How to increase breastmilk supply

Breast feeding comes with a whole love of contradicting feelings.  On the one hand, it is a beautiful and sacred moment with your baby, uniting you in the beautiful exchange of emotional and physical nourishment.  On the other hand, it can be awkward and hilarious.  (Raise your hand if you’ve ever taken off your bra to step into the shower only to suddenly start spurting milk like a backyard sprinkler in the summer, covering the mirrors, the sink, and the walls.  What, only me?  No way.  I don’t believe it.)
There is another feeling that often accompanies breast feeding that we seem to be afraid of discussing out loud.  It is a natural, healthy, and normal feeling – and yet we so rarely talk about it.  
Frustration.
Despite what we might think, nursing is not always intuitive and it is not always easy.  Cracked nipples.  Sleepless nights.  Engorged breasts (that may or may not randomly spurt milk towards unexpecting bathroom mirrors).  One of the things that causes the greatest amount of frustration that leads to prematurely ending breastfeeding is a reduced milk supply.  Too often, mothers see their supply dwindle, become frustrated, and throw in the towel.
There is another way.
Here are three of the most simple and easiest methods to increase your milk supply without the aid of supplements or medical intervention:
1. You, my friend, must relax.  Easier said than done, for sure.  Motherhood is a never ending cycle of stressful situations, and usually on a reduced amount of sleep.  When your body is in a state of stress, it enters into survival mode.  In survival mode, preferential treatment and support is given to the absolutely essential body functions that will sustain your life.  Your body begins to store fats, reduce your metabolism, and reduce the energy spent producing milk.  Take a bath.  Take a nap.  Take a break.
2. Nurse Early.  Nurse Often.  If you are really dedicated to increasing your supply, you are going to need to nurse and pump at all hours of the day, and very frequently.  Milk is produced as an ‘on demand’ system.  The more milk you ask your body to make, the more it will produce.
3. Share and Share alike.  There will be times that your baby will lose interest in nursing after only one side.  Resist the temptation to pop the girls back in their bra and go about your day.  Make sure your baby attempts to nurse on both sides.  Not only will this encourage positive feeding habits for your baby, but it will demonstrate to your body the need to produce more milk.
4. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry.  Your body needs nutrition in order to create nutrition.  Drink lots of water each day and eat healthfully.
5. Trust that your body CAN do it.  Every nursing mother has worried that she is not producing enough milk for her child.  When mothers get nervous, they sometimes start supplementing.  When they start supplementing, they’re sending a message to their body that it doesn’t need to make as much milk.  When the body starts to make less milk, the mother gets nervous and supplements more.  And so on, and so forth.  Resist the urge to supplement, and focus on nursing and pumping.  (The obvious exception to this is if your doctor tells you that supplementing is imperative.  Always listen to your trusted physician.)
Nursing is filled with joy, laughter, and some tears.  Get more of the good stuff, and less of the stress.  You can do this, and you’ll be glad when you do.