2 Yummy & Natural Ways to Increase the Breast Milk Supply
There are two yummy and natural ways to increase the breast milk supply: through herbs and of course proper diet.
Herbs to increase milk supply
Galactagogues is a general term that encompasses all the herbs that help in successful milk production. Here are some examples:
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Fenugreek
Fenugreek
Generally, mothers who use this herb notice an increase in milk production 24-72 hours after intake. Note that this herb has a distinct smell and to know if you are taking the correct dosage, your urine and/or sweat should smell like maple syrup.
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Fennel
Fennel
Not just effective to boost milk supply, it can also help aid in relieving an upset stomach. You can either drink fennel tea, or eat it as a vegetable. Or you even can add it as a spice when cooking. Fennel also helps in baby’s digestion and reduce a symptom of colic.
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Red Raspberry Leaf
It tremendously helps the uterus recovery from after childbirth.
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Alfalfa
When regularly taken before giving birth, it helps avoid hemorrhage at birth. Whilst, taken regularly after giving birth helps the body recover and produce more milk.
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Blessed thistle
Blessed Thistle
This herb not only increases milk supply but also helps in Postpartum Depression. It is useful for the liver and digestion.
Foods that increase breastmilk supply
The cliche “you are what you eat” goes well too even in breastfeeding. Depending on the food you eat, you increase your chances of producing more milk for your baby.
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Oatmeal
Not only that it is effective in milk production, it also helps lower cholesterol and maintains healthy blood pressure. Also remember that oatmeal is a comfort food and when a mother eats it, it helps her relax which in turn signals her body to produce oxytocin, one of the hormones that help in milk production.
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Spinach
It contains phytoestrogens that promotes the health of breast tissues.
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Garlic
Apparently, a garlicky meal sure helps flavor the breastmilk too! The more the baby enjoys the milk, the more able your breasts become in producing supply.
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Chickpea
It is rich in calcium, B-complex and fiber that is perfect for nursing mothers.
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Hummus
Hummus
With its main ingredients chickpeas and garlic which are galactagogues, hummus is a powerhouse snack for breastfeeding moms.
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Nuts
The amino acid found in nuts is a needed neurotransmitter for lactation. The best nut to eat to increase milk supply? Almonds.
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Apricot
It contains phytoestrogens as well that balances hormones involved in lactation.
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Salmon
This is a great source of essential fatty acids (EFA) and Omega 3. Integrating this fish to your diet ensures that the milk is packed with nutrients.
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Barley
Aside from aiding in lactation, it also helps you feel hydrated.
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Brown rice
Beside being the hormone stimulants that makes lactation easier, brown rice gives you the extra boost of energy needed as you nurse your baby.
Natural ways are the best ones for breastfeeding moms. I was low on breast milk supply and was using Healthy nursing tea, a natural and herbal tea supplement that improved and doubled my milk production.
Oh hi Jane, thank you for chiming in and sharing this Healthy nursing tea with us, awesome stuff! Would you mind to share with us more on how you use this fabulous tea, on the amount consumed and the number of times to use it per day? I’m sure the other readers would be more than eager to know more about this nursing tea.
Awesome website and content, the website is easy to navigate. The information about two ways to increase milk supply naturally through herbs and proper diet is well articulated.
Fenugreek and Fennel can also be aid in relieving stomach upset apart from milk production. These herbs could be taken by drinking fennel tea or eat it as vegetable or add as spice when coking. It was learnt also that it could helps in uterus recovery after child birth when taken regularly before giving birth. It helps to avoid hemorrhage at birth. The author explained that, taking this herbs regularly after birth help body recovered and produce more milk.
Blessed thistle is also used for supply of milk, helps in postpartum depression and also for liver and digestion.
The author also pointed out some food that can aid the supply of milk such as: Oatmeal which is source of milk production and also help in lower cholesterol.
Also, Spinach contain phytoestrogen that promotes the health of breast tissues.
Garlic also help in flavour the breast milk for the baby to enjoy. The following foods were also gathered as sources of milk production, Chick pea which is rich in calcium, B-complex and fiber that is perfect for nursing mothers. Hummus, nuts Apricot Salmon, Barley and brown rice which is source of energy.
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Hi there! My cousin just gave labor last month to his first baby. Actually, it was a not so good experience for her because the baby is premature. Nevertheless, he is already doing good right now. But then, the problem is she can’t generate that much milk. I think because she has a problem with her nutrition. So my question is, will this tips really work? I mean, I will still tell her to try it but I just want to make sure.
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Hi Kiev,
Awesome article, just love it!
When I was breastfeeding, I was eating healthy food like brown rice, nuts, hummus and many other kinds of foods. I was also resting and sleeping a lot as well. I know for a fact that drinking water increases milk supply as well. I was drinking about 2 to 3-liter per day. What I didn’t know is that the garlic and spinach increase the milk. However, my sister is breastfeeding her baby boy, and she will certainly enjoy your article!
Thank you very much for this informative blog!
