Photo: @littlebirddoula via Instagram, www.motherhoodrising.com  
By the time Alison Lee?s son, Dexter, was three days old, he had lost 13 percent of his birth weight, and Lee?s milk supply had gone down considerably. The culprit" A poor latch, caused by tongue and lip ties (where the piece of skin under the tongue or upper lip is tight), meant that Dexter was not able to get much milk when he nursed. ?For those first three days he wasn?t nursing effectively and it signalled to my breasts: ?Clearly, you don?t need me,?? explains Lee.
According to Michelle Branco, an international board?certified lactation consultant in Mississauga, Ont., Lee experienced a common cause of low milk production: the baby not emptying the breast when he?s drinking, which, along with frequent breastfeeding, is what tells your body to make more milk. A less common (but definitely possible) reason for low supply is a medical issue like an endocrine condition, an untreated thyroid condition, or gestational or type 2 diabetes. Women who have had chest or breast surgery before giving birth can also be at risk for supply issues. More rarely, it?s to do with the way the breasts have developed: If they?re widely spaced or very uneven or if your nipples tend to hang down instead of pointing forward (called tubular breasts, hypoplasia or insufficient glandular tissue) you may have difficulty producing milk.
Not sure if you?re making enough milk" Look to your baby for clues, says Branco. If she?...