When I had Finn I struggled with my milk supply because he was feeding so frequently. I never felt like he was getting enough and in the end I started to supplement a feed with formula just to help fill him up.
When pregnant this time around, I knew I would want to boost my milk supply to keep up with the demanding feeding schedule (and it definitely has been demanding!). I had heard about lactation cookies and wasn’t sure if they actually worked but it was definitely worth a try. There are a heap of great businesses that sell them but of course my love for baking meant I had to make my own.
I found a recipe that had really great ratings and wasn’t too complicated on food.com and they turned out great! There are two important things you need in a lactation cookie to help with milk supply, flax-seed and most importantly is brewer’s yeast which I found at a health store. I bought a large bag and it will last me a tonne of recipes. Now, brewer’s yeast has a really awful taste and it is quite hard to disguise but this recipe did it well. You do get a hint of it but not enough for it to affect the overall taste of the cookie.
Also, this is a cookie recipe so don’t expect it to be healthy! I am sure there are healthy alternatives out there but for me I felt this recipe with the addition of chocolate chunks would really help disguise the brewer’s yeast taste whilst also making them enjoyable to eat and I have been munching on them all day long! This recipe also makes a tonne of biscuits! I probably got at least 24 out of the mixture and they last for days or you could even freeze them!
Most important I feel they work. I was waiting for my milk to come in and coincidence or not, I started eating a few of these and it started to come in! I also feel like I have enough milk to keep up with my little man’s feeding marathons and it never seems to run out. Whether or not it has boosted it hugely, I am not sure but it was definitely worth giving them a go and seeing some results.
Let me know how you go with the recipe xoxo
Lactation Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup of butter (227g), at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of brown sugar
4 Tbsp of water
2 Tbsp of flaxseed meal
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3 cups of plain flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of salt
3 cups of raw oats
Chocolate of choice, chopped in to chunks (I used a mixture of white and dark, and you can use choc-chips)
2 -4 Tbsps of brewer’s yeast (I used four for maximum benefit)
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 C. Line a cookie tray with baking paper.
Mix the flaxseed meal and water together and leave to set for 5 minutes.
Beat the butter and both sugars together until pale and creamy.
Add eggs and mix well. Add vanilla extract and flaxseed meal mixture and combine. The mixture might look a little curdled here but it will get better with the dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt and brewer’s yeast. Fold dry ingredients in to wet mixture until combined.
Add oats and chocolate chunks and combine.
Roll mixture in to balls and place a few cms apart on prepared tray. Press down lightly with a fork.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden. Leave to cool slightly on tray before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy xox
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