Foods To Boost Breastmilk Supply
Hello! Breastfeeding has become such a big part of my life ever since the birth of my baby, everyday I'm constantly obsessing over how to increase my milk supply, so here's some foods that has helped me along the way :) A little background; I'm not one of those lucky moms who's able to store a fridge-full of milk weeks in advance. I seem to only produce enough for baby daily, and when I'm lucky I'd have 1-2 packets of extra milk for rainy days! So after 2.5 months of trial and error, along with tons of advice and recommendations from friends (and google of course), these are the foods that has helped me with my supply.
Tried and Tested
1. Oats
2. Sweet Home Farm Granola Snack
3. Coconut Oil
4. Salmon Sashimi
5. Papaya Milk
Heard of (but not tried)
1. Avocado
2. Durian
3. Fenugreek
So far I've found oats with 2 tablespoons of coconut oil added into it to be most effective! But be warned, the taste is... mehh. Hehe that's about it, if you have anything else to add to the list feel free to share in the comments below ♥︎
Breast-feeding is a commitment — and your efforts are worthwhile
ReplyDeleteYou are much appreciated especially by your lovely Kayla :)
Elize
Breast-feeding is based on supply and demand. The more you breast-feed your baby — or pump while you're away from your baby — the more milk your breasts will produce
ReplyDeleteHowever, STRESS can hinder your body's natural ability to release breast milk. Find a quiet place to pump. It might help to massage your breasts or use warm compresses. You might want to think about your baby, look at a picture of your baby or listen to relaxing music.
Veronica
Pump often ...you should already knew this:
ReplyDeleteThe more you pump, the more milk you'll produce. If you're working full time, try to pump for 15 minutes every few hours during the workday. If you can, pump both breasts simultaneously. A double breast pump helps stimulate milk production while reducing pumping time by half.
Barbara Sims
Drink plenty of fluids:
ReplyDeleteWater, juice and milk can help you stay hydrated. Limit soda, coffee and other caffeinated drinks, though. Too much caffeine might lead to irritability or interfere with your baby's sleep. If you choose to have an occasional alcoholic drink, avoid breast-feeding for two hours afterward.
Sandra
My daughter weighed 7 lbs when she was born one week early. She was perfect in every way. Then her weight dropped to 6 lbs 5 oz, and stayed there. She would not gain weight. We would nurse for over an hour at a time, every 2 hours. I pumped after each nursing and did everything the professionals told me to do, but she always seemed hungry.
ReplyDeleteIt was so hard to see her cry.
I had to have her weighed every other day, and we made no progress. My husband thought we should just give her formula, but breastfeeding was so important to me. Our friends would say, "Just give her a bottle," but I knew breastfeeding was the best thing for her...then my lactation consultant said I needed to supplement - I didn't know what to do.
I knew that breastfeeding was the best, the only way...
I refused to give up. I ignored those people that didn't understand my determination and searched for a solution. I found it in Lactiful Supply Max - an amazing combination of natural herbs that truly helped. The difference in my body was night and day. I know my milk came in after my daughter was born. But after weeks of struggling, Lactiful Supply Max made it so that my milk truly came in. I experienced such a tremendous breast milk increase. I remember being so ecstatic after being awakened in the middle of the night by a wet shirt. My breasts had leaked so much during the middle of the night I had to get up and pump because I was so uncomfortable. For the first time, I really truly had enough milk. During those coming weeks my daughter would chug at the breast. Our nursing times were cut in half and I could tell she was satisfied. I continued to pump, but I got so much more. And I got to store it up and have a bank of milk in the freezer for when I returned to work. I had done it, and we were all so happy.
lactiful
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ReplyDeleteTo Be Successful At Exclusively Pumping:
ReplyDeleteYou’ll need to find a way to get your body to easily and frequently letdown for the pump. You need to reconcile this level of abstraction because when you are exclusively pumping you don’t have access to al the cues your body normally relies on to release milk. Some exclusively pumping women, pump while near baby, or look at photos of their baby while pumping. Others listen to baby sounds they have recorded. Other exclusively pumping moms find it better to distract themselves by talking on the phone, reading or engaging some other distracting activity. You may need to experiment to find what works best for you.
