As a breastfeeding mom, you may be having some problems in maintaining milk supply to suffice your child’s hunger.
Many of us try different tips, products and remedy to maintain and boost the milk supply throughout the lactation period.
You have probably heard a lot about lactation cookies in this regard. Some of us have been using it too.
Nevertheless, you never know how much quantity of these magical sounding cookies is good enough for you.
Will using it can affect your baby in any way?
Here we will provide you with all the authentic information regarding the use of lactation cookies.
Table of Contents
Lactation Cookies
Lactation cookies are made of the dough having ingredients categorized as a galactagogue. These ingredients aim to increase the milk supply by aiding the natural system.
These include
- Fenugreek seed
- Wheat germ
- Ground flax seeds
- Oats
- Brewer’s yeast etc.
You should be aware that not every galactagogue might work for all. In some conditions, they may have some side effects. You should also be careful when using these lactation-enhancing elements with some medication. It is because they may have some serious delirious interactions. Lactation cookies are available in the market as ready to make, ready to use, or you can also prepare these delicious cookies at home.
How Many Lactation Cookies Should I Eat In A Day?
Different manufacturing companies and dieticians suggest the different amount of lactation cookies be used in a day by a lactating mother.
According to my insight and extensive experience, I strongly recommend starting from half a cookie a day. It is to ensure that the ingredients in the cookies may not produce side effects due to being novel additions to the body.
For example, brewer’s yeast seems to cause diarrhoea and flatulence in individuals who do not use it often.
However, the more the milk is ejected, the more the body produces it.
Maximum Number Of Lactation Cookies You Can Eat In The Day:
It all depends on your endurance.
The maximum number of lactation cookies can vary from 2-6 a day.
Moreover, I advise you to start with half a cookie a day and then shift to one lactation cookie per day.
Look into any side effects or changes you feel.
Then you can increase the amount according to your needs up to 3 cookies per day.
You can also take more if your body is showing better compatibility with the ingredients included in lactation cookies.
What Made Lactation Cookies Have Such An Appealing Name?
A better combination of galactagogue is used to make the delicious cookie dough. The dough is all-natural and has a handful of chocolate chips to make it more appealing.
All the ingredients in the cookies are FDA approved are safe for lactating mothers.
Lactation cookies are safe to use in children and provide some extra nutrition and nourishment.
What Are The Side Effects Of Lactation Cookies?
Lactating mothers use lactation cookies widely. A good number of moms reported some case-specific side effects. These are given as
- Diarrhoea
- Constipation
- Flatulence
- Weight gain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Cramps
- Headache
- Signs of Hypersensitivity
The ingredients used in lactation cookies are:
- Rolled Oats
- Ground Flax Seeds
- Brewer’s Yeast
- Wheat Germ
These ingredients are chosen in making lactation cookies due to their super nutritive value.
Causes Of Side Effects:
Excessive Use:
The excessive use of lactation use can lead to two or more above mentioned side effects. People using in moderate to less quantity seldom reported any side effect. So, ensure to use the cookies with moderation though seems super delicious.
Ingredients Sensitivity:
Some moms have some ingredients hypersensitivity. Therefore, they show symptoms of food allergy like hives, swelling of lips, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, dizziness etc.
Never forget to look into ingredients before purchasing a product.
Moreover, it is a commonly known fact that
THE INGREDIENTS SHOWING SKIN SENSITIVITY TO YOU WILL ALSO SHOW FOOD HYPERSENSITIVITY
For Example:
If you are allergic to fenugreek seed mask, you will be allergic to foods having fenugreek in them as an ingredient.
Novel Ingredients:
When the body is introduced to some new ingredients in excessive amount, it shows some reaction to it. Moreover, for some individuals, there is less compatibility with some ingredients and less with the other.
That is the main reason we advise you to start with half a cookie a day.
Brewer's Yeast:
Many people are incompatible with brewer’s yeast when used in excess. The recommended daily dose of brewer’ yeast is 1-2 tablespoon a day.
Exceeding this limit usually cause gas problems, diarrhoea, and headache in some people.
Watch out for these symptoms and stop the use of lactation cookies when you observe any of these side effects.
Therefore, we recommend the use of homemade lactation cookies so you can adjust the amount of brewer’s yeast and other ingredients.
Start with half a tablespoon and then increase if your body is showing compatibility to it.
Is Lactation Cookies Worth Your Investment | Does Lactation Cookie Work?
When you are facing some difficulties in having not enough breast milk, it can lead to constant worry.
You must be trying different things to make up your milk supply to suffice the hunger of your growing child.
