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Things I learned
If you haven't noticed these blogs are very random! Hopefully the randomness of it will finds its way to covering at least one topic you're interested in!
I'm sure many of us have heard/learned about foods that help increase/at least improve breast milk supply such as fenugreek, fennel, eating almonds, avocados, and oats and drinking PLENTY, cannot stress enough PLENTY of fluids!
One interesting tidbit that I found out and experienced is that you are not drinking enough fenugreek tea until your sweat smells like maple syrup. And sure enough I smelled my armpits one day and noticed the sweet aroma of maple syrup...mmmmm sweat never smelled better...then once I stopped I reeked and had the worst sweat I ever experienced in my life. Postpartum changes are very smelly indeed.
Back to fenugreek...a component of fenugreek is sotalone, a compound with maple-syrup like odor that passes throughout the body w/o breaking down and therefore its scent is found in sweat and urine. Yes my urine also smelled like maple syrup thanks to my 1.5L of fenugreek tea I was overdosing on to increase my supply! They use this compound in artificial maple syrup (not sure why you would do that...just go to Trader Joes and get the real stuff)!
While I was increasing my demand I was shocked to learn through my instagram garden posts that there are foods that decrease your supply as well.
The obvious things that will decrease supply are smoking, alcohol, drugs, caffeine, birth control hormones w/ estrogen, lack of sleep and fluid and stress-let's be real can you really have a baby, be waking up every 1.5 to 2 hours and not be stressed???
I know they say caffeine but one cup a day is totally fine, unless you're nervous it is contributing, then wean off my friend. :|
(Side note: fenugreek can lower blood sugar, so watch out if you're on Insulin or are hypoglycemic anyway...you may not want to drink 1.5L like me).
Also don't take it if you're actually pregnant-can cause contractions....unless that baby is way over due and need to get the eviction going.
Back to which ones can lower your supply:
*Peppermint, back walnut sage, parsley, oregano, jasmine and yarrow, cough drops or breath mints due to menthol. (this is not a comprehensive list but probably ones you may be interacting with more of than some of the other ones).
If you're an overproducer and need to decrease your supply well then you can consider taking 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of dried sage for about three days, don't over do it we don't want complete cessation.
Side note- pseudoephedrine found in your cold and flu meds can dry your milk supply up!!! Sudafed is sometimes tried by women who are trying to stop their milk production as are crinkled up cold cabbage leaves.
**By the way don't forget what you eat is what your baby eats...so be very careful when considering taking supplements!!