How to Keep a Good Milk Supply while Nursing

I have been asked several times to write about how you can keep a good milk supply for your baby without needing to supplement with formula, when you're nursing.

What did / do you do to keep up a good milk supply if you chose to nurse?


I found this out while I was nursing our now two year old and it works a lot better now with our youngest who is now 8 weeks old, but what has helped me the most to keep a good milk supply in general just to nurse not just to be able to pump well too; is drinking one or two 20 - 28 oz Gatorade bottles a day of either Cool Blue or Fruit Punch Berry flavors, are the main two that really help for me. 

**These things are suggested but may not work for everyone or as easily**



They say that the electrolytes in the Gatorade is what helps so much with milk supply, so if you tend to drink plenty of water through the day, then you likely won't need Gatorade at all. I just don't drink a ton of water.

Another thing or two that are also helpful to keep a good supply for baby are:
- Drink plenty of water. I try to refill my 32 oz water bottle twice everyday, or more if I can.
- Eat flavored oatmeal once or twice a day and add a pinch or two of steel cut oats to the bowl. 

19 comments

  1. Nothing worked with me so I had to start bottle feeding earlier than planned.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have never done anything special other than eating healthy, drinking enough, and nursing often. I have been nursing for over 5 years now!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh wow. I am bad at drinking a lot of water. How much would you suggest trying to drink per day of water, so I can lower the amount of Gatorade I intake? I try to refill my 32 oz water bottle 1 - 2x a day if I can, sometimes more. But, I found the water has to be ice cold. For some reason it tastes better.

      Delete
  3. Wow! I didn't know Gatorade helps with breast milk supply! When I was nursing my youngest (now 2), I drank a lot of water, too. Now I am pregnant with baby #5. I will keep this in mind because I also like the Cool Blue Gatorade flavor! This makes me happy! Lol!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It made me happy too lol! I have a great supply to just nurse with, but I like to have a freezer stash of milk for as needed / emergencies so Gatorade helps to make more milk to pump as I want. I find a manual pump works best for me anyway. But, I don't use it daily.

      Delete
  4. It was very hard for me to keep my milk supply up when I tried breast feeding my children. It never lasted. Had to switch to formula with all three of them :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw. That's great you were able to try though :) I formula fed my older two the whole first year of their life. Just nursed my 2 year old til 14 months and now my youngest is 8 weeks strong.

      Delete
  5. I guess I am fortunate that I did not have any issues with breast milk flow. My daughter, however had average to below average milk production so she increased her fluid intake and took some herbal supplements to make her breast milk adequate enough to cover her baby's feeding requirements.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can see how Gatorade would help keep your body hydrated enough to produce milk. I've always had trouble drinking enough water each day too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I always make a lot of milk. I found that always eating well, higher fat foods, and lots of water kept my milk up so I could pump to donate as well as EBF my babes.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Interesting! I know milk supply can vary so much depending on the person. I just hope that everyone knows that, even if they try these options, it may just not be as easy to increase breast milk flow!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I ended up not nursing because it just didnt work out. I am going to send this to one of my new mama friends. She will love it!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I kept a pretty good milk supply when I was breastfeeding. I gave up soda pop and drank healthy liquids in its place.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think these are great tips for nursing moms. Sometimes, it is best to get advice from other moms who have been there and can relate to what you are going through.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Ohh, I didn't know that gatorade was helpful for our milk supply. Glad you share this information.

    ReplyDelete
  13. My daughter is 13 months and just recently my supply started to tank. I hadn't thought to try Gatorade (and will have to pick some up on my way to work tomorrow!) I know we'll be transitioning out of nursing soon, but I want to keep going a little longer!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is very helpful for nursing moms, considering Gatorade is something you could just grab from the grocery easily. Thank you for this!

    ReplyDelete
  15. These tips are very helpful for first time moms that are going through this breast feeding journey

    ReplyDelete
  16. I really don't have any idea about that Gatorade helps with breast milk supply! I just wish that everyone knows that. And this is a helping article for nursing moms.

    ReplyDelete