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Samadhi Statue showing deep meditation

By Justine C. Tajonera

My baby is now six months old. A month ago I felt really stressed out at work and whenever I would retreat to the clinic where I could pump in peace, I would still take my work with me in my head. The result: a slowdown of my breast milk supply. Technically, I shouldn’t really have worried so much because my baby was already taking solids. However, a baby’s main source of nutrition is still her milk until she’s a year old. Keeping that in mind, I decided it was time to find ways to increase my breast milk supply.

Going Back to Galactagogues

Galactagogues are substances that promotes lactation in mothers. Some examples are Fenugreek tea and our very own humble malunggay plant. Apart from taking my iron folic tablets twice a day, I also took malunggay capsules twice a day as well. I was taking my malunggay capsules during my first month of breastfeeding and then I stopped when I established my milk supply. So what I did was just return to my old regimen. Some people say that galactagogues aren’t proven to increase milk supply. But all I can say is: it doesn’t hurt to include it in your breastfeeding regimen. You can only gain from the process of doing everything you can to increase your milk supply.

Take Deep Breaths and Meditate

It helps to remember that stress is not caused by external factors. Stress is self-induced. After having established that I needed to quiet my own anxiety, I reviewed my practice of meditation. A few years ago, I took some free lessons on meditation from Brahma Kumaris. I also consulted my boss who is a transcendental meditation practitioner. The first few things I included in my pumping sessions were the following:

1) Whatever the situation is, take a deep breath through your nose while counting to five and then release your breath through your mouth while counting to five. Repeat this process over and over again without looking at the clock. This made a world of difference. I immediately relaxed and quieted my overanxious brain. This process of slowing down my anxious thinking translated into my body being more relaxed and, therefore, ready for producing milk. The very process of producing milk is supposed to be a relaxing activity. Stress inhibits this whole cycle of relaxation and results in less milk.

2) Don’t think about anything other than your breaths. If you can’t do that, then just concentrate on counting first. For people who have meditated before, try repeating a very positive or relaxing phrase like: “I am very peaceful.” or “I am in deep, deep silence.” Remember that nothing is stopping you from releasing or letting go of your anxieties except yourself. And don’t think about how short your time is. Time is relative when you are pumping. Remember that you have a very, very good reason for spending this precious time. Be present and save your energy for just calming yourself and producing a very much needed source of nutrition for your baby.

Given these two strategies of taking galactagogues again and meditating (or just taking deep breaths), I was able to see an increase in my milk supply. In my morning session, the increase was as much as fifty percent. Whether you are just starting to breastfeed or whether you are looking to increase a waning milk supply, taking the time to relax will do you good.