After the birth of our newest boy, I falsely made the assumption that my milk would come in sooner then it did with my first. I mean, it hadn't been that long since I was still breastfeeding Zach, and my body had already done the process once before. Surely it would come soon? I was wrong.
I was desperate to get things moving this time. Elijah is so much smaller then his big brother was. I was in a huge hurry because with each passing day, I looked at a tiny tiny little newborn (5lbs, 12 oz at one point) worried that he wasn't gaining enough weight. I became desperate. I drank half a beer (I got a bit tipsy from just half the beer- proof that it's been awhile) because rumor has it that yeast speeds things up. I nursed, and nursed, and nursed, and, oh yeah... did I mention I nursed? Nothing was working. So I began researching online to see what else I could possibly do to get this poor boy milk. Eventually I stumbled upon something that caught my eye... lactation cookies.
No these cookies are not made with breastmilk. And no, they aren't shaped like boobs. Instead they are made with ingredients that have been shown to increase milk production in lactating mothers. Just what are these wild ingredients? Believe it or not, they were all things I happened to have in my pantry.... oats, yeast, and flax. Not to mention the recipe called for chocolate chips. How could I go wrong? It wouldn't hurt to try right? I ended up finding a LOT of recipes but eventually settled on one that looked super easy and was healthier then the rest. I was shocked at how easy and wonderful they were. They came out perfect. Cooked just to perfection, moist, chocolatey, and perfect in every way. Not to mention this recipe produced a TON! I counted at least 50 cookies. So many that I shared them with the other friends up here who are breastfeeding their little ones. And before you ask, yes, these cookies are perfectly safe for anyone. They won't suddenly make my 1 year old son start lactating. They just happen to contain ingredients that will help support breastfeeding.
And so the results... they worked! The next morning, Elijah was eating and gaining weight! Since, he has started to gain some weight in his cheeks and is developing perfectly. I can't say for sure if the cookies helped me produce milk, but hey you can't go wrong with chocolate chip cookies can you?
Lactation cookies
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 c. peanut butter (I used almond butter)
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. ground flax seed
3 T brewer’s yeast (I used regular active dry yeast)
1/3 c. water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 c. (12oz) chocolate chips (I recommend organic or chips made with non-GMO soy lethicin.)
1 c. chopped nuts of your choice (I skipped the nuts)
Directions:
Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.
Gradually beat in flour mixture. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips. Slowly mix in oats.
Place Tbsp.-sized balls of dough onto greased cookie sheets.
Press down each ball lightly with a fork.
Bake 12 minutes at 350F.
Allow to cool.
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