Breast-feeding: The Problem of 'Not Enough Milk'

'Not enough milk' is the most common cause for early weaning to a bottle. However, it is almost always a non-problem, which is partly iatrogenic, and partly due to ignorance of normal breast-feeding in our society. For a woman who desires to breast-feed, recourse to bottle feeding is almost never necessary. For most babies who are 'not getting enough milk', only simple measures are required: feeding on demand; banning formula or water supplements, pacifiers, and nipple shields; and proper positioning. For the few babies who fail to thrive on breast milk, supplementation may be given with a lactation aid. Two case studies illustrate successful management of the problem of 'not enough milk'.