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(Updated and reposted from the original blog)

Based on my conversations with other moms, my pumping output, and having two boys who have thrived on breastmilk as babes, I'm going to go ahead and say I had a healthy milk supply. However, around 3-4 months post-partum with my second baby, I noticed a slight drop in milk supply.

Stress and other factors affected my breast milk production

I made sure I was doing all the right things to maintain/increase milk supply; staying very well hydrated, eating enough calories, and drinking "Mother's Milk" teas. I knew stress was a major factor in milk production and supply, but reducing stress was not something I could address since my main stressor was serious sleep deprivation! Someone has to wake up with the baby (and that someone usually is the walking talking milk supply).

Still, my supply bounced back enough to continue breastfeeding. Then we had a nursing strike, then teething, then illness.....the list goes on. My little guy also wasn't the type of baby who goes on a nursing marathon to naturally boost mom's supply, he just gave up at the breast. It wasn't the easiest of times.

At 6 months post-partum we finally turned the corner and we went forward with a strong breastfeeding relationship. But like many moms, I constantly worried about my milk supply and if it was going to drop again.

Let me tell how I managed to salvage my milk supply and continue breastfeeding until bubs was 20 months old...

There IS a way to naturally increase your milk supply...and it's so easy

Now I need a drum roll because I'm about to talk about the EASIEST, most delicious and effective way to build or maintain your milk supply. I have no idea how I did not know about this miracle-cure while breastfeeding my first baby. It is less costly than buying herbal lactation support, you can make a ton and they freeze well, and they can be enjoyed by anyone who wants a healthy but yummy snack (and your kids and husband won't start lactating!) What are these amazing things?

LACTATION COOKIES!

If you already knew about them and you are shaking your head at me then why didn't you tell me about these miracle cookies?!? I thought I knew so much about breastfeeding, it confounds me that I had never heard of these before.

OK, I will stop rambling and share the recipe. I felt no need to reinvent the wheel so I did a Google search and found this recipe from DrMomma.org. There is also a great explanation to the ingredients and why they help support milk production.

The Recipe for the best tasting and most effective lactation cookies

Major Milk Makin' Cookies Recipe

Any Nursing mothers who need help with their milk supply need this scrumptious cookie in their daily diet. I can't think of an easier, more delicious and satisfying way to boost milk production!

• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• 1 tsp salt

• 3/4 c. almond butter or peanut butter

• 1/2 c. butter (softened)

• 1 c. flax (milled)

• 3 T brewer's yeast

• 1/3 c. water

• 1/2 c. honey

• 1/2 c. brown sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 2 large eggs

• 2 c. 12oz chocolate chips ((optional but I recommend!))

• 1 c. chopped nuts of your choice ((I used walnuts for the extra Omega 3s))

• 1 3/4 c. oats

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.

3. In a large bowl, beat almond butter, butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, brewer's yeast, flax, and water until creamy.

4. Mix in eggs.

5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

6. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips.

7. Add oats slowly, mixing along the way.

8. Place balls of dough onto greased baking sheets or baking stones.

9. Press down each ball lightly with a fork.

10. Bake 12 minutes.

You can also add 1-2 Tablespoons of fenugreek powder (also known to boost milk supply) if you want but it will change the flavor. 

This recipe was originally found at DrMomma.org and has been slightly adapted by Leah Vachani.

A few notes on the recipes:

1. This recipe was slightly adapted. I substituted honey for sugar.

2. Flaxseed is prepped many ways. The version most useful for baking is the milled flax seed that you will find in your local store. It typically comes in a bag or a box (depending on the brand you select). You may have to go to a health food, whole foods store, or large supermarket to find the brewer's yeast which typically comes in a can.

3. I'd suggest purchasing eggs from a local farm or buying free-range pastured eggs at your grocery store for the biggest nutritional bang for your buck. And who wants to support the massive hen house operations? Not me. Be informed about where your food comes from, and teach your kids too.

Get your kids to help in the kitchen

It's a great way to be productive while spending quality time with them!

Check out my post on How to Get Kids Cooking in the Kitchen: 10 Tools to Get Them Excited to Help you!

Helping Mommy to make yummy lactation cookies.

Helping Mommy to make yummy lactation cookies.

The lactation cookies turned out really well and are very tasty - they are not very sweet as far as cookies go, but it still feels like you are indulging a little bit :)  Both the hubby and my children really liked them as well. They are pretty darn healthy in my opinion so I don't mind giving my son one of these cookies as a special treat sometimes. (I promise you, they will not start lactating 🤣)

Also, as I said before, the cookies freeze well so why not make a double batch?

PRO TIP: (If you want to freeze your extra cookies.) After cookies have cooled down, freeze them on cooling racks in freezer. Once they have frozen completely (a couple hours later) you can dump them all together in a Ziploc and they won't get all stuck together!

BIGGEST QUESTION: DO THEY WORK?!?!?

Well, I have to admit I overindulged on a Tuesday (I had like 3-4 cookies and they are not small! yikes!) I had 1 on Wednesday and was starting to think they were just an excuse for lactating mothers to have cookies whenever they wanted. Well, I was wrong. THEY TOTALLY WORK!!!

I woke up Thursday morning engorged. I guess it takes my body about 36-48 hours for all the good stuff to kick in. For most women, the lactation cookies will start to work their magic 24-72 hours after eating the cookies.

For me, I found that eating about 1 cookie a day, sometimes 2 cookies kept my milk supply very robust. Even with the stressors of poor sleep (par for the course with little ones), getting the occasional virus (also common with littles) and working out fairly vigorously at the gym (another stressor to the body), as long as I still hydrate and have my cookie, I'm all good and baby is happy.

Sharing is caring

So many women struggle to keep their milk supply going while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is not easy for so many reasons. If you know of a mama who is having a hard time, please share this recipe with them! It helped me and so many others get past those difficult low supply issues.

Even better, if you have the time (ha!), why not make a batch of these cookies for a friend and just bring them over? I can't think of a better gift for a nursing mom.

Let me know how these affected your milk supply in the comments below!

Happy "I'm doing this for the baby" cookie eating 😜!