Have you heard of Boob Foods? These are foods that can help you boost your breastmilk supply! The proper term for a food, tea, herb, or medication that is meant to help increase your breastmilk supply is Galactagogue (pronounced gah-lak´tah-gog). Adding galactagogue foods to your diet is a great way to help your supply in a positive way.
So here’s your shopping list!
While you can defiantly go out and stock your pantry with fancy cookies and teas, sometimes the best thing is to increase your diet with these foods. You can also make your own lactation treats at home, or purchase from a local store or supplier. On top of these amazing natural milk boosters, you also want to make sure you are getting enough water, protein, calcium, and rest to keep your body healthy and fed in order to feed your baby.
But there are also some things you want to avoid, as they have been shown to decrease your milk supply.
Sources can be oral or others such as teas or essential oils. The good thing with the herbs listed, you’d need to eat a whole sandwich of oregano to have any negative impact on your milk supply. So a bit of parsley on your pasta won’t hurt. Some people also say their babies are fussy after feeding when you have consumed certain foods, like garlic, spicy foods, or caffeine. If your baby is unsettled after a feed, speak to an IBCLC and your physician to help discover the root of the cause.
Now changing your diet along will not work to increase your milk supply. Breastmilk is a neurohormonal feedback system (aka supply and demand). So while eating oatmeal every day may help, it’s not as important as frequent and effective milk removal.
If you’re having concerns with your breastmilk supply, speak to your local Mama Coach about our lactation support packages that can help you.