If you are a nursing mom, or if you have ever been one, or plan to be one, I am sure you have thought about your milk supply and wondered if you are producing an adequate amount of milk for your little baby. There are so many things that you can find online on
helping to increase your supply and today I want to share about a few that I have found to be most beneficial in both increasing and maintaining milk supply.
One of the most important things to increasing/maintaining your supply is to put baby to breast as frequently as the baby desires and that mom is able. This can seem like a lot at times but them suckling, even if they are not getting much milk will tell your body to produce more milk and will help increase your supply. It is key to stay calm during this time as well. When you are tense or stressed wondering if baby is getting milk, you can stop a let down from happening, the exact opposite of what we are hoping to achieve.
I am sure you are already aware, when you are nursing, you may feel extremely thirsty and hungry. It is very important to get plenty of fluids and nutrient dense foods. You should be drinking above the recommended daily amount of water as you are releasing water in your breastmilk, so you need to replenish it to be able to make more. It is also important to eat plenty of protein and that protein consumption may be more important than water intake. It has been stated that when you are not eating adequate amounts of protein, you will have a dip is supply. So make sure to grab a drink of water and some nuts while nursing to replenish your body. At least that is what I always did. 😊
There are a variety of recommended supplements that can be used to help increase your supply, but I have heard that some supplements will increase supply in some and the exact same supplement will decrease supply in another. For this reason, I am not going to recommend any additional supplementation other than continuing to take what you took during pregnancy, including your prenatal to ensure that your body is getting all of the key nutrients that it needs!
One final thing that I found to be very beneficial was to use lactation cookies! It may be that I needed a ‘treat’ or that the components in them are known to increase milk supply, but either way, I noticed a difference. I want to share the recipe that I use when making homemade lactation cookies. I am not sure where I got this recipe from, but I have made it several times and they have always turned out well and achieved an increase in supply. The biggest thing with any lactation cookie to remember is that they will increase your supply and they are still cookies, so you probably do not want to eat too many at one time 😊
I hope that you are able to find joy in your nursing experience and that you are able to provide your baby with breast milk as long as you desire! If you notice that you are sore and tense while nursing, please reach out to your local chiropractor to see if chiropractic care can be beneficial for you to be able to enjoy your nursing journey a little more!