Having enough calories to actually PRODUCE breastmilk means you need to take extra calories in. Calorie needs for breastfeeding moms depend on how much energy mom is exerting daily, plus how much milk she is producing. So icreased calories equal increased breastmilk production and supply!

On average, an exclusively breastfeeding mother needs an additional 500-640 calories per day than she did prepregnancy.^6-7

Alot of women are more concerned with losing the baby weight at this particular time, so they don’t take in nearly enough calories to produce a healthy supply of breastmilk. Post-partum is not the time to diet. Give your body time, you will lose the weight. Now is the time to increase breastmilk production and supply not reduce!

_{6. Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Nutritional Status During Pregnancy and Lactation. Nutrition During Lactation. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1991. 9, Meeting Maternal Nutrient Needs During Lactation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK235579/ 7. Kominiarek MA et al. Nutrition Recommendations in Pregnancy and Lactation. Med Clin North Am. 2016;100(6):1199–1215.}

This blog is in the Amazon Affiliate program. I may make a small commission when you click on my product links, but it will cost you nothing.

A healthy diet is one of the most important things you can control that directly effect breastmilk production. Healthy diet equals increase in breastmilk production and supply

-Me

FOODS THAT INCREASED IN BREASTMILK PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY

• DHA containing foods: Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and tuna (avoid fish high in mercury, such as swordfish). Red meat. Organ Meat. Eggs. Green Veggies
• If you flat out cannot eat these foods then I recommend a DHA supplement for you to take while breastfeeding. Here’s a link to my Metagenics Site for a quality DHA supplement with scientific research to back it. Search OmegaGenics® EPA-DHA 1000
• Fenugreek, but get the good pure stuff…links provided
• Palm Dates (Medjool dates in the grocery store)
• Oats
• Brewer’s Yeast
• WATER

DHA FOR INCREASED BREASTMILK PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY

A study found that when women ingested DHA during lactation their breastmilk had higher amounts of DHA in it for their infants to absorb!

Isn’t that a concept…what you eat the baby eats! DHA has been shown to increase congnitive development in infants, and most women do not have a hconsistent source of DHA in your diet. Here is the study summary:

_{Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) are essential nutrients required for normal health, growth and development. Of these, arachidonic acid (ARA, an omega-6 fatty acid) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid) are especially important for the health of both mother and the developing infant who relies on provision from breast milk or formula. Mother’s milk is the best nutrition for babies in the first 6 months of life and it contains all the essential LCPUFAs. Although breast milk levels of ARA are fairly stable, breast milk levels of DHA are largely determined by maternal blood levels and influenced by intake, whether from fish (which can vary markedly around the world) or DHA supplementation (e.g., omega-3 or fish oil supplements) [1, 2]. DHA has important health benefits for pregnant and lactating mothers and increasing evidence shows that infants fed breast milk with a higher DHA content have better vision and neurodevelopmental outcomes (3)}

• _{1. Jensen CL, Maude M, Anderson RE, Heird WC. Effect of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation of lactating women on the fatty acid composition of breast milk lipids and maternal and infant plasma phospholipids. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(1 Suppl):292S–299S.} 
• _{2. Gibson RA, Neumann MA, Makrides M. Effect of increasing breast milk docosahexaenoic acid on plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid fatty acids and neural indices of exclusively breast fed infants. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1997;51(9):578–584. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1600446.}
• _{3. Innis SM. Fatty acids and early human development. Early Hum Dev. 2007;83(12):761–766. doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.09.004.} 

Fenugreek Tea (in first few weeks post-partum)

Fenugreek packs a powerful milk producing punch. Galactagogues (fenugreek is one) are synthetic or plant molecules used to induce, maintain, and increase milk production.⁸ A study looking at three groups of 25 new moms observed the effects of fenugreek, palm dates, and no galactagogue (control group) on breast milk production.⁹ 

