Confinement Food and Recipes to Improve Your Lactation

Breastfeeding is never an easy job for moms. Your baby may refuse to latch, refuse to be fed, or even be too fussy to be fed. You may even face the issue of producing a low milk supply and are unsure of what to do. Here’s one thing we know how to help you with all of those; tweak your confinement diet!

However, we would never put you in a position where you would have to go out of your way just to obtain food. So, here is how you can improve your lactation process with just simply adding these foods in your list of confinement food recipes! 

With every confinement food on the list, you will also find the recipe. Fret not, we wouldn’t make it too difficult for you! In fact, these might be the easiest versions of each recipe you will ever find on the internet. Good luck!

Green Papaya

Papayas are known to have a lactogenic effect which will assist mothers to increase their milk supply after consumption. Green papayas are even more lactogenic, it will be able to increase the production of oxytocin, which is the hormone regulates the milk production of mothers who are nursing. Now onto the recipe! We apologise for starting off with salad, but we promise this one would be delicious! 

Green Papaya Salad

Ingredients:

• Green papaya, shredded
• 1 carrot, sliced or shredded
• 1 cucumber, sliced or shredded
• Mint leaves, chopped
• 4 tbsp of sunflower seeds (or other seed of your choice)

For dressing:

(⅓) cup rice vinegar

3 tbsp of maple syrup or brown sugar

1 tbsp of soy sauce

1 tbsp of salt

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 or 2 chilli peppers, sliced

Recipe: 

1. Mix all of the dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. In a larger bowl, mix the green papaya, carrot, cucumber, mint leaves, and sunflower seeds.
3. Pour in the dressing and mix evenly so the dressing will coat everything.

Credit: Healthy Nibbles

Garlic

Garlic is believed to be galactagogue and been encouraged to consume by mothers who are looking to breastfeeding. It had been used as a herbal treatment to increase the milk supply of mothers in lactation. The baby had been observed to stay at the breast longer and lead to an increase in the milk supply of mothers.

You can add in garlic in pretty much any meals you are having, but in case you truly like the raw taste of garlic, here’s one recipe we believe you would really love. Plus, as we have mentioned above, this would possibly the easiest recipe you will find for each food, so here goes!

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

• Garlic
• Olive oil
• Seasonings like salt and pepper

Recipe:  

1. Peel the outermost layers of the garlic, leaving only the skin closest to the cloves
2. While still intact, chop off the tops of the garlic heads. 
3. At the opening, drizzle a bit of olive oil and rub in evenly. Sprinkle your seasoning(s) of choice
4. Wrap each garlic with tin foil and bake at around 200°C for approximately half an hour, depending on how soft you would like your garlic to be.
5. To eat, carefully use a fork to remove the skin and take out the garlic.

Credit: Simply Recipes

Carrots

Did you know carrots were initially grown as medicine? Yes, back then they were used for ailments first before being the tasty food that they are known as today. That should tell you enough about the extensive health benefits they could give you. In fact, perhaps due to its other more famous extensive benefits (like improving your vision), carrots do not really have a reputation for being milk-boosters — but they are!

This unlikely vegetable (or if you want to consider it a fruit, you do you) is, in fact, a galactagogue that can promote and stimulate milk production. Carrots are also an excellent source of vitamin A which can improve your immune function and at the same time increase the vitamin A content in your breast milk.

Glazed Carrot

Ingredients:

Carrots

Seasonings like salt and black pepper powder

2 tbsp of unsalted butter 

1 tbsp of lemon juice (optional)

2 tbsp of pure maple syrup

A bit of lemon zest (optional)

1 tsp of minced parsley (optional)

Recipe:

1. Peel the carrots and cut them into bite-sized slicers or fingers
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt
3. Throw in the carrot pieces into the pot and cook until they are tender, but not too soft
4. Once done, drain the carrot pieces and set them aside
5. Heat a pan of butter, lemon juice, and pure maple syrup to make the sauce
6. Once the sauce starts to bubble, add the carrot pieces
7. Stir until all the carrots are evenly glazed, for approximately 5 minutes
8. Season the carrots with salt and black pepper and continue stirring for a bit more
9. Serve with lemon zest and parsley. Enjoy!

