Mother’s milk is the perfect temperature, requires no preparation, is easy to digest, is free of bacterial contamination, is available at no extra cost, creates bonding and emotional security, promotes facial and muscular development and, best of all, is totally fresh!
The benefits of breast-feeding are enormous. Babies that are breastfed are less likely to suffer from allergies, colic, diarrhea, ear infections, eczema, and infections.
Breast milk helps protect babies from microbes including bacteria, fungi, and viruses and from disorders such as celiac disease and Crohn’s disease.
Breast milk also seems to contribute to higher IQs, perhaps because it is higher in essential fatty acids omega 3, 6, and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Here’s how to boost production.
HERBS THAT BOOST MILK PRODUCTION
Galactagogue is the word for herbs that encourage milk production. It comes from the word galax, meaning ”milk,” and is from the same root as the Milky Way Galaxy. Galactagogue herbs that increase lactation include the following:
• Alfalfa leaf
• Anise seed
• Blessed thistle
• Caraway seeds
• Dandelion leaf
• Dill seed
• Fennel seed
• Fenugreek
• Goat’s rue
• Hops
• Nettles
• Oatstraw
• Red clover
Marshmallow root helps to increase the fat content of breast milk and thus aids weight gain in the baby. Vitex causes the pituitary gland to produce more prolactin, which governs lactation.
You can find all of these in your health food store. Drink three to four cups daily or look for teas or capsules already prepared at natural food stores such as Nursing Mothers Tea by Traditional Medicinals or Nursing Support by Yogi Teas.
Hops, another herb, promotes lactation in mothers who are stressed and anxious. Good dark beers that are rich in hops can help relax a new mother and increase milk production. Nonalcoholic beers are available that provide the same benefits. One nightly should be enough.
Essential oils such as anise and fennel can enhance milk production too. Add 10 drops to 1 ounce (28 ml) of coconut oil in a small jar and massage a teaspoonful into the breasts using gentle circular motions daily. Rinse the breasts off before nursing.
GOOD TO KNOW!
It is best to wean a child slowly to make the transition easier for mother and child. The World Health Organization suggests nursing for at least two years. As a child nurses less, less milk will be produced. The milk becomes saltier and thicker. To decrease milk production, drink a cup (235 ml) of sage tea up to eight times daily and drink less of other fluids.
Read more...
BEST FOODS FOR BREASTFEEDING
NATURAL REMEDIES THAT EASE BREAST TENDERNESS
This How To Produce More Breast Milk article is taken from :
The Country Almanac of Home Remedies - Brigitte Mars