Paediatrician Choice:
According to paediatrics, 92% of the mothers seem to have difficulty in having enough breast milk and complain about less breast milk supply.
Many paediatricians suggest the use of lactation cookies to increase breast milk supply. However, they also warn the use of excessive dose to avoid side effects.
Lactation Cookies Over Single Calactogogue:
The decrease in breast milk can be due to any problem. Therefore, the use of single galactagogue may not be very effective.
However, a shift to lactation cookies proved super beneficial.
Many moms report that the use of fenugreek, oats, or another well-known galactagogue alone did not prove very useful for them.
It makes sense in a way some ingredients may be effective for one and ineffective for others. Moreover, we never have a well-documented effect of these ingredients as milk enhancers. Therefore, using a combination works well in most of the cases.
Magical Cookies:
Lactation cookies have some magical effect in increasing the breast milk supply. The basic galactagogue present in lactation cookies tends to increase your milk supply naturally. These are quite safe to use.
While using lactation, cookies ensure to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Different exercises and a morning walk is always a better choice to maintain your health and boost your natural processes.
You have to ensure good mental health.
Stay happy and hydrated.
Lactation Cookies Ingredients And Their Benefits:
The most commonly used ingredients in lactation cookies are as under:
- Oats
- Fenugreek
- Brewer’s Yeast
- Flax Seeds
- Wheat Germ
Oats:
The high concentration of saponins in the oats boosts immune system along with increasing lactating hormone prolactin. They are full of nutrition having principle protein, vitamins, and minerals. All of them are essential for a healthy diet and life
Fenugreek:
Fenugreek is believed to increase milk production in two to three days. It is thought that women should not use it in extra amount and discontinue as milk production is increased to a required amount.
Brewer's Yeast:
Brewer’s yeast is considered as a safe galactogougue for nursing mothers. It has some undeniable benefits in increasing milk supply.
Flax Seeds:
Due to its estrogenic properties, flax seeds are considered to have great health benefits for lactating mothers. It increases milk production significantly within days.
Wheat Germ:
Wheat germ significantly promotes the milk supply. It also relieves fatigue and proves to be a nutritious and healthy diet element in lactating mothers.
Homemade Lactation Cookies Recipes
Homemade lactation cookies prove benefit over ready to use cookies. It is in a sense that you can adjust the ingredients according to your choice. Moreover, you can also add some other ingredients to provide some extra benefit and flavour.
Let us learn some easy and economical homemade lactation cookie recipes.
Spare some time for you. Make some cookies and enjoy.
Recipe#1: No-Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies:
It is a simple easy to make a no-bake delicious recipe.
Ingredients:
It includes six simple readily available ingredients. These are given as
- Two cups rolled oatmeal
- ¾ cups flax seeds
- 1 cup of chocolate chips
- 1 cup of peanut butter
- 2/3 cup of honey
- 2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
Procedure:
- Weigh accurately all the ingredients.
- Take a large clean bowel and add rolled oats and flaxseeds into it.
- Mix well the above ingredients
- Now in a separate bowl add honey and peanut butter. Mix well with a fork, beater, or a spoon.
- Add a little amount of vanilla essence to enhance the flavour.
- Mix the ingredients in both bowls.
- Add the mixture of honey, peanut butter, and vanilla in the other bowel having oatmeal and flax seeds.
- Mix all the components in the well-formed dough to ensure best cookies.
- Now spread it into a one-inch sheet.
- Cut small cookies with the help of cookie cutter.
- You may also roll into your hands and make small balls.
- Place the homemade no-bake lactation cookies on a baking sheet.
- Let them rest in the fridge for two to three hours to set the dough.
- Store in an airtight container to ensure freshness.
- Enjoy!
Precautions:
- Skip peanut butter if you have a peanut allergy.
- If you are allergic to dairy products, opt for non-dairy chocolate chips.
- Use within three months from the date of manufacture.
- Always store in an airtight container.
- Do not consume too much.
Recipe#2: Fancy Delicious Egg Lactation Cookies:
Another delicious recipe of lactation cookies is mentioned below. It is full of nutrition and well knew to have maximum effects in increasing breast milk supply.
Ingredients:
- Three cups of rolled oats
- 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon of ground flax seed
- 5 cups of sugar
- 5 tablespoons of brewer’s yeast
- 5 teaspoon of baking powder
- 5 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
- 5 teaspoon of salt
- 12 tablespoon of butter (unsalted)
- 4 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil
- 1-2 tablespoon almond/peanut butter
- 2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 5 cups of chocolate chips/ dark chocolate chunks
- Dry fruits (coconut powder, almond flakes, pistachio etc.)
