University Nursing Report: Low Milk Supply Causes and Treatments

This report delves into the issue of low milk supply in breastfeeding mothers, also known as lactation insufficiency or hypogalactia. It explores the various factors contributing to this condition, including insufficient milk drainage, premature birth, preeclampsia, maternal obesity, and poorly controlled diabetes. The report highlights the importance of blood tests to identify underlying disorders such as thyroid issues, anemia, and prolactin levels. It emphasizes the need for education on breastfeeding techniques, including frequent feeding, avoiding alcohol and nicotine, using supplemental feeding devices, and incorporating lactogenic foods. The report stresses the significance of early intervention and education to increase milk supply and ensure adequate nutrition for the infant. References include research on low milk supply, its causes, and interventions to support breastfeeding mothers.

Running head: NURSING
FAMILY HEALTH PROMOTION
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1NURSING
Low milk supply in a breastfeeding woman has been stated to be associated with a
condition known as lactation insufficiency, agalactia, hypogalactia, insufficient milk
syndrome and hypogalactorrhea when the production of milk on a daily basis does not meet
the nutritional needs of the infant (Riddle & Nommsen-Rivers, 2017). Low milk supply has
been found to be caused by allowing the milk to remain inside the breast for long time
periods or when there is insufficient milk draining during breastfeeds.
According to Bright Future, the mother must be screened with blood testing for
certain underlying disorders within the mother. A blood count test for TSH (thyroid-
stimulating hormone), anemia, hyperthyroidism, hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin)
associated with retained placenta and the prolactin levels for an underlying pituitary disease.
PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) has been found to receive special attention which occurs
during the recent years associated with the main factor for low milk supply. IGT diagnosis
must be often done with an IBCLC while examining the breasts. Women associated with this
diagnosis have been found to frequently move to a stage where they can develop milk supply
again. Four prime factors have been found to include the causes which need to be diagnosed.
The causes are premature birth, pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, maternal obesity and
poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes (Riddle, & Nommsen-Rivers, 2016). All these
four conditions have been found to be linked to a specific diseased condition known as
preeclampsia. These are the diagnoses which need to be done in the admitted mother to
identify the real cause for her low milk supply for the infant.
Immunization is not a primary requirement for a recovery from the current condition.
The mother needs to be taught about the breastfeeding process and strategies to increase their
milk supply. These strategies will first include breastfeed as soon as possible, look for any
feeding problems and to ensure whether both the breasts are feeding, must not skip
breastfeeding sessions, avoiding the intake of any types of alcohol and nicotine in the diet.

2NURSING
Both of these compounds have been reported to cause severe lactating disorders in pregnant
mothers (Mehta et al., 2018). The mother should be taught about the use of supplemental
feeding device which will ensure the proper supply of milk to the infant's body regardless of
the mothers own supply. Introducing lactogenic foods and beverages into the diet will allow
the mother to increase the milk supply for her infant. For example, oatmeal can help in
increasing the milk supply because it is full of essential macro and micronutrients required
for a healthy body (Farah, 2016). Thus, it can be stated that in this way the mother needs to
be educated in order to increase her milk supply and immunize her baby with the
immunoglobulin present in her body. This is all about low milk supply by a mother, its
diagnosis and education regarding its treatment.

3NURSING
References
Farah, E. (2016). Understanding how Women with Low Milk Supply Experience
Breastfeeding (Doctoral dissertation).
Mehta, A., Rathi, A. K., Kushwaha, K. P., & Singh, A. (2018). Relactation in lactation failure
and low milk supply. Sudanese journal of paediatrics, 18(1), 39.
Riddle, S. W., & Nommsen-Rivers, L. A. (2016). A case control study of diabetes during
pregnancy and low milk supply. Breastfeeding Medicine, 11(2), 80-85.
Riddle, S. W., & Nommsen-Rivers, L. A. (2017). Low milk supply and the
pediatrician. Current opinion in pediatrics, 29(2), 249-256.