You’ll need to select a good, high-quality pump and monitor it and keep it in good working order. We have written an article specifically about selecting the best pump for exclusively pumping moms.
You’ll need a pumping strategy and exclusively pumping schedule that gets your breast milk supply off to a good start and maintains it with as few hassles as possible. This topic also deserved its own article.
And finally you need to know what to do if your milk supply drops. There are many ways to bring your milk supply back up and you can read about them in this article targeted at exclusively pumping moms.
Follow these suggestions and you will be well on your way to providing the best nutrition your baby can get by exclusively pumping.
One of the simple ways to increase milk supply is to have skin to skin time with your little one – take off your shirt, and your bra and get baby all the way down to his diaper and then hold him upright against your chest. Your body will keep baby warm, but you can use a blanket around his back if you feel more comfortable. This skin to skin time actually encourages your body to make more milk. The smell of your milk, and proximity of your breasts also encourages baby to nurse more often.
ReplyDeleteYou have done well with your research...
ReplyDeleteCongrats for happy breast feeding time...
Susan
You are a good mama, you care for your daughter best interest of her long term welfare!
ReplyDeleteThat is LOVE :)
Elmarie
Babies need no other food or fluid, including water.
ReplyDeleteIntroducing other food or fluids can cause problems for breastfeeding and your baby’s health.
Breast milk has all the nutrition and fluid your baby needs for the first 6 months, even in hot weather. Breast milk is better for your baby than any other food or fluid. Giving other foods or fluids may decrease your baby’s desire for your breast milk
Yolanda
I always think that a mother to a baby is irreplacable...look:
ReplyDeleteYour baby’s body has iron stored from your body during pregnancy. Your breast milk has a protein that makes your baby’s body able to use that iron.
Babies who have only breast milk for 6 months are less sick than babies who eat other foods. They have less pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. They also have less intestinal disease, fewer ear infections, and fewer allergies.
The early months of your baby’s life are essential to his long-term development
Breastfeeding gives your baby the body-building components that are particularly suited to his health and development.
Milk from animal and plant sources do not contain the body-building components
particularly suited to the human body.
Wow, we salute you, all the mother who breast feed their babies!
Larry
Breastfeeding may continue longer than your infant’s first year of life
ReplyDeleteBreastfeeding offers comfort and emotional support. As your baby develops the ability to talk and walk, he may also get separation anxiety. Breastfeeding makes your baby feel secure.
As your baby comes into contact with other children, the disease-fighting components of breast milk help him stay healthy.
The AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months, and continuing to breastfeed as long as you
both desire, even into the third year of life or longer. The longer you breastfeed, the greater the benefits, for you and your child.
You can breastfeed during pregnancy, as well as nurse an older child along with an infant. This is called tandem nursing.
Molly
Mothers may influence the mood and behaviour of their babies through their breast milk, researchers say.
ReplyDeleteThere's growing evidence that mother's milk doesn't just affect the growth of a baby's body "but also areas of their brain that shape their motivations, their emotions, and therefore their behavioural activity," says Katie Hinde, an assistant professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University.
In a paper published in the journal Evolution, Medicine and Public Health, Hinde and two other researchers propose a way in which the composition of breast milk could influence a baby's brain and behaviour.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/emph/eov007
If food is scarce or there are a lot of predators around, it may be better for a mother to have a baby that is calmer and focuses on growing rather than one that is very active and playful,
Margaret
Babies who are breastfed for at least a year earn more money, go to school longer and score higher on intelligence tests by the time they are 30 years old, according to a new study in The Lancet Global Health.
ReplyDelete"The longer time of breast feeding duration - the higher an effect," said Dr. Bernardo Horta from the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil. "Even for the group that breast fed for three to five months the difference is already statistically significant."
The study looked at 3,493 babies born in five maternity hospitals in Pelotas in 1982.
The babies who were breastfed for a year or more scored 3.76 points higher on an IQ test, went to school for almost a year longer and earned 341 Brazilian reals more a month (about $163.80 Canadian in 2012).
"Breast milk is an important source of an important nutrient for brain development," said Horta.
