Many of you have emailed & asked me about traditional breastfeeding diet examples. From what I've researched from other cultures, as many women without these tips & tricks in America (myself included) struggle(d) with low milk supply out of accidentally eating/drinking the wrong things. I know, its an initially very surprising thought to me as well, but makes perfect sense, right?!
For example, did you know such things as parsley, oregano, sage, mints etc. actually decrease milk supply? Not to mention coffee, one of the biggest! With my first baby, Demetri, my husband had cancer at the same time he was born. I started drinking a decent amount of coffee to try to stay awake to care for both of them, & struggled with low milk supply the entire almost-year I nursed him. Never put the two together until I read about it later. Aha! moment.
I cannot recommend the book "Mother Food" by Hilary Jacobsen enough.... every breastfeeding (or intending to breastfeed) mama should read this book. It became my Bible when I stumbled across it finally!
Here is what I'm personally eating/have eaten for galactagogues/milk producers while at same time providing enough nutrition/& still very importantly, enough fats for baby's developing brain. I do love sweets & carbs but tend to follow a more Weston-Price/Paleo/Traditional diet usually. Unless I'm feeling like it would be good to add a sweet like Halvah, which is a major galactagogue made almost exclusively from sweetened SESAME seeds- one of the biggest "galas", btw. Gala is milk in Greek, & let's just call it this to make it easier than writing out & reading "galactagogue" every time. ;-)
The following are from notes I took when baby "RoRo" was only 2 or 3 months old. He is now an amazing, vibrantly healthy 10-month old guy who loves to feed himself, crawl & jump everywhere, & still breastfeeds, but much less.
Breakfast: I regret to say I had only a large mug of very spicy milky chai, raw whole milk only of course, I used organic ready made chai concentrate (but usually have homemade chai & ginger tea concentrate on hand, I add extra spices that way), & added extra tea masala (the spice that makes chai into "chai", & have that spicy taste we know here in the USA as "chai", although in many cultures chai actually just means tea, but that's another story ;-)), from the Indian grocer & stir it in, I do an extra half-teaspoonful. The milk & spice is why I drink it, watch your caffeine levels (I do a mix of reg & no caffeine). Let me interject here, in the last month of pregnancy I quit coffee cold turkey again & switched to chai because as I said, I learned years ago (the hard way) that coffee is the single most anti-galactagogue out there- (yes I miss it, I love coffee!) but it is *awful* for healthy milk supply, so be careful when adding it back or drinking it. Not to mention the adverse affect it can have on baby. Traditional cultures & diets stay away from it entirely.
Healthy, "Supermilk" breakfast items to add to your morning chai are eggs (foraged or free-range are preferable as they contain very dense amounts of nutrition & protein, much more than grain-fed eggs), oatmeal with raw honey, fresh fruit etc. I often nibble some cheese or spread sesame tahini (another huge gala) or almond/peanut butter (gala & protein) on a piece of multigrain toast or English muffin for a treat (not paleo but so yummy, lol). Adding spinach/kale & other veggies to omelets is fantastic! And so much more. I loved a mug of leftover homemade soup for breakfast too. So many nutritious, non-sugary, galactagogue, superfood breakfast options available! Be creative, & think about the nutrition of each choice you make.
Lunch: a bowl of hot spicy chickpea curry- curry spices are fantastic galactagogues! Mixed with yoghurt to cool it down (Ayurveda, plus whole milk Greek yoghurt is more good fats for baby), & small fresh salad or fruit, & a glass of malted whole raw milk (malt- another big "gala"!)
Snacking: Smoothies, raw fruits & veggies throughout the day if you can, if $$/a budget is an issue even things like bananas are fresh & cheap, & drink LOTS of water. I keep a quart jar upstairs & downstairs and drink & refill them constantly!! "Mother's Milk" herbal tea in the afternoon, evening & night too. I haven't gotten prenatals refilled yet & planning to for optimal backup "nutrition", but prefer eating healthy for him than relying on a dead pharmaceutical (V. fresh live nutrition & vitamins) to supposedly nourish my child (wry face). The ones I liked were by Solgar, from any health food store.
Dinner: We love fish like wild salmon (the most nutritious for baby), red meat like beef & venison, clean chicken... Protein levels are a must for you & baby... Stir-fries with chicken, greens (as much greens as you can!), spices, etc., fruits even (try pineapple, mango etc pieces-yum!!!) are just phenomenal. Be adventurous. Research superfoods, they are you & your family's new best friends! Eat as many as you can a day. I read somewhere, "Eat a Rainbow a day of fresh fruits & veggies-as many colors as you can!" All that amazing nutrition is being passed directly to your baby.
I ate high amounts of fat the first 6 months after I had this third baby. Infants NEED healthy fats for brain development, & from what I've read & heard, dieting or not eating these fats like Omega-3, DHA etc not only reduce breastmilk, but are not the best for baby's brain development. Add to that, losing weight at too fast a pace can actually detox directly into breastmilk.... also not the best start for Baby. I think its 1-2 lbs a week to safely, gradually lose the "baby weight" while breastfeeding postpartum. Nourish yourself so you can feel good nourishing baby!
Make pre-cooked meals. I make roasts & slice in fridge for grazing or sandwiches or anything, really (including turkeys-yum!!!), keep salad ingredients on hand, hard-boiled eggs, cheeses etc... I cook huge pots of soups, stews, curries, stir-fries & freeze them in ziplock bags in portions- individual/couple & family-sized :) Defrost in a bowl of cold water, on stove in a little water in a pan on low/medium heat, or overnight in fridge if you don't use microwaves. It all helps so much when Baby just doesn't want to be put down!
Steer clear of soy products while breastfeeding unless he has a dairy allergy, etc., & even then be very careful & selective as to how much you intake. It can powerfully affect hormone levels & is usually GMO anyway unless certified organic & certified non-GMO.
Superfood Smoothies: Okay, my personal FAVOURITE LOVE. I get these raw superfood powders from Wegman's, they are AMAZING! Maca (my absolute fave-incredible energy & stamina!!), Pomegranate, Acai, Goji Berry, etc... even raw Cocoa. They also carry non-GMO organic whey protein if you are doing as a meal replacement. These are all a bit of an investment, between $7-20-ish, but last months, as the serving size is a tablespoon. Ration it (or don't), they make you feel sooooooo good, full of vitality!! I just can't say enough about these superfood smoothie concoctions. I add frozen (organic when possible) fruits, sometimes a handful of spinach, any extracts you want or extra things (I've done sour cherry extract, raw aloe vera juice, chlorophyll, wheatgrass etc- you can hide all kinds of things, I'm sure cod liver oil even could be hidden ha!). I usually just add water to blend, but sometimes I add a little carrot or orange juice. Hubby likes maple syrup or other clean sweeteners, but I don't usually need it, tastes so yummy already!
Hopefully the things I have listed here will provide a jumpstart to a new mama looking to improve supply, or figure out what could be happening if other causes have been ruled out, such as not drinking enough water, not nursing baby enough/on demand, or taking baby's cues to feed more for a growth spurt, etc.
In conclusion, if you think a food or drink may be affecting your breastmilk, simply Google it, read Mother Food & other books on it, refer back to this article, or take personal notes & see if there is a pattern after eating certain things. All babies & mommies are different, so as I always say, do what works for You & your family.
Love, Best of Luck, & above all, Happy Breastfeeding!!!!!
Warmly, Christine Elizabeth xxo
