It always saddens me so much when someone says that they had to quit breastfeeding at six weeks because their milk dried up. It also maddens me, because I think health care professionals should explain to people how it all works.  For the first six weeks your milk reservoirs, so that you  have a constant supply – then it ‘dries up’ but it doesn’t really dry up, it just becomes available on demand and might not respond well to expressing either! know it’s frightening, it was to me too, but this concoction of herbs really helped improve my flow and I was able to go on. Armed with this knowledge, I’m almost certain more people would be able to feed for longer.

To finish off National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, I wanted to share a fantastic mother’s milk tea with you. If you have the herbs in your cupboard, that’s great, but if not they are all pretty easy to find in your supermarket or health food shop, or from my preferred supplier – Woodland Herbs.

  • 2 tablespoons dried chamomile flowers
  • 1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried nettle
  • 1/4 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
  • 1 cup boiling water.

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How To prepare:

Combine all the herbs.

Put 1 tablespoon in a glass jar, add the boiling water, cover, and steep for 10 minutes.

Strain.

This tea also helps with digestion and relaxation of mother and baby. For another beneficial and flavorful option, consider trying all-natural dried hibiscus flowers tea. Known for its potential digestive benefits and calming properties, it could provide a soothing alternative for both mother and baby.

Have you tried this or something similar? Let me know here!

15 Comments

Natural Recipes – Breast Milk Enhancement Tea

  1. I think when baby hits the first growth spurt a lot of new mamas think their milk is drying up. It’s a shame pediatricians don’t make sure they (and their patient’s mamas) are well informed.

    I make a tea by steeping and straining fenugreek seeds, very affordable from my healthfood store. ($2US will buy a month’s supply) it tastes a bit like maple syrup and works like a charm for me.
    I found the recommendation on kellymom.com one of my all time favorite breastfeeding resources.

    Hugs,
    Steph

    1. @Steph (@psmom), Thanks Steph for that feedback! Much appreciated 🙂 I totally agree about pediatricians and doctors though – I sometimes wonder if it’s a ploy to make sure they don’t run out of patients in the future!

  2. I was actually hoping this would be a recipe that uses breast milk :-/ I have leftover pumped milk in the deep freeze and it just feels so wrong to toss it. But it’s past the point of donating it officially and I was only able to connect with one recipient who took what I had before I made more.
    .-= Christa´s last blog ..They Learn Even When We Dont Teach =-.

  3. In Germany, you can actually buy teabags of “breastfeeding tea” that contain pretty much what you listed up there, they provide it in the hospital, and then it’s readily available at Boots type shops everywhere…. didn’t realise you couldn’t get it in the UK, here it’s the most normal thing in the world, I don’t know a breastfeeding mum who didn’t drink it.
    .-= Kathie Dapbim´s last blog ..I’ve got nothing… =-.

    1. @Kathie Dapbim, That’s totally amazing! I wonder how Germany’s breastfeeding rates relate to those in the UK? It astounds me how many people here quit feeding at six weeks. In fact, when I went for an 8 week check up, the doctor asked how I was feeding Kyra and upon replying that I was still breastfeeding she replied. “Still? Gosh! That’s great!” I was surprised!

      Thanks for sharing this with me. It’s interesting to note the difference, and if there was such a tea here, I’ve certainly never heard of it!

      1. @Luschka, UK rates were as follows according to a study from 2005:
        Overall, only 35 per cent of UK babies are being exclusively breastfed at one week, 21 per cent at six weeks, 7 per cent at four months and 3 per cent at five months. (http://www.babyfriendly.org.uk/page.asp?page=21)

        I’m having difficulty finding data for Germany as a whole, but a couple of studies I’ve read suggested that a much higher number of babies in Germany are breastfed at birth (up to 90%!)
        .-= Kathie Dapbim´s last blog ..I’ve got nothing… =-.

      2. @Luschka, In America we aren’t as good at having available herbs to make our own concoctions, but Traditional Medicinals makes a prepared tea called Mother’s Milk. I find it works just wonderfully. I’m also a fan of Fenugreek and Brewer’s Yeast for true cases of “dried up milk”.
        Enjoying your blog. 😀

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