Supporting A Person With Chronic Low Milk Supply
Being a support person for someone with chronic low milk supply can feel overwhelming. You might feel like you don’t know the right thing to say or do as you watch your loved one navigate this challenge. Here are a few ways that you can support them through their journey with chronic low supply.
Supportive Words
This one is simple: tell your partner that you support their feeding decisions, whether that means triple feeding, exclusive pumping, using an SNS, or exclusive formula feeding. Remind them that their love for their baby is not measured in ounces, and that no matter how they feed their baby, they are enough.
Wondering what not to say? Check out this blog post by a mom who has dealt with chronic low supply multiple times.
Step Up Around the House
Feeding a baby while grappling with chronic low milk supply can easily take twice the work and time of exclusive breast- or formula-feeding. If your partner is triple feeding (nursing then bottle feeding then pumping) their baby or pumping multiple times a day, they may need you to do some extra housework, baby care, and/or care for other children in the home. A great way to show your support is to take some tasks off the lactating parent’s plate.
Help Them Advocate For Their Health
While there are currently no guidelines for diagnosing chronic low milk supply, the condition has been linked to several long-term chronic hormonal conditions, such as thyroid dysfunction, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), insulin resistance, pre-diabetes, and Type-II diabetes (see references below; these are great resources to share with a medical professional if they are not familiar with lactation insufficiency).
If your partner is concerned that they may have an undiagnosed chronic health condition that is causing their low milk supply, encourage them to find empathetic medical providers who will help them navigate the testing process. Additionally, if your partner feels that their concerns have been dismissed by their healthcare provider(s), encourage them to find one who will listen to their concerns. Your partner is the best advocate for their own health, and you can support them in their journey!
Guide Them to Resources
While research about chronic low milk supply is unfortunately sparse, a few good resources do exist for parents navigating this condition. Here are a few to share with your partner, in addition to the resources on the Low Milk Supply Foundation website:
The IGT and Low Milk Supply Support Group on Facebook
Finding Sufficiency: Breastfeeding with Insufficient Glandular Tissue by Diana Cassar-Uhl
Healing Breastfeeding Grief by Hilary Jacobson
Help Your Partner Get Help If Needed
Chronic low milk supply can feel like a slap in the face. Planning to breastfeed your child, then having that choice taken away, can be a traumatic experience. When that trauma is combined with the hormonal roller coaster of the postpartum period, some parents find themselves battling mood disorders, such as postpartum anxiety and postpartum depression, in addition to chronic lactation insufficiency. If you see that your partner is exhibiting signs of a postpartum mood disorder, one of the best things you can do for them and their baby is to help them access mental health services.
References
Neifert M, DeMarzo S, Seacat J, Young D, Leff M, Orleans M. The influence of breast surgery, breast appearance, and pregnancy-induced breast changes on lactation sufficiency as measured by infant weight gain. Birth 1990; 17: 31–38.
Cromi A, Serati M, Candeloro I, Uccella S, Scandroglio S, Agosti M et al. Assisted reproductive technology and breastfeeding outcomes: a case-control study. Fertil Steril 2015; 103: 89–94.
Baker JL, Michaelsen KF, Sørensen TIA, Rasmussen KM. High prepregnant body mass index is associated with early termination of full and any breastfeeding in Danish women. Am J Clin Nutr 2007; 86: 404–411.
Lee S, Kelleher SL. Biological underpinnings of breastfeeding challenges: the role of genetics, diet, and environment on lactation physiology. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2016; 311 (2): E405 - E422.
Page updated August 8, 2021.