The woman body is a wonderful creation. It gives you the ability to breastfeed by automatically producing "prolactin" - a type of chemical that produces breast Milk - once it knows you are pregnant with your little one.
While different woman has different breastmilk supply, do you know that the majority of women should have enough Breast Milk for their baby? Yet, at some point of time in our breastfeeding journey, we will still need some sort of boost to maintain our breast milk supply.
1. What causes low breast milk supply?
There are many reasons why we are not producing as much breast milk as we would like. The 2 most common reasons are: we did not pump on time or we cannot breastfeed on demand.
You see, the volume of breast milk production very much relies on the concept of 'supply and demand'. The more demand there is, the more your body will produce the supply. Fairly straightforward, right?
The problem is, there are times when we are too busy or simply forgot to pump when it's time, or it could be that we are not around when baby needs to nurse (hence the need of these!).
When you do not express milk from your engorged breasts when need be, the body will naturally think that it has more than enough. The result is, it will automatically wean down your milk supply. If you don't do something to boost your supply back up, your milk supply will slowly run out until nothing's left anymore (this is how mothers wean off when breast milk is not required anymore). We told you, the body is an amazing thing itself!
2. Top 5 Best Products to Increase Milk Supply
1. Pure Mom Organic Breastfeeding Supplement
Pure Mom Organic Breastfeeding Supplement is the best lactation supplement that really works.
Made with organic fenugreek seed, fennel seed and milk thistle, these galactagogue work together to encourage your body to produce more breast milk. Being completely organic and non-GMO certified (something you don't see on many other brands), you can be assured that these ingredients are gentle on your body while they stimulate lactation.
It is recommended that your take two of these vegan capsules with your breakfast a day to see the most effective results. Or, you can take as directed by your doctor or lactation consultant.
Unlike teas, these organic supplement do not have any taste so this is the best lactation pills for those that simply cannot tolerate the medicinal taste of teas. You may sense a little liquorice when burped, but nothing too strong.
Being 100% made in the USA in a GMP-certified lab which meets stringent quality assurance standards, you can be sure that they meet the brief of best lactation support supplement. In fact, Pure Mom is so confident in the effectiveness and quality of their product that they are willing to do a full refund if you are ever dissatisfied with the results.
Mothers highly rave about the Pure Mom Organic Breastfeeding Supplement, saying how it helps boost their milk supply to that formulas are not needed anymore after taking this capsule. No wonder it is also dubbed "the best pump supplement"!
2. New Chapter Perfect Postnatal Vitamins Lactation Supplement
New Chapter's supplement truly don't disappoint (you know we love their prenatal supplement) and its Perfect Postnatal Vitamins Lactation Supplement is no exception!
This is the best supplement to increase breast milk for mothers who are allergic to galactagogues like fennel and fenugreek. Rather than using these common milk boosters ingredients, New Chapter Postnatal Vitamin uses a 3-in-1 formula complete with multivitamin, multi mineral and multi herbal to support lactation, energy and mood of new mothers.
It includes organic superfoods such as turmeric, oats and kelp in its formulation as well as certified organic vegetables and herbs that are non-GMO verified. For vegans, you can consume with peace of mind because this is vegetarian and kosher certified with no animal gelatine and synthetic fillers used. Oh, and it is gluten free too!
This Postnatal Vitamins Lactation Supplement is gentle on your stomach - you can even take it with an empty stomach. It is fermented with beneficial probiotics to keep nasty constipation away, and is one of the best supplement for hair growth (yay for those suffering postnatal hair loss)!
You can say that the New Chapter Perfect Postnatal Vitamins Lactation Supplement is a do-all supplement - it takes care of not just your lactation department but the overall wellbeing of your body. Nursing mothers have observed an obvious improvement in their milk supply, and do not feel as tired as before (we know nursing takes a toll in your energy level)!
If you want to take just one supplement post natal, this is the best supplement for milk production that we'd recommend, though we'd recommend taking also the New Chapter Wholemega for Moms Fish Oil (another bestseller of the brand) for your DHA supply.
