A big decision a mother makes after giving birth to her child is how she wants to feed her baby. If you’ve decided to breastfeed your baby, something else that may be on your mind is whether you’ll produce enough breast milk. Luckily, breastfeeding is a supply/demand system. The more your baby “demands” — meaning, the more you put your baby to your breast or use your breast pump — the more you tell your body to make milk. However, many mothers are still worried about their supply. This is why a lot of mothers actively work for healthy milk production to nourish their children. Thankfully, some great products are available that may help increase your milk supply!
Products That May Increase Your Milk Supply
For centuries, women have been using herbs to help support healthy lactation and breast milk production. Herbalists call these herbs “galactagogues”—a word derived from Greek, meaning “bringer of milk.” 1 Many women have seen a difference after taking these herbs and swear by them. So why not give them a shot?! From one mama to another, here are our favorite products that may help increase your milk supply.
Legendairy Milk
Legendairy Milk provides natural breastfeeding supplements for healthy breast milk production. Their herbal lactation supplements are formulated with carefully chosen ingredients to target the primary issues that affect milk production. I’ve had several doula clients take their supplements, and they have seen a wonderful increase in their milk supply!
Their products are free of additives or preservatives, so every capsule only contains pure and potent milk-enhancing ingredients. Legendairy Milk said, “We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure our formulations are organic and healthy for both mom and baby because we know a legendairy mom like you deserves a legendairy product.”
- All of their products are Non-GMO Project Verified.
- Gluten-Free products — Pump Princess, Milkapalooza, Tea-Tas, Lactivist, and Liquid Sunflower Lecithin
- They test every batch for gluten to ensure it is under 10 ppm.
- Kosher Certified products — Liquid Gold, Pump Princess, Milkaplooza, Cash Cow, Lechita, and Liquid Sunflower Lecithin
- Soy-free products — Liquid Gold, Pump Princess, Milkapalooza, Cash Cow, Lechita, Sunflower Lecithin, Liquid Sunflower Lecithin, Lactivist (alcohol-free), and Tea-Tas
- Dairy-free — Don’t let the Legen-dairy fool you! All of their products are all dairy-free.
Another interesting thing about Legendairy Milk is that they do NOT contain fenugreek in their supplements. They are the creators of the Fenugreek-free movement. They’ve found that fenugreek increases breast milk production for some women. For other women, it has no effect or even decreases milk production. It may also cause gassiness/stomach upset in mom and baby, lower blood sugar, cause a maple syrup smell in mom’s sweat and urine, and negatively impact the thyroid hormone. After analyzing the list of potential side effects, Legendairy Milk decided to use alternative herbs.
So, which Legendairy Milk products should you try out? The ones that we’ve tested and put our stamp of approval on are their Bestseller Lactation Support Bundle and their Sunflower Lecithin supplements. It’s recommended to try one product at a time for at least 7-10 days to determine what works best for you.
Happy Mama Lactation Cookies
Developed with their in-house team of lactation consultants and registered dietitian nutritionists, Happy Mama Lactation Cookies have key ingredients new moms look for—like oats, brewer’s yeast, & ground flaxseed—PLUS a unique Nutrient Boost Blend™ with DHA to help support breastfeeding moms’ increased nutritional needs during this time.
I’ve tried many lactation bites, cookies, bars, etc., and I have to say, these cookies are some tasty lactation cookies. I usually can immediately taste the herbs in lactation treats, but these cookies taste like regular cookies! Even my three-year-old approves of them. Haha! The Chocolate, Oat & Sea Salt cookies have the perfect amount of sweetness with a touch of sea salt. So yummy. And the Cinnamon & Oat cookies taste similar to a snickerdoodle, one of my favorite cookies!
I really like that these Happy Mama lactation cookies are fenugreek-free and dairy-free, which can be difficult to find. They are made with whole grains and a nutrient boost blend for mother and baby. I love that their company offers parents expert one-on-one feeding support through their Happy Baby Expert program — a free, live chat with their team to help answer questions and provide tips and resources. The Happy Baby Experts provide personalized support on lactation advice, formula feeding, and more. No registration or sign-up is required. Happy Family is there for families to answer the tough questions.