Gabi Butler
Actually, I think that it's absolutely heroic of you to pump for 3 months - that requires even more dedication and effort than breastfeeding! What's important is that baby gets fed, no matter how. I've always breastfed (currently nursing #4, have been nursing almost 7 of the last 8.5 years), and I'm always in awe of those who chose to pump, whether it be for 1 month or 1 year.
ReplyDeleteThordarson4
You are special because you can make the food that is uniquely
ReplyDeleteperfect for your baby. Invest the time in yourself and your baby
– for your health and for the bond that will last a lifetime.
Pam Malsom
I was committed to breastfeeding, but learning to nurse while learning to take care of a newborn was tough. My
ReplyDeletebaby hated taking the entire nipple, and slipping off as she nursed was painful. And when it’s 3 a.m. and your
baby is fussing and you are sore, those bottles are incredibly tempting.
At the same time, most of the health professionals I came in contact with – as well as many of my family members
and friends – seemed to be undermining my breastfeeding relationship. My daycare providers seemed afraid of
my breast milk, my workplace didn’t offer me a place to pump, and other mothers would act as though my breastfeeding
was condemning their choice not to.
But I remembered that my nurse, Charlene, asked me to give it at least 8 weeks. I remembered that advice and
decided to wait a little longer. I went back to Charlene for help and she showed me how to combat my daughter’s
slipping latch. She also put me in touch with a local support group and helped me find professionals who really
knew how to help. They got me through the most critical period, but it was only my willingness to seek out their
guidance that allowed me to keep nursing. Don’t be afraid to ask for help whenever you need it!
– Lin
Lock Haven, PA
To all breast feeding mom:
ReplyDeleteResearch shows that a mother’s milk is affected
only slightly by the foods she eats. Breastfeeding
mothers can eat whatever they have eaten during
their lifetimes and do not need to avoid certain
foods. Babies love the flavors of foods that come
through in your milk. Sometimes a baby may be
sensitive to something you eat, such as dairy products
like milk and cheese. Symptoms in your baby
of an allergy or sensitivity to something you eat
include some or all of these:
• Green stools with mucus and/or blood, diarrhea,
vomiting
• Rash, eczema (EG-zuh-muh), dermatitis, hives,
dry skin
• Fussiness during and/or after feedings
• Crying for long periods without being able to
feel consoled
• Sudden waking with discomfort
• Wheezing or coughing
Babies who are highly sensitive usually react to the
food the mother eats within minutes or within 4 to
24 hours afterward. These signs do not mean the
baby is allergic to your milk itself, only to something
you are eating. If you stop eating whatever is
bothering your baby or eat less of it, the problem
usually goes away on its own. You also can talk
with your baby’s doctor about any symptoms.
Jan Marie Smith
When my son was born 4 years ago, we had a very
ReplyDeletedifficult time breastfeeding because he wasn’t latching
correctly. He seemed almost lazy and disinterested
in eating. In the first 2 weeks, he lost quite a bit
of weight and appeared gaunt and fussy. Naturally,
I was nearly frantic with worry. Luckily, I connected
with an amazing lactation consultant. She put me on
a rigorous, week-long regimen which consisted of
nursing, then bottle feeding breast milk, then pumping
every 3 hours. I was completely dedicated to the
regimen, and when I met with her a week later, she
was stunned by the results. My son had gained an
entire pound, and she said he had developed a perfect
latch. She called us the miracle mom and miracle
baby! I was so proud of us. My determination paid
off and I enjoyed breastfeeding for 7 months.
– Jill
Bridgewater, MA
When my twin were first born, it was too overwhelming
ReplyDeletefor me to care for them at the same time. I fed them
one at a time, which was nice, because I was able to
bond with each individually. But then I realized that I
was pretty much feeding one of them every 1 ½ to 2
hours and in order to get more sleep, I started feeding
them at the same time. Once I got the hang of feeding
both at once, I was able to free up so much more
time! They started to get on the same eating/sleeping
schedule and while both were sleeping, I would find
myself having a solid two to three hours to catch up
on some sleep, relax, and clean up around the house.
It was so liberating and much needed! I’m so glad I
figured out something that worked for all of us.
– Jen
Charleston, SC