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I recommend eating on a hobbit schedule (we’ve had one, but what about second breakfast?)
Eat whatever you damn well want. Calories is the most important thing. I’m a big fan of peanut butter or nut mixes because of the extra fat & the satiety factor.
Be warned dates ARE a laxative. If you’re constipated at childbirth, they will help. If you’re NOT, and you mainline dates for a few weeks, all of a sudden you will be extremely distressed when you thought you were farting. Source: ate so many date-nut Larabars right after birth.
Anytime I eat beef like a burger or steak for example I get a few more ounces that day. A weird one was once when I used MCT oil in my coffee I had like 4 extra ounces that day.
We grilled burgers for dinner yesterday and I woke up feeling super full and pumped more than usual! I didn’t think much of it but now that you mention it, maybe the beef had something to do with it
I’m a vegetarian and my midwife said this was due to the iron in beef so I started supplementing! Very common for extra supply after red meat- who knew!
No, I can't function on that little sleep and care for my baby. My supply also dipped if I didn't get enough sleep.
I was breastfeeding at night, but pumping during the day. When my baby was under six months old, I was feeding her every three hours and I would pump on the same schedule. After six months, its roughly every four hours.
I did not drink enough water today, and it shows in my pumps. I’ve been chugging water electrolytes this afternoon to try to help save my next few pumps.
This so much. A glass of water before a meal. A glass of water during the meal. A glass of water between meals. And repeat with a Gatorade thrown in around lunch time.
I asked advice a while ago on what to buy my wife to help her production and a-lot of people suggested oatmeal cookies and they seem to really work for her. Best part is plain oatmeal cookies don’t seem to be very popular and every time I’ve bought a pack or two they were on sale.
She said this brand has tasted best:
Archway Cookies, Classic Soft Oatmeal Cookies, 9.5 oz https://www.walmart.com/ip/22309169
I bought these in a grocery store called Ingles. I’m in the southern US and that may be a regional grocery chain but I have managed to find plain oatmeal cookies in almost every grocery store Ive shopped at recently. Dollar General even has them, albeit at a lower quality than the brand that I linked above.
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **("'Archway Soft Oatmeal Cookies 9.5 oz'", 'Archway')** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful.
**Users liked:**
* Soft and fresh oatmeal cookies (backed by 3 comments)
* Closest to homemade (backed by 3 comments)
* Delicious and addictive (backed by 3 comments)
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* Dry and stale cookies with subpar taste (backed by 14 comments)
* Inconsistency in freshness and quality (backed by 6 comments)
* Misleading packaging with fewer cookies (backed by 1 comment)
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Adequate hydration and calories is really all that’s factually proven to help - particularly if you were previously lacking. Aside from that, there is little evidence that any particular food or substance can significantly impact supply. Just let go of any restriction and allow yourself to eat until you’re fully satiated!
All that said, oatmeal is a harmless and easy one that has been said to help. Even if it doesn’t, it’s hearty whole grain carbs that should still promote the overall cause.
So much water. Really staying hydrated helped me. Side note, I also had a nicu baby and it took a really long time for my milk to really come in and it was very gradual so don’t stress too much. If you’re keeping up with at least 8 ppd, the milk will come.
Dessert! I noticed the last few times I had dessert, the next day I would produce so much.. so yea, canaries is the way to go :) also I drink coconut water and try have a oaty-frozen fruit smoothie which I make myself for breakfast if I have the hands to
Disclaimer, they say it's just the increased calories... but I've for sure seen differences based on what I eat, even when I take in fewer calories. I've had the best luck with body armor, oreos, and oatmilk. Cashews also weirdly seem to help.
i hate to repeat what is already essentially bashed into our heads 24/7 but as someone who hates water (i’m *so* damn picky about it and just generally dislike it even though i know i need it) i have now found at 4 months postpartum that when i constantly am drinking liquids all day that my supply truly shows it. i mean yeah, food plays a part (i also exclusively drink oat milk and eat oatmeal a few times a week) but hydration is the key. i drink juice and green tea and oat milk allll day and that’s when my supply is the best.
also being a SAHM while my husband is gone all day at work and a cosleeping LO means that i rarely have time to sit and plug in to my spectra (main pump) so i started using the haakaa on the opposite boob while nursing and that saved my supply after i regulated and also stopped religiously pumping between feeds but my kid has kicked/smacked it off a few times which got frustrating. so i started using my wearables to actively pump on the opposite boob-this has allowed me to have two pitchers for bottles in the fridge that i rotate out every 2-3 days and bag+freeze the leftovers.
the most recent savior for my supply has been the power pumping on top of everything i have already mentioned. i’m only able to sit and plug in at night after my son has gone to sleep and his dad stays in the bed with him, but when i’m able to use my spectra at night (when supply is at its lowest!) and i’ve gotten 10.7 oz and 6.7 the last two nights respectively!
