How I've maintained my milk supply as a breastfeeding mama (almost) 9 months post partum

There is no denying that breastfeeding is a JOURNEY and I've gotten lots of questions about what has helped me over the last several months, so here we go!

1. Hydration, hydration, hydration! In the early days of post partum I constantly had a 40oz tumbler of water, and a 40oz tumbler of electrolytes at the ready. As my supply has regulated over the past 9 months the never ending thirst isnt quite as bad, but I do still need to bring my emotional support water bottle with me everywhere I go. I have tried a number of electrolyte mixes but my favorite so far is LMNT's orange salt, it tastes like orange gatorade and it isn't sweet. I do 2 LMNT orange salt packets each day, as well as coconut water and regular water.

2. FUEL: You've gotta eat to produce! Breastfeeding can give you quite an appetite, for me the only thing that keeps my breastfeeding hunger under control is eating a ton of protein! (between 130-150g per day most days!) It doesn't matter what I'm eating, even if I'm just having a snack, I try to make sure it's complimented by some sort of protein which can be as simple as having a few beef jerkey sticks or a cup of greek yogurt.

3. Passive milk collection: I was able to build a pretty decent freezer stash by collecting milk during feedings. I used the Nuby milk collector and the Hakaa butterfly milk collector. Everyone told me to use the classic hakaa, however I found that the Nuby worked better for me. I have been president of the itty bitty titty committee for my entire life, so the Hakaa was just a bit too big, where the Nuby seemed better suited for my breast size. Keeping a milk collector on my night stand in the middle of the night helped me build my stash and prevented me from leaking all over my sheets.

4. Supplementation: In the early days, sunflower lecitihin helped me a ton with preventing clogged ducts, I had them frequently and they were so so painful! I began supplementing with sunflower lecitihin and absolutely noticed a difference. As far as "boosting supply" adding brewers yeast and ground flax seed to my smoothies and baked goods helped to give me a little boost, but be careful, brewers yeast smells and tastes horrendous so make sure you can disguise the taste!

5. Find the nursing bra that works for you. The best advice the lactation consultant in the hospital gave me was to make sure I am wearing a supportive bra. In the early days of breastfeeding it took me a few different brands and styles to find what worked for me but I eventually landed on soft almost sports bra like bras from Amazon that I'm still using 9 months later! I offer the advice to size up for your first 4-8 weeks of breast feeding as you'll need extra room while you establish your supply.
   

Everything I mentioned above can be found in my Amazon storefront! If there are other topics you'd like me to touch on please reach out and let me know!