Breastfeeding has been one of the most difficult chapters of my life so far, but also one of the best. At first it seemed more challenging than being in labour even, but as time went by things definitely became easier and I learnt to love this beautiful way of nature. So if you are still in the early days and are having a hard time, hang in there! It gets better.
I have also learnt some methods that may boost breast milk supply, which I would like to share in today’s post.
Please keep in mind:
• Although these are techniques that have worked for me, they may not necessarily work for you. But they may be worth a try!
• I am a first time mum so I am far from an expert and have heard of these from family and adapted them to suit me through trial and error. These are simply suggestions, so see what works for you personally.
• It is important to note that nothing is effective in excessive amounts, and may even have negative side effects, so please take caution.
• Time is of the essence being a Mumma, as you know, so I try to keep these methods as basic as possible. My lovely parents used to prepare all this for me in the first few weeks but now that they have left I try to find the time to do it myself. If these methods work for you try and find the time too, because it will make your life easier in the long-run. If you have family or friends who offer to help then let them!
Fenugreek/Methi Seeds
I soak around a teaspoon of Fenugreek seeds overnight. I do this with a small amount of bottled water in a small jar with the lid closed (just to avoid any nasty buggers really). This is usually one of the last things I do before I go to bed at night and I eat them first thing in the morning (draining the water) on an empty stomach. The seeds become soft and more or less double in size. I keep a jar of seeds on my kitchen counter in plain sight to remind me and I try to do this daily. I find it actually tastes quite nice!
Sabudana/Sago
Sabudana can work wonders for me. When I feel I am low on milk supply and have this I really notice a difference and my breasts are considerably fuller soon afterwards. Similar to tapioca pearls (but not the same), these “pearls” are available in a range of sizes. You have probably had these before if you have tried bubble tea. I have discovered it is easier to find packets of this in smaller hypermarkets in Muscat than the big ones.
This is the recipe that I have put together for myself. A lot of other recipes you may find online will call for more milk but I try to avoid having too much additional milk on top of the usual amount in my diet, so I use water as a substitute. Having said that, I do add at least 1 cup of milk for the sake of adding some flavour. If you have extra time soak the sago in water for a while (1 hour or so) to make it easier to handle and less sticky. In all honesty I usually skip this step due to lack of time and end up with a clunky sticky texture but I don’t mind if it gets the job done and it helps my milk production.
Ingredients:
1 cup sabudana/sago
1 cup milk
4.5 cups water
6-8 tbspns sugar (or a suitable amount)
4 green cardamom pods
Method:
I quite literally just put all the ingredients together in a pan, bring to a boil and let it simmer until the pearls have become soft and transparent. This usually takes 30 minutes in total. There is probably a more graceful way of preparing this dish, so if you had time you could experiment and see which ingredients should be added when. Be sure to stir every so often, especially if you are not using a non-stick pan. After cooking, I transfer to a container to keep in the fridge to last me 3-4 days.
I have a bowl of this after dinner as dessert. Again, I try to do this daily. If you usually have a big dinner and feel full afterwards it probably isn’t the best idea to have it at this time since it is quite filling and high in carbohydrate content, so pick a time that suits you.
Black Seeds
This seed is known by many other names, but for the sake of avoiding confusion and because there seems to be a difference of opinion on the internet, I will just refer to them as Black Seeds. In Islam, we learn that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said these seeds can heal “all diseases except death” (narrated by Abu Huraira, Sahih Al-Bukhari 5688).
Black seeds can taste quite strong, so you would probably prefer to have them in very small doses. I usually have a pinch on its own everyday and add a pinch to all my meals. If it makes it easier then you can swallow them with water.
Please note though that these are generally not recommended to have during pregnancy as many believe this can lead to contractions. Like I do with the fenugreek seeds, I keep a jar of black seeds on the kitchen counter to remind myself to have them.
Bottle Gourd
This is sometimes labelled as White Pumpkin in hypermarkets in Muscat, but the proper name is Bottle Gourd. This vegetable is packed with vitamins and minerals and is high in water content. This means that not only can it induce breast milk, it can also be very nutritious for you and your baby, plus keep you hydrated. Luckily, this is a very reasonably priced vegetable here, at approximately 250 bz per kg.
I normally remove the skin, then cut it into semi circle sized pieces. In a pan, I cover these pieces halfway with water and add my desired spices for flavour. Remember not to overload any dish with too many spices as it can upset your baby’s tummy. I bring the mixture to a boil then simmer on a low heat for around 20 minutes until it becomes soft. I have a portion with my dinner and one bottle gourd usually lasts me 3-4 days. I try to do this once a week.
It is important that you have plenty of water, rest and try not to stress, as many factors can affect breast milk supply. Above all, as you probably have been advised by the real experts, it is most important to feed feed feed or pump pump pump, especially in the first few weeks, to establish a good milk supply. Cutie Baby loved to suck so I didn’t use my pump that often (I invested in a Philips Avent manual pump) but if you have a sleepy baby and the usual tickling-feet, tickling-under-the-chin techniques don’t encourage them to suckle more then I recommend using a pump as often as you can. Remember, your body adapts to your needs so if you signal that you need more milk, you produce more milk. Happy feeding!
Mumma in Muscat 