Are you a breastfeeding mama wanting to increase your milk supply? An easy and yummy way to give your milk supply a boost is with lactation smoothies! Read below for some absolutely delicious lactation smoothie recipes to increase your milk supply!
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Do You Need to Boost Your Milk Supply?
First thing’s first: if you’re only breastfeeding (and not pumping), the majority of moms do not need any special to boost their milk supply. Your baby will tell your body how much milk it needs and your body will naturally increase its milk production to meet your baby’s needs. Simply putting your baby to the breast when he/she is hungry is enough to tell you body is enough.
Sometimes your baby may be going through a growth spurt and need more milk. They will communicate that need to your body by cluster feeding. Sometimes it may seem like your baby is nursing around the clock! Some moms feel like this may mean that you’re not producing enough milk and consider switching to formula. This is NOT a sign that indicates a problem. It’s simply your baby doing what it needs to do to get your body producing more milk. If you’re questioning your milk supply, you can read more myths about milk production here.
Actually, taking herbal supplements or medication to increase your milk supply if you don’t need it can cause clogged milk ducts or even mastitis. Yuck!
When You May Want to Increase Your Milk Supply
Ok, so if most moms don’t need to increase their milk supply, why would you need a lactation smoothie?
Well, a baby is very good at extracting milk from your breasts, a pump is not quite as efficient. If you are exclusively pumping, you may find that lactation smoothies are helpful to produce enough milk for your baby (many moms can pump plenty of milk, but lots of moms can use a boost as well!).
If you are nursing full-time AND pumping to build a freezer stash (read my tips on building a freezer stash here), you may also want to use lactation smoothies to boost your supply so your pumping sessions are more productive. Again, not pumping much while also breastfeeding full-time is completely normal (I could only pump an ounce or two per day and I was fine). However, lactation smoothies can help make the most of your pumping sessions.
There are also some medical conditions or exceptional issues that are rare, but may require extra help to increase your milk supply. Be sure to consult with your doctor or lactation consultant if you are concerned about your milk supply.
Galactagogues
So what makes a lactation smoothie different than a regular smoothie? The answer is galactagogues. A galactagogue is a substance that increases milk production. They can include herbs, foods, or even medication.
One of the easiest ways to increase your milk supply is to drink tea containing galactagogues. Just steep some in a mug and drink away! Here are a couple highly reccomended ones:
Of course, if you’re not a tea drinker, lactation smoothies are another super simple way to up your milk supply. The smothies below have lots of galactagogues for ingredients and are yummy too!
Lactation Smoothie Recipes
Peanut Butter Apple Pie Lactation Smoothie from We’re Parents
Red Smoothie Recipe from Easy Busy Vegan Mom
Strawberry Coconut Cashew Lactation Smoothie from We’re Parents
Homemade Hydrating Stackbucks Copy Cat Pink Drink from A Clean Bake
Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie from Know Your Produce
Green Lactation Smoothie from My Pure Plants
Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Lactation Milkshake from We’re Parents
Apricot Raspberry Breakfast Lactation Smoothie from Brave Little Mom
Superfood Smoothie from Fab Mom Working Life
These yummy smoothies are perfect for moms hoping to increase their milk supply. Good luck mamas and happy breastfeeding!
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