Home Remedies To Increase Breast Milk – Nursing a newborn comes with its own challenges. One of them is an insufficient supply of breast milk. If you’re worried that you’re not producing enough breast milk for your baby, you’re not alone. Several mothers find themselves struggling to breastfeed their babies because their bodies aren’t producing enough milk.
Breastfeeding is not only good for the infant, but it is also highly beneficial for the mother. Therefore, we recommend you try out various natural ways of improving lactation instead of trying out the supplement formula.
(Read more about breastfeeding and its importance here.)
Many women seek out herbs to help increase breast milk supply. There are a number of herbal remedies that are believed to promote breastfeeding and boost milk production.
If you wish to know about it in detail, this article may prove to be fruitful. Here, we shall be talking about various home remedies that you may use to increase your breast milk supply.
Common Causes For Low Milk Supply In Breastfeeding Moms
An inadequate supply of breast milk in nursing mothers can occur due to various reasons. Following are some of the common causes that may affect lactation:
- Previous breast surgery or taking medication that hampers the milk supply.
- Not breastfeeding your baby on a regular basis.
- Started breastfeeding your baby late.
- Suffering from medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, hypothyroidism, etc.
- The baby was premature or preterm.
- Stress, anxiety, and postpartum depression hamper breast milk production.
- Smoking and drinking moderate to heavy amounts of alcohol can lower your milk production.
All these reasons may sometimes cause hindrance in producing enough milk for the baby. However, there are natural ways to boost lactation.
Foods And Herbs To Increase Breast Milk Supply
If you want to make more breast milk, you may consider adding one or more of the breastfeeding herbs into your daily diet. These are natural home remedies to increase breast milk.
1. Garlic
Garlic is known for its lactogenic properties that help increase breast milk supply. Mince garlic cloves and add them to your dishes. It is also said to enhance the flavor of breast milk if a breastfeeding mother consumes it on a regular basis.
How to Use:
Garlic can be used in any form in your day-to-day cooking. You can mince garlic cloves and add them to your dishes or you can also chew on 2-3 garlic cloves every day.
2. Fenugreek seeds
Fenugreek seeds are one of the best herbs for breastfeeding mothers to increase milk production. It also contains diosgenin and phytoestrogen. These seeds are also loaded with galactagogue, which makes them great for mothers who wish to enhance their breast milk supply.
How to Use:
Soak one tablespoon of fenugreek seeds in one cup of water overnight. In the morning, boil the soaked fenugreek seeds along with water for five minutes. Strain the solution, and drink this tea every morning to increase your breast milk supply. You can even mix fenugreek sprouts with salad or veggies as well.
Advice – Although not considered harmful when used in moderation, fenugreek can cause your breastmilk, sweat, and urine to smell like maple syrup. Your baby’s urine and sweat may start to smell like maple syrup, too. Note that the latter should not be confused with maple syrup urine disease.
3. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a fragrant herb that enriches the flavors of many culinary dishes. However, for a long time, many breastfeeding mothers who suffer from insufficient milk supply have been using this herb to increase their milk flow.
How to Use:
Take a pinch of cinnamon powder and mix with 1/2 tsp of honey. Have it along with a cup of lukewarm milk daily before going to bed. You may take cinnamon for a month or two to see the difference in your breast milk supply.
4. Fennel seeds
Fennel seeds are great for increasing the milk supply in nursing mothers. It has phytoestrogens, similar to estrogen, which is a hormone that also helps in producing more milk.
How to Use:
Add a tsp of fennel seeds to a cup of hot water. Cover the cup, let it steep for 5-10 minutes, and then strain the solution. Drink the tea twice daily for a month.
5. Cumin Seeds
Cumin seeds are widely used in cooking, and these fragrant seeds are also considered an effective remedy for curing low breast milk supply in nursing mothers. These seeds are also loaded with iron, which is helpful in giving much-needed energy to a nursing mother.
How to Use:
Cumin with milk- You may mix a teaspoonful of cumin seeds with some sugar and have this with warm milk to boost your breast milk supply.
Cumin with water- Take 1 glass of water, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds in it and keep for 4-5 hours or overnight and drink it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning.
Advice – It is important to take cumin water in the morning on an empty stomach. Drink it once a day, do not drink too much.
Cumin with Buttermilk- Take 1 cup of curd, add 2 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to it; you can also add black salt to it to taste well. Drink this cumin buttermilk after a morning /afternoon meal.
