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TheAsianParent: Recipes to increase breast milk: This Singapore mum bakes and sells lactation cookies!

recipes to increase breast milk

Written by

Jaya

This Singapore mum bakes and sells lactation cookies and reveals food and recipes to increase breast milk supply!

It’s hard to believe that Singapore mummy of 3, Joanna Goy, was totally clueless about breastfeeding when she had her first baby 5 years ago.

Today, Joanna makes her own lactation cookies and runs Singapore Lactation Bakes (SLB), which specialises in the creation of lactation cookies and muffins.

We ask Joanna, a former banker, how she found her true calling. She also reveals a secret recipe to increase breast milk supply!

Singapore mum bakes lactation cookies

To start with, tell us a little bit about your breastfeeding journey?

(Joanna is mummy to 3 beautiful girls, Jolinda (5), Jophia (2) and Jorissa (4 months old))

Joanna reveals, “When Jolinda was born, I was totally clueless about breastfeeding. I thought it was something that came naturally so I didn’t prepare myself for it at all.”

“It did not occur to me that I had to read or learn about breastfeeding, as I thought it was going to be a breeze and natural. But I was wrong.”

“I didn’t have enough milk, and almost went into depression. Returning to work meant more stress and pressure.”

“I did not try any breast milk booster with Jolinda as I had no idea there were even supplements to increase breast milk.”

“That first breastfeeding journey only lasted for 9 months.”

2 years later, I was blessed with Jophia. This time, I joined a mummy support group – there was a lot of support emotionally as well as a lot of advice, and that really made a difference.”

“This is when I got to know about milk boosters and started doing more research about them.”

“Geared with more knowledge, I am now doing much better at breastfeeding Jorissa, and am supporting a group of breastfeeding mums too!”

How did you stumble upon the idea of lactation cookies? 

Says Joanna, “I came to know about lactation cookies from my mummy friends. They were trying lactation cookies and were recommending them to each other.”

“Initially, I was skeptical, as it sounded too good to be true.”

“Also, to my shock, I found that lactation cookies are costly. So I decided to try baking them myself. At first, to be honest, I did not see an immediate increase in my milk supply. But a few days later, I noticed my milk supply had increased.”

“As I continued baking and eating more of the lactation cookies, the amount of milk that I was able to produce gradually increased as well.”

“Eventually, I had so much surplus milk, I could even give my daughters a milk bath! I was so happy and relieved that my children were finally able to enjoy the benefits of breast milk!”

How did you end up starting Singapore Lactation Bakes (SLB)?

Joanna tells us, “After my experience with Jolinda, I knew what it felt like to have a low supply and feel unsupported. I felt deeply about this and I really hoped no other mum would have to go though what I went through, so I offered the cookies to my own circle of friends.”

“They loved them and soon word spread, bringing me to the blessed place I am now.” And that is how Singapore Lactation Bakes(SLB) was born.

“We are also blessed with the opening of our own store recently! It is located at 183 Jalan Pelikat #B1-105 s(537643), we are a team of four at the moment.”

You mentioned that you were a banker before…what made you quit or change lane?

Joanna says, “As SLB progressed, I got the opportunity to talk to a lot of different mums who had various problems with breastfeeding. I really wanted to help them more.”

“I couldn’t do that while holding on to two jobs so I chose to quit mine and focus on helping the mums. I also took breastfeeding courses to gear myself with more knowledge to help more mummies.”

Were there any hiccups to starting and running this business?

“I think I’ve been blessed in this area as everything has been smooth so far.”

“I think the biggest challenge is keeping up with with the variety of bakes (both what we have now as well as with developing new flavours/products) while balancing taste and effectiveness.”

“We have seen an increase in demand over the years as hospitals have begun advocating breastfeeding in the recent years”, Joanna reveals.

Cookies and muffins go for $6.50, cookies cups are $16.90 and teas are $9.90.

What feedback have you received from mummies? Has it helped them boost breast milk supply?

Joanna informs us, “The reviews have been quite good. Though it might not work for everyone, the majority of mummies have reported that our bakes have worked for them.We are working relentlessly to improve our bakes in terms of their variety, taste and effectiveness.”

