pregnancy foods for best pregnancy

Your baby is here! Now its time to figure out how to feed it! If you have chosen breastfeeding, we are here to help! As a first time mom, it’s a world you have no experience in, and can be quite daunting. Even if you do have experience, each child can be different, and your body is always changing. Milk supply may not have been an issue with one child, but it could be with another.

What can affect breast milk production?

These are some of the reasons that reduce breast milk supply:

- Not getting enough rest
- Sufer stress and anxiety
- Get pregnant again while you are still breastfeeding
- Hormonal imbalance (diabetesm, thyroid gland, etc)
- Smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, take drugs, etc
- Ingest less than 1500 calories per day
- Because of some medication
- Low tissue breast
- Become sick
- Hormonal birth control
How to increase breast milk?

There are tons of products, foods, and drinks that claim to help increase breast milk production, but it can be hard to sift through them all to find what really works for you. When your production decreases, you may become desperate to find any way to increase your supply.

Finding the way to increase breast milk, is also time-sensitive, as you have a little one depending on you for your breast milk. So before diving deep into the world of breastfeeding, take a look at these foods and drinks that can help increase your supply, and make sure you always have them around ⸺ just in case.

Disclaimer: Some milk supply issues can be fixed by tweaks in caloric intake, and through adding more vitamins/minerals into your diet. However, there are many other supply issues that are more serious, and can’t be fixed by changes in diet. Please discuss your supply concerns with a lactation consultant if you have a severe decrease.

Oatmeal

Love breakfast? It can also be a snack! Best of all it’s a food that can help increase breast milk supply.

Oatmeal provides mothers with an amazing variety of nutrients that can create a richer supply of milk. It’s a cereal also a source of iron, which can be a factor in low milk supply. So by eating oatmeal, a mother could quite possibly be compensating for her low iron level, which may be the reason her supply is decreasing.

This is an amazing option for many reasons, the main one being that it’s an easy food to include in your diet. Through simply eating plain oatmeal, or making cookies with an oatmeal base, this is an easy addition to your day.

Water/Hydration

Pregnant moms are told to drink 90 ounces of water a day to provide enough hydration for themselves and their baby. But once they have their baby, they often drop back down to an average amount of water intake each day.

Swaddles N’ Bottles discusses how breast milk is 88% water (wow). By no means do you have to drink an obscene amount of water, but being aware of your water intake can be helpful to your milk supply.

Try drinking at least a glass of water each time you breastfeed. That way you’re replenishing your system, even when water is being taken through your milk.

This is also a pretty simple thing to add to your day. Drinking water has plenty of helpful benefits, so there are various reasons that you may already want to consider drinking more water daily.

Brewer’s Yeast

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Brewer’s yeast is a pretty well-known supplement that people claim to be helpful in increasing milk supply.

That’s why many lactation cookies contain brewer’s yeast. It’s a highly nutritious supplement. Many swear by this mode of increasing supply, while others never noticed a difference. It’s definitely worth a try!

Flaxseed

It has phytoestrogens which many claim helps milk supply. Flaxseed is also filled with omega-3 fatty acid, which many believe can be helpful in producing more milk.

It’s important to be aware that this is another item that some disagree with. Although many swear by flaxseed, there are others who thought it didn’t have any effects on their supply. You may never know how flaxseed could work for you, so it may be worth a try.

Lactation Cookies

Recipes for lactation cookies vary, but this specific recipe from Belly Belly has ingredients that you’ll find in most lactation cookies. Among many other ingredients, steel cut oats, brewer’s yeast, and flaxseed meal are included. Many claim that these ingredients help increase milk supply.

These lactation cookies are so popular that there are thousands upon thousands of recipes online. They’re definitely worth a shot if you’re in the mood for a cookie!

Spinach

Obviously breastfeeding changes the amount of calories and vitamins/minerals that you’ll need to take in each day.

Without compensating for the amount that goes into producing your breastmilk, your supply may decrease due to lacking those necessary nutrients. Dark leafy greens like spinach, are packed with calcium, iron, folate, and many other important vitamins and minerals. That’s why many believe spinach can increase your milk supply.

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Fennel

This comes in many forms, and has been attributed to increases in milk production. Fennel has been used for many various issues and ailments, including stimulating the increase of breast milk.

It can be taken in many various ways (tea-form, seeds, capsules, cooked), and could quite possibly help you increase your supply.

As with everything, moderation is key. Too much fennel could actually lead to a decrease in supply. Which leads us to our next herb…

Fenugreek

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Ah, good old Fenugreek. This maple-syrup smelling herb is topic for debate. Many claim their increase in milk supply was because of fenugreek. However, many refuse the notion that it increases supply, claiming that it actually decreased their production of milk.

Very Well Family cited a study that reported fenugreek capsules increasing milk production by 20 percent. However, the placebo group also reported similar increases.

That study does lead to some concerns about how helpful fenugreek actually is, and how much of it is in our own heads. It may still be worth giving it a try, as many moms swear by this herb.

Almonds

These protein-and-calcium-filled nuts have the nutrients that lots of women are lacking. Compensating for those missing nutrients could help build your supply back up.

It’s another easy addition, and a simple snack to add into your day.

Garlic

This root can help in many ways. From a general health-standpoint, it’s beneficial. Many also claim that it helps build up your supply and stimulate production. Garlic is an extremely easy item to add into almost any meal, and will only make it taste better!

More tips to increase breast milk

There are also other types of tips you can follow to increase your milk supply:
- - Breastfeed yor baby more often
  - Add pumping sessions after baby nurses, when the baby is sleeping, etc
  - Rest and practice relaxation techniques
  - Dedicate your time only to breastfedding your baby and nothing else
  - Sleep 8 hours
  - Use the correct bra
  - Change breasts when you are breastfeeding your baby
  - Do a massage to your breasts
  Go ahead and try these items for yourself to see if they work for you. Everybody is unique, and certain foods and drinks may have nutrients that stimulate your milk production, even though they may not help someone else’s supply. If you have a severe decrease in supply, make sure to discuss your concerns with a lactation consultant! However, if you’re just looking to help boost your supply, these items are a good place to start!
  
  Be sure to get a gender prediction on our site based on the ramzy theory, the nub theory and the skull theory! Make the wait fun!