The Post Turkey Hangover
It is the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. You may have woke up this morning feeling the need for a little extra caffeine, and a few less calories. There is a rock sitting in your stomach and you think back to all of the delicious and calorie rich food you ate all weekend long. All. Weekend. Long. The shame starts to set in. Thoughts about dieting and eating salad all week are setting in. Do you have the turkey hangover today? Are you feeling guilty after your Thanksgiving indulgences? Let me share with you a brighter perspective as you wallow in your bloatedness. There are several thanksgiving foods that increase breast milk supply!
You Are Doing Great!
First, let’s be clear. What I am about to share is not meant to provide an excuse for over-eating, because that is not a healthy habit. However, it is very probable that a large amount of what you ate last weekend actually benefitted your motherly body. At least one part of it anyway. While holiday foods have the tendency to stick to our hips, they also help fill our mommy boobs. YES! Let me introduce you to breast milk supportive foods that you just ate at Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving Foods That Increase Milk Supply
There are several foods that most people like to eat around the holidays. Several of these foods are a great choice for boosting milk supply and support lactogenesis. Lactogenesis is the process of developing the ability to produce milk. While many mothers agree that certain foods increase their milk supply, there is no solid evidence that any particular food increases milk production. However, there are several lists out there of foods that people claim to have success with.
The Good Stuff
Here are a few of my favorite thanksgiving foods that cited sources say increase milk supply:
- Turkey: Lean meats help increase milk supply, including turkey, chicken, and beef. Protein is an important part of a breastfeeding mother’ diet. What better way to take care of the protein portion of your plate then to pile on some turkey!
- Stuffing: stuffing is one of my favorite Thanksgiving sides. Something about the buttery bread mixed with cooked vegetables and delicious seasonings makes this dish homey and comforting. Pour on some gravy and your are good to go. Some stuffing recipes include fennel, garlic, and other vegetables. Verywell Family, a resource for parenting and pregnancy information, shares that fennel has natural estrogen-like properties that make it beneficial for breastfeeding mothers. It may also increase levels of prolactin in the mother, which help with milk production. They also state that when a mother consumes garlic, their baby stays longer at the breast. More breastfeeding means more milk production. Whole grains are also said to help with supply, so if you make whole grain stuffing, you are even more on track!
- Cranberry Sauce: THE EVERYMOM is just one resource that mentions berries as being super beneficial to a breastfeeding mother. Especially because they contain vitamin C. Cranberries are one of the berries bursting with nutrients, and happens to be extremely common during the holidays! So whip up that sauce and feel no shame about taking an extra bite!
- Sweet Potato Casserole: Sweet potatoes boost energy, which is what every mom needs, right? And it contains Vitamin A, which THE EVERYMOM describes as important for immune, organ and vision development in the baby. While it might be best to avoid too many marshmallows, you do not need to feel guilty about eating those sweet potatoes! They are greatly benefiting you and your baby.
- Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin contains iron and fiber, both of which are important for mothers who breastfeed. So enjoy every bite of that pumpkin deliciousness!
Additional Resources
There are so many foods that we eat during the holidays. As you come off the holiday high, remember you ate some foods that were great for your milk supply. I only mentioned a few of my favorites, but there are more! While we are being thankful this season, might as well add one more thing to the gratitude list. The food we get to eat during this time is not all that bad! Check out the list below for more resources.
- THE EVERYMOM food list
- verywell family 10 herbs that boost milk supply
- Romper The Perfect Thanksgiving Plate To Increase Milk Supply (with recipe links)
- Cleveland Clinic Food and Milk Supply
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