Insufficient Lactation
It is a common problem for postpartum women not to have sufficient lactation. According to a survey done by CDC in 2019, the percentage of infants who are breastfed exclusively first three months is 46.3%.
According to CDC, 60% of mothers do not breastfeed for as long as they intend to. How long a mother breastfeeds her baby (duration) is influenced by many factors, including:
Issues with lactation and latching.
Concerns about infant nutrition and weight.
Mother's concern about taking medications while breastfeeding.
Unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave.
Cultural norms and lack of family support.
Unsupportive hospital practices and policies.
While it is hard to change circumstantial factors, we can help postpartum moms produce more milk by acupuncture and herbs as Chinese medicine practitioners.
The most commonly known acupuncture point for promoting lactation is the small intestine 1. Stimulating this point can effectively increase lactation quantity and prolactin levels, a hormone that releases breast milk. Other acupuncture points are shown to increase lactation, such as gallbladder 21 and ren 17. If you don't have a chance to see your acupuncturist soon enough, you can do acupressure on SI1 and GB21 at home a few times a day.
If you would like to read a study about the Effects of Electroacupuncture at Shaoze (SI 1) in 46 Cases of Postpartum Insufficient Lactation, please read the journal of TCM.
There are some herbs that we use in Chinese Herbal Medicine to promote lactation. The formula Zengru Gao includes the herbs Wang Bu Liu Xin, Tong Cao, Sheng Di Huang, Dang Gui, Bai Shao, Chuang Xiong, Yi Mu Cao, Tian Hua Fen for insufficient postpartum lactation. You can read a randomized controlled trial for the efficacy of Zengru Gao in this article on Pubmed.
While these herbs can promote the production and flow of the milk, it is vital to do a proper consultation and create a formula for each person.
Let's look at one of the case studies from my clinic.
Case Study
The patient is 31 years old, five days postpartum mom (identifies as she), we did an online consultation, and her main concern was that she did not have enough milk and the baby's weight was low. She did not have any redness and inflammation on the breast tissue. Here are a few of her other interesting symptoms:
her bowels were slow
body temperature was cooler than normal
she did not have a dry mouth or thirst
a lot of swelling on the feet
Acupressure Points used:
acupressure on Small Intestine 1
acupressure on Gallbladder 21
Formula used: modified Dang Gui Si Ni Tang in granules four scoops twice a day.
dang gui 12
fu ling 12
bai zhu 10
zhi gan cao 9
Bai Shao 15
Tao Ren 8
da zao 15
tong cao 8
nu then zi 10
After taking the formula for ten days, her milk flow was much better; the baby stopped launching, so she was pumping, and the supply was almost enough to feed the baby; the baby gained weight. She did not have constipation anymore, and the swelling of the feet was gone.
1st in-clinic visit since the birth
The patient wanted to continue working to promote lactation.
She was having some right-side rib discomfort and on and off right-side mid-back pain, possibly due to carrying the baby on that side.
Her appetite, bowels are regular; despite the pumping schedule, her sleep and energy were ok.
The pulse was slightly choppy, but the vibration could be felt at three depths, not weak.
her tongue was slightly purple, with a slight thin white coating
Acupuncture Points used:
Bilateral gall bladder 21 and 26, liver 8
ren 17
Gua Sha on the right middle back
pyonex sticker was left on right gb21
Formula used: modified dang gui si ni tang + si ni san
dang gui 12
bai zhu 10
zhi gan cao 9
Bai Shao 15
da zao 15
tong cao 8
nu then zi 10
The patient is currently taking the formula and will be coming to the clinic next week.
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@felekacupuncture.com.