How to Increase Milk Production

I clearly remember the days I did not make enough milk. I felt like a failure, even though I knew I was not. Despite my best efforts, my baby was crying due to hunger, and wanted to stay latched on for hours, literally, and it hurt! Finally, my husband stepped in and said he’s going to the store to buy formula. We had not purchased bottles, or formula, or even a breast pump, because I was set on exclusively breastfeeding, and here we were, resorting to buying a formula made with many additives and a high glycemic index that I wanted to avoid! A friend of mine texted and asked how I was holding up. I shared my milk-producing failure and she told me she had gone through the same thing. Her words made me realize I was not alone in this experience, and there were solutions. 

The first thing she told me was to take a 3-day “breastfeeding vacation,” which meant that for three whole days I would do nothing but lay in bed with my newborn and breastfeed as often as I could. No cooking, no laundry, no travel of any kind, no vacuuming - nothing but laying in bed, feeding, and sleeping. No answering the phone, no computer, nothing that would interfere with resting and napping whenever baby slept. My food and anything else I needed was to be provided for me. I could get up to take a shower, brush my teeth, and use the restroom. I felt like I was at a breaking point, and a vacation with no responsibility other than feeding my baby sounded amazing. 

The second item of importance that my friend recommended was to eat foods that are galactagogues. A galactagogue is something that is believed to stimulate milk production. There are a number of herbs and foods that are reported to increase a mother’s milk supply when used in combination with frequent nursing/pumping, not wearing constricting bras, and drinking plenty of water. My friend recommended drinking half a glass of beer and looking into Mrs. Patel’s fenugreek bars. I dislike the taste of beer, but was willing to try whatever may work. I made a funny face and drank half a glass of beer, and ordered a next day shipment of fenugreek bars. Within a couple of days, my milk supply was increased. I do not know if it was the rest, the beer, or the fenugreek, but the combination sure worked for me. 

In addition to fenugreek and hops, other foods that are considered to be galactagogues are oats, nutritional yeast, whole grains, almonds, fennel seeds, anise seeds, dandelion, brown rice, chickpeas, and turmeric, as well as a number of others. There are a number of lactation bars/cookies available online, such as Milkmakers Chocolate Chip Lactation Bars and Mother’s Milk Chocolate Fruit & Nut Bars, but they are easy enough to make yourself, or delegate to your “maid of honor” (see #1 point in Mommy Essentials blog). 

Nutritional yeast is delicious when sprinkled on popcorn, on salads, on sandwiches, and even in smoothies. Some online blogs report that nutritional yeast was the galactagogue that increased their milk production the most.

Oatmeal cookies are easy to make; my favorites are the thin crispy kind that are made with butter such as these. Mix in some other galactagogues like almonds (or whatever nuts you have on hand), and enjoy a yummy treat. 

You may also enjoy a dandelion tea, or a tea specifically marketed to support milk production such as this Organic Mother’s Milk tea. 

So what ended up happening with the grocery store formula my husband got? He made a bottle and fed our daughter, while I slept until I woke up on my own. After the long nap (I don’t remember how many hours I slept), I woke up with a smile, feeling refreshed and ready to feed my daughter. My daughter didn’t want to breastfeed due to the ease of drinking from a bottle that she had recently experienced, but I had the energy to wait it out with her. I felt rested and empowered, and had the energy to not give in. I figured that eventually she would have to eat, so time was on my side. It took a good 10-15 minutes, but eventually my daughter realized that she will not be given an alternative, and she latched. We had a great breastfeeding session. The next thing we did was buy a breast pump, so that if I got exhausted, I could pump and take a nap. And afterwards, I did extensive research on which baby formulas are good for the baby, in case I needed a break and did not have extra milk pre-pumped. I found three companies with excellent ingredients: Lebenswert, Holle, and Hipp. They are all made with organic ingredients and do not contain the additives that most formulas have.