https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 16:19:00 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2387910 Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:19:50 +0000 GoGoSnoGirl 2387910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I made some tasty lactation cookies with oats &amp; brewers yeast (&amp; chocolate chips :grin: ) &amp; within a day or so of eating several I feel my supply increased. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2387906 Mon, 14 Dec 2015 14:15:22 +0000 Maysprout 2387906@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I already had a good supply but oatmeal made it noticeably more. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2387812 Mon, 14 Dec 2015 12:59:19 +0000 Kemma 2387812@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With my big girl I needed lots of calories so I ate porridge for breakfast and lactation cookies for snacks and drank Complan (a dietary supplement in milkshake form) and lactation tea. My supply doesn't seem to be as sensitive with my second child so I just try to drink more water and eat porridge breakfast. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2387710 Mon, 14 Dec 2015 11:50:55 +0000 snowjewelz 2387710@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ate oatmeal and drank mother's milk tea! And drank tons of water. I think it helped! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2387499 Mon, 14 Dec 2015 09:42:54 +0000 dc yoga bee 2387499@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I just had a mini production crisis. I went from having an over supply to trying to feed the baby Saturday night and literally no milk would come out. She kept latching, pulling off, and screaming because she was hungry. I tried hand expressing, and nothing would come out. DH gave her a bottle, and I went to researching. Here's what I did starting Saturday night. </p> <p>One glass of mother's milk tea, two fenugreek pills three times a day, one red Gatorade, and then a bowl of oatmeal this morning. I also increased my water intake, and got a second breakfast of scrambled eggs and one pancake when I got into the office today. I normally only pump 9 ounces for the whole day on Mondays. I just pumped 8 ounces for my first session of the day! Oh, and last night M slept from 7-7 and only woke up 2x to nurse. That's a far cry from waking up every 1.5-2hrs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386700 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 21:38:36 +0000 ineebee 2386700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle, recommended by my LC, might have made a difference. Who knows. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386649 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 20:21:10 +0000 ChiCalGoBee 2386649@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me the only thing that really made a difference was increasing my water intake. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386623 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 19:08:40 +0000 MoonMoon 2386623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a good supply so I don't know if anything I did helped, but I did drink mother's milk tea and ate 3000+ calories a day. And a lot of it was junk! I just had to eat and drink tons, all the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386548 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 16:10:05 +0000 lilyofthewest 2386548@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lots of fat and lots of fluids seems to be the key for me </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386532 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 15:28:07 +0000 BrandNewMom 2386532@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've run 2 full marathons while nursing, and absolutely no supply issues as long as I keep my calories up! Way up. Like 3000+ calories most days.<br /> And I'm not gaining weight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386495 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:43:59 +0000 sapphire 2386495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Fenugreek was the only thing I tried where I actually saw a difference - but when I took it at doses that actually helped with milk, it sadly gave me bad intolerable GI side effects. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386489 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:30:55 +0000 Anya 2386489@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oddly enough, ovaltine was the only "trick" I tried that really made a difference. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386479 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:16:11 +0000 avivoca 2386479@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Avocado helped my supply a lot. I ate so many of them. I can barely look at them a year later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386470 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:07:08 +0000 daniellemybelle 2386470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@littlejoy: &lt;3 been there!</p> <p>I had chronic low supply so nothing helped me get a full supply. I noticed a small increase with oatmeal and brewer's yeast. Almonds (almond butter &amp; almond milk) helped too. I tried every other supplement under the sun, too. Ultimately the biggest things that helped were lots of calories and rest, but it was a difference of like 50% supply to 55% supply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386468 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 13:06:38 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2386468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Good fatty calories, protein and water. I did think adding an extra lactation cookie (Brewers yeast oatmeal and peanut butter) helped too. </p> <p>In general though just focusing on pumping (hand massages) fitting in an extra sessions and low stress helped more noticeably. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386462 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:53:18 +0000 Corduroy 2386462@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Calories and water for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386447 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:24:17 +0000 Foodnerd81 2386447@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I ate oatmeal and tried mothers milk tea (and a dark beer @littlejoy: ) and I don't know if any of them made a difference one way or another. I was lucky and never had real supply issues though, and nursed but rarely pumped, so hard to know what my output really was aside from "enough". I really think for me the biggest things were enough water and enough food. I'd sit down to nurse with a big full bottle of water and always finish it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386445 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:21:34 +0000 Baby Boy Mom 2386445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Fat calories made the biggest difference for me- like an extra whole avocado daily. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386443 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:18:16 +0000 sarac 2386443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Calories and especially fat. Lots and lots of good healthy plant fats. I'm breastfeeding while doing weight watchers right now, and I make sure to prioritize getting as much fat as I need, otherwise my supply suffers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386438 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:11:56 +0000 Greentea 2386438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Lots of calories. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386437 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 12:08:27 +0000 gingerbebe 2386437@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't say what did or didn't help because I did ALL of it at once and was on like a million supplements, but I did notice a little more once I added sunflower lecithin - it's supposed to help with clogs but perhaps it helped more pass through the ducts? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386394 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 10:58:19 +0000 littlejoy 2386394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Some women have glandular, genetic, or other physical reasons why BFing can't work, and the solutions above won't help. Sadly. I tried all of that + even ordering off-label prescription medication from an island in the Pacific (seriously), which did nothing but cost $$. My Lactation consultant felt that lots of water, constant time with baby skin to skin and at the nipple, and herbs were the best way to stimulate production. I actually wanted to cry every time someone was like, "I've heard that drinking a beer could help!". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386381 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 10:22:57 +0000 cmomma17 2386381@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oatmeal every day for breakfast and drinking TONS of water. Also just eating frequently (think 6 times per day) helped. Healthy food though, not potato chips 6 times a day :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386380 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 10:22:46 +0000 tofuwad 2386380@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When I binge eat lactation cookies (like by eating 20 cookies in 4 days) I notice a definite increase in supply that lasts several days. And when I forget to drink enough water I notice a decrease. So not the most low-cal way to increase supply (although maybe the increase in calories helps along with the Brewers yeast, oatmeal, and flax?). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386376 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 10:09:09 +0000 Ginabean3 2386376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsSRS: I agree with you! Protein and water!!! I chug water constantly while BF as well. </p> <p>I'm Chinese and my mom did make me some traditional pork and boiled peanut soup that's supposed to help increase milk production....I don't feel like it worked though. But it was tasty!😋 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386372 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 10:04:36 +0000 Oxana 2386372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I tried all those suggestions and didn't see any difference. I also tried drinking extra water but it didn't increase my supply.</p> <p>The only change I noticed as a result of diet is that if I didn't eat enough, my supply dropped. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386368 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 09:46:29 +0000 MrsSRS 2386368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For me it's partially about protein and mostly about water. I need close to a gallon and a half a day with DD. With DS my supply would take a hit every day early afternoon unless I drank a glass of water ate some protein, and took my baby to bed for a nap. My supply is really impacted by sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/dietary-changes-to-promote-lactation#post-2386366 Sat, 12 Dec 2015 09:43:46 +0000 lady baltimore 2386366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just curious about your anecdotal evidence - what did you try eating or drinking to help with breast milk production? </p>