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Ways To Increase Milk Supply
I have been breastfeeding my little guy, Logan, for 11 months now…yay! In the early days of nursing and getting ready to go back to work, milk supply was a super huge overriding freak-out concern of mine! Luckily over the past few months, we’ve gotten into a pretty good rhythm and leveled things off for the most part.
However, even now I still run into times when my supply dips due to weird work scheduling conflicts or random family activities that require a lot of travel, etc. So every now and then, almost a year in, I still need help to boost my supply! So I am always on the lookout for ways to increase milk supply.
Now this is something that I did a TON of research on about 6 months to a year ago, but figured it would be a good time to revisit it since our schedule has been so crazy lately and I’m seeing the impact on my supply! It is insane how many options there are out there to increase milk supply and most of them are super tasty treats!
This list is current as of Fall 2016 and I intend to keep an eye on it to update as things change! Also, the best thing of all…most of these are small businesses and I am all about shopping small! So check these out and let me know if you have any questions or suggestions!
1. Mrs. Patels Fenugreek Bars \ You probably already know that these bars are my absolute #1 favorite milk supply booster! As soon as I eat one of these I see a HUGE boost in supply within 24 hours. I totally swear by these! I love them so much I even wrote a pretty long blog post about them HERE.
2. Lactation Tea \ Teas are one of the first things you probably think of when you decide to look for help to increase milk supply. There are a bunch of good options out there, but my favorite is Anna Naturals Nursing Mama Herbal Tea! It is a super subtle herbal tea with a touch of sweetness from the rooibos, hibiscus, orange, and cherry. Yum! Mrs.Patel’s Milk Water Chai Spice Tea and the old standard, Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk Tea are also great!
3. Lactation Smoothie \ I am working on getting my lactation smoothie recipe up on the blog, but you can also find a ton on Pinterest! But Milky Mama has a smoothie mix if you are looking for something simple! I’ve also heard awesome things about people using Shakeology in their smoothies, but haven’t tried that yet but I want to! If you’ve tried it let us know your experience in the comments below!
4. Lactation Cookies \ I recently posted my favorite recipe for lactation cookies HERE on the blog! However, if you are anything like me you are short on time so you can buy pre-made cookies from either MilkMakers or Bessie’s Best when you don’t have time for baking!
5. Lactation Brownies \ Sometimes a gal just needs a good chocolate fix and I just love, love, love brownies! Believe it or not, there are lactation brownies out there too! You can buy them premade from Milky Mama and MamasLactationTreats on Etsy.
6. Lactation Lemonade \ Nothing says summer like an ice cold lemonade and now you can get lactation lemonade from Milky Mama! Perfect for washing down some of these tasty baked goods! {They also make Iced Tea!}
7. Lactation Granola \ Granola is awesome & so totally versatile! You can mix into greek yogurt for breakfast or make your own trail mix for an on-the-go snack! I love Bessie’s Best, but you can also order granola from Oat Mama!
8. Pumpkin Bread \ Bessie’s Best makes a super yummy seasonal lactation pumpkin bread. It’s only sold from October through March, but you can freeze them! This is amah-zing straight out of the fridge with spreadable butter and wash it down with the Anna Naturals tea!
9. Lactation Muffins \ Can you believe there are even lactation muffins? I have not tried them yet, but I am dying to try the Chocolate Chip Lactation Muffin Mix from MissMuffinsMarket on Etsy, but you can find other flavors like cranberry orange or pumpkin oat on Etsy if you’re not feeling chocolate!
10. Essential Oils \ I only recently found out that essential oils can assist with supply…how cool is that? Clary sage, fennel, basil, and geranium oil can all be beneficial with breastfeeding, this article has tips on how that all works! Please also take a look at this article for more info!
Of course, you must, must, must stay hydrated before you try anything else! Drinking my water out of this beautiful glass bottle always makes it so much more fun to stay hydrated! If it’s hard for you to drink plain water you can try Gatorade instead! I’ve read anecdotal recommendations that specifically red Gatorade is best for increasing supply!
If all these treats and drinks are too overwhelming for you, you can just opt for straight herbal supplements to take with all that water! I take Vitanica Lactation Blend and NOW Alfalfa, which are both awesome choices! You can also look into individual supplements like fenugreek, milk thistle, turmeric, fennel seed, blessed thistle and others.
My final recommendation to increase milk supply is to throw in one or two power pumping sessions any day that you have the chance! A power pumping session is an hour long session so you need time, dedication, and patience! You dual pump for 20 minutes and take a 10-minute break. Then dual pump for 10 minutes and take another 10-minute break. One final 10-minute dual session and you’re done! Whew…great job!
And remember that the amount you pump may not accurately reflect how much milk you are producing. If you feel discouraged {we all do} DO.NOT.give.up! You are doing better than you are giving yourself credit for and your baby thanks you! Be patient with yourself and reach out for help…you will thank yourself later!
For personal support call La Leche League at 1-877-4-LALECHE 24 hours a day or check out this list of breastfeeding helplines from KellyMom. And I will respond any time you reach out to me if you just need some friendly advice!
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