Breastfeeding: TCM Ways to boost your breast milk supply.

How does acupuncture support breastfeeding? When you start breastfeeding, you may worry that your baby is not getting enough milk. It usually occurs within 2-3 days or 15 days after delivery. However, it may also occur during the entire lactation period. It is based on whether it can satisfy the baby as the standard. As far as traditional Chinese medicine is concerned, the lack of milk is divided into deficiency patterns and excess patterns.

(1) Dual deficiency of qi and blood 

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that breast milk is transformed by qi and blood. The food eaten is transformed into breast milk through the operation of the spleen and stomach, digestion, and absorption, so the food eaten is essential, and the health of the spleen and stomach is also significant.

Both natural delivery and cesarean section consume blood and energy. If you don’t eat enough after delivery or have a spleen and stomach deficiency, it will affect milk production. As a factory, one is the lack of raw materials, and the other is the poor efficiency of the production line, which will affect the quality of the finished product. Usually, this type of parturients has insufficient milk supply, thin milk, less breast engorgement, pale or chlorosis, fatigue or dizziness, poor appetite, or bloating after eating.

(2) Stasis of qi and blood stagnation 

This type of parturient is mainly prone to anxiety and tension, leading to liver qi stagnation, poor qi flow, and obstruction of milk flow. Or improper feeding, resulting in milk accumulation and stuffing. In addition to breast swelling and firmness, symptoms such as depression, chest tightness, loss of appetite, and dry stool are prone to occur. Generally speaking, to avoid insufficient milk, mothers still have to eat more soups and have sufficient nutritious protein. Avoid raw and cold food, melons and fruits, and spicy and greasy products. The most important thing is maintaining a good mood and adequate sleep to maintain an excellent state and to have a stable milk supply.

TCM support

1) Acupuncture achieves the effects of invigorating the spleen and stomach, soothing liver qi, dispelling collaterals, and dredging milk, so the milk increases. Try acupuncture for breastfeeding!

2) Chinese herbal medicine can promote milk after delivery for two weeks to prevent premature use and induce mastitis. This can combine with acupuncture treatment for best breastfeeding results.

3) Cupping one time a day, three times as a course of treatment.

Acupoint home massage

Press the Tanzhong acupoint for the first three days until it doesn’t hurt much, indicating that the Qi is unblocked. 

Then, stimulate the Shaoze acupoints on both sides for 2 minutes with the tip of a toothpick every afternoon between 1:00 pm-3:00 pm, when the small intestine meridian is the most prosperous. While promoting lactation, it can also promote the absorption of nutrients.

 Press and rub the Taichong points on both sides for 3 minutes before bed. 

Also, cooperate with local massage to promote lactation. Please put it on a hot towel first, and then use the back of a wooden comb to comb from the edge of the breast to the areola, which can help dissolve the lumps.

Everyone’s physique is different, and the physical state will also be changed by the external environment, such as the season of birth or one’s eating habits. Therefore, treatment plans, herbal medicine supplements, or medicated diets are recommended after evaluation by a TCM practitioner. Acupuncture can support your breastfeeding journey.

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