Best Lactation Teas, Cookies and Supplements to Boost Breast Milk
August 29, 2018
Chances are, if you’re breastfeeding, you’re nursing a very real obsession over your milk supply (pun intended). Breastmilk is produced on a supply and demand basis, meaning the best way to increase your output is to nurse baby more often. But when that’s not possible—or producing enough results—a galactagogue can give you that needed boost.
A galactagogue is a fancy name for a milk-increasing herb. The most common include fenugreek (the all-star), blessed thistle fennel, anise and coriander. These milk-aids can be found in everything from breastfeeding tea to lactation cookies, bars, chews and supplements. The trick is to use galactagogues as a way to jumpstart your supply. Once you’re producing more milk, it’s best to wean off them so your body doesn’t get used to them, rendering them ineffective down the road.
Which one is right for you? You’ll have to do a little recon work. Taste preference plays a big role, and the effectiveness of herbal blends differs from mom to mom. But once you find a lactation cookie, tea or supplement that works, it’s worth it’s weight in liquid gold.
In this article:
Best lactation teas
Best lactation cookies and bars
Best lactation supplements
Each brand of breastfeeding tea varies slightly in blend and flavor. You may have to sample a few before you find an herbal mix you’re down to sip two to three times a day and one that delivers results. If you notice an uptick in your production but aren’t crazy about the flavor of the nursing tea, try adding honey or serve over ice. Here, a few of our top picks for best lactation tea.
Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk Tea
This organic lactation tea features an herbal blend of all the big-name galactagogues, including fennel, anise, coriander, fenugreek, blessed thistle and more. As for flavor, expect a sweet, slightly bitter drink with a distinct licorice taste.
Buy it: $24 for a pack of six, Amazon.com
Pink Stork Lactation Herbal Mint Tea
This popular organic lactation tea is crafted to boost both milk production and flow. In this whole leaf breastfeeding tea you’ll find fennel seed, marshmallow root, fenugreek, anise, licorice root, blessed thistle and spearmint. Heat it up or pour over ice.
Buy it: $13, Amazon.com
Earth Mama Milkmaid Tea
Here’s another crowd-favorite organic lactation tea. In addition to expected ingredients like fenugreek, fennel and anise, there’s also red raspberry, stinging nettle, orange, caraway seeds and alfalfa. Enjoy hot or cold.
Buy it: $6, Amazon.com
UpSpring Milk Flow Chai Tea Latte
If herbal tea isn’t exactly your cup of tea, so to speak, rejoice: UpSpring offers a lactation tea in chai latte form, infused with fenugreek, blessed thistle and anise, as well cinnamon, clove, ginger and cardamom. Yum.
Buy it: $18, Amazon.com
Oat Mama Lactation Tea
If you really can’t stand the strong taste of fenugreek, you’ll like this lactation tea: It contains fennel, alfalfa, red raspberry leaf, nettle leaf, hibiscus, blueberry and pomegranate—and no fenugreek.
Buy it: $20, Amazon.com
Milkmakers Lactation Tea, Berry
Fenugreek, lemongrass, fennel and rooibos are the active ingredients in this organic breastfeeding tea, all topped off with natural berry flavor.
Buy it: $12, Amazon.com
Hunger strikes all too often when you’re breastfeeding. Reach for a double-duty snack that offers an energy boost and aids milk production. Lactation cookies and bars are great for eating one-handed while nursing or stashing in your pump bag for on-the-go munching. Bonus: Many are free of common allergens like gluten, shellfish, nuts, dairy and soy.
Milkful Lactation Oat Bars
Hungry? Feast on these lactation bars, which come in three tasty flavors: blueberry almond coconut, chocolate banana nut and maple walnut, all chock-full of rolled oats, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed, black sesame seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds.
Buy it: $24 for 6, Amazon.com
Boobie Bars
“Amazing” and “miracle” are words tossed around by Amazon reviewers to describe these lactation bars, which were featured on Shark Tank. They’re available in three flavors: blueberry coconut, gluten-free peanut butter and oatmeal chocolate chip.
Buy it: $17 for 6, Amazon.com
Milkmakers Cookie Bites
Cookies that taste great and support a healthy milk supply? Yes, please! Oats, flaxseed and brewer’s yeast give these lactation cookies their milk-boosting power, without the use of fenugreek.
Buy it: $20 for 10, Amazon.com
UpSpring Milkflow Lactation Cookies
If you don’t mind the flavor of fenugreek, grab a handful of these oatmeal raisin lactation cookies, which are also made with blessed thistle. Moms say these treats deliver results—and taste great to boot.
Buy it: $20 for 10, Amazon.com
Mommy Knows Best Lactation Cookie Mix
If you prefer to nosh on freshly baked treats, pick up a package of this lactation cookie mix. It’s made with oats, brewer’s yeast and flaxseed (and no fenugreek!) and is bursting with calcium, folic acid and iron. Get it in four flavors: cinnamon raisin, oatmeal chocolate, salted caramel or white chocolate.
Buy it: $15, Amazon.com
Majka Lactation Cookie Bites for Breastfeeding Moms
These breastfeeding cookies are non-GMO, gluten-free, preservatives-free and vegan. Coconut, oats, chia seeds and flaxseed make these bites full of flavor. They’re a bit pricier than other lactation snacks, but a bunch of reviewers say they’re worth it.
Buy it: $28, Amazon.com
Adding a pill or chew to your daily prenatal vitamin routine is perhaps the easiest way to achieve a quick boost. The caveat: Some lactation supplements require multiple daily doses for maximum effectiveness. Fenugreek is often heralded as the most effective milk-aid, but goat’s rue, malunggay and shatavari are also go-tos.
GNC Herbal Plus Fenugreek
Fenugreek has been used for centuries to help increase breast milk production and is generally the most common herbal galactogogue used by nursing moms.
Buy it: $19 for 200 capsules, Amazon.com
Motherlove More Milk Moringa
This popular lactation supplement boasts an organic herbal blend of fenugreek, blessed thistle, nettle and fennel.
Buy it: $26 for 60 capsules, Amazon.com
Mommy Knows Best Goat’s Rue
For those sensitive to fenugreek and blessed thistle, goat’s rue can be a great lactation supplement. These capsules are free of allergens like peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy and gluten.
Buy it: $20 for 120 capsules, Amazon.com
Traditional Medicinals Mother’s Milk Lemon Chews
Not into taking lactation supplement pills? Consider these organic herbal chews, crafted to support breast milk production. They’re made with fennel, anise, coriander, fenugreek and blessed thistle, and have a tasty lemon flavor.
Buy it: $10 for 14 chews, Amazon.com
Benevolent Nourishment Lactation Support
Or, give these liquid lactation supplement drops a try. Made in the USA with organic herbs like goat’s rue, fenugreek, blessed thistle, anise and moringa leaf, it’s said to absorb better than capsules and tablets.
Buy it: $25, Amazon.com
Rejuvica Health NatalNourish Breast Milk Enhancer
Here’s another top liquid lactation supplement. Fenugreek, blessed thistle, anise, red raspberry leaf, fennel and turmeric make up the active ingredients.
Buy it: $34, Amazon.com
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
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