Hey mamas!
This is a topic that I know a lot of mothers are interested in because while nursing, your #1 priority is to make sure your baby is getting enough milk for growth.
There are many reasons to why a nursing mother’s milk supply may drop (or not even come in fully), but that’s not what I’ll be discussing today. I want to provide some of my best tips on how to increase, or maintain, your milk supply so that you can do your best to provide a healthy growth rate for your baby.
OATMEAL
Although this is not scientifically proven, many moms swear by the fact that with the increase of oats in their diet, they’ve seen improvement with their milk production. This includes me! Many lactation consultants also recommend this to their clients with reports of improvement. Examples of ways you can incorporate more oats into your daily diet can be through oatmeal, oatmeal muffins or oatmeal cookies. It must be consumed daily to see results.
CALORIES
Your body is literally making food for your baby; so the more you eat, the more milk you produce. Since we burn 500 calories a day while nursing, you need to make up for it with 500 extra calories in your daily diet. Do not let the fact that burning an extra 500 calories a day is a great way to lose the baby weight, because you will soon learn that your milk supply has dropped, and that you have a fussier/hungrier baby.
WATER
This may be the most important one. Hydration is KEY for milk production. Drink as many glasses of water a day as you can tolerate, and then drink a little more. Your body needs more than you think.
SLEEP
Our bodies create milk during rest, hence why our milk supply is always at its highest in the morning. I know this is easier said than done, especially if your baby is a poor sleeper, but the point is to just try and get as much rest as you can.
I hope these tips help you! If you find that you are still struggling after a few weeks, you can look at taking herbal supplements such as fenugreek; or talk to your doctor for your best options.
Sacha xo
