Vitamins are important for a healthy milk supply, but not necessarily the kind you'll find in a bottle. Food, water and relaxation are the most important factors to boosting your milk supply. Milk-supply boosters are referred to as lactogenics or galactagogues. There are lactogenic foods and herbal galactagogues. Consult with your physician before adding vitamins or herbs to your diet to increase your milk supply. Your physician may also prescribe medicine to help your milk supply if other methods have been exhausted.
Step 1
Take prenatal vitamins. The best vitamins to take when you are breast-feeding are prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins provide you with extra iron and folic acid for your body and your baby. You will also be assured that you and your baby are not getting extra toxins or unnecessary fillers when you take prenatal vitamins while you are breast-feeding.
Step 2
Eat healthy food. Food is a great source of vitamins and calories, which you and your baby need as you are breast-feeding. Make sure you are eating enough healthy food, at least 1,800 calories. Some foods that help with milk supply are oats, spinach, beets, yams and raw nuts. It is not clear why these foods are so lactogenic, but they may help with building your milk supply as well as provide necessary minerals like zinc and vitamins like vitamin C which helps with the absorption of iron.
Step 3
Add flaxseed oil to your diet to increase your omega-3 fatty acid intake. Breast milk contains a lot of fat, so you'll want to be taking in healthy fats.
Step 4
Drink approximately 100 oz. water a day. Hydration is an important part of your milk supply because breast milk is made of water, fat and protein.
Step 5
Add brewer's yeast to your food or beverages because it contains helpful B vitamins, iron and protein. Don't take brewer's yeast if you're having yeast problems.
Step 6
Reduce stress. Stress is sometimes a culprit behind a low milk supply. Try to reduce your stress levels, get as much sleep as possible and relax when breast-feeding or pumping breast milk. You can also try tapes specifically designed to help you visualize a healthy milk supply. Whatever decreases your stress in a safe and effective way will most likely help your milk supply.
Tips and Warnings
- Certain herbs also help increase your milk supply. Some herbs you can take are fenugreek, fennel, anise and alfalfa. You can also buy or make tea called Mother's Milk tea with fennel, nettle, fenugreek, thistle and hops to increase your milk supply. Consult with your physician if you are considering using herbs to help with your milk supply.
References
- Consumer Search: Prenatal Vitamins
- MOBI Motherhood International: Living with Chronic Low Milk Supply; Angie Cannon, D.M.A., et al.
- Breastfeeding-problems.com: Galactagogues
- MayoClinic.com: Breast-Feeding: 7 Tips for Pumping Success; Mayo Clinic Staff; March 13, 2010
- AskDrSears.com: Nutrient by Nutrient Why Breast is Best; 2006
