I am currently breastfeeding my second baby and am thankful to have had an ample supply of breastmilk in both feeding journeys. I know that for many women, breastmilk supply can seem like a mystical topic to master, so I wanted to share my knowledge in this area. I’ll share what I discovered through my studies with Oh Baby School of Holistic Nutrition and I’ll add in any comments about what I have learnt through my journey as a mother.

(P.S. If the Oh Baby School interests you, send me a message, I love chatting with potential students about how it has changed my life!)

I want to begin by saying that one of the most valuable practitioners for supporting women on their breastfeeding journey is a lactation consultant. The one here was instrumental with my first experience and getting a proper latch.

When it comes to milk supply, here’s what to focus on:

• The thoroughness of milk removal (this is where a lactation consultant comes in to look at the latch) and working to empty a breast completely instead of short feeds on each side. Personally, I tend to offer the breast once baby wakes from a sleep on one side, and before they go to sleep I offer the other (I love feeding to sleep, but more on this another day!) while feeding on demand between these feeds too.

• Ensure the mother is comfortable and relaxed (load up those pillows, mama!)

• Focus on unrestricted frequency and duration of breastfeeding

• Utilise skin-to-skin whenever possible. Studies show that skin-to-skin not only increases the release of oxytocin (the hormone responsible for the breastmilk coming out of the breast) reduces a baby’s stress hormones (aka their cortisol) and also reduces a mother’s anxiety. This then leads to more synchronicity (gosh I’m so here for all the synchronicities of life) between the mother and baby which is optimal for breastfeeding success. This is also why co-sleeping can contribute to increased milk supply as it provides more contact with the mother and baby - and more of those feel good hormones (but only if co-sleeping feels aligned for you!)

• Pumping in addition to breastfeeding can be helpful and I recommend discussing the best way to do this with your lactation consultant.

Before diving into the foods that can be supportive, I want to share that these foods can help increase supply temporarily, and it is important to discover the root cause of low supply. There are many factors that can contribute to low supply, such as: stress, a low/no carbohydrate diet, large amounts of certain herbs (like peppermint for example), hypothyroidism, certain medications, menstruation/pregnancy/birth control, mammary hypoplasia, retained placenta, severe postpartum haemorrhage, polycystic ovary syndrome and anything that interferes with the release of oxytocin! I won’t be diving into these further here in this blog, but if you would like to discuss any further, please reach out or contact your preferred health professional.

Now onto the food! Here are the foods that may be helpful in increasing supply temporarily:

• apricots

• asparagus

• barley

• beets

• brown rice

• carrots & carrot seeds

• coconut water

• dandelion greens

• garlic

• ginger

• green beans

• green papaya

• millet

• oatmeal

• peas

• sesame seeds

• sweet potatoes

• water (drink to thirst always, but have a glass of water handy at each feed)

• watercress

There are also some breastfeeding superfoods worth mentioning which can increase milk supply and the nutrient density of breast milk:

• barley grass

• spirulina

• brewers yeast

• moringa

It can also be helpful to be mindful of:

• Your processed food intake as foods that are high in refined sodium can cause the body to retain water in the cells which reduces the water available for breastmilk.

• Your caffeine consumption which has a diuretic effect that can also reduce the water available for breastmilk.

And lastly, I always encourage women to build balanced meals with wholefood sources of carbohydrates, healthy fats and adequate protein. Did you know that if a breastfeeding mother consumed the RDA of protein recommended for a non-pregnant/non-lactating woman, she would need to mobilise about 19% of her lean tissue to support 6 months of milk production? And did you know that the type of dietary fat you consume while breastfeeding directly correlates with the fatty acids in your milk?

Breastfeeding is not the time for skipping meals or skipping nourishment. I love nothing more than supporting mothers with their nourishment, and their whole family’s too.