Healthy Pregnancy

If I give my baby formula my milk supply will decrease. If your baby needs more milk than you can provide, you will have to supplement with donor milk or formula. The product itself does not cause a drop in milk production! Milk supply is determined primarily by milk removal. Make sure that you are regularly (about 8 times/day) removing milk from your breasts by breastfeeding or pumping.

Drinking lots of water will increase my supply. It is important to replenish all the fluids that are leaving your body. If you are dehydrated, your body cannot perform optimally—and that includes the manufacture of milk for your baby. But if you are already hydrated, drinking additional water will not produce more milk. I usually urge my clients to have a glass of water every time they breastfeed.

If I eat certain foods, I will make better milk. All mammals make species-specific milk. In other words, mouse milk is unique to mice, goat’s milk is unique to goats and human milk is unique to humans. A mother cow makes milk that is exactly right for her calf and mother dog makes milk that is perfect for her puppies. You don’t have to worry at all if your milk is right for your baby. It’s perfect! Human diets vary all over the world, but human milk remains remarkably consistent. There is some variability (your milk is unique!), but the nutrients remain stable. Even mothers who are severely undernourished make high-quality milk—but they often struggle with supply.

If my baby doesn’t breastfeed in the first 3 days, my milk won’t come in. The hormones produced during your pregnancy (namely, progesterone) inhibit milk production. The moment your placenta leaves your body, the progesterone levels drop and milk production begins Even if you weren’t planning to breastfeed, your milk would still “come in.” If your baby nurses frequently in those first few days, however, your milk will most likely come in sooner. In addition, early breastfeeding “places the order” for your baby’s future caloric needs. More breastfeeding = more milk!

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

You may be wondering if you really need a lactation consultant? You may also be wondering what training is required to become a lactation consultant. Here is a short video that explains it all!

The other night we went to a friend’s for a BBQ and she introduced us to one of the most delicious beverages I have ever tasted. Granted, most people at the party were having the alcoholic version, but on this HOT summer night I was most grateful that she could make mine a virgin.

When desiring to conceive it makes sense to moderate or omit alcohol consumption, which impacts the health of the liver. For fertility, we want hormone metabolism to be optimal and cutting out unnecessary toxins is a first step toward a clean liver. This isn’t to say the occasional glass of wine or champagne is forbidden, I just notice I feel a lot better the less alcohol I consume and you may notice the same.

I have always loved lemonade, but the addition of the cooling properties of cucumber truly brought my old time favorite to a new level of refreshing. Like water, drink this beverage at room temperature to optimize digestion. I would also suggest making a larger quantity because you are sure to want more once you taste it!

Celina’s Lemon Cucumber Drink:

1/2 gallon lemonade (recipe is also in the Cooking for Fertility cookbook)
1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced and add to lemonade.

The cucumber will soak into the lemonade and the taste is nothing short of delightful. The essence building and liver cleansing properties are an added bonus!