Breastfeeding mothers’ little helper

At least once a month, whether we’re sampling in stores, at an event or chatting at our farmer’s market booth, someone brings up the connection between oats and breast milk production. So we did a little Googling over the holidays, and found 3 articles on the subject we thought worth sharing. To our delight, oats regularly make it into lists of the best foods to help stimulate breast milk production.

In no particular order, here they are:

First is this piece from the lively table listing 11 naturally lactogenic foods as a way to reduce reliance on supplements. Oats are first on the list 🐻. And check out their amazing-sounding recipes!

The second article we found in the boomers’ bible of motherhood: what to expect. They express healthy skepticism over whether any foods really “work,” and list 5 to give a try.

We also love this take from Very Well Family, written by an RN and medically reviewed by an MD. They include oatmeal in the whole grain category, and list other lactogenic foods we’ve experimented with in our oatmeal recipes such as fennel, almonds and fresh ginger root.

We’ve tried developing a bowl specifically for nursing moms, rich in many of these lactogenic foods. So far we haven’t gotten the flavor just right, or felt enough demand for it to be successful at retail. We welcome your ideas on the topic.