How to Increase Breast Milk?

Pediatricians recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life since your breast milk is tailor-made for your baby, contains all the nutrients & is easy to digest! Moreover, breastfeeding helps strengthen the mother-child bond and protects babies from diseases and infections. But breastfeeding isn’t always so easy, especially at first and new mothers often wonder how to increase breast milk.

If your baby is growing well, sleeping, eating and dirtying their diapers on schedule then you’re probably producing enough breast milk. However, if you’re in need of a breast milk supply boost then there are plenty of things you can do to increase breast milk.

How To Increase Your Milk Supply?

Here are a few tips you can follow to increase your breast milk supply:

1. Consume a Healthy and Nutritious Diet

Consuming a healthy and anti-inflammatory diet will help you provide proper nutrition. Try to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and proteins in your diet. You should aim to consume 2500 calories each day.

2. Consume Plenty of Water

Your body cannot produce breast milk if you’re dehydrated. As a breastfeeding mother, you should try to drink 12-16 glasses each day. Try to drink a glass of water before every meal and nursing session to meet your hydration goals.

3. Sleep as much as possible

Besides getting restorative sleep during the night, you should also try to nap during the day. You should try to sleep when your baby is sleeping. Getting proper sleep will help your body recover from childbirth and produce plenty of breast milk.

4. Find Ways to Reduce Stress

It’s understandable if you’re stressed about how to increase breast milk but stress will do you no good. Try practicing stress-reduction activities and techniques such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness and breathing exercises.

5. Often Breastfeed

The more often you breastfeed, the more breast milk your body will produce. So, try to breastfeed your baby more frequently and for longer durations. Additionally, you can try hand expressing and pumping using a manual breast pump to increase breast milk. You can check Nursing products to make the breast feeding experience less cumbersome.

6. Check Out Some Natural Breastfeeding Helpers

There are some natural foods that can help you increase breast milk supply. Foods such as oats, fenugreek and asparagus are common herbal remedies that can help boost your breast milk supply. But you should check with your doctor before consuming them.

7. Consider Consulting a Lactation Consultant

A lactation expert can help teach you breastfeeding techniques and positions to help you and your little one get the most out of each feeding. Even a slight shift in your baby’s latching or the way you hold your baby can make a great difference.

8. Delegate What You Can

Breastfeeding and caring for your baby already take up most of your energy and time. So, don’t hesitate in delegating some of your household responsibilities to your friends and family members. You can also order groceries and supplies online or prepare meals in advance.

Don't forget to invest in some good Mylo's Maternity Bras and Maternity dresses so that you can feed your baby comfortably.

Foods That Will Increase Your Breast Milk

If you’re wondering how to increase breast milk naturally, then here are some foods you can consume to help increase breast milk:

Carrots

Carrots are rich in Vitamin A and provide a great boost to lactation. Additionally, they help in improving the quality of breast milk. You can consume them raw in salads and juices or add them to your soups.

2. Asparagus

Asparagus is a great source of fibre and Vitamins A and K. It helps to stimulate the hormones responsible for lactation. You can garnish your favourite delicacies with asparagus or sauté them with your desired snacks.

3. Unripe Papaya

Unripe papaya is considered to be a natural sedative that can help you relax and recover from childbirth. Consuming unripe papaya as a fruit or in your salad can help boost your lactation supply and maternal health.

4. Barley

Barley helps to boost lactation and helps you stay hydrated all day long. You can either soak them overnight or simply incorporate them into your diet to increase breast milk naturally.

5. Sweet potato

Sweet potato is a great source of carbohydrates that provides great energy to the breastfeeding mother. It is also rich in magnesium and Vitamins C and B Complex, which helps to boost the lactation supply and quality.

6. Bitter gourd

Bitter gourd is high in water content and helps you meet your hydration goals. Additionally, it is easy to digest and facilitates in healthy production of breast milk. You can consume it in the form of subzi or turn it into an evening snack.

7. Almonds

Almonds are a rich source of Vitamin E and Omega 3 fatty acids. They are great to consume for boosting breast milk supply naturally. You can consume them as dry fruits or bake or roast them into snacks.

8. Milk

If you’re consuming 2 glasses of milk in a day it will help you increase breast milk because it is naturally filled with calcium, folic acid, and healthy fats. Additionally, consuming milk daily will also increase the nutrition of your breast milk.

9. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a great source of Vitamin-B complex, Calcium, Protein, and Fiber that help to increase breast milk supply. You can consume them as subzi or as hummus.

10. Holy Basil (Tulsi)

A hot cup of Tulsi tea in the morning will help you relax because it contains various nutrients like Thiamine, Iron, Vitamin-K and is a great source of antioxidants. It promotes healthy bowel movements, helps to increase breast milk supply, and improves appetite.

11. Fenugreek seeds (Methi)

They are a great source of Omega-3 fats and are highly important for the brain development of your baby. They are rich in various nutrients like Calcium, Iron, Beta-carotene, and Vitamin-B.

12. Lentils/Pulses (Dal)

Almost all lentils are a great source of Iron, Fiber, and Protein but Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) are believed to increase milk supply.

13. Garlic

The lactating mother can consume garlic cloves in moderation as those help in boosting the immune system, prevents cardiovascular diseases, and helps in boosting milk supply. One must not consume garlic in excess because that can affect the smell and taste of breast milk.

14. Fennel Seeds (Saunf)

Saunf is considered to be an integral part of the diet for breastfeeding mothers to increase milk. It is one of the traditional remedies for increasing milk supply because it helps in preventing colic and gas in their baby. Fennel tea and fennel water are also known as post-delivery confinement drinks as they help to improvise your digestive system also.

15. Green Leafy Vegetables

The list of foods to increase breast milk supply also includes green leafy vegetables. They have plenty of vitamins and minerals such as Folate, Calcium, Riboflavin, and Iron. To enhance the production of breast milk you can consume spinach (palak), mustard greens (Sarson ka saag), lamb’s quarter (Bathua), and fenugreek leaves (methi).

16. Oatmeal

One of the foods to increase breast milk recommended by nutritionists is oatmeal because it increases the production of breast milk and controls post-delivery diabetes.

17. Sesame Seeds (Til)

This is one of the important nutrients for lactating mothers because it is a non-dairy source of calcium. It is an age-old ingredient that helps in recovering fully from the entire childbirth process.

18. Brown Rice

They hold an important place in your postpartum diet because they help in stimulating the hormones that are responsible for the production of breast milk.

19. Cumin Seeds (Jeera)

They have a lot of vitamins and minerals that help in increasing the supply of breast milk. It improvises the digestive system and provides relief from bloating, constipation, acidity, and gas.

20. Nuts and Dried Fruits (Meva)

Foods to increase breast milk also include almonds, foxnuts (makhana), cashews, dates, and pistachios are a great source of Calcium, Iron, and Omega-3. Snacking on nuts and dried fruits helps to increase the production of breast milk and heals your stretch marks fast.

21. Poppy Seeds (KhusKhus)

They have sedative properties and also increase milk supply.

22. Dill Seeds (Suwa)

It should be consumed in moderation as they are mild diuretic. They are a great source of Calcium, Magnesium, and Iron. It improves the production of breast milk, eases digestion, and improves sleep.

23. Porridge (Daliya)

It can be made up of rice, lentils, or oats and is quite popular with nursing mothers because they can easily digest it.

24. Green Tea

It helps increase breast milk supply, purifies your system, and helps in blood circulation.

25. Curry Leaves

Improves the production of breast milk, boosts melanin and improves blood circulation.

26. Watermelon

It is rich in fiber, fructose, and water which helps you stay hydrated all day and that helps to increase breast milk supply.

27. Tofu

It is rich in protein, vitamins, calcium, and minerals which helps you to increase breast milk supply.

To get lactation support and consultation, you can check Mylo Postpartum Care Plan that takes care of the new mother's needs and holistic well-being. It can help you with increased breast milk secretion, improved lactation health, weight loss, improved gut health and constipation relief and much more.

Following the above tips on how to increase breast milk and consuming the above-mentioned foods regularly will surely help you increase breast milk.

You may like: Top 24 Foods to Increase Breast Milk Supply

References

• Rachel Ryan, Allison Hepworth, Jessica Bihuniak. (2021). Breastfeeding Mothers’ Consumption and Perceived Efficacy of Foods, Beverages, and Herbal Supplements to Increase Milk Supply. www.academic.oup.com
• Tahir Mehmood Khan et al. (2017). Effectiveness of fenugreek as a galactagogue: A network meta-analysis. www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com