Procedure:
- Weigh all the ingredients.
- Ass rolled oats, all-purpose flour, yeast, powdered flaxseeds, cinnamon powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Mix these ingredients well to make them homogenous.
- Now, mix unsalted butter, almond/peanut butter, and coconut oil with the help of a fork, hand beater, or electric beater.
- Add powdered sugar in this creamy mixture and beat for 5-8 minutes or until fluffy
- Scrape down the sides and beat again.
- Now, add eggs and beat well
- Now, its turn for vanilla extract. Add in the above mixture and mix until dissolved well.
- Add in dry ingredients slowly with continuous mixing.
- In the end, add dry fruits and chocolate chips and mix to distribute them evenly in the whole dough.
- Now, preheat the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spread the dough in one-inch thick sheet and cut with cookie cutter
- You may also scoop the dough and roll it into one inch thick cookies
- Place the cookies in the baking tray.
- Ensure the use of butter paper.
- Bake for 10 to 14 minutes until the cookies are well cooked and the crust turns golden brown.
- Let it cool.
- Store in an airtight container.
- Enjoy!
Pro Tips:
- Freeze the cookie dough by placing them on butter paper separately for two hours. In this way, you can preserve for up to 6 months. Please mind using the same baking time and temperature. They do not need any extra heat.
- If you feel cookies are a bit drier, add more coconut oil.
- Look if you are allergic to any element used inside. You can easily skip that ingredient without much nutrition loss.
- If you are thinking, the cookies are a bit dry and grittier; you can cut the flour to 0.5 cups. Do not worry the result will be the same.
- If you are more diet conscious and do not like sugar, you can also cut it to half.
- You can also use vegan butter instead of eggs to have eggless cookies.
- You can also cut the amount of brewer’s yeast from 5 tablespoons to 1-2 tablespoon. I strongly recommend using less amount of brewer’s yeast if you are using it for the first time and not sure if it works well for you.
Lactation Cookies Available On Amazon
Cocoa Quinoa 6oz Bag Booby Boons Lactation Cookies are made of galactagogue that is known to enhance milk production. The product does not contain fenugreek, wheat, corn, and soy.
Pros & Cons
- Increase breast milk production
- Best for moms having sensitivity to fenugreek, wheat, soy, or corn
- Have full nutritious of oats, brewer’s yeast, and flax seeds
- Different Flavours
- Do not has a very good flavour
- Not the best option for all women
You can Buy It On Amazon for $9.89.
The whole box includes 10 bags of Milkmakers Lactation Cookie Bites. These include highly nutritious cookies made up of oats, brewer’s yeast and flax seeds.
Pros & Cons
- Highly nutritious and effective
- Best for moms having sensitivity to fenugreek, wheat, soy, or corn
- No preservatives
- Amazon Best Seller
- Expensive
- Too sweet for some ladies
You can Buy It On Amazon for $18.83.
These are delicious and soft cookies best known for its nutritious value and increasing milk supply in nursing mothers. It has brewer’s yeast, rolled oats, and flax seeds as its major component.
Pros & Cons
- Highly nutritious
- Increase breast milk in 2-3 days in nursing mothers.
- Best for moms having sensitivity to fenugreek, wheat, soy, or corn.
- No preservatives.
- Best for those who do not like crunchy cookies.
- Expensive
- Do not work well for some ladies
You can Buy It On Amazon for $24.99.
These lactation cookies are made eggless and gluten-free. These are a great option for women not liking eggs. The cookies are super effective and are loved by the child.
Pros & Cons
- Super effective
- Best for moms having sensitivity to fenugreek, wheat, soy, or corn
- No preservatives
- Eggless
- Expensive
- Do not work well for some ladies
You can Buy It On Amazon for $27.99.
Key TakeAways
- Lactation cookies contain element galactagogue that is known to enhance milk production.
- The galactagogue used in lactation cookies are oats, wheat germ, flax seeds, and brewer’s yeast.
- You can take from 3-5 cookies a day or as many as providing required results. However, too much use of anything is harmful, the same goes for lactation cookies.
- Always start with half a cookie then you can increase if no side effects are observed.
- Side effects like diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, nausea etc. are due to body reaction to novel components or food hypersensitivities.
- It is always a better option to make lactation cookies at home.
- Homemade cookies are best because you can adjust material according to your needs, and they are more pocket friendly.
- It is said that eating no bake cookies have more health benefits than the other baked cookies.
- You can also buy ready to use lactation cookies from Amazon, but most of them are expensive.
