One of the most important things that you can do in order to support yourself while breastfeeding your child is to stay hydrated and well nourished by eating a balanced diet. You don't necessarily need any special ingredients. Your body is amazing and you and your baby make a great team. If you think you have supply issues there might be any number of causes and getting some support from a specialist could help resolve them pretty quickly. 

There are a group of food called 'galactagogues' that are said to support a mother's milk supply - it's a funny word that comes from the Greek meaning 'milk leading'. Here's a list of the more common ones:

I love to bring these snacks for clients that I support postnatally, they are delicious, naturally sweetened, contain nourishing whole foods, freeze beautifully and make a convenient, nutritious snack that supports their breastfeeding. Did I say they were delicious? I'm not kidding - I have to make a double batch whenever I make them because my kids LOVE them too!! 

YUMMY LACTATION COOKIES

Ingredients

• ½ cup stewed apples

• ½ cup maple syrup (or honey)

• ½ cup coconut oil, melted

• 2 tbsp peanut butter (or almond butter)

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 ½ cups rolled oats

• ½ cup wholemeal or gluten free, plain flour

• 3 tbsp brewer’s yeast (NOT baker's yeast!)

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ cup cranberries or sultanas

• ½ cup chocolate chips

Method

• Preheat oven to 180C degrees.

• Blend the apples, egg and vanilla extract

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (I often leave them overnight). Drop small tablespoons of mixture on lined baking trays. Bake for 12-15 minutes

• Enjoy!

DELICIOUS CHOCoNUT BLISS BALLS

Ingredients

• ½ cup rolled oats

• 1 tbsp brewer’s yeast (NOT baker's yeast!)

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed

• 3 tbsp natural crunchy peanut butter

• 1 tbsp cacoa powder

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

• 2tbsp water

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined (add a little extra water if needed)

• Form mixture into approx. 2cm balls. Store in an airtight container in the fridge

• Enjoy!

As I said, both recipes freeze really well so they are great to bake ahead of time and have ready for yourself postnatally. They also make a great gift if you're visiting a friend that's recently given birth ;)

It should be noted that some brands of brewer's yeast tastes stronger/more bitter than others so a little trial and error may be needed. I have made variations of both recipes including ingredients like coconut, cranberries and white chocolate so definitely feel free to experiment with them and let me know how you get on!