Advice – Take this cumin buttermilk during the daytime and not with the night meal.
6. Ginger
Ginger is a traditional herb that adds flavor to food and treats a variety of health issues. It’s often taken for motion sickness or digestive problems, but in certain parts of the world, ginger is believed to help mothers increase their breast milk supply.
Ginger has galactagogue properties that can help stimulate the production of breast milk in nursing mothers.
How to Use:
You may use fresh ginger to spice up your regular tea or in your food preparations. Or simply add the dried ginger powder to food, tea, etc.
Advice – Fresh ginger root is a healthy addition to your diet, and it’s not known to be harmful to moms or babies. But like any herb, it’s a good idea to use it in moderation as there are no established safety guidelines.
7. Basil
Basil is also very good for breastfeeding mothers. Many essential substances are found in Basil, which help in promoting breast milk production.
How to Use:
Basil Tea- Boil 5-6 basil leaves in a saucepan for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and let it steep for about five minutes. Strain the water, add some honey and drink it. Drink this twice daily.
Basil Leaf- Chew 2 leaves of freshly washed basil leaf daily in the morning.
Basil Juice- Squeeze fresh basil, take 3-4 drops of its juice and mix it with honey and sip it.
8. Dried Fruits
Dried fruits contain phytoestrogens that help balance the hormones involved in lactation. Dry fruits are high in fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and calcium. Calcium-rich dry fruits such as figs, apricots and dates are believed to aid milk production.
How to Use:
Add dried fruits to your meals in a limited quantity. You can eat them after soaking in water.
Advice – dried fruit should only be eaten in small amounts, preferably along with other nutritious foods.
They should not be eaten by the handful because it is very easy to eat too many calories from dried fruit.
9. Anise
This herb has estrogenic properties; it contains anethole, a phytoestrogen, which helps unblocked clogged milk ducts and increases breast milk supply.
How to Use:
You may make tea by infusing a few anise seeds in hot water. Add sugar or honey for taste. You may safely consume two to three cups in a day.
10. Alfalfa
Alfalfa is one of the oldest and most cultivated crops in history. It is full of vitamins and minerals, rich in antioxidants, low in saturated fat, and high in protein and fiber. It is one of the main sources of food for dairy animals because it is believed to increase milk production. You can add alfalfa to your breastfeeding diet as long as you follow safety precautions.
How to Use:
Wash them thoroughly and consider cooking them properly instead of eating raw sprouts.
Advice – Alfalfa sprouts can easily become contaminated with germs and that is why sprouts are sometimes associated with outbreaks of foodborne illness.
11. Goat’s Rue
This herb belongs to the same plant group as fenugreek. It helps in building the mammary glands and aids the production of breast milk. However, the dried form of this herb is beneficial because the green herb is toxic and may have harmful effects on your health.
How to Use:
This herb can be used in the form of supplement capsules.
12. Milk Thistle
This herb is great for removing toxins from the body and works as a great tonic for the liver. Apart from this, this flowering plant has estrogen, which helps to improve lactation.
How to Use:
You may take milk thistle in the form of capsules (2 to 3 capsules a day) or make tea by adding 1/2 teaspoon of milk thistle in a cup of boiling water and letting it steep for 20 minutes.
Precautions And Side Effects
Though herbs are extremely safe to use, some women may be allergic to some of them. Therefore, you should exercise caution before consuming any herb to increase your breast milk supply. Here are some precautions that you may adopt:
- Make sure you consult your lactation consultant before including any herb in your regular diet.
- Ensure that you procure herbal supplements from a reputed brand only.
- Sometimes herbs may cause toxicity. Talk to your lactation consultant or doctor before taking them.
- In case you are pregnant, taking herbs without consulting your doctor may lead to fatal complications.
- Avoid the herbs you are allergic to.
Final Words
It’s important to know the actual supply of your breast milk. If you’re worried that your baby isn’t getting enough milk or feel that your baby isn’t thriving, speak to your doctor or consult a lactation specialist. See if it is a problem of low milk supply or something else.
If your supply is really low, then you can include these herbs into your daily diet after consulting with your lactation consultant. Using these home remedies may help to increase your breast milk supply naturally.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for trained medical practitioner opinion. Always consult a specialist or your doctor for more information. We do not claim any obligation for this information.
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