Let's face it. With all four of my boys, I've been cursed with a low milk supply. I was uneducated and didn't seek help with my first, and by 12 weeks, and returning to work full-time, I was already all dried up. The second one was a little easier, but when my husband left for basic training when the new baby was about 4 months old, caring for 2 under 2 alone became extremely stressful and breastfeeding was just something I gave up to reduce a little bit of that stress. Number 3 went pretty good and I was able to nurse for about 6 months - but still wasn't pumping more than 1oz on each side by that point, where I knew my friends could pump 4-6oz on each side. Rhett started being very hungry by 6 months and I decided to stop again. With Easton, things have gone pretty smoothly, but I've seen a lactation consultant on a couple of occasions, and have become SO MUCH MORE educated on breastfeeding and tricks to help increase your milk supply.
Diet, obviously plays a HUGE role in being able to breastfeed. If you didn't know already, about 12 years ago, I had Gastric Bypass surgery, so it's actually pretty difficult for my body to absorb all of the nutrients it needs all the time, and I'm pretty sure it may be why I've had difficulties in my ventures of breastfeeding. So after going to breastfeeding support groups, having 1-on-1 lactation consulting appointments, and doing my own research (and thank goodness for Pinterest being around after my 3rd was born), I have been able to learn some great diet tricks to producing more milk for my little ones! Here are some of the BEST ingredients to try to add to your diet while you're breastfeeding.
BEST INGREDIENTS FOR BREASTFEEDING MOMS:
1. Avocados
2. Nuts
3. Beans & Legumes
4. Mushrooms
5. Green Leafy Vegetables
6. Rolled Oatmeal
7. Seeds
8. Chia Seeds
9. Flaxseeds
10. Almonds
11. Turmeric
12. Brewer's Yeast
My Oatmeal recipe doesn't include all of these, but it does include some, including the Oatmeal, Flaxseeds, Almond Butter and Brewer's Yeast! You could add extra almonds, or pecans or walnuts too. One great thing about this recipe is you can make a big batch of it and eat it everyday throughout the week. Let's walk through the process!
First you'll want to gather all of your ingredients. When I'm cooking with a lot of ingredients, I like to pull everything out and have it ready. My ingredients include: Old Fashioned Rolled Oats, Cinnamon, Liquid Stevia, Brewer's Yeast, Flaxseed Meal, Organic Chocolate Chips, Unsweetened Coconut Flakes and Almond Butter.
First, you'll want to get your water boiling in a big pot. I'm making a big batch to use throughout the week, so I boiled 6 cups of water and once it was boiling, lowered the heat and added 3 cups of the oatmeal. You could TOTALLY cook this in your favorite Almond Milk so you can add even MORE almond properties to support the milk supply. (Also, don't judge me for the dirty stove you're about to see. Remember - 4 boys. Newborn. Breastfeeding. Messy House.)
I added some cinnamon and mixed it in. I think the oatmeal absorbs the cinnamon flavor when cooking in it rather than just sprinkling it over the finished product.
I'm now adding some of the Flaxseed Meal. You'll want to get Flaxseed Meal instead of just Flaxseeds because you may or may have not heard that your body won't fully digest Flaxseeds that have not been ground - meaning you don't get to reap all of the benefits.
Now, I'm adding about 3 droppers worth of Liquid Stevia (you can do how much you want for your desired level of sweetness). After you add that, it is time to let it simmer for approximately 20 minutes and stir periodically.
When it's all finished, you'll have a BIG pot of ready-made oatmeal that you can refrigerate and grab on the go as you need it. It is actually recommended that you try to have oatmeal at least twice a day to promote breast milk supply. I like to add extra ingredients to make it taste yummy AND further promote my supply. You can really add anything you like, but my favorites are: sliced bananas, almond butter, organic chocolate chips, unsweetened coconut flakes, another dropper full of liquid stevia, and a sprinkle of Brewer's Yeast.
Voila! You have an AMAZINGLY yummy and COMPLETELY satisfying bowl of oatmeal - that really does seem to boost my milk supply each time I eat it. Enjoy!
LACTATION OATMEAL RECIPE
Ingredients:
-6 Cups of Water
-3 Cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
-1 Tbsp Cinnamon
-1 Tbsp Ground Flaxseed Meal
-4 Droppers Full of Liquid Stevia
-1 Tbsp Almond Butter
-1 Tbsp Brewer's Yeast
-1 tsp Organic Mini Chocolate Chips
-1 Small Banana
-1 Tbsp Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, boil 6 cups of water.
2. Add in 3 cups of the rolled oats and reduce water to a simmer.
3. Add in cinnamon, ground flaxseed meal and 3 droppers full of liquid stevia.
4. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring periodically.
5. Remove your desired serving and add to a serving bowl. Add the rest to a large storage container.
6. Add remaining ingredients including the extra dropper full of liquid stevia.
7. Stir and enjoy!
8. Reheat the extra oatmeal each morning by removing a serving size and reheating in a microwave for 1-2 minutes. Then add the toppings.
