When you are preparing yourself to be a mother, you naturally wonder how your diet should look like. If you already are a breastfeeding mom, you may be worried about keeping your supply. As I’ve mentioned in my “How to make breastfeeding pleasant and easy” guide - the effect of various products, like herbals, to stimulate lactation has never been reliably proven, and the primary recommendation for stimulating lactation is just putting your baby to the breast frequently. However, there are some substances mothers appreciate a lot as they seem to enhance lactation.

My favorites are:

1. Oats

Oatmeal for breakfast is my favorite! You can add fruits of your choice (berries) and milk – I go for almond milk most often. If you don’t like oatmeal, there are plenty of other options. Try oats and nuts homemade bars – healthy and delicious.

2. Spinach

A lot of iron and folic acid in those green leaves. You can eat it raw – in a salad or even sandwich, or stewed.

3. Garlic

Garlic seems to be good for everything: lactation, cold and… vampires. And every meal tastes better with it.

4. Dried apricots

It's supposed to balance out hormone level. Use it as a snack or add to oatmeal and oat bars.

5. Basil

Basil leaves are another green miracle. It’s also good for the baby’s immune system. Mix it with tomatoes and mozzarella and appetizer is ready!

6. Sweet potato

It’s nothing like a regular potato – twice as healthy and twice as yummy. You can find magnesium in it, which is muscle relaxant and supports milk production. Eat it for dinner and dessert too!

7. Cumin seeds

You’re going to like this – it’s a fat-burner also! You can drink it or add to meals.

8. Water or juices

Simple as that! The more you drink – the more milk you produce. So always have a glass of water around. I used to have small bottles hidden in the house – wherever I get thirsty; I don’t need to go to the kitchen.

As you can see, there are plenty of ideas. Even if those are not medically proven, it’s worth trying. Especially that all of them are super tasty!

Susan Urban