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JOANNA GOY FOUNDER OF SINGAPORE LACTATION BAKES

It's stressful when you can't produce enough breast milk for your baby. Joanna Goy, 30, found this out when her elder daughter, now four, was born. Her supply dwindled after she returned to work because of stress and infrequent pumping. When she had her second daughter last year, Joanna researched way to increase her milk supply and found her lucky break with lactation cookies, which rewarded the ex-banker-turned-baker with a spike in her milk supply (almost 300ml). Hence, Singapore Lactation Bakes (www.slb.sg) was born. Here, she shares ways to help nursing mums protect their milk supply.

Build a good supply first

“The more you pump or nurse, the more you’ll have. The steady draining of your supply will trick the body into thinking your baby is drinking that much milk, and slowly induce it to produce the same amount in half the time. Add an hour of power pumping to your daily breastfeeding schedule: pump 20min, rest 10min, pump 10min, rest 10min, and pump 10min.”

Eat and drink wisely

“Eat a well-balanced diet that includes galactagogues, found in foods and herbs that increase the milk flow. Those in the lactation cookies give a temporary boost to your supply. You get thirsty when you breastfeed, so drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Or drink red date soup, fruitinfused water, or mother’s milk tea (said to be a mild galactagogue because of fenugreek). And avoid herbs like mint and parsley that decrease milk supply.”

Look after your well-being

“Stress is the top milk supplykiller, so it’s crucial to indulge in feel-good activities to unwind. You may find your supply falling when you’re ill, but don’t fret – with good pumping habits, you can get it back up again. Ask your doctor for medicine that’s compatible with breastfeeding so you can recover faster.”

Plan for your return to work “Protecting your milk supply when you return to the office requires commitment from you and support from your team. You’ll need privacy to pump, so if there are no nursing rooms available, speak to your boss about using an empty meeting room for an hour every day. If you’re a close-knit team, ask your colleagues if they would mind you pumping at your desk with a nursing cover on.”

Don’t give up!

“Increasing your supply does not happen overnight – it could take up to a week for results. There is also no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to eating milkboosting foods, so you will need time to find out what works for you. Be patient, persevere, and, most importantly, find ways to make this journey less stressful for you.”

Try these!

If you’re finding it hard to up your breast milk supply, give Joanna’s lactation cookies ($5.80 for 100g; minimum order 400g) a go. Try Dark Chocolate Chip and Oats Lactation Cookies, Cranberry & Oats Lactation Cookies and Peanut Lactation Cookies. Oats are a good source of iron, needed to prevent maternal anaemia, which may result in decreased milk supply. The cranberry and peanut flavours were created after Joanna’s customers saw a boost in supply after eating them.