The only way to increase the amount of milk your breasts make is to take more milk from your breasts

Directly breastfeeding more frequently, even if for quite short periods of time, is your best chance of increasing your milk production if you find your supply is not meeting your baby's caloric needs.

If you're unable to directly breastfeed, doing the same with hand expression or mechanical pumping is the next best way to remove milk from your breasts, so that you make more milk.

• You can find out about frequent flexible breastfeeds here.

• You can find out about pumping starting here.

Switch baby from side to side

It helps to switch between breasts as frequently as your baby will tolerate when you're hoping to build your supply. Consider switching sides when baby doesn't seem to be doing much swallowing or is dosing off to sleep.

It's important your baby doesn't feel under any pressure to breastfeed though, or feel constantly interrupted at the breast, because this can backfire and create a conditioned dialling up in your baby. Just experiment and see what works for your little one.

You can find out about conditioned dialling up at the breast here.

Avoid 'power' pumping or 'emptying' your breast

Despite what you might hear, breastfeeding or pumping for longer periods of time doesn't necessarily take more milk from your breasts. This is because about 60% of milk in a feed or pumping session is transferred in the first two letdowns, and subsequent letdowns transfer decreasing volumes.

• There's no reason to think 'power' pumping improves supply (although more frequent, shorting pumping sessions will).

• Trying to 'empty' your breasts can backfire and decrease your supply. You can find out about this here.

How to optimise the settings on your breasts' capacity to make milk from the very beginning

Frequent and flexible breastfeeding in the first hours and days of their babies' lives is the best way to ensure that your milk supplyis set as high as possible for the months (or years) ahead.

• You can find out about how to help your breasts make plenty of milk from the very beginning here.

• Currently, there are blind spots in our health systems about how to do this. You can find out about this here.

Nipple and breast tissue drag or baby's fussing at the breast commonly interfere with a woman's capacity to make more milk

Nipple and breast tissue drag commonly interferes with a woman's capacity to make more milk. This is because nipple and breast tissue drag

• Causes you pain, which may make it unwise or impossible to offer your breast more frequently

• Compresses your milk ducts, which makes milk removal less efficient

• Can result in your baby having a conditioned dialling up at the breast, which makes it difficult or impossible for baby to remove more milk fro the breast.

You can find out about fit and hold starting here.

You can find out about the fussy breastfed baby starting here.

Recommended resources

Does taking domperidone increase breast milk production?

Galactogogues other than domperidone

When does it help to use a supplementer (also known as a supplemental nursing system)?

Do breast compressions or massaging of the breast help increase milk transfer (directly breastfeeding + pumping)?

Does stress affect your breast milk letdowns?

What DOESN'T usually help with low supply: oxyotocin, iron infusions, diet, drinking more water