Why some women can't produce milk for their babies?

Answer 1

There are lots of reasons why a woman can't produce enough milk, and the #1 reason is due to a lack of support from people around her. Sometimes women think they aren't producing enough milk when in fact they are capable of making more than enough.

But there are also medical reasons why a woman can't produce enough milk, and too often these get glossed over. These include thyroid disorders, breast reduction surgery or masectomy, insufficient glandular tissue in the breasts, and hormonal imbalances.

Sometimes there are non-medical reasons that cause low milk production, such as poor latch, formula supplementation, feeding on a schedule rather than on demand, the use of pacifiers and bottles in newborns.

Sometimes women may have conditions that are contraindicated with breastfeeding, such as HIV/AIDS or other diseases that are passed through breastmilk, serious illness in the mother requiring drugs that are classified as L5 (contraindicated in breastfeeding), use of ilicit drugs, or other problems.

Rarely, the baby will have conditions where breastmilk is not recommended. These are rare genetic disorders that require a metabolic formula (available by prescription only) in order for the baby to thrive. Occasionally, these babies can receive some breastmilk, but it depends on the severity of the illness in the child.

Occasionally, the baby will have an allergy to something in the mother's milk, although it is pretty rare for a baby to be seriously allergic. Some women do not know that it is something she ate, and not the breastmilk itself, that the baby is allergic to. In these cases, the mother needs to eliminate all sources of the offending food from her diet. This can be tedius and frustrating, especially if the baby has multiple allergies. However the mother can still breastfeed, she just needs support from family, friends and medical professionals in her life, as well as the drive and desire to continue eliminating these foods from her diet for the long haul.

There are ways for most women to be able to breastfeed successfully, even if they have a low milk supply. Talk to a La Leche League leader or a board-certified lactation consultant for support and assistance.

Answer 2

I EC had the best answer! But some women think they can't make milk, when in fact they stopped trying before their milk ever came in.

The percentage of women who physically cannot breast feed is rather low (I think i read <4% at some point), but our society is so unsupportive and backwards about the whole subject many women believe they can't.

Answer 3

thats what i thought when i started breastfeeding...after a week of doing in i went to a lactation consul. and was like help my milk supply is low, and i was wrong. Ur body makes the amount of milk you need. the more ur baby feeds the more milk u have. and if ur pumping and not getting ur babies tounge stimulation ur not going to produce as much as you need. as long as u stay well hydrated and always doing baby to breast ur milk supply should be enough.

Answer 4

Lack of support or they just plain don't want to. Also, birth interventions make the production of milk harder. Women who undergo cesarean sections and use artificial pain management are more likely to have milk production problems. However, there is plenty of information out there about boosting milk supply, but it's only there if you want it to be?

Answer 5

The first answer is great, but they failed to mention stress. I had plenty of milk with my two older kids but chose not to breastfeed. With my daughter i fully intended to breastfeed, but we had a tramatic expierence and my milk never came in. She was early and tiny. I was very stressed, depressed and did not sleep or eat. My milk never fully came in. I barely got enough to wet the tip of the nipple. I pumped on time for two full weeks, even tried medication, but it did not work. Stress can be a big factor.