No food provides instant breast milk, but galactagogues like oats, fenugreek, leafy greens (spinach, kale), almonds, flaxseeds, and garlic are traditionally used to support and boost production by promoting prolactin, the milk-making hormone, alongside frequent nursing and hydration. Eating a varied, nutrient-rich diet, staying hydrated (but not overhydrated), and frequent, on-demand feedings are the most effective ways to increase supply, as supply and demand regulate milk production.
Best Indian Foods That Can Increase Breast Milk Naturally
Pumping or expressing milk frequently between nursing sessions, and consistently when you're away from your baby, can help build your milk supply. Relax and massage. Relax, hold your baby skin-to-skin, and massage your breasts before feeding to encourage your milk to let down. Take care of yourself.
If you notice your milk supply is low, you can increase it by:
Yes oats are a galactagogue! They help to promote breastmilk production. Some other galactagogues include: carrots, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, papaya (especially green papaya), garlic, ginger, fennel, cumin... to name a few. Eat these foods regularly and drink plenty of water to maintain supply!
Drinks to increase nutrients in breast milk
Jaggery:
It helps in the build-up of milk in the breast. Eating it with a piece of Garlic can help boost breast milk production.
Apply a Warm Compress
Before breastfeeding, apply a hot, moist compress to your breasts. Moist heat has this amazing ability to increase circulation, open milk ducts and stimulate let down all of which encourage your milk to start flowing.
The 30-30-30 pumping method is a power pumping technique to increase milk supply by mimicking cluster feeding: pump for 30 minutes, rest for 30 minutes, then pump for another 30 minutes, totaling a 90-minute session designed to signal your body to make more milk. It's a demanding but effective strategy for building supply, often done once daily, focusing on frequent milk removal to boost demand, with consistency and patience key for results.
To promote milk production, you may want to add some lactogenic foods (foods that may in-rich your milk production) to your diet:
It is particularly important that you express at least once during the night. This is because the levels of the hormone prolactin, which drives milk production, are higher overnight. Prolactin levels seem to be highest between 2-6am.
Breastfeed frequently, two to three hourly – a total of at least eight feeds in 24 hours. Your baby may need to be woken for some feeds, or may wake to feed even more often. Make sure that attachment is good and that your baby is both sucking and swallowing (you may need to seek help with this).
The "4-4-4 rule" for breast milk is a simple storage guideline: fresh milk is good for 4 hours at room temperature (up to 77°F/25°C), for 4 days in the refrigerator (39°F/4°C or colder), and up to 4-6 months (or longer) in a standard freezer (0°F/-18°C). It's a handy mnemonic, though some organizations like the CDC recommend up to 6 months in the freezer and the AAP up to 9 months, with deeper freezers offering even longer storage.
“Jeera” stimulates milk supply in mothers. Cumin seeds are found to improve digestion and helps in treating constipation, acidity and bloating. Cumin seeds are an integral part of many Indian dishes and are a source of calcium and vitamin B2. Add jeera in porridge, buttermilk, stuffed roti, salads and curds daily.
But some herbs may affect how much milk your body makes. For instance, eating a lot of parsley could curb lactation. And too much sage and peppermint may cut your milk supply. For some nursing moms, even peppermint-flavored toothpaste and candies are a problem.
Dry Fruits and Nuts
Almonds, walnuts, and cashews are excellent for boosting milk production. They provide healthy fats, calcium, and protein. Snack on a handful daily or add them to your milk, smoothies, or desserts.
Pump at least 8 – 10 times in 24 hours until you are certain that you have more than enough milk for your baby. In the early months, you will need to pump at night, and most mothers find they cannot go longer than 4 hours between pumping sessions.
Studies suggest that, on average, a baby can consume between 2 to 3 ounces (60-90 ml) of milk from one breast in 10 minutes. However, this can vary widely among infants and mothers. Some babies may take in as little as 1 ounce (30 ml), while others can consume 4 or more ounces (120+ ml) in the same period.
If exclusively pumping, the first 12 weeks aim for pumping every 2-3 hours, which is about 8x per day. Pumping more than that will be harder to manage your schedule plus it can increase nipple soreness and pain. All of this combined can contribute to lowering your milk supply.
Myth: Eat oats or oatmeal
The truth is the same with oats and oatmeal as it is for other foods: There's no evidence that oats (or any other kind of food) can boost your milk supply. Oats, though, do have a lot of health benefits that are beneficial for lactating women.
While breastfeeding, avoid or limit alcohol, caffeine, and high-mercury fish; you only need to cut common allergens (dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, wheat, fish, citrus) if your baby shows signs of sensitivity like fussiness, gas, or rash, as these can pass through breast milk, but consult a doctor before eliminating entire food groups for a balanced diet.
Cold breast milk is safe for newborns, but warming it to body temperature is recommended for easier digestion and better comfort, especially for sensitive babies. Newborns can drink cold breast milk, but it is recommended to give priority to warm breast milk to reduce irritation to the baby's stomach.
The consumption of eggs during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and early childhood has the potential to improve birth outcomes, breast‐milk composition, and child nutrition and brain development.
Modern studies also show that turmeric enhances milk production. In a 4 week study of breastfeeding mothers, those taking turmeric mixed with fenugreek and ginger saw a 49% increase in milk volume at week 2 and a 103% increase at week 4. The nutrient content in the milk did not change and no adverse effects were seen.
We have demonstrated that there was a significant increase in breast milk TGLs over 12 h when women consumed a higher sugar diet compared to when they consumed either a control diet or a diet higher in fat.