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How Mental Health is Affected by Eating Foods and Herbs That Enhance Breast Milk Supply
- Elise (Ziemendorf) Shearer, RN
- Jul 2
- 6 min read
Have you ever been told that eating watermelon will improve your milk supply? Or that you should drink “milk tea” with fenugreek to have enough breast milk for your baby? There are many people with advice on breast milk supply.
There is often a change for moms when they intentionally change their diet to improve their milk supply. A mental health change. Some moms’ mental health improved, while other moms faced mental health challenges.
Breastfeeding diet
There are many ways to approach a breastfeeding diet. Some experienced mothers and grandmothers will say a specific food or herb made a big difference for their breast milk supply. Others will tell stories of people who changed what they ate and then had more breast milk. So, what are important diet considerations when breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding mothers need to eat more calories. According to the CDC,
breastfeeding mothers need an average of 340-400 more kilocalories per day.
Moms who breastfeed need to eat enough food to support two people - you and your baby.
It is important that moms eat a well-balanced diet. Breast milk can have different nutrient amounts based on what you eat. The amount of protein and carbohydrates in breast milk is typically unchanged by diet. Many vitamins and micronutrients can change based on what mom eats.2 Breastfeeding diets should include a variety of vegetables, proteins, grains, fruits, healthy oils,4 and plenty of water.
Mental health is often affected by diet changes for breastfeeding mothers. Feelings that moms reported during or after making diet changes for their milk supply are:
Confidence
A sense of control
Stress
Pressure
Fears
Guilt
Your breastfeeding diet should have more calories and a variety of nutrients. Changes to your diet should benefit your mental health, not hurt it.
What should I know before trying a new food or herb?
Many women will state that a certain food or herbal supplement increased
their milk supply. But there are a few important factors to consider before you try a new food or herb.
Are these foods or herbs safe?
Foods and herbs are often considered “natural.” Let’s think for a moment about grapes. Grapes can be turned into wine. One glass of red wine might have some health benefits for your heart. But five glasses of wine could cause you to end your evening sitting next to the toilet. And any amount of wine is potentially damaging to a pregnant mother’s growing baby. But grapes are usually considered “natural.” Just because it is ‘natural’ doesn’t guarantee it is safe for breastfeeding and your baby.
When you consider adding a new type of food or herb, it’s important to know if it is safe. You also must consider two people. Is it safe for you? And is it safe for your baby? Ask your doctor before you make diet changes, even if you’re adding a food that seems ‘natural.’
Low milk supply
What is low milk supply? Unless you’re exclusively pumping, breast milk supply is difficult to measure.
Some moms see their baby crying more after breastfeeding and think they must not have enough milk.5 Did you eat anything spicy recently? Some spices can give babies a tummy ache and make them fussy. Sometimes, a baby will cry after a feeding for other reasons than breastfeeding.
When a mom believes she doesn’t have enough breast milk, she is more likely to start formula feeding. While formula has benefits in some cases, not every baby needs formula. Once a baby has started drinking formula, moms are more likely to run out of breast milk and stop breastfeeding.5
It is important to know if you have low milk supply, or if your baby is dealing with a different challenge. See your midwife, doctor, or a lactation specialist for help determining if you have low milk supply.
Mental health benefits
Choosing to make diet changes to improve breast milk supply often leads to mental health benefits. This is true even if your breast milk supply is unchanged by the food or herbs.
Confidence
Choices can be powerful. Sometimes, the power comes from the mental shift to make a change more than the change’s results. This is often true for increasing
breast milk supply.
Having a baby and being a breastfeeding mom is full of lifestyle changes. Some moms have trouble recognizing themselves. Choosing a food or herb to add into your daily diet can help moms feel empowered. Making this choice and following through can build moms’ confidence.
Confidence is one mental health benefit that may increase how long a mom continues to breastfeed, even if her milk supply stays the same.3
Control
Many moms feel they have lost control when they have a new baby. The new baby often determines when you have time to eat, sleep, and take a shower. Regaining control, no matter how small, is important. Adding a food or herb into your diet might be the opportunity for control that a new mom needs.
Small changes can have big impacts. One change in the kind of tea you drink or snack you eat could give new moms back the feeling of being in control again. Control and confidence work together. As those positive feelings return, you may start to feel better about breastfeeding. The more positive the experience is for mom, the more likely breastfeeding will continue.
Both confidence and a sense of control are possible mental health benefits of diet changes to improve milk supply. Even if your milk supply stays the same, you may end up breastfeeding your baby longer.
Mental health challenges
Sometimes, prioritizing food or herbs to increase breast milk supply can lead to mental health challenges. For some moms, consistent diet changes become stressful. The pressure to be consistent or pressure from loved ones can be overwhelming. And the guilt for (common) forgetfulness or continued low milk supply can be devastating.
Is your decision influenced by peer pressure?
Loved ones may try to be helpful by offering advice. But sometimes, the advice
turns into pressure. Some moms have loved ones who may say that they have low milk supply. These moms can feel pressured to make diet changes to increase milk supply.
Pressure from others can decrease a mom’s confidence in her feelings and decisions.5 It can also create an idea that something is wrong, even if nothing is wrong, with your milk supply. Moms, trust yourself and your decisions.
More stress than success
Alongside peer pressure comes fear of failing, or feeling like you failed. Some moms also are afraid that if they don’t have enough milk, their baby will be seen as neglected.5 Fear can put a lot of pressure on moms. These fears could turn into determined mothers who would do anything to have enough breast milk. Desperation often brings anxiety and stress, too.
Making diet changes to improve breast milk supply can lead to a lot of
stress.3 There are many options and different recommendations to choose from. There is also the challenge of remembering every day. For some moms, a diet change can turn into more stress than success.
The mom-guilt monster
Guilt can creep into a mom’s mental state. A recurring concern about your milk supply can turn into feeling guilty, thinking your baby is not getting enough from you.
Sometimes, the mom-guilt monster pops up out of nowhere. It might be the time you’re awake for a midnight feeding and realize you forgot to drink your milk tea that morning.
Guilt can go hand in hand with peer pressure, fears about failing, and stress. These feelings challenge mom’s ability to think clearly about her own choices about diet and breastfeeding.5
What’s best for you is best for your baby
Moms have many choices when it comes to breastfeeding and milk supply. When a mom decides to take a food or herb to try to increase her supply, there are even more choices. For some moms, those choices are empowering and build confidence. Other times, moms feel stress, pressure, and guilt instead. Since mental health affects breastfeeding success, you should choose what’s best for you. Because what’s best for you will be best for your baby, too.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, February 9). Maternal diet and breastfeeding. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/hcp/diet-micronutrients/maternal-diet.html
2. Karcz, K., Lehman, I., & Królak-Olejnik, B. (2021). The link between knowledge of the maternal diet and breastfeeding practices in mothers and health workers in Poland. International Breastfeeding Journal, 16(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-021-00406-z
3. Sim, T., Hattingh, H., Sherriff, J., & Tee, L. (2015). The use, perceived effectiveness and safety of herbal galactagogues during breastfeeding: A qualitative study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 12(9), 11050–11071. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph120911050
4. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020.
5. Zizzo, G., Amir, L. H., Moore, V., Grzeskowiak, L. E., & Rumbold, A. R. (2021). The risk-risk trade-offs: Understanding factors that influence women’s decision to use substances to boost breast milk supply. PLOS ONE, 16(5). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0249599
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