When it comes to breastfeeding, whether you are pumping, nursing, or a combo of both, what you are eating and drinking ultimately affects your breast milk in terms of supply and nutritional contents. Breastfeeding is all-consuming – quite literally! The baby is consuming you! In this post we're talking about how to eat to sustain a healthy supply of milk for baby, and tips on how to make it happen. Let's dig in!
Chug baby, chug!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the #1 thing that is going to support your milk supply is water. How much? A lot. Dieticians recommend up to 16 cups of water a day for breastfeeding mamas. Yep – 16! If you think about it though it makes a lot of sense, you are losing significant fluid with all that milk you are supplying so it's time to up the water game.
Tips to make that happen
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Make it easy. If you’re like me you have a collection of water bottles that you’ve collected over time, taking up space in a cabinet somewhere. Fill them up and stash them around the house, preferably at the places where you’ll be sitting with baby, pumping, feeding, or resting. If you successfully decluttered recently during the pregnancy nesting phase and in need of a new water bottle, snag yourself a bemybreastfriend exclusive here!
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Remember that it doesn’t have to be plain water. I’m a fan of slicing up lemons and putting them in a pitcher with water so that you have lots of lemon-flavored water ready to go. You can get a water bottle with an infuser if you like. You can experiment with cucumber, melon, mint or strawberries. Especially refreshing in summer.
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Water comes from food intake also. Celery, cucumbers, lettuce, green grapes, watermelon, spinach, soups, bone broth, yogurt, cottage cheese, and smoothies are some of your best food sources of liquid. And a lot of them are easy to prepare and keep in the fridge or the freezer. (Ever had frozen grapes? Delicious!) I like to keep single-serving jars of homemade soup in the freezer. They easily thaw and heat up in minutes in the microwave. Watermelon in summer always makes me happy, so when it's in season I try to keep a bowl of it cut up in the fridge for quick snacking. Double win as a favorite among the littles, too. Bone broth in cooler months is not only hydrating, but super nourishing, as well.
- A little advice around lactation teas. While some might have success with them, they're mostly just hype. Certain brands even include ingredients that can negatively affect supply. For me personally, I tend to stay away from them and recommend the same to anyone who's asking. Trust me when I say, plain ol' water is the way to go!
What not to drink (or to drink with caution)
You probably already know this: alcohol, sugar, and caffeine are the "no-nos" -- Or what I like to call the "low-lows". Not only can they cause problems for baby, but they can also dehydrate you or decrease your immune support. That said, I also see the value in a glass of wine or a cup of coffee. Sometimes it's worth it and downright necessary, especially when mom-ing hard, so then I make sure I remember to up my water intake. There are some people who will recommend a glass or half a glass of beer a day to help boost milk supply, but this is also likely another old wives tale. Interested in more about consumption and breastfeeding? Check out my blog posts on caffeine and alcohol!
Eating for Two
Here’s the good news: lactating mothers need extra calories – up to 500 more than normal! Yes, now you really are eating for two! But as you might have noticed, it can be tough getting the calories you need, and even tougher getting those calories in a healthy way. I’ve been known to yank open the fridge or the pantry in my breastfeeding days ready to grab whatever I can find because I’m just so hungry! And if there are chocolates on the counter or chips in the pantry, you can bet that I grab those first. I know better though and that wouldn't be my first recommendation unless utter desperation has fully set in. Take my advice and do your best to plan ahead, if you can.
Here are some of the best foods you can eat to support your supply, with easy prep-ahead tips so they are ready when you need a quick, filling, and nutritional fix:
Oatmeal
A bowl of warm oatmeal can be breakfast, lunch, or dinner when you’ve got a baby in the house. Make it with milk to get that extra dairy and protein boost. Oatmeal is also a great place to add almonds and fruit, which can boost your supply and increase your water content. Don’t want to count on the time to make a bowl? Think about prepping overnight oats ahead of time. A few inexpensive Ball jars and 10 minutes later, you can have a batch of 5 jars of overnight oats meal prepped for the week. I've also found these on-the-go cups or these vintage glass cups to be super helpful (and cute!) when prepping my oats. It's the little things, amiright?! Another fan favorite around here, try a recipe with almond milk and flaxseed, and drop in a dollop of peanut or almond butter. Your tummy and taste buds will thank me!
Almonds
You’ve already seen my suggestion to put them in oatmeal. You can also fill a bunch of baggies with them and keep them all around the house and in your purse or pocket when you go anywhere. Almonds are a healthy, filling, mess-free snack that seems to check all the boxes!
Lean Protein
Fish and chicken are great for milk production. But try to avoid or limit eating high mercury fish like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tuna, and orange roughy. Keep shredded chicken in the fridge for adding to salads or making a sandwich with whole grain bread. Keep individual salmon filets in the freezer and take them out for an easy sheet pan meal with olive oil and vegetables.
Brewers Yeast
You may have heard about this magic milk-making product. How to eat it? Sprinkle it in your smoothies or add it to your oatmeal. It's even great sprinkled on a salad, offering a savory, earthy flavor.
Leafy Greens
Pre-make salads and put them in single serve containers in the fridge. Leave the dressing off until you’re ready to eat. Add veggies, and maybe some of that chicken you shredded, sprinkle with brewers yeast, and think about adding nuts or some hard boiled eggs for added protein.
A Little Bit Every Day
As if having a new baby wasn’t overwhelming enough, this is a long list, and may be different from the ways that you were eating pre-baby. But you don’t have to take on everything all at once. Drink water. Try and incorporate a few of these foods into your diet every day. Try meal prepping to give future you a few minutes back. Your body, your baby, and your milk supply will thank you.
