Lactogenic Foods for Increasing Milk Supply
Many new mothers are concerned about whether or not they are producing enough milk to meet their child’s requirements. It’s natural to have more questions than answers if this is your first time. The ability of a mother to lactate is significantly influenced by her nutrition. If you’re worried about not producing enough milk, the first thing you should do is add more lactogenic items to your diet.
Lactogenic foods are exactly what they sound like: foods that encourage the production of milk. They’re fantastic options to consider when putting together a breastfeeding food plan.
While ensuring that your diet is adequate in calories and essential nutrients, many foods include compounds that enhance lactation.
The following are some of the best lactogenic foods:
- Spices and Garlic
Garlic has long been used to encourage lactation and is well-known for its health advantages.
While many individuals enjoy garlic and eat it frequently, others aren’t used to eating it. If you fall into the latter category but still want to get the benefits, begin by gradually incorporating it into your diet. Slowly incorporate it into your diet and monitor your baby’s reaction.
If your child isn’t interested in it, there are alternative herbs and flavours that can aid lactation. When used in moderation, marjoram, basil, anise, dill, caraway, and black pepper can all help to encourage lactation and can be easily incorporated into many dishes.
- Barley and Barley Malt
Barley and malt are both excellent lactogenic foods. Barley is one of the best sources of beta-glucan in the diet. Beta-glucan is a polysaccharide that has been proven to stimulate prolactin, the breastfeeding hormone.
Barley is traditionally used in beef or vegetable soups and stews. It can also be used in salads, with roasted vegetables.
Barely malt is just barley grain that has been allowed to germinate. When this happens, the barley turns into a sweet syrupy malt that also contains a lot of beta-glucan.
- Oats
Along with barley, oats should also be incorporated. They have nearly as much beta-glucan as barley, which aids in prolactin production.
Oats are probably already a breakfast staple for you, but you can boost its health advantages by mixing a little barley malt in with your oatmeal in the same way you would honey. Alternatively, replace your lemon poppyseed muffin with an oat bran muffin. You can also make cheelas or incorporate oats flour in your regular atta.
- Seeds of fennel and fenugreek
Fennel is a white vegetable with slender, green leaves and a sweet, licorice-flavored bulb. The seeds of the methi plant are known as fenugreek.
Phytoestrogens are found in both fennel and fenugreek seeds and the plant, and have long been regarded to aid lactation. Fenugreek, in particular, is widely used for this. If you’ve ever seen “mother’s milk” tea on shop shelves or in the supplement section, you’ve probably seen fenugreek.
For millennia, fenugreek has been utilised throughout the Middle East and India for its lactogenic characteristics.
The fennel plant or it’s seeds can both be eaten for their lactogenic effects. They can be eaten raw or tossed in a green salad. Their flavor is also well-complimented by mint, orange, and grapefruit.
Fennel is also delicious when caramelized, and is a classic accompaniment to chicken and fish.