“It’s usually a gradual increase in the amount of milk they pump, not necessarily just a specific pump or latch timing.”

“As our slogan says, “Eat. Breastfeed. Repeat”.”

“We encourage mummies to eat the bakes, breastfeed and then repeat. The boosters will not increase milk permanently. They will increase milk supply temporarily either by having fuller breasts or more let down.”

“Mummies are encouraged to pump the milk out. They need to pump or latch when they experience let down, to stimulate their body to make more milk. Our bodies work by demand and supply. More milk drawn will result in more milk produced.”

As a mumpreneur, how do you manage running SLB and looking after kids?

Joanna admits, “This has been a real challenge. That is why SLB’s working hours are from 9 am – 5 pm. We drop our kids off at school in the morning and pick them up afterwards and try to spend as much time as we can, when we are with them.”

From your experience and knowledge, which food works well as breast milk boosters and which don’t?

Joanna says, “We have a list of 68 boosters for customers to take a look at and try.”

Ultimately, it really depends on how their bodies work and react to the different foods.

PHOTO: SINGAPORE LACTATION BAKES

For myself, conventional boosters do not work. My boosters are miso (yes, Japanese miso) and peppermint (Yes! Peppermint! It’s a known milk killer but it really worked very well for my milk supply). I have a weird body!

Joanna also shares a breast milk booster recipe with us, that apparently works very well. Thank you, Joanna! ?

Lactation carrot cake

CARROT CAKE

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cups ground walnuts/pecans
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1.5 cups caster sugar
  • 300ml sunflower oil
  • 3 cups of grated carrots

CREAM CHEESE ICING

  • 150g unsalted butter,
  • softened 240g f cream cheese
  • 840g icing sugar, sifted

METHOD

  • Whisk together sugar, eggs and oil until thick.
  • Add finely grated carrots and fold them into the mixture.
  • Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, flax seed and cinnamon and mix gently.
  • Fold in walnuts.
  • Grease and line a 7” tin.
  • Pour mixture into the tin and place in the oven at 175 °C for 25-27 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
  • Leave to cool.

For cream cheese icing, in a large bowl,

  • Beat butter till pale and fluffy.
  • Add the cream cheese.
  • Add icing sugar.
  • Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla until it’s smooth and creamy.
  • Decorate as desired.

Lastly, any advice to new mums on breastfeeding and breast milk?

Joanna has this to say, “You are not alone! When you feel like giving up, just tell yourself – just one more day!”

“Finding a support group or meeting up with a Lactation consultant will help you identify the problem and rectify it too. Just don’t give up!”

Credit: TheAsianParents

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SmartParents: MUM SAYS How I overcame my low milk supply

low milk supply

Mother of three Joanna Goy details her breastfeeding struggles and how she overcame her nursing challenges.

BY MELISSA TAN

POSTED: 02 AUG 2017 UPDATED: 27 FEB 2018

“I’m a proud mother of three beautiful girls. My newborn, Jorissa, is barely a month old but is already giving me the most adorable expressions.

Jophia, 2, loves to mimic her older sister; while Jolinda, 5, is my fun-loving girl who loves to dance.

I breastfed all my girls, but it wasn’t easy and breastfeeding my firstborn was the toughest. As a first-time mum, I was completely clueless about breastfeeding. I thought that it was something that came naturally to new mums, so I didn’t prepare myself at all.

Everything that I’d read and did research on about having a baby was about taking care of a newborn. It just didn’t dawn on me I had to learn about breastfeeding.

However, I was determined to nurse my child.

I had problems producing enough milk, and like many other new mums, I was constantly gripped by the fear that I would not be able to provide enough milk to meet Jolinda’s growing needs.

I remember the first time I used a breast pump. Jolinda was 3 days old, and I wasn’t able to produce single drop of milk.

“Thoughts about whether she would have enough milk for her next feed plagued me on a daily basis.”

 

Thankfully, my milk came in on the fourth day. But, I was only able to get 30 to 50ml at each pump session ― this threw me into a state of constant anxiety. Thoughts about whether she would have enough milk for her next feed plagued me on a daily basis.

In addition, family members were questioning me and telling me that I didn’t have enough milk ― and I almost went into a depression.

