Natural Methods To Boost Lactation: What You Should Avoid
After you have your baby, your whole world shifts. Every waking breath and moment becomes focused on one thing and one thing only: taking proper care of your newborn baby. This includes breastfeeding. While breastfeeding and lactation are completely natural processes for a woman, sometimes lactation can be difficult or slow. Many factors can affect your ability to breastfeed your child, from health issues, to breast implants or breast reconstruction surgery, and any other number of factors. Consult your OB/GYN for assistance with medical causes of your trouble, but also keep in mind food and drink that may also negatively affect your ability to breastfeed. Avoid the following, and you will increase your chances of successful breastfeeding:
Alcohol
While it is a popular concept that drinking a glass or two of wine, a cocktail, or even a beer will help relax you and increase your milk production, the truth of the matter is far different. Alcohol not only is dangerous for your newborn baby (it can come out in your breast milk), it actually affects your ability to eject or release your milk. This means that even if you have produced enough milk to properly feed your baby, he or she will not be able to easily receive the milk.
Peppermint and Other Mints
Unfortunately for those of you who love a nice warm cup of peppermint tea or like to snack on peppermint candies or mints at the end of a long day, peppermint (and all types of mint for that matter) can actually reduce your body's milk production. A single cup of peppermint tea once in a while will not noticeably reduce your body's ability to produce milk, however. But more than that could be risky.
Peppermint candies and mints that use peppermint oil are another issue. Peppermint oil is concentrated, meaning it packs a lot more punch than peppermint tea brewed from natural leaves. You should avoid these foods altogether to keep your milk production at optimal levels.
Sage
If you are struggling to produce milk, you should avoid any foods seasoned with sage or sage tea. This potent herb is actually recommended for use when a woman's body overproduces milk or when you are trying to wean your child off of breastfeeding.
As such, sage is not dangerous to you or your child in the same way alcohol can be, but like mint, it does lower your milk supply. Even a small amount of sage can make milk production far lower. So, be careful with this common herb.
When you are breastfeeding your child, you want to make sure that your milk supply is sufficient. Consult your doctor about possible causes of your difficulty lactating. In the meantime, you do not want to accidentally consume food or drink that could put your production in jeopardy. So make sure to avoid the aforementioned consumables and you will not make this mistake.
To learn more, contact a company like Sam W Huddleston IV, MD with any questions or concerns you have.
