What DOESN'T help with low supply: taking oxytocin, iron infusions, diet, or drinking more water

Is there a role for oxytocin when your supply is low?

You might be advised to try oxytocin because your letdown is poor.

I wish there was a quick fix which happened with using oxytocin preparations, but I’m afraid there isn’t. There is no evidence to suggest that synthetic oxytocin, which is available as a nasal spray, improves milk transfer or baby’s weight gain.

• Firstly, a woman's letdown is a remarkably resilience neurological reflex which isn't easily disrupted, including by stress (despite what you might hear).

• Secondly, synthetic oxytocin is quickly associated with a tachyphylaxis, which means the body adapts and no longer responds to it. The many complex systems of our body are forever adapting and shifting around to maintain a status quo, and this also happens in response to the extra oxytocin you might introduce as a medication.

Will iron infusions help when your supply is low?

No, iron infusions are not a treatment for low breastmilk production.

The only time iron infusions are helpful is when your doctor finds on blood tests that you have anaemia, and recommends either iron supplementation or infusions for that reason, to help with your own health and wellbeing, and to ensure that your baby is receiving the iron he needs.

But iron infusions, even if they are important for your and baby's health, won't help with your milk supply, I'm afraid.

Will changing your diet help when your supply is low?

It's always best for your health and wellbeing to eat a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and salads, with lots of unprocessed or lightly processed foods and only small amounts of highly processed foods. But there's no reason to think that your diet is causing low supply.

Maternal nutrition has been shown to have very little influence on women's milk production, whether in low and middle income countries or high income countries.

You can find out about the use of galactogogues (substances which are hoped to increase breastmilk supply) here.

Will drinking more water help when your supply is low?

The research doesn't find that taking extra fluids helps increase milk production in breastfeeding mothers. I suggest a sensible approach, staying well hydrated - but not deliberately trying to drink down any more than your body and thirst tell you is comfortable and meeting your need. It is possible, believe it or not, to drink too much water!

Selected references

Basrowi RW, Zulfiqqar A, Sitorus NL. Anemia in breastfeeding women and its impact on offspring's health in Indonesia: a narrative review. Nutrients. 2024;16:1285.

Ndikom CM, Fawole B, Ilesanmi RE. Extra fluids for breastfeeding mothers for increasing milk production. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2014;6:Art. No.: CD008758.

Prentice A, Paul A, Black A. Cross-cultural differences in lactational performance. In: Hamosh M, Goldman AS, editors. Human Lactation. Boston, MA: Springer; 1986 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/1978-1001-4615-7207-1007_1002.