Hi there! Happy Wednesday!
As promised, today I am going to be sharing an exmaple of what I eat on an average day. On my post Logan Sullivan is 3 Months Old!! Baby and Body Update! I was plesantly surprised by messages and comments asking me for more information on what I do to increase my milk supply so that I can pump and store lots of breastmilk. So, I have added down below what I take to increase and maintain a good milk supply. If you have any questions please *comment* and I will be more than happy to help in any way I can : ) Messages or asking on social media is totally fine, but commenting is preferred because it’s benefital when reaching out to companie for giveaways for things that interest you guys!! ; )
*Note: I in NO WAY eat perfectly and I definitely “cheat” except I don’t consider it cheating because I just try to eat well overall and eat lots of protein, but I don’t deprive myself : )
WHAT I EAT IN A DAY IN PICTURES/VIDEO:
Here is my YouTube video showing an example of what I eat in a day:
(If you like this please click that thumbs up button & the red subscribe button!)
Here are some pictures of other meals that I eat on a typical day:
WHAT I EAT ON AN AVERAGE DAY EXPLAINED:
Coffee and Water:
I wake up at 5:30 every day (yep! Except Sunday’s when sometimes I go back to sleep) and ALWAYS drink some coffee after having a big glass of water. When I have a few extra minutes, sometimes I have lemon in my water, but quite honestly I haven’t done that in months.
Breakfast:
I usually have a protein shake every morning made by my awesome hubs, Steph. He has had them for years, but I only recently started drinking them and now I’m hooked. My shakes have: carton egg whites, protein powder, oatmeal packed (uncooked), flaxseed, brewers yeast, and water. It may sound gross, but protein power flavors can cover basically anything! The flaxseed and brewers yeast are to increase and sustain my breast milk supply.
Snack:
I usually have apples with peanut butter, almonds, trail mix, or sometimes if I need it a PB&J.
Lunch:
Chicken and rice with soy sauce. I like too much soy sauce. Because I am breastfeeding, I often eat this same meal in small portions twice/day so I have lunch and “second lunch”. I also have greens or a salad with lunch or some sort of veggie or fruit.
Snack:
I love Blue Diamond Oven Roasted Dark Chocolate Almonds and I buy the big bags. They are AMAZING! My friend gave me some in a care package more than 2 years ago, and it’s been one of my go-to snacks ever since.
Dinner:
This is where my meals vary the most, but I do have something that has some protein but also quite a lot of fat. When I cut out more fat my milk supply dropped almost overnight. I was shocked, but adding back in calories and fats helped almost immediately. We do a lot of taco nights (those torrillas pictured above are fantastic!) and at least once a week lately we have been having a Digorno pizza. The Garlic Bread Pizza to be specific. It is delicious and I joke that it’s milk magic because I always seem to pump a lot after eating it (more so high in fat than magic haha!).
Snack:
After dinner I am usually up for a long time, and I do allow myself another snack here even if it’s late at night.
Drinks:
I drink water almost exlusively! I do drink low calorie gatorade to help with milk supply. Some nights I have a glass of wine.
WHAT I TAKE TO INCREASE MILK SUPPLY:
I take 6 fenugreek and 6 blessed thistle/day. I take them 3 times a day so 2 pills at once isn’t two bad. I personally notice a much bigger difference with the Fenugreek and if you’re only going to do one I would pick it. *Note: PLEASE be careful with supplements like this, talk to your doctor or lactation consultant, and follow the directions on the bottle. Also, Milk Thistle is not the same as Blessed Thistle, and Milk Thistle is NOT good for aiding milk supply.
When I was breastfeeding my oldest I made lactation cookies every week…yummy! But now I find it easier and more skinny jean friendly to simply mix these into my protein shakes each day.
Olive Oil
My friend suggested that I take shots of olive oil when my milk supply crashed when I changed my diet too fast with Logan, and gross as it sounds it really works. It is good fats and isn’t as bad as it sounds though I did plug my nose the first few times.
Gatroade:
This works. It really works! Be careful, gatorade is quite high in calories if you’re trying to calorie count or watch your intake.
Oats/Oatmeal:
I have this every day in some form because it’s healthy and filling, but it also aids in milk supply.
OTHER OPTION:
This is very popular, and although I am not using it this time I did take this when I breastfed Hailey.
PUMPING? SCHEDULE? STORING?
If you are interested in what I do as far as a pumping schedule, pumping tools, power pumping, storing my breastmilk let me know! I can also share when or how I use the supplements and foods mentioned above in my diet, so please comment and I will happily do a part 2 of this post! I really hope this is in some way helpful to you, and if it is please share with your mommy friends!!
As always thanks so much for reading!! It really does make my day anytime someone subscribes or comments!! THANK YOU!!
: )
