7 Nigerian Local Foods To Boost Your Milk Supply

Moyin Kalu

Ensuring that your baby has enough milk supply is number one priority for nursing mothers, especially exclusive nursing mothers. You are your baby’s source of food, especially, in those first few months.

That is why it is very alarming when mums realize that they aren’t producing enough milk to feed their little babies. Thankfully, research has shown that these foods have some properties that get your mammy gland active with the production of the much needed food.

Most women, especially in Nigeria have made it a norm to give a woman who just had a baby pap. This is also known as ogi or akamu. It is thought that the watery nature of pap helps to stimulate milk production.

Carrots

Vitamin A aids lactation and boosts the quality of your milk.

Garlic

Garlic helps to stimulate breast milk production. Its properties have proven to aid digestion, curbs gas and fights against yeast infection or thrush. Eating it raw, (if you can stand the smell), roasting it or just chopping it into your food can boost your milk supply.

Cow Milk

It sorts of makes sense that if you need milk, then you should drink milk! The trick is finding healthy pure cow milk, locally sourced from the Fulani’s who boil it and mix it with fura, a Northern delicacy, known as fura de nunu.

Brown Rice

Apart from the fact that it helps too give the extra energy that is required post-delivery, it also has hormone stimulants that can boost lactation. Switching your white rice for brown rice. Apart from tasting better, it can also help to shed off the extra baby weight.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is wonderful and aids digestion. While it helps control weight gain during pregnancy, it also has amazing lactating properties that can help keep your milk supply flowing.

Potassium

Raw potassium, popularly called koun, can be diluted in pap to be drank once or twice a day. You can also enjoy a slice of pawpaw, as one of its major properties is potassium. It is sweet and easy to get.

The key is to remember that everything has to be taken in moderation. With the help and approval of your doctor, in as much as you want to have enough food for your baby, you want him to be healthy too and have enough nutrients he needs to grow healthily.