Motherlove
Motherlove has many different products for expecting and new mothers. The products that they have that may help promote breast milk production are:
More Milk Moringa: *NEW* Motherlove’s newest herbal supplement is specifically created to help support breast milk supply for mothers with fenugreek sensitivity or who want to enhance their supply. This concentrated liquid extract in a vegan capsule delivers a potent combination of galactagogues herbs—moringa, blessed thistle, nettle, and fennel.
This fenugreek-free blend was specially formulated if you:
- Have a low breast milk supply
- Wish to increase freezer milk supply stash
- Need general milk supply support
- Are looking for a Fenugreek alternative
This blend includes the popular superfood herb moringa, which is known to optimize milk supply and is high in vitamins, minerals, and iron.
More Milk Plus: This is Motherlove’s most popular product and best-selling breastfeeding supplement in the US! This supplement contains fenugreek, blessed thistle, nettle, and fennel seed. Many moms find it helps with their supply within 24-48 hours, which is pretty amazing.
Malunggay (Moringa): This herb is high in iron, protein, vitamins, and minerals and has been used for generations by breastfeeding mothers. It’s widely recommended for breastfeeding and pumping moms who want support and optimization in their milk supply or want to increase their breast milk freezer stash. Moringa is also a great fit if you are sensitive to the popular herb fenugreek, as this is a fenugreek-free supplement.
Another product of theirs that I love is their award-winning organic nipple cream. It doesn’t help with breast milk production, but it sure does provide relief when you are experiencing sore, cracked, or bleeding nipples.
- Lanolin-free organic nursing balm
- Not just for nipples — great as a pump lubricant, too
- Does not need to be wiped off
Breastfeeding and pumping can take a toll on your nipples. This nipple cream can help!
Traditional Medicinals
Traditional Medicinals is well known for their Mother’s Milk tea. Formulated in 1978, Mother’s Milk stands strong as America’s #1 lactation tea. It is based on anise, bitter fennel, coriander, and blessed thistle, classified as having galactagogue action. Their Mother’s Milk tea blends these herbs for a sweet, slightly bitter, and distinctly licorice taste.
If you’re a breastfeeding mom on the go, you should also try their Mother’s Milk bars and chews. They are easy to pack in your purse or pocket and enjoy at a moment’s notice. Whether you choose their teas, bars, or chews, you can rest assured that these herbs have an incredibly rich history of use, tapping into a tradition passed down to nursing moms for generations.
Power Pumping
Power pumping is another great option that any breastfeeding mom can do! It doesn’t require any herbs or supplements, just a good breast pump, water and lactation snacks, and breast milk storage bags.
Power pumping is all about mimicking cluster feeding but with your breast pump instead. As mentioned, breast milk production is a supply and demand system. So the more you put your baby or your breast pump to your breasts, the more you signal to your body that it needs to make more milk.
To start power pumping, you will need to pump on and off at an interval for an hour. Pick a comfortable place to sit with some water and snacks nearby and get to pumping! Here is how you will pump during the hour:
- 20 mins on the pump, then resting for 10 minutes
- 10 mins on the pump, then resting for 1o minutes
- 10 minutes on the pump
Keep pumping even if you don’t see any milk coming out during your session! Do this routine once a day for 4-7 days, and your body should respond to the increased demand.
Final Thoughts
These are our favorite products that may help increase milk supply. However, every woman’s body is unique, so results may vary from mother to mother. There isn’t one lactation product that is guaranteed to work on all women. We all react differently to herbs. Where one product may work wonders for one mother, it may not impact another. This is why a little trial and error is necessary to find the right lactation product for your body’s needs. Determining the root cause of your supply issues is crucial if you are dealing with chronic low milk supply.
Also, remember that lactation supplements have their place but do not replace a qualified lactation consultant’s guidance and expert advice. We highly suggest working with a qualified IBCLC (international board-certified lactation consultant) if you have any breastfeeding issues.
