Soft breasts mean lack of milk?

Question
Hello doctor,
My baby is 45 days old. In the first 15 days after giving birth, I had a lot of milk, but after the first 10 days of physiological erection, the amount of milk gradually decreased and the breasts were no longer tight. Recently, my breasts are very soft and feel like there is no milk, but when breastfeeding, the baby still swallows milk evenly. Each time I breastfeed, I have a reflex to let go of milk 3 to 4 times. The baby is not fussy, every 2-3 hours, he feeds once. The baby's feeding time is about 15-20 minutes, sometimes the baby only sucks for 5-10 minutes and then falls asleep. The doctor asked me if soft breasts are lacking milk? Thank you.
Trinh Dieu Linh ( 1995 )

Answer
Hello,
To the question "Are soft breasts lacking milk?", the doctor would like to answer as follows:
Erection usually occurs after 02-07 days after giving birth. This is the transition period from colostrum (formed during pregnancy, from the 3rd month of pregnancy) to mature milk due to changes in hormonal hormones after birth. When the phenomenon of milk erection occurs, the mother has a burning sensation in both breasts; The breasts are erect, hard, but produce little or no milk. Then the breasts will soften and produce mature milk. Daily milk production depends on many factors such as: diet, rest, stress, most importantly, regular breastfeeding and whether the mother breastfeeds the baby in the correct position or not.
You see the phenomenon of 2 soft breasts, but when the baby sucks, there is a milk reflex about 3-4 times in 1 feeding, which is completely normal. Because when you breastfeed, it is your baby's sucking movements, affectionate and nurturing eyes that you give your baby while breastfeeding are factors that stimulate the pituitary gland to secrete prolactin hormone to stimulate milk production. more than. Each feeding lasts about 20-30 minutes, breastfeed on demand, about 2-3 hours to feed once. Most importantly, you must judge for yourself whether your baby is getting enough or not by your feelings and observations.
About you, you need to feel each batch of breast milk. Does the baby feel that the breasts are soft after feeding? As for your baby, how should you observe your baby's sucking movements? Is there any milk coming out of your baby's lips? When the baby releases the breast, you need to observe the baby's facial expression, is the baby's skin tight or not? You also need to pay attention to how many times your child urinates, defecates a day, has weight gain or not,...
To produce the most effective milk, you need to make sure to breastfeed a lot, often, and properly breastfeed. You need to have a diet full of nutrients, ensure the amount of water you drink during the day, and get quality sleep. In case of low milk can use more dairy products.
If you still have questions about whether soft breasts are lacking milk, you can go to the hospital of Vinmec Health System for further examination and advice. Thank you for trusting and sending questions to Vinmec. Wishing you lots of health.
Best regards!

Answered by Master, Doctor Vu Thi Hong Chinh - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Obstetrics Department - Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.