Written By IBCLC Katie Clark
“Just empty your breasts more often!”
New moms are usually told that once their milk “comes in”, it’s all about supply and demand — the more demand there is, the more supply you’ll have.
In an ideal world, where birth goes perfectly, hormones work like clockwork, and mom and baby are together around the clock - this is the case. I wish this for every mom! But for many breastfeeding moms, it’s not as simple as supply and demand.
While frequent milk removal is a critical piece of the puzzle, it’s not the only piece. And if you’re doing “everything right” and still struggling, it’s not your fault. You just need a deeper understanding of what really impacts your individual milk supply.
As an IBCLC who specializes in milk supply, I work with moms every day that are doing everything they can to increase their milk supply and fall short of their goals.
Often, it’s not a matter of effort but biology and outside circumstances making it more difficult. The more you can understand the circumstances surrounding supply issues, the sooner you can find peace and make plans for your situation moving forward.
1. Birth Experience Matters
A difficult or highly medicalized birth can delay milk production. Things like excessive blood loss, retained placenta, and long inductions can all interfere with the hormonal cascade that kicks off lactation. Excessive fluids during birth can lead to milk supply struggling to come in, as well as the potential for artificial weight loss with your infant.
Moms are often left wondering what they did wrong, when in reality, their body just hasn’t had the chance to fully catch up yet.
2. Hormones are Key Players
Prolactin and oxytocin are key hormones that help your body make and release milk. But these hormones can be disrupted by things like stress, sleep deprivation, thyroid imbalances, insulin resistance (hello, PCOS), and even birth control.
So even if there’s "demand," the supply may not follow if the hormonal foundation isn't strong.
3. Storage Capacity Changes the Game
Some moms can go 4–5 hours between feedings and still maintain a great supply. Others lose ounces if they stretch past three hours.
It has nothing to do with how much milk you make - and everything to do with how much your breasts can store. Milk storage capacity refers to the total amount of available milk your breasts can comfortably hold at one time. This is based on your glandular tissue and can vary greatly.
This is why cookie-cutter schedules don’t work for everyone. You need a rhythm that matches your body’s design and your baby’s needs.
4. Latch and Transfer Are Huge
If your baby isn’t removing milk effectively - even if they’re feeding often - your supply may suffer. A shallow latch, tongue tie, or poor suck can leave milk behind, signaling to your body that less is needed.
Sometimes, it’s not about more demand - it’s about better milk removal. This is the case with pumping as well.
5. Stress Can be a Supply Killer
When you're stressed (which, let’s be real, is often in new motherhood), your body produces more cortisol and adrenaline, which can interfere with oxytocin - the hormone that releases the milk in response to suckling.
If letdowns are slow or inconsistent, baby may not nurse as well, leading to less removal… and a frustrating cycle begins.
So What Can You Do?
If you’re struggling with milk supply, don’t give up — and definitely don’t blame yourself. The truth is, milk supply is multi-layered, and solving it takes more than just "feed more." It takes more than some hack on Instagram.
You deserve a plan that looks at the whole picture - your birth story, your body, your baby, and your lifestyle.
That’s exactly why I created The Milk Supply Blueprint - a comprehensive guide that helps you uncover the real reasons behind low supply and gives you clear, evidence-based steps to fix it. It also helps you know whether your duopoly is low, how to establish, maintain, and repair temporary drops.
Whether you had a rough start or you’re just a little unsure this blueprint walks you through every phase - from assessing root causes to building it back up.
Milk supply should be straight forward, but it often isn’t. It’s important to work with your body and situation to come up with a personalized plan!
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Katie Clark is an IBCLC, mom of 3, and owner of The Breastfeeding Mama. She has been working in the lactation field for about ten years and loves working with new moms around the world to make their breastfeeding journey more hopeful. She has a passion for milk supply and pumping and getting to the root cause of issues. You can find her on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok and her team offers consults in-person in Denver and locally worldwide.
