Worrying about whether you're making enough milk is one of the most common concerns new mums bring up — whether you're breastfeeding for the first time in a busy Dubai household, adjusting to motherhood in Abu Dhabi, or juggling pumping around a return-to-work date anywhere in the UAE. The good news: for most mums, low milk supply is a lifestyle and technique issue, not a medical one, and it's very responsive to a few evidence-based changes.
How Breast Milk Supply Works
Your breasts will start producing milk during mid-pregnancy. However, it’s only after birth and when you start nursing your baby that milk will be released from the nipples.
Breast milk works as a demand and supply basis. After every feed, your breasts will start producing more milk to replace what has been drunk by your baby. This means the more your baby feeds, the more breast milk you’ll produce.
Signs Baby Isn’t Getting Enough Breast Milk
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Poor weight gain: Normally, newborns will lose around 7% of their weight. This will be recovered as they start to breastfeed, but ongoing poor gain is a big concern.
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Their poop: if you aren’t having to change your baby’s nappies multiple times a day as they’re not peeing or pooping regularly, it may be a sign of not being fed well.
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Dark coloured pee: if you notice pee that is darker in colour or when changing the nappy, it isn’t as wet as it normally should be, your baby is dehydrated.
If you notice any of these, we would suggest check-in with your paediatrician or a lactation consultant — these signs can occasionally point to an underlying feeding or health issue that's easier to resolve early.
What Affects Breast Milk Production
Both medical and lifestyle factors can affect supply. Medical causes include excessive postpartum blood loss or a retained placenta, diabetes, high blood pressure, mammary hypoplasia (insufficient glandular tissue), a history of breast surgery, thyroid disorders, PCOS, or a history of infertility. Anxiety and depression can also play a role. Certain medications — including some hormonal contraceptives and allergy tablets — may reduce supply too.
Lifestyle factors are far more common and usually more fixable: heavy smoking or drinking, excessive caffeine intake, and premature birth (where a baby may not yet nurse efficiently). Genuinely serious medical causes of low supply are actually quite rare — most mums who feel their supply is low can improve it meaningfully with the steps below.
How to Increase Breast Milk Supply
Breastfeed more often. Newborns should nurse roughly 8–12 times a day to stimulate the hormones that drive production. Let your baby fully drain each breast rather than capping sessions at just a few minutes — this is what gives them access to the fattier hindmilk and signals your body to keep up.
Express breast milk between feeds. Pumping (or hand-expressing) after or between nursing sessions tells your body to produce more. "Power pumping" — a pattern that mimics cluster feeding by alternating short bursts of pumping and rest — is one of the most effective techniques; many mums start seeing an increase within about a week. If you're building a freezer stash or exclusively pumping, a well-fitted breast pump makes a real difference to both output and comfort. Lansinoh's 2-in-1 Double Electric Breast Pump is designed for efficient double pumping, while the Double Wearable Pump suits mums who want hands-free, discreet pumping — useful for exclusive pumpers and working mums fitting sessions around meetings or commutes across Dubai or Abu Dhabi. For quick, low-effort let-down relief on the go, the Silicone Breast Pump is a simple manual option worth having on hand. One often-overlooked detail: an incorrect flange (breast shield) size can quietly limit how much milk you're able to express, even with a good pump — if output feels consistently low despite regular pumping, it's worth checking your fit with a lactation consultant.
Get the latch right. A poor latch is one of the most common — and most fixable — causes of reduced supply, since it limits how effectively milk is removed. If latch difficulties persist, a lactation consultant or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) can help; hospitals and home-care providers across the UAE, including several in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, offer in-person and home-visit lactation support.
Look after your physical and mental health. Stress, caffeine, and alcohol can all dampen your let-down reflex and milk flow. Prioritise rest, good nutrition, and hydration — especially important in the UAE's heat and humidity, where fluid needs run higher than you might expect — along with gentle exercise and support for your mental wellbeing. Some mums also find galactagogue foods and ingredients, such as oats, fenugreek, moringa, and brewer's yeast, a helpful addition to a generally well-rounded diet, though the evidence for these varies and they're best discussed with your doctor or a lactation consultant, particularly if you're on other medication.
Keep baby awake during feedings. Newborns can doze off at the breast, which shortens the effective feeding time and reduces stimulation. Gentle techniques — undressing baby slightly, stroking their feet, or switching sides — help keep them actively feeding.
Hold off on pacifiers early on. Introducing a pacifier in the first few weeks can sometimes reduce feeding frequency at the breast, which may get in the way of establishing a strong supply. Most lactation experts suggest waiting until breastfeeding is well established before introducing one.
Breastfeeding and Working in the UAE
Returning to work is one of the biggest supply challenges mums face, and it's worth knowing your position: under UAE labour law, working mothers are entitled to paid nursing breaks for a set period after returning from maternity leave, in addition to statutory maternity leave itself. A consistent pumping schedule that mirrors your baby's usual feeding times — plus a pump that's genuinely easy to use at your desk or in a nursing room — makes a big difference to keeping supply steady once you're back at work. Reliable storage matters just as much as expression: Lansinoh's Breastmilk Storage Bags are pre-sterilised and leak-proof for freezing a stash, while the Breastmilk Storage Bottles offer a durable, BPA-free option for milk you'll use within a few days.
Sources & References
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American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) — Newborn weight loss and breastfeeding guidelines. healthychildren.org
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Kellymom.com — Power pumping and milk supply techniques. kellymom.com/bf/got-milk/supply-worries/
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HS – Milk Supply | Supports recommendations around feeding on demand, breastfeeding frequency, expressing milk, pacifier use and factors that can affect milk production
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UAE Government – Maternity Leave / Nursing Breaks
“Breastfeeding and Working in the UAE.” For private-sector employees, the UAE Government states that after returning to work, women are entitled to one or two additional nursing breaks per day.
