So, as everyone may or may not know, I am a big supporter of breastfeeding. The benefits are what gets most of us. Breastfed children tend to be very intelligent, healthy and immune to certain sickness.
Now, as a mother who has breastfed and still is breastfeeding, I know how challenging it can be. There have been times where I have wanted to give up and just stick to formula alone. This is because at first I didn't know that there are certain things that need to be done while breastfeeding. The number one thing is to monitor what you are eating and drinking.
When you are breastfeeding, whatever you eat/ drink goes into your milk stream. You eat something sweet, your milk will taste sweeter. You eat something spicy (which isn't recommended while nursing), your milk will have a slight spice. So, I have gathered a list of things that I personally nourish myself with to keep my supply going and provide the best milk:
Almonds are super good for your milk. I like to eat them in a smoothie for a crunch or alone for my morning snack. I do eat them lightly salted (the blue diamond brand). If you don't like almonds you can try almond milk (sweetened or unsweetened).
Believe it or not, Gatorade helps your flow. If you are experiencing a rough patch with pumping, I highly recommend drinking one bottle and watch the magic happen. I usually drink it while I'm pumping, but that's because I'm inpatient.
This is probably THE most important on the list. Your body takes the water you drink and produces your milk with it. So, if you're not drinking water, your body CAN produce milk, but not a lot. DRINK WATER. I prefer the giant jug with the spout attached. I just don't like having a bunch of water bottles to dispose of. So I use a cup or my 32 oz bottle. By the way, alkaline water is best OR the Evian brand.
Oatmeal is probably my favorite thing to eat for breakfast. It's very high in vitamins and nutrients and is very good for getting your supply up. You can do oatmeal raisin cookies, oatmeal bars, etc. If you want to find different recipes for oatmeal, check out heyfranhey.com
Malt and beer. Now I personally do not drink beer so I do malt alone. I know people who have done one or the other and both. They have gotten the same results: it does increase your supply tremendously. I hate the taste of malt drinks but for the sake of my milk, I drink it anyways.
Flax seeds are just great for your body, period. I like to put a table spoon of them in my oats and other foods like pasta, soup, etc. Flax seeds have a nutty taste but it's not overwhelming.
My FAVE! Mother's milk tea is part of my everyday nourishment. I have a mug twice a day. A lot of people do not like the taste. I am one of those people. The taste is one of a black licorice kind of. Idk. It's hard to explain but I pair mine with my favorite tea. It masks the taste but still lets the Mother's Milk do its job.
Please keep in mind that everyone's body is different. So, what works for one woman may not work for the next.
Please leave questions and comments in the comment section.
xoxo
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