We don’t have to tell you that breastfeeding is hard work, right? You’ve probably already discovered as much. By now it’s likely you know your body needs to be properly nourished in order to keep your milk supply flowing.
Fortunately, there are many quick and easy-to-prepare recipes made with ingredients that may help improve your milk supply. Plus, these recipes are packed with nutrients you need as a breastfeeding parent.
Fennel + fenugreek seeds
Fennel is the vegetable with the white, sweet, licorice-flavoured bulb and thin green fronds. Both the plant and its seed, fenugreek, contain phytoestrogens, Simpson writes, which have long been believed to help milk production along.
Fenugreek the herb is kind of a big deal for breastfeeding moms (surely you’ve heard of Mother’s Milk tea) in North America, but it’s also been used for centuries by women in India and parts of the Middle East. Simpson recommends going slowly with fenugreek though: “While it is an incredibly popular herb, it is often used incorrectly, at the wrong dose, and with disregard for its side effects…Clinical studies have tried to identify the exact dosage that exerts therapeutic effects as well as the mechanism by which this herb works to increase milk production, but the evidence is still inconclusive.” She continues that people with type 1 or 2 diabetes, heart disease or nut/legume allergies should consult with their doctor before using fenugreek.
The most common side effects: “Diarrhea and a (harmless) maple syrup smell to sweat and urine.”
How to use it: Go for the whole food! Fennel is delicious raw, tossed simply with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It also pairs well with refreshing grapefruit, orange and mint. Its licorice flavour mellows when cooked
Other whole grains
Aside from barley and oats, whole wheat and brown rice are also rich in beta-glucan, but have been routinely overlooked in research on lactogenic foods simply because they’re both such obvious dietary staples, Simpson writes. It’s important to note that white flour and white rice simply don’t have the same benefits.
How to use them: Swap in whole wheat flour where you can—in breads, pancakes and muffins—and opt for brown rice anywhere you would use white.
Papaya
This sunny fruit has been used—both raw and cooked in soups—as a galactogogue in Asian cultures for centuries, though it’s only recently been studied, Simpson writes. We still don’t know exactly if, why or how papaya increases breast milk supply.
How to use it: Eat papaya raw with yogurt, cereal and other fruit. It’s very good in Thai-inspired soups, salads and noodle dishes.
Herbal nursing mom tea
Staying hydrated while breastfeeding is important. This homemade tea blend can help you get the job done. It uses herbs and spices like fennel, which has been shown to have galactogenic propertiesTrusted Source, meaning it may help boost milk secretion.
Ingredients
- ½ cup red raspberry leaf
- ¼ cup alfalfa leaf
- ½ cup nettle leaf
- ¼ cup fenugreek seeds
- ¼ cup fennel seeds
- ¼ cup chamomile flowers
- ¼ cup dandelion leaf
Instructions
- Mix herbs and store in a glass jar. To brew, add 1 Tablespoon herb mix to 2 cups of boiling water and simmer on stove for 10-15 minutes.
- Strain and serve.
- Can also make by the gallon using ½ cup dried herb mix and store in refrigerator after straining.