Here’s What Actually Supports Milk Supply (Spoiler Alert: It’s Not Lactation Cookies)

There is a large, growing, and competitive market for lactation cookies, bars, teas, and smoothies. Just recently, the lactation product market to support breast milk production was valued around $570 million.

The products are designed to be consumed after giving birth, when experiencing a drop in milk supply, and before returning to work or other periods of separation — and manufacturers claim they’ll optimize your milk supply by boosting production and maintaining supply. There are even options to supplement your daily diet, in case a new mother isn’t meeting her caloric needs through food alone.

But do you really need to worry about establishing, boosting, and maintaining your milk supply? And are lactation cookies, bars, and smoothies actually the best way to do it?

What are lactation cookies?

Lactation cookies are cookies made with ingredients — specifically galactagogues — that are believed to help establish, increase, and maintain milk supply in breastfeeding mothers. “Healthcare providers use the word galactagogues to refer to substances that women use to keep or increase their milk supply,” explained The Cleveland Clinic. Foods containing galactagogues include oats, flaxseed, brewer’s yeast, almonds, and fennel. While they’re found in lactation cookies and supplements, they’re also in the foods we eat every day.

Do you really need to worry about boosting your milk supply?

During and after pregnancy, various hormones in your body are functioning in different ways to support you and your baby. During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone levels rise for a lot of different reasons — one of those reasons being to cause your milk ducts to grow in number and size. Immediately after you deliver your baby and placenta, estrogen and progesterone levels drop rather suddenly and cause the hormone prolactin to take over.

Prolactin is the hormone that produces milk, and once it’s released, milk production increases dramatically. Women often refer to this as their milk “coming in.” Although prolactin is produced in small quantities throughout the entire pregnancy, it is suppressed by high levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy, which is why women do not begin lactating until after the baby is born, when estrogen and progesterone levels drop.

After a woman’s milk has “come in,” the more milk that’s removed, the more milk the body makes to replace it. Frequent feeding or pumping will cause your body to make more milk.

Sounds simple, right? So should you really be worried about boosting your milk supply?

What affects milk supply?

Although it sounds simple enough, there are plenty of factors that can lead to reduced milk supply. In order for breastfeeding to work, many different hormones — including the ones we just discussed — need to be in harmony. They all work together to establish, increase, and maintain milk supply.

And while it’d be nice to believe that women’s bodies function perfectly following pregnancy and childbirth, oftentimes hormonal imbalances, certain medical conditions, and even undernourishment can lead to low milk supply.

• Hormones that affect milk supply: Prolactin, oxytocin, estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol. The most notable hormone here being cortisol, which is a stress hormone. Many women experience some degree of stress postpartum, which causes cortisol levels to spike. High cortisol can interfere with the release of other hormones, like oxytocin, hindering milk flow.

• Medical conditions that affect milk supply: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), thyroid disorders, diabetes, insufficient glandular tissue (IGT), anemia, and high blood pressure. The most notable condition here being PCOS, which can disrupt hormone levels.

• Undernourishment and milk supply: Production of milk burns a lot of calories (close to 500 each day!) each day. Women who are breastfeeding have increased caloric requirements to maintain milk production and to keep their bodies healthy and nourished. In addition to consuming a diverse, balanced diet postpartum, women should be including an additional 350-450 calories each day in their diets to support increased needs. Undernourishment can further exacerbate high cortisol levels, leading to greater stress and decreased milk production.

So, what’s the deal? Is there a downside to using lactation cookies?

In short, lactation cookies usually won’t address the root cause of low milk supply. While they may be a tasty tool in helping women reach their caloric goals each day, they are not a replacement for a healthful, varied diet, and they are definitely not going to fix any hormonal imbalances.

Aside from the extra cost, there’s little downside to consuming lactation cookies. As long as you’re otherwise working to address the root cause of low milk supply, the sweet taste of lactation products is yours to enjoy if you wish. However, there is no evidence to support that these products directly impact milk supply.

Speaking with a registered dietitian or doctor is what I recommend for milk supply concerns. Balancing your hormones, getting any medical conditions under control, and/or learning how to nourish your body properly require guidance and support from an expert — unfortunately, a cookie won’t be able to help you there.