5 Reasons Why You Might Not Produce Breast Milk Immediately After Birth

Childbirth is something that every expectant mother looks forward to. It is one of the most joyous moments when she gets to hold her child and breastfeed him/her. But sometimes, certain complications may tend to arise due to different reasons. In some cases, it so happens that you are not able to produce milk at all in the initial days after the birth. But this does not always mean that you will not be able to produce milk at all, sometimes there is a delay in the production of milk and this might be due to some reasons. These reasons are as listed below-

1. The first baby

The most common reason for the late production of breastmilk in a lot of new moms is the fact that it is their first child and as such this transformation is the first ever for them. This means that their body needs a bit more time and the hormones are still doing the final touches in the beginning of milk production. If this is your case then worry not and just keep trying to express the milk.

2. Premature Delivery

Although your body becomes ready to produce milk by the end of the second trimester, the stress of premature delivery, however, can actually delay the milk production. Also, sometimes a mother is not able to breastfeed the baby because of the child being premature and thus it starts inhibiting her milk supply for some time. No matter what happens, keep trying to pump breast milk by hand or a pump so that the supply remains constant.

3. Due to hormonal issues

Sometimes the breast milk production is delayed if there are some hormonal issues in the mother’s body like PCOS or hypothyroidism. These hormonal imbalances tend to directly affect the breastfeeding capabilities of the mother thereby making it difficult to produce breast milk. Keep trying to breastfeed your baby and you are sure to start producing milk soon enough.

4. Retention of placenta fragments

After the childbirth happens, the placenta automatically goes out of the womb which thereby begins the process of breast milk production. But a lot of the times some placenta fragments are still left in the womb and this does not allow the required hormonal changes to happen. Your doctor will notice it if this is the case and once these fragments are removed, the milk production will begin.

5. Overweight

Research has found out that breast milk production can actually be delayed if the mother is overweight or has gained a lot of weight during the pregnancy. Due to the increased weight, some hormonal imbalance tends to occur that often affects the mammary glands and the milk production. Just keep on trying to feed your baby through your breasts and this simulation will soon help improve the milk production.