3. Traditional Medicinals Organic Mother's Milk Tea
Yes, breastfeeding supplement does not have to be in the form of pills or capsules. They are available in tea form too and the Traditional Medicinals Organic Mother's Milk Tea is the best lactation tea.
This herbal tea has been traditionally used to help mothers support their breast milk product through healthy lactation. Created by traditional herbalists, it contains the highest quality, pharmacopoeial grade herbs like fennel, anise, coriander, blessed thistle and fenugreek. Every ingredient is organic certified, non-GMO verified and Kosher certified.
Due to the presence of anise, it gives the tea a sweet, liquorice like taste. If you are not particularly fond of the liquorice taste, we find that adding honey will help.
A note of caution: if you are allergic to plants in the parsley family (fennel or coriander) , or plants within the daisy family (chamomile, echinacea or blessed thistle), do not drink this tea.
If you don't like taking pills, the Traditional Medicinals Organic Mother's Milk Tea is your answer. It is the best tea to increase breast milk and is one that is trusted by millions of mothers around the world.
4. Mommy Knows Best Lactation Supplement
If you are looking for the best lactation support supplement that works the fastest, Mommy Knows Best Lactation Supplement is your answer.
Yes, coming from the same brand that manufactures the best fenugreek for breastfeeding, Mommy Knows Best Lactation Supplement is proven to have yielded obvious results as fast as in 24 hours! Mothers have reported that they are able to stock up on their breast milk after consuming this supplement, which is good news to those who are preparing to go back to work but would like to continue breastfeeding.
Packed in a special lactation blend coating a whopping 2600mg of natural ingredients like fenugreek seed, blessed thistle herb and fennel seeds, these herbal lactating pills are designed to safely help induce lactation in your body quickly and naturally.
Unlike New Chapter Lactation Supplement, you don't need to buy a separate DHA supplement with Mommy Knows Best because it already contains the DHA nutrient for healthy brain development. It does not contain any milk, dairy, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat or gluten which makes it perfect and safe even for the most sensitive.
With everything produced in a GMP certified USA facility, you can be sure rigorous safety standards are met to produce these superior quality best breast milk supplement.
5. Lactiful Supply Max
If you have tried every milk booster out there and nothing works, Lactiful Supply Max, another one of the best milk supply supplement, is likely the answer to your problem.
Claimed to be the world's strongest supplement for increasing milk supply, one pill of this milk booster contains a whopping 9,875mg of all natural herbal ingredients -fenugreek seed, goat's rue, blessed thistle, alfalfa, anise seed, fennel seed, marshmallow root and nettle leaf. This is 3 times stronger than most other competitors but don't worry, they have been tested for safe consumption. Mothers had observed an average increase of 14oz additional breastmilk a day with this supplement.
A lot of working mothers often struggle to pump regularly and this affects their supply. After following a plan exclusive to their situation as found in the Method Booklet included, they see effective results in around 14 days. This booklet is created and edited by a team of certified lactation consultants and registered nurses. Aside from the step-by-step plans for moms who work outside the home, it also includes plans for exclusive breastfeeders, exclusive pumpers and moms who are supplementing with formula to help increase their milk supply.
Like Pure Mom Organic Breastfeeding Supplement, Lactiful Supply Max also offers 100% refund (honoured up to 2 years after purchase date) if you are not happy with the results after trying Lactiful for 14 days. It goes to show just how confident they are with their product.
We have to be honest, the price of this lactation supplement is nothing you'd expect. It definitely is not the cheapest, but it is one best milk supply booster that truly works wonders when nothing else does. For those that have bought the Lactiful Supply Max, they'd say that it is worth every penny paid.
3. What Are the Ingredients and Are They Safe for Mother and Baby?
Now that you know what are the best products to increase breast milk, do you want to know more about what goes into them? They are, after all, external supplements that go into your body and your baby will consume it too through your breast milk.
The most common galactagogues that are found in lactation supplements are:
1. Fenugreek
This is the number one herb that has been used for centuries