In other words, we don’t really know how effective galactagogues are!ĭo herbal breastfeeding supplements actually work? We don’t really know!Īnd keep in mind that this research was most likely studying the efficacy of herbs believed or known to have medicinal properties. More high‐quality studies are needed to increase our certainty about the effects of milk boosters. Due to limited information, we are also uncertain if there are any risks to the mother or baby in taking any particular milk booster. There is limited evidence that milk‐boosting medications may increase milk volume and that natural milk boosters may improve milk volume and infants’ weight, but we are very uncertain about the supporting evidence. Studies suffer from small sample sizes, subjective measurements of success, non-standardized ways of measuring milk volume, insufficient randomization methods, and varying breastfeeding practices accompanying the use of these supplements ( source).Ī recently published Cochrane review (the gold standard for high-quality, systematic reviews of published research) recently concluded: Much of the existing research on the use of non-pharmacological galactagogues is very low quality ( source). 2) There is little evidence that they work When time is of the essence, galactagogues can be a distraction that can delay you getting the help you need. And the best lactation cookie will never effectively treat an improperly functioning thyroid. A river of Body Armor will never replace the need to nurse or pump often enough. But a mountain of oatmeal will never correct a poor latch. The good news is that, depending on your breastfeeding goals, SO MANY of these issues can be fixed or worked through. Some breasts aren’t very responsive to breast pumps, some babies have oral anomalies that make it difficult for them to properly stimulate the breasts, some breasts have been affected by surgery, some breasts don’t have a sufficient amount of milk-secreting tissue, and the list goes on! Even birth experiences can have an impact on milk supply.Ī shallow latch can actually cause low milk supply over time! It’s not unusual for this to become apparent at 2-4 months postpartum. Milk supply can even be affected by the breasts themselves. Sometimes the body doesn’t produce these hormones in the right quantities. Milk production is also influenced by hormones like prolactin, progesterone, estrogen and thyroid hormone.
Milk letdown is controlled by the hormone oxytocin, which can be inhibited by stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
Milk supply is also controlled by a proper balance of hormones that some health conditions can (but do not always) disrupt. Milk supply is controlled by milk removal, so one of the most common causes of low milk supply is not breastfeeding or pumping often enough ( this problem is made worse by the fact that our culture endorses many parenting practices that can directly harm milk supply!). In fact, low milk supply has a lot of possible causes. Lactation bites, while tasty, may not correct the true cause of low milk suppy.
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