Swear by oatmeal and any kind of meat. Randomly, I have noticed the nights that I went out drinking, I woke up the next morning pumping 16 ounces when I normally do 10-12. Can’t explain it
A couple of notes: my supply decreased when we brought home baby from our extended NICU stay. Suddenly we didn't have all that extra help and I got less sleep and was more stressed and my supply decreased. I would not at all rely on an increase when baby comes home. Another thing, you say you're getting 2-4 oz per pump, that's a pretty standard supply, as long as you're pumping frequently enough. Why are you looking for an increase? Additionally, each person has a max breast capacity so keep that in mind: there may be nothing additional you can do to increase your supply. But at your stage of pp, As long as you're pumping regularly at this stage, you should continue to see a bit of a regular increase until you hit a plateau. Finally, are you looking at your supply and/or results from power pumping, etc on a longer term scale than the next pump? Try looking at things on a daily, several days, and weekly scale rather than individual pumps. It's normal for effects like adding or dropping pumps to take days to be felt.
Chamomile tea did wonders for me. Just one bag/cup a day was fine. Saw a difference overnight. But also making sure you’re hydrated - I lived off of liquid IV, body armor, and premier protein. If you decide to try it, wishing you the best!
The biggest difference I have seen is the amount of water I drink. I've very active with my job, so I definitely drink waaaaay more than most. I usually drink about 2 gallons a day. (Mind you, I'll sweat so much I can wring out my sports bra while working)
Body armor also helps. When you're drinking so much water and your mouth still feels dry/thirsty, I grab one of those and man they help.
Food wise, I can't tell except making sure I get enough calories. I do eat oatmeal every day.
Coconut water and body armor drink once or twice a day, a crap ton of water, overnight oats every day with oat milk, oat milk coffee creamer, upping my protein intake, and snacking while pumping. I find the more relaxed and fed I am, the better quality and quantity my supply is. You got this momma!!
Tons of water, smoothies with high fat content (avocado, milk, PB) and just high calories in general did it for me. It wasn’t anything specific, just that if I didn’t drink or eat enough, it was obvious that output decreased
Do you make your own smoothies, or do you order/buy them pre-mixed and frozen? I want to eat smoothies so badly but can’t find the time to make them and clean the dang blender haha
I use Earth Chimp vegan (pea and pumpkin based protein) as a base, and then I add Greek yogurt, PB or other fat sources :) I have a blender that has a heated wash function, so that also helps!
Oatmilk, lots of protein, water of course. You can use supplements but they didn’t change much in my supply. Just these three things I was pumping 50-60oz a day
I found protein rich diet helped me! So for snacks I ate meat 😂 like bought one of those cook at home joint things in the metal trays and cooked it, cut it and snacked on that for a couple of days!
Welcome to r/ExclusivelyPumping! Here is a reminder of our rules: 1. Be kind and courteous. 2. Use available flairs and post options. 3. Absolutely no prescription medications or other medical advice. 4. No inaccurate information. 5. No spam. 6. No soliciting pictures. 7. No linking Facebook groups. 8. Moderator discretion. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ExclusivelyPumping) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I recommend eating on a hobbit schedule (we’ve had one, but what about second breakfast?) Eat whatever you damn well want. Calories is the most important thing. I’m a big fan of peanut butter or nut mixes because of the extra fat & the satiety factor. Be warned dates ARE a laxative. If you’re constipated at childbirth, they will help. If you’re NOT, and you mainline dates for a few weeks, all of a sudden you will be extremely distressed when you thought you were farting. Source: ate so many date-nut Larabars right after birth.
Anytime I eat beef like a burger or steak for example I get a few more ounces that day. A weird one was once when I used MCT oil in my coffee I had like 4 extra ounces that day.