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What a great article and the right timing for me. My baby is 3 months old and all the time I am wondering whether or not milk is enough (I guess all women have this period). Personally, I use fennel and cumin as tea for both increase of milk supply and help to baby with digestion. I also use a lot of garlic – but I have heard that it changes the taste of milk and some babies don’t like it – is it true?
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This page offered some good advice full of useful information. The list of foods that you offered were very common items that some if not all of us eat at one time or another. Knowing the health properties each offer I am more likely to consume more of these more often! I have never tried fennel but I wish I had known about it before. My daughter struggles with acid reflux so it would have been helpful. I will try it as soon as I can find a place to buy it and see if it helps her. Thanks for the awesome info!
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I thought this was probably the most informative/useful post I have read in a long time. i have a lot of interests and things that I like to share but this post is very helpful in a lot of ways! I have bookmarked your page so I can share it with friends!
This is a great post with many great suggestions for increasing breast milk production! I am not a mother at this point, but I hope to be someday, and this post has been a good resource for me. The foods you listed here include a lot of my favorites, which makes me happy. I don’t want to be forcing myself to eat things I don’t like. Thanks for the read, well done!
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Hey there! I definitely found this website interesting and full of helpful information. A website such as this would have been extremely beneficial to me several years ago, so I can imagine how helpful it is to so many mothers. This website was very apealing and easy to navigate. Keep up the good work!
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Thanks for the list. Of all that is here, I have only tried Fenugreek. The one that I tried is the capsule. My husband notices that my sweat has a different smell and it is not very nice. :-p But if you want to have a better milk supply, you will endure whatever the side effect is, right?:) Keeping this list handy, the next time I am in need to boost my supply for my second child. Thanks.
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I love this list of foods to help boost lactation. I didn’t manage to breastfeed successfully in the past which I think was mostly due to stress and lethargy.
I tried fenugreek herb before and it helped a little. I find that herbs and foods can only help to a certain extent. What is more important is support and the nursing mother’s emotional and physical wellbeing. Thanks for sharing this post!
Hi, Yvonne… It’s so sweet to have your comment here. Thanks for the compliment. By the way, on improving breastfeeding moms’ emotional and physical wellbeing, you can refer to this: 9 Tips on How to Increase Breast Milk Supply Fast
You can find out how to deal with stress and lethargy from it.
I can safely say that Spinach and Sweet Leaf Bush were the ones that help my wife’s milk production.
In the end, enough rest and enough eat are the main factors that influence milk productivity.
If you do not eat well, your milk will reduce substantially.
Sleep too. Most moms are sleep deprived. This is where dads should help. Let moms sleep throughout the night if possible.
You are the man, Arief! Your wife must be really lucky to have you. Wish you all the best in making your wife’s breastfeeding life-journey a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Hi Paige, really a great article and quality information. All these foods that you have mentioned are great for overall health too. My sister was breastfeeding recently and she incorporated some of these foods into her diet after she researched them, so I know these foods are really beneficial for mother’s and also their babies.
Oh wow! This information is awesome! I had no idea oatmeal and spinach increase breast milk but it makes sense because whenever I found my milk supply more than usual I was eating both of these foods. I’m glad to learn of others that help with birthing recovery, milk supply, etc. This will be helpful for moms who struggle with production too or like me just like to have extra supply 🙂
tfs, really enjoy your nursing site!!
Marlinda
I enjoy reading your website, so full of useful Information! I wish I would have known about these foods when I was nursing because I certainly would’ve ate them. I will be showing this information to my daughter to help Her! I have never heard of the fenugreek herb, is this something you can buy at the local grocery store?
Hi Melissa, thanks for your encouragement. Also, thanks for willing to share with your daughter as well as other breastfeeding mothers out there. Of course, Melissa, you can get fenugreek herb in most local markets and supermarkets. It’s an awesome herb to have to help with enhancing the milk supply.
What a fantastic post! I wish that I had this information back in 1993 when I was nursing my children. I had a very low milk supply and I had to stop nursing because my child was not getting enough milk. Thank you for sharing a wonderful post that will help many mothers who are nursing! 🙂
Oh, surely I’d have wish that as well if I were to have the resources back then to share these awesome contents online. Haha… Anyway, thank you for dropping by and leave us this awesome compliment to us. It’s another booster for us to move forward with more great stuffs and support. Cheers.
I have tried several of these during my breastfeeding endeavors but never knew about alfalfa, garlic, apricots, and chickpeas! (and I loveeee chickpeas and hummus, yum!) I will have to utilize these other suggestions once baby #4 arrives. I drank red raspberry leaf tea during my last trimester of all my pregnancies, but did not realize the connection to milk postpartum (I only drank it to help prep my uterus for labor.). I will drink my red raspberry leaf tea postpartum to see if it helps with milk production. Thanks for the great tips!
Hello,
What a great and timely post for me. I am a mom of a beautiful month old baby and in a couple more months, I will be returning to work. I need to start pumping extra milk and storing but I don’t make that much.
So I will be trying most of the foods you wrote about and hopefully they will work for me.
Are there any foods to avoid? I mean foods that can dry your milk supply.
Hi there… Yes, avoid sage tea / sage tincture, vitamin B6-rich foods and pain reliever containing ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Hope this suggestion helps… 😉