After my maternity leave, I went back to work. Back then, I was working in the fast-paced environment in a bank, and had to juggle a hectic work schedule as well as family life. I was pumping twice a day at work, and I latched Jolinda directly once I came home.

The pumping and latching helped, but I found it increasingly challenging to find time to pump ― which eventually affected my milk supply. I agonised over this and tried so many ways to increase it ― to no avail.

Jolinda began to rely less and less on my milk when she started solids at 6 months. And much as I persevered, I was only able to provide Jolinda with two full breastmilk feeds for the first 9 months of her life.

While my family questioned my low supply, my husband, Nicholas, was very supportive of me, and I am forever thankful for that. He constantly defended my decision to breastfeed, and always told me that I was doing great.

Jolinda was 2, I found that I was pregnant again. While I was over the moon about having another girl, I immediately was reminded about my low milk supply experience with Jolinda.

Determined not to let history repeat itself, I started researching intensely on ways to boost my milk supply.

Another thing I did this time round, was to join a mummy support group. This made a world of difference ― the other mums supported me emotionally, and provided valuable advice on breastfeeding.

However, my fears were realised ― yet again ― when Jophia was born. My milk came in on the second day, and the yield was as low as before! This persisted for several days, and despite trying everything that I had read about, nothing seemed to work.

I was heartbroken.

 

“Determined not to let history repeat itself, I started researching intensely on ways to boost my milk supply.”

I turned to the support group of mums to find out how they were boosting their milk supply, and what tips they had to find success with breastfeeding.

My lucky break came when one of them mentioned something that I had not heard before ― lactation cookies.

I was extremely sceptical ― it just sounded too good to be true. But having exhausted all my other options, I was desperate. I decided to give these a shot.

Then, I found out that lactation cookies are costly. So, I did a bit of research to see if I could bake them myself. Galactagogues (a food that increases the flow of a mother’s milk), like brewer’s yeast and oats, are added in these cookies, to increase the milk supply. Here is one recipe.

When I didn’t see an immediate increase in my milk supply, I was disappointed. But I realised that my impatience had gotten the better of me, as my milk production slowly climbed. In a few days, I found that I was able to produce 80ml in a single pumping session.

Soon, I was producing around 300ml in a single pump, and I was even able to freeze a stock of breastmilk in the freezer.

Now that I have another baby girl, Jorissa, I’m happy to say that breastfeeding her is much easier. My experience ignited a passion in me to help other new mums with their breastfeeding journey, so I started Singapore Lactation Bakes, which specialises in lactation cookies and muffins.

I’ve also started training to be a certified breastfeeding counsellor as I realise that there is so much to learn ― from how to properly latch your baby, to the possible problems that can contribute to sore nipples.

Here are my favourite tips when it comes to boosting one’s milk supply:

1. Latch and pump
Keep latching and pumping to increase your supply. When more milk is drawn, more milk is produced. If your baby is having weight-gain problems, aim to nurse at least every 1½ to 2 hours during the day, and every three hours at night.

2. Be zen
Try to stay relaxed when you’re breastfeeding. Stress is the number one milk-killer! Sleep when your baby sleeps, and keep yourself hydrated.

 

“Stress is the number one milk-killer!”

 

3. Take foods to increase your supply
Eating certain foods will help to boost your milk supply. As you latch your baby or pump, this signals to your brain to continue producing this increased amount.

4. Skin to skin
Have skin-to-skin contact once your baby is born, and latch on demand from birth.

5. Try to breastfeed exclusively
Avoid offering baby solids, water and formula in the first six months. If you have been supplementing the feeds with formula, it’s not too late to reduce the amount of formula very gradually, to challenge your breasts to produce more milk by latching or pumping more.

I’ve had the opportunity to talk to many new mums, and so many of them seem to face problems breastfeeding.

I just want to let them know that they are not alone! Every time you feel like giving up, just tell yourself ― try just one more day.

Finding a support group, or engaging a lactation consultant can also help you identify, and rectify the problem.”

Joanna Goy, 31, is mum to Jorissa, 1 month, Jophia, 2, and Jolinda, 5. She is also the founder of Singapore Lactation Bakes.  

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