Asi does not come out after giving birth: identify the causes and treatments

After giving birth, the next mother's job is to breastfeed your little one. But sometimes, problems arise while breastfeeding. Although it does not happen often, there are mothers who complain that the milk does not come out for several days after giving birth. Actually, what causes this condition?

Why doesn't the milk come out after giving birth?

Every mother of course wants to provide exclusive breastfeeding to the baby to the fullest. Breast milk that does not come out after giving birth is actually fairly normal and not a problem. There are mothers who can breastfeed their babies immediately after giving birth or to be precise when initiating early breastfeeding (IMD).

However, there are also mothers who can only breastfeed their babies after the second to third day after giving birth. No need to worry, because this is a normal thing to happen.

It's just that, what becomes a problem is if the mother's milk doesn't come out until the fourth day or so. In fact, the mother's milk may even come out but in a very small amount that is unable to meet the needs of her baby.

The flow of milk production can be affected by the baby's suction. The more often the baby sucks the mother's breast to get breast milk, the smoother the milk will come out.

However, if the milk that comes out is a little bit early on so that eventually the mother rarely gives her milk to the baby, gradually the milk production stops. As a result, breast milk may not come out smoothly.

This condition can be caused by several factors. The following are various factors that cause breast milk not to come out during breastfeeding after giving birth:

Birth factor

The factor after giving birth can be one of the reasons why the milk does not come out. Some of the causes of this condition occurring after childbirth can be due to the following factors:

1. Mother is stressed

Stress or experiencing a traumatic delivery can trigger breast milk until it becomes difficult or doesn't come out at all. The cause usually occurs because the labor process is very long or done by caesarean section.

Indirectly, this can affect the stress hormones that have an impact on postpartum breast milk.

2. Administration of intravenous fluids during labor

The use of intravenous fluids or intravenous fluids during labor can be one of the causes of your milk production after delivery.

The intravenous fluids can affect the breasts, causing swelling and the milk does not pass until the breasts return to normal.

3. Losing a lot of blood after childbirth

Losing a lot of blood, for example, more than 500 milliliters (ml) after giving birth can hamper milk production.

Usually, this condition occurs because the mother is bleeding after giving birth. This can interfere with the work of the pituitary gland in the brain which controls the lactation hormone to produce milk.

4. Problems with the placenta

Placenta that is difficult to pass from the uterus (retention of the placenta) or any problem with the placenta after delivery can delay milk production and prevent it from coming out.

5. Medication during childbirth

Painkillers that are given during labor have the risk of preventing breast milk from coming out after delivery.

Maternal health factors

Mothers who have health problems can affect the hormones associated with breast milk production. This is what then keeps the milk from coming out while breastfeeding.

Some of the conditions that can affect hormones and prevent breast milk from passing out after childbirth are as follows:

Diabetes during pregnancy or gestational diabetes

This condition can occur in mothers during pregnancy even though they do not have diabetes before.

Gestational ovarian theca lutein cysts

These cysts develop during pregnancy and cause testosterone levels to increase, thus suppressing milk production after delivery.

Being overweight or obese

Mothers who are already overweight before becoming pregnant are at risk of experiencing a decrease in milk production, so that only a small amount of milk comes out. This is associated with low prolactin production.

Have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)

PCOS in the mother can affect hormone levels in the body which then inhibits the production of breast milk.

Medicines that the mother took

Some drugs can cause low milk production, such as hormonal contraceptives. The reason is, hormonal contraceptives contain the hormone estrogen which can affect milk production.

Mother's breast factor

Problems with the mother's breasts can make milk production a little or the milk can't come out smoothly after giving birth.

Some maternal breast problems that affect breast milk production are not smooth after delivery, namely:

Premature birth

Delivering a premature baby may cause the growth of breast tissue that produces milk to stop at the end of pregnancy, resulting in less milk-producing tissue at birth.

Breasts are not fully developed

This can be caused due to hypoplasia or insufficient mammary gland tissue.

Have had surgery or suffered an injury to the breast

This condition can cause damage to breast tissue and nerves, which affects milk production.

