice together. When the rice is cooked, the porridge is ready. Malted barley has the function of promoting milk production and aiding digestion.
Licorice has a sweet and neutral nature, and can harmonize and moderate various medicines. Glutinous rice is known as the "number one food for nourishing the body" in the world. The combination of these three ingredients makes it a good lactation food therapy.
2. Wang Bulei Pig's Trotter Soup
Take 10 grams of Wang Bulei, wrap it in gauze, and put it in a pot with 1-2 cleaned and sliced pig's trotters. Add 1 liter of water, along with an appropriate amount of scallions, ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns. Heat and stew until the meat is tender and the bones can be removed. Remove the medicinal residue and bones and consume the meat and soup.
Pig's trotters have a sweet, salty, and neutral nature. Both pig's trotters and Wang Bulei have good therapeutic effects on insufficient lactation.
3. Mountain Turtle Wang Bulei Chicken Soup
Take a mature hen, remove the feathers and internal organs, and roast 15 grams of mountain turtle until it becomes small pieces. Stuff the turtle into the chicken's abdomen.
Put it in an iron pot, add 1 liter of water, along with an appropriate amount of scallions, ginger, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns. Heat and stew until the meat is tender and the bones can be removed. Remove the medicinal residue and bones and consume the meat and soup.
Roasted mountain turtle and Wang Bulei can promote lactation.
As Li Shizhen stated in the "Compendium of Materia Medica": "It is said that roasted mountain turtle and Wang Bulei can make breast milk flow rapidly."
Chicken meat is rich in nutrition and can both replenish Qi and blood, making it an excellent supplement for lactating mothers.
