Improving Breast Milk Supply with Acupuncture

If you’re a new mom, you will want to do everything you can to care for your new baby. One of the best ways to look after your little one is by breastfeeding them. Breast milk contains vital nutrients as well as antibodies to boost your baby’s immune system. It is also a great way for the two of you to bond in those early days.

But breastfeeding does not come naturally to all moms. For some, it is simply not the right choice. Some desperately want to breastfeed but are stopped by physical issues such as low milk supply.

So if you’re doing everything you can to try and boost your milk production, you might also want to try traditional Chinese medicine. This is a safe and natural way to promote lactation and allow you to successfully breastfeed your child.

Let’s take a look at how Chinese medicine views the changes that happen to your body during and after pregnancy, and how that can affect your ability to produce breast milk.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, there are two major causes of low milk supply. They are Stomach and Spleen qi and blood deficiency, and Liver and Heart qi and blood stagnation.

The Stomach and Spleen

In traditional Chinese medicine, the Stomach and Spleen are the most important organs involved in the digestive process. They take the nutrients from food and transform them into blood and qi to nourish your body. During pregnancy, more qi and blood is sent to the uterus to nourish the fetus. This can leave mom’s body deficient.

More qi and blood is lost during labor. Giving birth is very exhausting and traumatic, both physically and mentally. After giving birth, you need to give your body a chance to heal itself. It needs to be fed and nourished. It is important to rest and eat well after giving birth, but with a new baby to look after, it is all too easy to neglect your own needs.

This starts a vicious cycle. Your hungry body is lacking nutrients which leads to delayed recovery. This leads to feelings of frustration, worry, and anxiety, which leads to muscle tightness, bad posture, pain, lack of sleep and fatigue. In turn, this prevents healing, leaving your body even more hungry and crying out for help.

Feeling stressed out, tired and anxious are all factors which contribute to the second cause of low milk supply; Liver and Heart qi and blood stagnation.

The Liver and Heart

The Liver and the Heart are responsible for the circulation of qi and blood in the body. When they are weakened by negative emotions such as worry, frustration, and anxiety, qi and blood are unable to flow freely. This leads to blockages, in this case preventing the resources needed to produce enough milk from moving to where they need to be.

For most moms with milk production issues, the problem is a combination of these two conditions.
Chinese medicine can help the situation in various ways on both a physical and emotional level.

How Ravenswood Chiropractic Can Help

Our Licensed Chicago Acupuncturist uses Acupuncture to tonify Stomach and Spleen energy, supplement qi and build blood. Chinese herbs can be used together with acupuncture to further help your recovery and optimize organ function.

Going for acupuncture treatment provides an opportunity to unwind and relax away from your hectic new schedule with baby. It also relieves the aches, pains and stress-related to nursing. It helps sleep and relieves depression and frustration.

All of this restores the free coursing of the Liver and promotes circulation of qi and blood, while also nourishing the Heart.

Call 773.878.7330 and speak with one of our expert team members today about how Traditional Chinese Medicine can help improve your milk supply.