Credit: Jessica Gavin

Oats

We know you’re not surprised to see the nutritious oats here! This tasty, versatile food is a cure for many conditions like indigestion and high cholesterol levels. Some moms are more susceptible to experiencing postpartum constipation, so taking care of it early after the childbirth is wise. Oats are also rich in antioxidants with anti-inflammatory benefits that could help to hasten your postpartum recovery. 

The best part is if you wish to embark on a weight loss journey (when your body is ready to), oats can still remain in your daily meals! It promotes weight loss and aids in controlling your sugar intake. Not to mention, there are hundreds of different ways to prepare a meal with oats, so you won’t run out of ways to prepare your oatmeal! What’s not to love about them?

Oatmeal recipe

Ingredients:

Half cup of rolled oats

1 cup of water/milk (your preference)

Sea salt

Toppings of choice (banana, sugar-free whipped cream, homemade chocolate sprinkles, etc.)

Recipe:

1. In a pot, add in oats and milk/water over medium heat.
2. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Let it cook for about 5 to 7 minutes while occasionally stirring.
3. You may serve when the oatmeal is at the texture and consistency that you like. 
4. Additional step: Add your topping of choice!

Credit: Eating Bird Food

Salmon

Salmon well-know as loaded with DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), which essential to the development of your baby’s nervous system. Having salmon while you are breastfeeding will increase the level of DHA in the milk supply and improve the behaviour, attention and learning of baby. DHA in salmon also helps with mother’s mood after deliver and prevent postnatal depression. Salmon also contains EFA (Essential Fatty acids), sometimes called Vitamin F. EFAs help to produce hormones and ensure normal growth and development to accomplish the development of the baby and restore mothers from pregnancy.

Honey Garlic Salmon

Ingredients:

Salmon fillet

1 tsp of paprika

2 tbsp of butter

4 cloves of garlic

4 tbsp of honey

2 tbsp of soy sauce

1 tbsp of squeezed lemon juice

Seasonings like salt and pepper

Recipe: 

1. Preheat your oven on medium heat.
2. Season your salmon and set aside.
3. Heat butter in a pan over medium to high heat, and add in garlic and saute until fragrant.
4. Pour in honey, 1 tablespoon of water, and soy sauce. 
5. Stir and let them mix evenly and add in lemon juice. Continue to mix. 
6. Add in the salmon into the sauce and cook each side for about 3 to 4 minutes. Season if desired and baste the salmon occasionally.
7. Transfer to your oven to broil or grill and leave it for approximately 5 minutes.
8. You may stop when you see the skin is nicely charred or the salmon is cooked to your liking.

Credit: Cafe Delites

Sweet Potato

Adding this simply because we can’t have enough tasty milk-boosters! Sweet potato is rich in beta carotene and fibre and beta carotene is known to boost the milk supply. Magnesium in sweet potato also helps in breast muscle relax for mothers and assist lactation.

Roasted sweet potato

Ingredients:

Sweet potato

Butter

Seasonings like salt and pepper

Chives

Sour cream

Parmesan cheese (totally optional!)

Recipe:

1. Pierce whole sweet potatoes at different spots a few times.
2. Place it in the microwave on medium-high heat and depending on the size of your potato, you may need longer. A medium to big size would require more than 7 minutes. Turn your potatoes every 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Once the potatoes are cooked, cut them into halves. Carefully cut them into smaller squares, without completely cutting all the way through (think mango cubes that are still stuck to the skin).
4. Place thin butter slices between some of the squares. Season and sprinkle some parmesan as well.
5. Broil them over medium heat for about 10 minutes, depending how crispy or soft you like your sweet potatoes.
6. Top your potatoes with chives, a bit more of Parmesan cheese, and sour cream. Best serve when hot!

Credit: Layers of Happiness

Breastfeeding your baby is not the only method of feeding them, but many moms still wish to provide them with nature’s best food. We hope our tips for boosting your lactation will help you and other moms in need to create an incredible lactation journey. All in all, we are always more than happy to be able to help many moms through our breastfeeding-friendly confinement meals. Do go through our full menu to see what other milk-boosting foods are in it for you!