How to Boost Your Milk Supply

Becoming a breastfeeding mother is an incredible journey — one that comes with both beautiful moments and real challenges. While every mother-baby pair is unique, there are simple, evidence-based habits and nourishing foods that can help support and increase your milk supply.

In this post, we’ll walk through four powerful pillars of milk production: hydration, nutrient support, stimulation, and a nourishing lactation cookie recipe you can bake at home.And if you’re ready for step-by-step guidance and personalized strategies, check out my Lactation & Milk Supply Course — available for only $99 through In Joy Birth — where I teach practical, gentle, and effective tools to help you boost supply with confidence.

1. Hydration: The Foundation of Milk Production

Your body is made mostly of water — and so is your breast milk! Staying hydrated keeps your milk flowing, supports hormone balance, and helps you feel more energized.

Tips:

• Keep a large water bottle at your nursing or pumping station.

• Aim to sip regularly throughout the day instead of chugging large amounts at once.

• Include hydrating foods like soups, fruits, and smoothies.

• Try adding an herbal tea designed for lactation (like fenugreek, moringa, or nettle blends).

Even mild dehydration can make a noticeable difference in your energy and output — so hydration really is step one.

2. Moringa: A Nutrient-Rich Superleaf for Milk Supply

Moringa oleifera has been used in traditional medicine for generations to support postpartum recovery and lactation. It’s rich in vitamins A, C, E, B-complex, calcium, iron, and amino acids that help your body replenish while feeding your baby.

Ways to add moringa:

• Blend 1 tsp of moringa powder into your morning smoothie.

• Brew moringa tea for a nutrient-packed drink.

• Sprinkle into soups or oatmeal.

  
  

Research shows Moringa can gently enhance milk volume and nutrient density. It’s not a “quick fix,” but rather a gentle daily support that works beautifully when combined with good nutrition, hydration, and frequent feeding.

3. Stimulation: Demand Creates Supply

One of the most powerful ways to increase supply is to focus on frequent and effective milk removal. Your body produces milk in response to how often — and how well — milk is removed from the breast.

Try these proven techniques:

• Nurse or pump at least 8–12 times a day (especially during early months).

• Ensure a deep, comfortable latch — or seek a lactation consultant if unsure.

• Do breast compressions while baby nurses to fully empty the breast.

• Add one extra pump session in the evening or early morning.

• Incorporate skin-to-skin time to naturally boost oxytocin and let-down reflex.

  
  

When you understand how to work with your body’s natural feedback system, you can take control of your supply — something I teach in depth in my Lactation & Milk Supply Course ($99), including my “Power Pumping Routine” and “Let-Down Reset” exercises you can start today.

4. Lactation Cookies: A Delicious Supply Boost

While cookies won’t replace proper stimulation or hydration, they make a delicious (and nutrient-packed) snack to help support milk production. This is one of my favorite recipes — the Major Milk-Makin’ Lactation Cookies from DrMomma.org:

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

• 1 ¾ cups oats

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• ¾ cup almond butter (or other nut butter)

• ½ cup butter, softened

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 Tbsp brewer’s yeast

• 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

• 2 Tbsp water (more if dough is dry)

• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Cream together butter, nut butter, and sugar until smooth.

3. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.

4. Stir in flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix in brewer’s yeast, flaxseed, and water.

6. Fold in chocolate chips if desired.

7. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto a greased or lined baking sheet.

8. Bake 10–12 minutes, until lightly browned.

9. Cool on a wire rack — then enjoy!

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Why they work: Oats, brewer’s yeast, and flaxseed are galactagogues — foods that may help promote milk production. Plus, these cookies are nutrient-dense, satisfying, and easy to grab during those busy feeding days.

(In my lactation course, you’ll also get three more nutrient-packed snack recipes that boost milk supply — including an oat-moringa energy bite that moms love!)

5. Putting It All Together

Here’s a simple rhythm you can try:

• Morning: Start with a glass of water and moringa smoothie. Nurse or pump right after.

• Mid-morning: Snack on 1–2 lactation cookies with herbal tea.

• Afternoon: Nurse/pump again and add a quick skin-to-skin session.

• Evening: Try a “power pump” session and hydrate well before bed.

Remember, consistency matters more than perfection.

6. Need Personalized Support?

If you’re struggling with milk supply, low output, or confidence at the breast — you don’t have to figure it out alone.

My Lactation & Milk Supply Course (just $99) walks you through:Proven, evidence-based techniques to boost supply naturally. Breast massage & “power pumping” videos. Guidance on herbs and galactagogues (like moringa, fenugreek & oats) A printable hydration tracker and lactation recipe guide. Access to a private Q&A where you can get answers from a doula-led support team.

**Join the course today and start seeing results within days. Enroll here — Only $99 with In Joy Birth

7. A Loving Reminder

You are doing an incredible job. Milk supply ebbs and flows, and no two journeys look the same. Trust your body, nurture yourself, and surround yourself with support. Whether you’re feeding exclusively, pumping, or combo feeding — every drop and every ounce of effort counts.

And when you need a boost? Hydrate, nourish, stimulate… and maybe bake a batch of cookies. 💛

Have you tried all the things and still have low supply? Do You Need to See an IBCLC?

Sometimes, milk supply challenges, latch pain, or pumping frustration need extra, personalized help. That’s where our in-house lactation consultant comes in.

Meet Ericka Moore, IBCLC, MPH, CHES, ALC, LCCE — our compassionate, experienced lactation expert offering 1-on-1 consults for only $99.

About Ericka: Ericka is a dedicated maternal health professional with over 15 years of experience supporting mothers and families. As a retired military spouse, she brings a unique perspective shaped by her service to military communities as a birth and postpartum doula and new parent support facilitator.

She holds a Master’s in Public Health and is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Advanced Lactation Consultant (ALC), and Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE).

Ericka’s work emphasizes the critical role of lactation education and promotion in improving family health outcomes. She is committed to providing evidence-based, culturally sensitive, and accessible support that empowers parents to make informed decisions and build confidence in their feeding journey.

✨ Ready for personalized guidance?Schedule your 1-on-1 Lactation Consult with Ericka Moore today — just $99. Schedule here