Have I got a delicious lactation cookie recipe for you! But first I want to share some information about nutrition for breastfeeding moms. In pregnancy, moms are encouraged to eat a healthy, varied diet because the nutrients provide growth for the fetus in addition to stores for use during lactation. Pregnancy enhances fat deposition, and most women store 4.8-9.6 lbs of fat in anticipation of lactation. While true that mom is eating for two, moderation in nutrition is recommended; weight gain is monitored by your obstetrician. Conversely, moms with low maternal weight gain during pregnancy have been associated with decreased milk production and lower fat concentration in breast milk. General recommendations during pregnancy include taking nutritional supplements as prescribed by your obstetrician, including a source of folic acid, reduce intake of caffeine and high food additives, avoid smoking and smoky areas, and non-prescribed medicines or street drugs.
As healthy nutrition was initiated by mom in pregnancy to provide for the growth of the fetus in utero, so too must her healthy nutrition continue after birth of baby. No special diet or foods are required to breastfeed baby. During lactation, mother’s body increases efficiency in its use of energy and the uptake of nutrients. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), moms burn about 500-600 calories a day while producing breast milk. General recommendations for a lactating mom include as mentioned, a healthy, varied diet (2000-2700 kcal per day) with iron, calcium, vitamin D, and if vegetarian, vitamin B12, drink water or fluids to thirst, and reduce the amount of trans fatty acids (solid fats). A diet restricting calories (<1500 kcal per day) is not recommended, but rather gradual weight loss of not more than 1.0 lb. per week. A diet of <1500 kcal per day has been shown to decrease milk volumes. Moreover, when caloric intake is severely restricted and body fat is lost rapidly, fat-soluble environmental contaminants and toxins stored in body fat can be released in breastmilk. Breastfeeding, healthy food choices, and gentle exercise can assist with gradual weight loss. Talk to your doctor if you plan to diet for weight loss while breastfeeding.
There is no need to avoid specific foods, but if after a breastfeeding, you notice baby being irritable or not his usual self, it could mean baby has a sensitivity to something in your breast milk, which may correlate to something you ate or drank a few hours beforehand. If this occurs, try to remember what you had to eat or drink. You may need to play “detective” to figure this out, but if you can pinpoint the food, avoid it for a few weeks. Often baby’s sensitivities change and pass as he ages. Try the food again after a few weeks, and observe baby’s reaction after breastfeeding. If baby’s still sensitive, avoid the food another few weeks. But if baby has no irritability, then you may resume eating that food again in your daily diet. Be sure to talk to your pediatrician about these concerns too.
Another consideration in regard to nutrition include galactagogues. Galactagogues which may be synthetic or plant-based, have been used to induce lactation and increase a mother’s milk supply. Herbals are used by various cultures in the world as galactagogues, but there is little or no scientific evidence of efficacy, safety, quality control or adequate testing of herbal remedies. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration does not regulate herbal supplements. There are also pharmaceutical, synthetic galactagogues that have been used to increase milk production with some evidence of success, but most of these prescription drugs were not developed with the intent to be a galactagogue. Talk to your doctor for information if you are interested in prescription medication to increase milk production and before use of any over-the-counter herbal supplements. Every mother is different, so the benefit of galactagogues will vary, with no guarantee of successful results.
Lactogenic foods are foods that have been shown to help produce milk, but while certain foods will increase milk supply for some moms, they may not for others. These lactogenic foods are all healthy for everyone though, so adding some of them to your daily lactation nutrition is worth a try! Discover if any of them work for you: eat your chosen food frequently for 1-2 weeks to observe any increase in milk production. I’ve added at the end of this blog, my favorite lactation cookie recipe, “Oatmeal Chocolate Chip,” which has several lactogenic food ingredients. I’ve had countless moms through the years tell me that eating these cookies and other lactogenic foods gave a boost to their milk supply. Remember though that lactation cookies in of themselves or any other lactogenic foods, may help to increase milk production in some moms but not in everyone. I would love to hear if the cookies or any lactogenic foods helped you!
LACTOGENIC FOODS THAT MAY HELP INCREASE BREAST MILK SUPPLY:
Oatmeal
Barley/ Brewer’s Yeast
Granola-type Bars with Oats or Almonds
Flaxseed Meal/ Wheat Germ
Spinach/ Asparagus- Green & Gourd Vegetables
Carrots/ Sweet Potatoes/ Beets- Red Vegetables
Hummus- Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
Lentils
Malunggay (Moringa)
Avocados
Papaya/ Apricots
Brown Rice
Salmon/ Kelp
Water/ Milk
Nuts- Almonds/ Cashews/ Macadamia
Garlic/ Cumin Seeds/ Black Sesame Seeds/ Basil/ Ginger
Marjoram/ Dill Seeds/ Caraway/ Turmeric
Anise/ Fennel Seeds/ Coconut
Oils & Fats- Olive Oil/ Flaxseed Oil/ Sesame Oil
Malt-O-Meal/ Cream of Wheat
Whoppers Candy/ Chocolate-Flavored Ovaltine
OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP LACTATION COOKIES
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal (use no substitutes)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 cups thick cut oats (old fashioned oatmeal)
1 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (more if you like)
2 Tbsp. brewer’s yeast (use no substitutes)
May add coconut (1 cup) or chopped nuts (1/2 cup), if desired
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Mix 2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal and water; set aside 3-5 minutes.
Cream butter with white and brown sugars. Add eggs.
Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla or almond extract.
Beat until well blended.
Sift dry ingredients, except oats, chocolate chips, (coconut, and nuts, if desired).
Add butter mix to dry ingredients.
Stir in the oats, followed by the chocolate chips, (coconut, and nuts, if desired).
Drop cookie dough by teaspoonful onto parchment paper on
baking sheet.
Bake 8-12 minutes. Makes approx. 5 dozen cookies.
REFERENCES
American Academy of Pediatrics. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Policy Statement RE9729 Pediatrics (1997) 100(6):1035-1039. Reprint retrieved 5/1/98 from https://www.aap.org/policy/re9729.html.
Lauwers J. Shinskie D. Counseling the nursing mother: A lactation consultant’s guide, 3rd ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2000.
Lawrence RA, Lawrence RM. Breastfeeding: A guide for the medical profession, 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier, 2016.
Newman J, Pitman T. Dr. Jack Newman’s Guide to Breastfeeding, revised ed. Toronto: Pinter & Martin, 2014.
Spencer B, Hetzel Campbell S, Chamberlain K. Interdisciplinary Lactation Care, 2nd ed. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2024.
Walker, M. Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2002
Wambach K, Riordan J. Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, enhanced 5th ed. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2015.