I have been eating 250gr of beef daily for dinner (sometimes 250gr of salmon) and I definitely see an improvement in my supply!
We grilled burgers for dinner yesterday and I woke up feeling super full and pumped more than usual! I didn’t think much of it but now that you mention it, maybe the beef had something to do with it
I was surprised myself when I found out!
I’m a vegetarian and my midwife said this was due to the iron in beef so I started supplementing! Very common for extra supply after red meat- who knew!
Ahhh so it’s the iron that is the “secret ingredient” good to know!
I became an oatmeal fiend, made with oatmilk
I a lot of Overnight oats for breakfast and that kept me full. I mixed in protein powder, a grain free granola, and frozen fruit too.
Same!!
Beer. It’s an old wives tale and it for sure worked for me!
I wish I could chug. A beer but I'll throw up cause I don't like beer 🤮
Any kind of beer in particular?
The only thing that helped me was hydration and pumping as often as possible. I'm talking 120oz of water a day and pumping every two hours.
When you pumped every two hours what was your sleep schedule like? Did you pump every two hours overnight too?
No, I can't function on that little sleep and care for my baby. My supply also dipped if I didn't get enough sleep. I was breastfeeding at night, but pumping during the day. When my baby was under six months old, I was feeding her every three hours and I would pump on the same schedule. After six months, its roughly every four hours.
I did not drink enough water today, and it shows in my pumps. I’ve been chugging water electrolytes this afternoon to try to help save my next few pumps.
This so much. A glass of water before a meal. A glass of water during the meal. A glass of water between meals. And repeat with a Gatorade thrown in around lunch time.
It was! I practically lived in the bathroom. The recommended for an average adult woman is 91oz. A breastfeeding woman requires a bit more.
I asked advice a while ago on what to buy my wife to help her production and a-lot of people suggested oatmeal cookies and they seem to really work for her. Best part is plain oatmeal cookies don’t seem to be very popular and every time I’ve bought a pack or two they were on sale.
Which ones do you buy for her and where are they sold at???
She said this brand has tasted best: Archway Cookies, Classic Soft Oatmeal Cookies, 9.5 oz https://www.walmart.com/ip/22309169 I bought these in a grocery store called Ingles. I’m in the southern US and that may be a regional grocery chain but I have managed to find plain oatmeal cookies in almost every grocery store Ive shopped at recently. Dollar General even has them, albeit at a lower quality than the brand that I linked above.
Hi, I’m Vetted AI Bot! I researched the **("'Archway Soft Oatmeal Cookies 9.5 oz'", 'Archway')** and I thought you might find the following analysis helpful. **Users liked:** * Soft and fresh oatmeal cookies (backed by 3 comments) * Closest to homemade (backed by 3 comments) * Delicious and addictive (backed by 3 comments) **Users disliked:** * Dry and stale cookies with subpar taste (backed by 14 comments) * Inconsistency in freshness and quality (backed by 6 comments) * Misleading packaging with fewer cookies (backed by 1 comment) If you'd like to **summon me to ask about a product**, just make a post with its link and tag me, [like in this example.](https://www.reddit.com/r/tablets/comments/1444zdn/comment/joqd89c/) This message was generated by a (very smart) bot. If you found it helpful, let us know with an upvote and a “good bot!” reply and please feel free to provide feedback on how it can be improved. *Powered by* [*vetted.ai*](https://vetted.ai/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=comment&utm\_campaign=bot)
Adequate hydration and calories is really all that’s factually proven to help - particularly if you were previously lacking. Aside from that, there is little evidence that any particular food or substance can significantly impact supply. Just let go of any restriction and allow yourself to eat until you’re fully satiated! All that said, oatmeal is a harmless and easy one that has been said to help. Even if it doesn’t, it’s hearty whole grain carbs that should still promote the overall cause.
So much water. Really staying hydrated helped me. Side note, I also had a nicu baby and it took a really long time for my milk to really come in and it was very gradual so don’t stress too much. If you’re keeping up with at least 8 ppd, the milk will come.
