Lack of Breast Milk

Diagnosis Within 12 hours colostrums should come, it is pale yellow and thick. If very little appears or none comes this poses a problem that needs treatment. This problem may also manifest as small amounts of milk produced throughout breastfeeding months. Enough milk depends on the baby’ needs. Chinese Medicine Differentiation and Treatment Qi and Blood loss of blood and Qi during delivery, constitution, or too young or old, may all result in not enough milk. Breasts are soft, never get engorged, milk is thin and watery. These women may have large amounts of lochia postpartum. Plus – Qi and Blood symptoms (see Appendix 1) Principle of Treatment: – nourish Qi and Blood to increase milk production Herbal Medicine Formula: Tong Ru Dan or Zhu Ti Tang (Ba Zhen Tang w/ Huang Qi and pig leg) LR Qi stagnation emotional stress injures milk production, breast distension, hard breasts, pain Plus – Liver Qi stagnation symptoms (see Appendix 1) Principle of Treatment: – soothe Liver Herbal Medicine Formula: Xia Ru Yong Quan + Wang Bu Liu Xing and Chuan Shan Jia Phlegm and Qi stagnation not necessarily emotional, may enlarge but breasts stay soft and fatty with no milk, may be overweight, may have lack of milk glands. Principle of Treatment: – strengthen SP, eliminate Phlegm Herbal Medicine Formula: Lou Lung San (classic) + Spleen tonics (Huang Qi, Bai Zhu) + Phlegm herbs (Ban Xia, Gua Lou, Bei Mu) + Blood tonics