What causes low milk production?
Occasionally, a delay in the time when milk “comes in” turns into an ongoing problem with low milk production. Sometimes, a mother has been producing sufficient amounts of milk, and then milk production slowly, or quite suddenly, decreases. Some of the conditions associated with a delay may also have an ongoing effect on milk production, including, but not limited to, the following: • severe postpartum hemorrhage (excessive bleeding) • retained placental fragments • thyroid conditions Mothers with previous breast surgery that cut some of the nerves, milk-making tissue, or milk ducts, may have difficulty producing enough milk to fully feed a baby. Other factors can also lead to insufficient milk production. Maternal smoking has been shown to result in less milk. Some medications and herbal preparations have a negative effect on the amount of milk produced. Hormonal forms of birth control, especially any containing estrogen, have been found to have a big impact on milk production. Howeve
