LACTATION COOKIES, BROWNIES, AND SHAKES, OH MY… the truth about "milk boosting" products!

/

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, you are most likely one of the 60% of women who will wonder at some point if their milk supply is low. Perceived low milk supply between 0-5 months is one of the main reasons moms may stop breastfeeding sooner than they want to.  If you are an expecting or new mom, you are likely experiencing the OVERWHELMING variety of products that promise to make your postpartum life easier. It seems like every day, companies are coming out with new gadgets to help babies sleep better, to ease their gas, to stimulate their brain toward a genius-level IQ. 

Why is this happening to you? Because expectant and new parents are among the most targeted consumer groups in America. 

One area of the postpartum market that has exploded in recent years are products that promise to increase breastfeeding mothers’ milk supply. While there is some science behind certain foods (called lactogenic foods) that can support a balanced diet and healthy milk supply, many of these pre-packaged products are over-promising results to mothers who may be desperate to produce more milk for their babies. Not to mention, they are packed with extra fat, sugar and calories!

Before we dive into what exactly low milk supply is, how it can happen, and what can help, we wanted to give you a glimpse into how these companies are targeting postpartum mothers. Let's take a look at what happened when we sent Director of Marketing & Community Engagement Amanda Wilkinson out into the field to get a mom’s-eye-view of the situation. 

SPOILER ALERT: The cookies did NOT resolve her supply issue. The main concern with easy access to products like these (and their endorsement by moms and professionals) is that by the time moms realize they aren’t working, they may have fallen even further behind with their milk supply. They might also have allowed sore nipples to evolve into a painful crack from over-pumping, or worse, decided to quit when there was no actual decrease in milk supply. By the time moms do finally reach out to an LC for help, they have to work even harder to rectify what may have been a relatively manageable problem. 

Most low milk supply today is perceived, rather than actual. Some common reasons this may occur include:

  • social media images of freezers FULL of pumped milk bags

  • moms who fear they will not have enough milk when they return to work, and artificially stimulate their supply in the first weeks at home by haaka use or over-pumping

  • lack of knowledge of what normal milk volumes or pumping volumes are

  • a growth spurt where a baby may not seem satisfied at the breast for a day or two and mom begins supplementation

  • a mother returning to work, and being pressured to provide more and more milk to the baby in a bottle by caregivers who tell them the baby “is not satisfied” while mom is away

The fact is that although many women worry about low milk supply, insufficient breast milk production is rare. In fact, most women make one-third more breast milk than their babies typically drink.

Breastmilk supply is initiated immediately after delivery of the placenta. The hormones of pregnancy begin to subside, and when the baby begins to suckle and latch (stimulation) and drink at the breast (milk removal), the hormones of breastfeeding start the production of milk. 

In order for your milk supply to grow and continue, there must always be adequate STIMULATION and MILK REMOVAL. If one of these two factors changes, your body does not realize you want or need all the milk you are making, and within a few hours to days, will start to cut back on your production.  

Guess what… lactation cookies, drinks, teas, wafers, brownies, don’t provide your breasts STIMULATION or MILK REMOVAL, so in a nutshell, they can’t increase your milk supply.

So, what should you do?

#1) If you feel like your milk supply is low, reach out to an IBCLC Lactation Consultant for a full evaluation to identify if there is an ACTUAL or PERCEIVED problem, and what the contributing causes may be. 

#2) If there is a problem, find out where you stand:

Most exclusively breastfed infants will consume at their highest intake from 1 - 6 months, on average between 25 - 32 oz in 24 hours. They will vary that amount each day based on how hungry or busy they are or how much they may be growing. After an LC has done a feeding and production history, they can help figure out where you are as far as a normal milk supply, and if a plan to increase your supply is needed.

#3) It sounds simple but increasing a low supply is accomplished by increasing STIMULATION and MILK REMOVAL.  An LC can help you make a plan as to how to do this, and how much of each is needed. In general, the following will help:

  • Add one or two extra breastfeeding sessions in per day for a week or until baby seems satisfied

  • Allow baby to feed at night again for a time to make up calories if they are waking up

  • Take a weekend and focus on latching for all feedings at the breast, or being consistent with pumping on a schedule

  • Make sure you nurse or pump every 2-3 hours for 48-72 hours during the day

  • Don't go longer than 4 hours without removing milk

  • Do more skin to skin time 

  • Make sure to keep baby’s bottle volumes biologically normal.  Most breastfed babies will take 2-4 oz from the breast, and similar volumes from a bottle. If your baby is taking most of their milk in a bottle when they are away from you, you will always have trouble keeping up and they may no longer be satisfied with normal volumes at the breast.

In summary:

  • Don’t fall for marketed high-priced items that promise a quick fix.

  • Use evidence based methods that will give you the best chance of improving your milk supply.

  • If things do not improve in a few days or you are consumed with worry, reach out sooner rather than later.  Make an appointment with a Lactation Consultant to evaluate your milk supply and production, and develop an individualized plan to support you and your breastfeeding goals.