Unusual shape of the nipple

Not all women have normal or protruding nipples. There are some women who have unusual nipple shapes such as flat or ingrown nipples.

Early breastfeeding initiation factors

Early initiation of breastfeeding or IMD should ideally take place shortly after the baby is born. Unfortunately, sometimes there are certain medical conditions during childbirth that make it impossible for both mother and baby to initiate early breastfeeding.

Separating mother and baby after birth, aka not doing IMD, can actually affect milk production. As a result, the mother's milk may not be able to come out after giving birth.

This is because the sooner the mother's breasts are emptied, the more the baby's desire to breastfeed in the first hours or days after birth will increase.

Indirectly, this is related to more and more abundant milk reserves in the breast. If the mother rarely breastfeeds or expresses milk in the early stages of breastfeeding, it is likely that milk production will be hampered.

Keep in mind, the more often the breast milk is issued, the smoother the production will be.

Does the milk not come out after giving birth often?

According to Breastfeeding Support, the condition of breastfeeding does not come out at all after giving birth, which is rare. This is because a small portion of colostrum or the first breastmilk fluid will usually appear automatically when your baby is born.

Just because your milk doesn't seem to come out after delivery doesn't mean that you will end up with no milk supply at all or that your milk supply is low.

However, this can be a high risk factor until finally the milk does not appear to come out after delivery.

Whatever the circumstances, it is very important to get help to speed up the production of milk that doesn't seem to come out as quickly as possible and to make sure your baby is eating enough.

If the milk doesn't come out on the third day or so, your baby may start losing weight. Production of breastmilk that does not come out can hamper the physical and mental development of the baby.

Your baby can also become dehydrated or have jaundice because milk is not coming out. You may notice that the baby's meconium (first stool) doesn't change color.

What should I do if the milk doesn't come out?

Breast milk that does not come out is at risk of causing the baby's weight to decrease because the baby's daily needs are not fulfilled properly.

If it is left for too long, this condition is certainly at risk of disrupting the physical and mental development of the baby, especially in the early stages of life. Therefore, as much as possible you should try to "lure" the milk out.

In fact, as long as the colostrum or the first yellowish breast milk comes out you don't need to worry.

The reason is, although the amount of colostrum is not that much, colostrum is usually still sufficient to meet the needs of the baby for several days after birth.

Certain foods and drinks are also believed to help increase milk production. You can regularly consume these foods and drinks to provoke the production of breast milk that doesn't come out.

There are several surefire ways to launch production if the milk from the breast does not come out, namely:

1. Skin contact between mother and baby

Skin-to-skin contact with mother and child is actually very helpful for stimulating oxytocin and prolactin, which are hormones involved in the production of breast milk.

You can hold your baby directly against the skin and offer your breasts to follow how often your baby wants to eat in the early days.

This technique makes it easy for your baby to get lots of colostrum while also preventing you from mastitis and sore nipples.

That way, skin contact between you and your baby can help stimulate milk that doesn't come out.

2. Massage the breast

Breast massage can help improve blood circulation and milk production in nursing mothers. One of the reasons why breast milk does not come out after giving birth may be due to the milk ducts that are not functioning properly.

Through breast massage, the mammary glands that may be clogged or lumpy will slowly break down. The milk that was not able to come out can flow smoothly.

If your first milk production is smooth, your breasts will be "motivated" to produce more. Massaging your breasts will also help you feel more relaxed and comfortable.

In addition, massage on the breasts can make your mind calmer and you can rest well. You can also avoid problems due to stress or lack of sleep.

3. Routine breastfeeding and pumping breast milk

Launching from the La Leche League USA, try to always regularly breastfeed your baby every 2-3 hours or at least pump breast milk. Either using a manual or electric breast pump.

That way, the breasts are still stimulated to keep trying to produce milk. Breastfeeding in the right position will certainly make the process of breastfeeding easier.

Again, the more often the baby feeds, the more milk will be produced in the breast. If various ways have been done but have not yet produced optimal results, try consulting your doctor.

The doctor can find out why the milk does not come out after delivery and help find the right solution according to your condition.