For many women, breast feeding does not come easy. With so many options out there for supplementing, including amazing formulas, new moms should not be afraid that their little one isn’t going to be nourished. However, when I was struggling, there were quite a few things that I felt really helped to boost my supply and help me keep up with my growing little guy. I will link all the products below and describe my experience with each.
Milk Drunk Protein Powder
This was a favorite of mine for a few reasons. When you are first breast feeding the hunger is real. Not only did this pack a punch of milk-inducing ingredients like brewer’s yeast and oats, with 18 grams of protein, it acted as a great in between meals snack. My favorite flavor was the salted caramel. Blended with some ice and coffee, you have yourself a caramel boobie-cino!
Mothers Milk Tea
This was a great bedtime beverage. A little lemon and honey go a long way with this one as some of the ingredients can taste a little off-putting to some. But this product is definitely the one that I heard touted the most by new moms, and I definitely think it helped me.
Easy Peasy Egg Drop Soup
One of the true keys to breast feeding is staying hydrated. I am not great at this, so finding ways to get excess liquids in my day was crucial. For lunch, I loved making up this quick egg drop soup. Eggs gave it great protein and both eggs and peas are great milk boosters. The recipe is as follows:
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (I liked the peas, carrots, corn mixture the best- adding some spinach would be great too!)
2 eggs whisked and added to boiling broth and veggies
Dash garlic powder, salt and Chinese 5 spice if you have any (this too has some milk boosting ingredients)
Comes together in 5 minutes and really hits the spot for nursing mamas.
The Haaka Pump
Another trick to breast feeding is making your body think that the demand for breast milk is higher than it really is. One way to do that is by pumping the breast that you are not feeding on while feeding on the other breast. I found that a motorized pump did not work for this as it was distracting to my little one. The Haaka Pump is a silicone pump that holds consistent suction to the breast and can then be poured straight into a bottle. It is also very easy to clean!
The beginning stages of breast feeding can be really tough. The most important thing that I learned was that stress is the worst thing you can do when breast feeding goes awry. Always remember that your baby will not starve, no matter what your body does. There are great options out there for supplementing and great tools to help you get over the hump as well. The most important thing is to stick with it and understand what you are most comfortable with - whether in breast feeding or formula - mama knows best!