They found that consuming 10 palm dates (100 g) three times per day provided the largest increase in milk supply, but the group consuming fenugreek tea (2 tablespoons per cup of tea, 3 cups of tea per day) also saw improved milk output during the early postpartum period.⁹

<sub>8. Mortel M et al. Systematic review of the efficacy of herbal galactogogues. J Hum Lact. 2013;29(2):154-162.
9. Sakka AE et al. The effect of fenugreek herbal tea and palm dates on breast milk production and infant weight. Journal of Pediatric Sciences. 2014;6:e202.</sub>

Fenugreek Tea Recipe

_{**note DO NOT take Fenugreek while pregnant, it can cause contraction. This tea is only to be taken after birth.}

**Also noted I get my Fenugreek seed from THIS Mountain Rose Herbs site. The fenugreek is the real deal. Certified organic, pure and low cost. Now you can buy Mother’s Milk Tea from Amazon or the grocery store, just to make life easier. BUT, I found the purest form of fenugreek in my tea to give the most potent and quick increase in breastmilk production and supply.

1.) 1 tsp Fenugreek seed

2.) 1 tsp Tea Leaves (I use this oolong tea in the mornings and afternoons as it has caffeine) Nighttime I use this chamomile tea with my fenugreek seed. Make sure you don’t pick a tea with peppermint in it, that will reduce breastmilk production. Also, nothing with skullcap as that is contraindicated in breastfeeding women

3.) Pour tea and fenugreek into a tea strainer ball and let steep in cup of hot water for 5-10 minutes

4.)Take the strainer ball out, add sugar, honey. Then Enjoy! CAUTION!! DO NOT GET HONEY NEAR THE BABY, clostridium bacteria that causes infant botulism could contaminate honey.

Palm Dates For Increased Breastmilk Production and Supply

Dates are also a powerful milk producing food backed by alot of research. You can find these bad boys in the grocery store. The package reads Medjool Dates. I liked to soak these in hot water for a few minutes and these blend them with a smoothie. They are also fantastic cut up and put into your morning oatmeal

A randomized Controlled study found Results: Breastfeeding mothers who received 10 date fruits/day had an 11% increase in breast milk quantity from baseline to week 2, and a 23% increase from baseline to week 4, (both p < 0.05). The breast milk quantity of the breastfeeding mothers who received date fruits was significantly higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). However, there were no differences in infant nutritional status. 

Conclusions: Date fruit consumption appears to be useful for promoting and increasing breast milk quantity in breastfeeding mothers. Date fruits may be an alternative galactagogue.

_{Randomized Controlled Trial Breastfeed Med . 2021 Nov;16(11):909-914. The Effects of Date Fruit Consumption on Breast Milk Quantity and Nutritional Status of Infants, Thanawan Modepeng ¹, Patcharanee Pavadhgul ¹, Akkarach Bumrungpert ², Wirin Kitipichai ³}

Oats For Increased Breastmilk Production and Supply

While not as much research and trials have been done to confirm the link between oat consumption and increased breastmilk production, trust me it makes a difference. Of course without studies and research for conclusive evidence, this is anectdotal at best. You will have to take my word on this one.

USE STEEL CUT OATS, NOT THE INSTANT. Better yet try this delicious lactation cookie recipe with Brewer’s Yeast…also a powerful milk producer.

To make a high supply of breastmilk you need the nutrition in your body, you have to take care of your body. To make food for you baby you have to give your body the ingredients and building blocks to do just that. So make sure you are getting the calories and nutrition your lactating body needs! Eat a diverse diet fo veggies, fruit and meat. Continue taking your pre-natal supplements and get plenty of WATER!!

WATER For Increased Breatmilk Production and Supply

Last, but definitely not least WATER. You must stay hydrated while lactating. Your body will use water to produce breastmilk, so you need to double your water intake during the day do you do not get dehydrated. I would keep an water tumbler at every nursing pr pumping station and aim to drink the entire bottle while sitting there. You must keep water intake up to have an increased production and supply of breastmilk

For my massive list of breastfeeding equipment visit my blog post HERE