Breastfeeding Supplements To Increase Milk Supply

A reader emailed me and shared that she is having low milk supply issues and whether is there any breastfeeding supplements to increase milk supply. I shared my inputs and experiences with her and felt a post about these topics can benefit everyone.

However, do note that whatever information presented here is based on my personal experience, research and inputs from my lactation consultant. I am not a medically trained professional and would recommend you to consult your medical care provider or lactation consultant before using any lactation supplements.

What are breastfeeding supplements

Breastfeeding supplements also known as galactagogues are foods, herbs or medications that helps to boost milk supply for breastfeeding mothers. It is recommended that you consult your lactation consultant before any use of galactagogues.  

When can I start taking lactation supplements

Moms should wait until after around 6 days after delivering the baby before begin taking lactation supplements. The main reason is because the first few days of breastfeeding, the baby is only consuming colostrum.You have no way to determine if there is any low milk supply challenges.

What supplements should I take while breastfeeding

According to ucsfhealth, breastfeeding moms need to take multivitamins that contain 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance(RDA). You can also choose to take a mineral supplement or prenatal vitamin but they may contain much more iron then required for breast feeding.(Source)  

Can I take regular multivitamins while breastfeeding

Basically, multivitamins that contains 100 percent of the recommended dietary allowance(RDA) are beneficial to breastfeeding mums. However, if you are unsure, you can stop taking them and check with your lactation consultant or medical care provider.

Is it safe to take Vitamin C Supplements while breastfeeding

Yes. The recommended daily allowance(RDA) for vitamin C in a breastfeeding mother over age 19 is 120mg/day. (Source) For poorly nourished mothers with very low levels of vitamin C, taking vitamin C supplements can help to double or triple the levels of vitamin C in breast milk. (Source) 

Best postnatal vitamins for breastfeeding moms

Here is the list of best postnatal vitamins for breastfeeding moms

1. Actif postnatal vitamins – 25+ organic vitamins and herbs
2. Nursing Postnatal Breastfeeding Multivitamin – 700% Daily Value of Vitamin D and 200% Daily Value of Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and biotin.
3. Megafood Baby & Me – Prenatal and Postnatal multivitamin, gluten-free 

What vitamins should be taken while breastfeeding

Supplements containing Vitamin B and Vitamin D have been known to be beneficial to breastfeeding moms. Babies that stay in the part of the country without sunlight may need more dosages of Vitamin D. However, research has shown that most women are lacking in Vitamin D and supplements will help to make up for the shortage, 

Vitamin B is common in most daily foods taken by mummies. However, if you are on a strict vegetarian or vegan diet with no meat, eggs, fish and poultry, you may need supplements for Vitamin B12.

Signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency in infants include vomiting, lethargy, anaemia, failure to thrive, hypotonia (low muscle tone), and developmental delay/regression. (Source)

Can you take vitamin A while breastfeeding

Yes. Lactating mothers may need to supplement their diet to achieve the recommended daily vitamin A intake. The recommended dietary intake in lactating women is 1300 mcg retinol per day.

The recommended daily intake for infants aged 6 months or less is 400 mcg. Vitamin A has undiscovered benefits related to improved antioxidant capacity and immune function. (Source)

Supplements to avoid while breastfeeding

Certain herbals liked Buckthorn, wormwood, high dose vitamins, medication and other dietary supplements can be dangerous to breastfed babies through breast milk. (Source)

Breastfeeding supplements to increase milk supply

Some of the major breastfeeding supplements to increase milk supply includes blessed thistle, milk thistle, chaste tree fruit, fennel, fenugreek, garlic and goat’s rue.

How much fenugreek should I take for lactation

Dosages of less than 3600 mg per DAY have been reported to produce not much effect for many mummies. One way suggested to determine if you’re taking the correct dosage is to increase the dosage of fenugreek slowly until your sweat and urine begin to smell like maple syrup.(Source) It is better to consult with your lactation consultant or medical care provider for the optimum dosage.

What are the best Breastfeeding Supplements To Increase Milk Supply

Based on my research, personal experience and feedbacks from mummies in forums, the best supplements to increase milk supply are mother’s milk tea, fenugreek capsules, blessed thistle capsules, oatmeal and lactation cookies.  However, do note that different mums may react to various supplements differently.so results may differ. 

Lactation supplements without fenugreek

There are some mummies that would like to avoid fenugreek as the potential side effect can cause gastric upset. The good news is that there are fenugreek free breastfeeding supplements that perform the same function to increase milk supply. One popular option you can consider can be motherloves herbal lactation formula blended without fenugreek

Best Lactation Support Pills

Here is the list of best lactation support pills

1. Nature’s Way Premium Herbal Fenugreek Seed – 610 MG Veg-Capsule, 320 Count
2. Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle Lactation Aid Support Supplement – 100 Count Veg-Capsule
3. Goat’s Rue Capsules, 1200 MG per Serving – 100 count
4. Oat Mama Lactation Fenugreek Free supplement – 60 count contains goat’s rue, alfalfa, fennel, milk thistle, Shatavari, moringa, and spirulina

Lactation tea

Lactation tea also known as nursing tea is normally made up of organic herbs that traditionally helps to increase milk supply for mums. Some popular brands seen in forum includes mothers milk tea and pink stork lactation tea 

What’s in mothers milk tea?

Mothers milk tea contains herbs liked herbs like fennel, anise (which give the tea a sweet, licorice like taste), coriander and fenugreek.  Different brands may have different ingredients in the tea. Do check the packaging or manufacturer website. for more information before making any purchase.

Is mothers milk tea safe?

They are 100% safe and have a lot of good reviews online and in the forum. However, if you are worried of the safety of using it, you may like to check with your lactation consultant or medical care provider.

What is the best Mother’s Milk tea?

This may differ from different mummies. You may like to consider trying different brands of mother’s milk tea before deciding which nursing tea works best for you I have written a review about the pros and cons of the mothers milk tea I used before where you can check it out here.  

Mother’s milk tea where to buy

You should be able to get them in nearby stores. However, if you would like to have a wide range of lactation teas to choose from, you can buy them online. I get mine from amazon as it is fast and convenient as they ship to my house directly

Lactogenic foods to increase milk supply

Besides breastfeeding supplements, you may also like to consider lactogenic foods to increase milk supply. Some examples are garlic, more water, salmon and carrots. Check out these 7 best foods to increase milk supply 

How can I increase my milk supply quickly?

There is no guarantee which way works better until you have tried most of the supplements mentioned above. For a start, you may like to try lactation cookies which are known to increase milk supply within a few days. You may like to find out do lactation cookies work in 2019?

How often should you pump to increase milk supply?

First and foremost you have to get the best breast pump for exclusive pumping in the market. You also need to ensure all the breastfeeding supplies are ready so you can focus on increasing your milk supply. 

Most mummies like me do power pumping to increase milk supply.  It is also important to understand how much milk should you be producing when exclusively pumping. You will have to create and stick to a schedule for maximum effect. 

How can I improve the quality of my breast milk?

There are several ways to improve the quality of your breast milk.. Most important is your diet as most of your nutrients intake will flow to your breast milk. Avoid caffeine and alcohol. Drink more water and do some minor exercises helps also.

Final conclusion on Breastfeeding Supplements To Increase Milk Supply

 There you go folks. I hope that this informative guide would be able to help you make a better decision on which breastfeeding supplements to increase milk supply suits you best. Feel free to share this article if you find it beneficial and feel free to also share your experience on the comments below.