Increasing Your Milk Volume: Lactogenic Foods

First and foremost, give yourself a huge pat on the back for seeking out information to help with building your milk supply! It can seem impossible to increase your milk volume or get back to where you once were if you lost it a bit. With my nutrition background and certification as a Lactation Educator-Counselor much of my focus tends to lean toward what you can consume to help increase. While working with multiple moms on building their supply I can say nutrition can certainly have a connection with milk volume; not specifically milk nutrient content, just to clarify. I have sent the following lactogenic food information to many of my friends and co-workers who have been working on their supply at one point or another and through feedback found that they noticed a difference.

For this post I simply broke it down into different food groups focusing on some of the best items from each.

Grains: Barley/Barely Malt, Brown Rice, Millet, Oats/Whole Oatmeal, and Quinoa

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, and sesame seeds (for calcium, Tahini is great as well)

Vegetables: Beets, Carrots, Dark Leafy Greens, and Malunggay Leaves (if available)

Fruits: Apricots, Dates, Figs, and Green Papaya (cooked)

Fats: Butter, Coconut Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Olive Oil, and Sesame Seed Oil

Herbs: Alfalfa, Anise, Basil, Black Seed/ Black Cumin, Caraway, Coriander, Dandelion, Dill, Fennel, and Fenugreek

***Avoid large amounts of: Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and Peppermint

Some Daily Tips:

- Eat at least ½ cup of cooked greens or 1 cup of raw greens daily

- Eat at least ¾ cup of whole grains daily

- Spice moderately with lactogenic spices

- Try drinks like atole, barley water, coffee substitutes, or a green drink containing chlorophyll, algaes, or spirulina
- Many mothers have received desired results after incorporating 'mother's milk teas' daily

- Soups made with barley or whole grains, chicken with bones, seaweed, malunggay or torbangun leaves
- Of course lactogenic cookies as well 

*Reminder: The more frequently milk is taken out, the more milk will be produced! 'Power Pumping' along with the nutrient recommendations listed above should show a significant increase in your milk volume within 1-2 days.

(Milk production works on demand and supply)

Last but certainly not least try not to stress, it will only hurt not help your supply. Patience will be your best friend during this waiting game and all of your hard work will pay off in the end!