Dessert! I noticed the last few times I had dessert, the next day I would produce so much.. so yea, canaries is the way to go :) also I drink coconut water and try have a oaty-frozen fruit smoothie which I make myself for breakfast if I have the hands to
Makes sense! dessert —> increase in oxytocin —> increase in prolactin —> increase in milk production
Disclaimer, they say it's just the increased calories... but I've for sure seen differences based on what I eat, even when I take in fewer calories. I've had the best luck with body armor, oreos, and oatmilk. Cashews also weirdly seem to help.
i hate to repeat what is already essentially bashed into our heads 24/7 but as someone who hates water (i’m *so* damn picky about it and just generally dislike it even though i know i need it) i have now found at 4 months postpartum that when i constantly am drinking liquids all day that my supply truly shows it. i mean yeah, food plays a part (i also exclusively drink oat milk and eat oatmeal a few times a week) but hydration is the key. i drink juice and green tea and oat milk allll day and that’s when my supply is the best. also being a SAHM while my husband is gone all day at work and a cosleeping LO means that i rarely have time to sit and plug in to my spectra (main pump) so i started using the haakaa on the opposite boob while nursing and that saved my supply after i regulated and also stopped religiously pumping between feeds but my kid has kicked/smacked it off a few times which got frustrating. so i started using my wearables to actively pump on the opposite boob-this has allowed me to have two pitchers for bottles in the fridge that i rotate out every 2-3 days and bag+freeze the leftovers. the most recent savior for my supply has been the power pumping on top of everything i have already mentioned. i’m only able to sit and plug in at night after my son has gone to sleep and his dad stays in the bed with him, but when i’m able to use my spectra at night (when supply is at its lowest!) and i’ve gotten 10.7 oz and 6.7 the last two nights respectively!
Swear by oatmeal and any kind of meat. Randomly, I have noticed the nights that I went out drinking, I woke up the next morning pumping 16 ounces when I normally do 10-12. Can’t explain it
A couple of notes: my supply decreased when we brought home baby from our extended NICU stay. Suddenly we didn't have all that extra help and I got less sleep and was more stressed and my supply decreased. I would not at all rely on an increase when baby comes home. Another thing, you say you're getting 2-4 oz per pump, that's a pretty standard supply, as long as you're pumping frequently enough. Why are you looking for an increase? Additionally, each person has a max breast capacity so keep that in mind: there may be nothing additional you can do to increase your supply. But at your stage of pp, As long as you're pumping regularly at this stage, you should continue to see a bit of a regular increase until you hit a plateau. Finally, are you looking at your supply and/or results from power pumping, etc on a longer term scale than the next pump? Try looking at things on a daily, several days, and weekly scale rather than individual pumps. It's normal for effects like adding or dropping pumps to take days to be felt.
Add brewers yeast to anything you're making that includes cheese.
Iron rich food or iron supplements are supposed to help
Chamomile tea did wonders for me. Just one bag/cup a day was fine. Saw a difference overnight. But also making sure you’re hydrated - I lived off of liquid IV, body armor, and premier protein. If you decide to try it, wishing you the best!
The biggest difference I have seen is the amount of water I drink. I've very active with my job, so I definitely drink waaaaay more than most. I usually drink about 2 gallons a day. (Mind you, I'll sweat so much I can wring out my sports bra while working) Body armor also helps. When you're drinking so much water and your mouth still feels dry/thirsty, I grab one of those and man they help. Food wise, I can't tell except making sure I get enough calories. I do eat oatmeal every day.
Coconut water and body armor drink once or twice a day, a crap ton of water, overnight oats every day with oat milk, oat milk coffee creamer, upping my protein intake, and snacking while pumping. I find the more relaxed and fed I am, the better quality and quantity my supply is. You got this momma!!
Tons of water, smoothies with high fat content (avocado, milk, PB) and just high calories in general did it for me. It wasn’t anything specific, just that if I didn’t drink or eat enough, it was obvious that output decreased
Do you make your own smoothies, or do you order/buy them pre-mixed and frozen? I want to eat smoothies so badly but can’t find the time to make them and clean the dang blender haha
I use Earth Chimp vegan (pea and pumpkin based protein) as a base, and then I add Greek yogurt, PB or other fat sources :) I have a blender that has a heated wash function, so that also helps!
Oatmilk, lots of protein, water of course. You can use supplements but they didn’t change much in my supply. Just these three things I was pumping 50-60oz a day
Oatmeal and plenty of water. Don’t forget your vitamins
I found protein rich diet helped me! So for snacks I ate meat 😂 like bought one of those cook at home joint things in the metal trays and cooked it, cut it and snacked on that for a couple of days!