Boosting Breast Milk Supply for Baby

It is only normal for mothers, especially first time mothers to worry about their milk supply when they start breast feeding their baby. If you are a new mother and happen to have so many questions about your breast milk, you have come to the right place!

Some of the most common worries include wondering if your body is producing enough milk for your new baby’s growth and development or is there anything you can do in hopes of boosting your breast milk supply.

The best ways to ensure you are producing enough breast milk for your baby is by keeping track on your diet. Let’s begin our discussion on the best nutrition to boost your breast milk supply.

Water

Water is not exactly a kind of food, but it is definitely the most essential aspect of ensuring you will have an adequate milk supply. According to recent studies, about 70% of Malaysians are chronically dehydrated.

We understand that drinking three gallons a day is almost impossible and you don’t have to do so, but drinking at least eight glasses a day is an absolute must!

In the early stages of your breastfeeding journey, it is better to keep a bottle of water by your side. You might not be thirsty when you start breastfeeding but by the time your baby is done feeding, it is common for you to be thirsty.

Oats

Oatmeal works great for building and maintaining your milk supply. Doesn’t matter if you enjoy having a bowl of hot oats in the morning or sprinkling some over your yogurt, as long as you have some oats every day, you are good to go.

It is a well known fact that consumption of oats can help reduce cholesterol levels and regulated blood flow, but since oats also benefits you in another ways – why not make it a point to have more of it on a daily basis!

Garlic

You don’t need to go overboard but adding garlic to your dishes makes it more delicious as well as boosts your milk supply. Nursing mothers have been using garlic as a milk booster for centuries now.

For modern moms who don’t like incorporating garlic into their meals because it gives you horrible aftertaste, try the garlic pills – they are known to be equally as effective and have no aftertaste.

Carrots

Time to eat like rabbits! No, we don’t mean eat very little; we mean chow down all the carrot you can get! Carrots are full of beta-carotene, which happened to be extra in demand when you are lactating.

Carrots also happen to be a healthy source of carbohydrates and will boost your potassium as well. Snacking on carrots can also help you get rid of all that stubborn baby weight. Peel and store them in your refrigerator for easy snacking.

Fennel

Whether you sauté it, stew it or have it raw in a salad; fennel is known to bring lots of benefit to your milk supply. However, if you dislike anise or licorice it is most likely you would not enjoy fennel either.

For those with sensitive tummies, fennel also works great in easing an upset stomach and speeding up digestion.

Nuts

Being a new mom will definitely make you feel like you are going nuts because it is all too overwhelming! So, every time you feel that just grab a handful of nuts and snack on them. Cashews, almonds and macadamia nuts are the best kind to boost your milk supply. They are also high in good fats and antioxidants.

Choose raw, unsalted nuts when you are shopping for them. Many brands of nuts have them heavily oiled and salted for better taste, but these kinds don’t provide the best vitamins.

Green Papaya

Yes, it is what you are thinking. We are talking about eating unripe papaya. While most of us are only used to eating sweet papayas, unripe papayas are very common in Thai restaurants, where they have a papaya salad dish called Som Tam.

However, if you are not a fan of Thai food, try steaming or stir frying the unripe papaya and have them as a side dish or for snack during the day. If this is still not doable for you, you can always get tablet forms of unripe papaya at the pharmacy.