New moms should be prepared to hear the same mantra over and over: “Breast is best.”
Breast milk contains the right mix of water, fats, proteins, carbohydrates and nutrients to fuel a growing baby’s development, hydration and immune system needs.
Breastfeeding also strengthens the bond between mother and child and lowers their stress levels through skin-to-skin contact.
Experts generally recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months.
But breastfeeding can be hard for many mothers. Like, really, really hard. Think sore nipples, blocked ducts, supply issues and many more exasperating challenges.
That’s why some 86% of infants start out receiving breast milk, US government data shows, but only about 30% are exclusively breastfed through their first six months.
I am one of the mothers who struggled to breastfeed. My newborn twins and I faced a seemingly insurmountable hurdle — they were rushed to the NICU at birth and fed by a small tube that passed from their nose down into their stomach.
So I focused my efforts on pumping breast milk that could go in their feeding tubes. It wasn’t so easy.
First, I started with lactation consultants. Every lactation consultant I met was relentlessly upbeat, assuring me that I’d master pumping and feeding in no time!
I wasn’t as confident, but I politely listened to their advice. One consultant suggested that things could improve once I tried a different size of flange, which is the plastic piece that fits directly over the nipple to help stimulate milk flow.
Of course, the recommended size was not part of the flanges that came with my breast pump. Ten dollars later from Amazon, and I actually got less milk out.
I asked another consultant about supplements, but she shrugged. It’s better to pump more than to try to supplement your way to more milk, she advised.
Experts generally recommend pumping at least eight times a day shortly after giving birth to establish supply. That’s a tall order, especially while caring for a newborn, chasing around older children or simply trying to avoid being tied to a milk- and soul-sucking machine.
I increased my pumping sessions, and I tried supplements.
Legendairy Milk makes popular herbal capsules designed to support milk production and supply. I experimented with three types — “Liquid Gold,” “Milkapalooza” and “Pump Princess.”
Each lactation blend emphasizes a different herb or seed while being free of fenugreek, which has shown mixed results for breastfeeding moms.
“Liquid Gold” features goat’s rue for milk supply and mammary tissue growth, while “Milkapalooza” contains moringa (milk production and prolactin levels) and “Pump Princess” boasts nigella sativa to improve supply.
All three blends have other supportive ingredients and fennel, which small studies suggest may help enhance milk volume.
There are 60 capsules in the Legendairy bottles that retail for $21.87, with moms encouraged to take two capsules three times a day.
I saw the best results with “Liquid Gold,” but the flow was still nothing to brag about. It was more of a trickle.
I also tried Legendairy’s “She’s Flowing” lactation support blackberry lemonade mix (18 packets for $29.84), but the flavor was too strong for my liking, even when diluted with more water.
I much preferred Munchkin Milkmakers Lactation Drink Mix in berry lemonade (12 packets for $11.99).
I didn’t love the 6 grams of sugar per serving, but it was worth it for the collagen, vitamins B6 and B12 and most especially, the taste.
I used the packets long after I eased myself off the breast pump.
Hydration is key for breast pumping and feeding because breast milk is approximately 87% water.
To that end, I choked down coconut water, which provides electrolytes and hydration, even though I loathe its taste.
A more flavorful way to hydrate is Q Mixers Refreshers, which come in the flavors watermelon lime, pineapple passion fruit, raspberry lemon and peach nectarine. An eight-pack with two of each flavor is $7.99.
Electrolytes, like the ones in these mixes, help to replace minerals like sodium, potassium and magnesium lost through milk production.
I pumped and I supplemented and I hydrated and I looked on with envy as other NICU moms brought in bags of breast milk as I came up short.
There were tools I wanted to try to enhance the pumping experience, like Figaroo EverSeal Breast Milk Storage Bags ($17.75 for 100), which are designed to make storing and freezing milk mess-free.
HoopDee hoops ($39.99), meanwhile, serve as a milk tracking system so babies never get spoiled milk.
In the end, my twins took to special formula that helps preemies grow — and I got to kick my pump to the curb. Sayonara, milk sucker!
