Body Armor Drink for Breastfeeding: Does it Boost Milk Supply?

One too many mums are faced with the challenge of low milk supply—me inclusive. When this happens, we go over and over to find ways to skyrocket breastmilk levels. Why? because we’ve made it a mission to exclusively breastfeed our babies.

Have you heard of foods and drinks that improve breast milk supply? Well, regardless, I will guide you through one of such method. Read on to learn all there is to know about body armor breastfeeding.

Does Body Armor Increase Breastmilk Supply?

You may or may not know what body armor is. So, I’ll tell you, it is a sports drink created in 2011 by Mike Repole, and somehow mamas caught hold of it and now drink it for better milk supply.

To answer the question, body armor can increase breastmilk supply by a few ounces or by a huge margin. The thing is, there is a limited scientific study to back this up.

However, lots of mothers report that drinking body armor significantly raises their milk supply levels. Of course, I tried this out myself, and I noticed a few more ounces than I usually pumped, and that went a long way for me.

How Does Body Armor Increase Milk Supply?

The secret is in the components of this sports drink. The main ingredients in body armor are known to cause a hike in milk supply.

You can always check the bottle for the full list of ingredients, but the components that are known to affect your milk supply are:

• Coconut water
• Electrolytes
• Extra fluids
• Additional calories

Coconut Water

10% of body armor drinks are composed of this galactagogue. Do you know that some foods and herbs are known to cause an increase in milk supply? Those are galactagogues.

So, a great deal of the increase can be attributed to the coconut water present in the body armor drink.

Electrolytes

Body armor is rich in electrolytes that will replenish a lactating mother’s body and help keep her hydrated, leading to an increased milk supply.

The main electrolytes in body armor are magnesium and calcium. A breastfeeding mom needs about 1000 milligrams of calcium a day, and body armor can help with that.⁽¹⁾

Extra Fluids

You may already know that staying hydrated is good for you, especially when you’re breastfeeding. Most moms may not prefer just water, so body armor can solve that with a little delectable taste.

Additional Calories

Taking body armor regularly may be a better option than water since it provides you with a few extra calories to maintain a healthy status. Of course, you should eat healthy meals in addition, but it helps to know that you can get them from the body armor drink.

How Much Body Armor Should You Drink While Breastfeeding?

There’s no hard and fast rule as to the correct amount of body armor to drink for a significant rise in milk supply. Most moms report that they see changes after drinking 2-5  bottles per day regularly.

When I was lactating, I drank just one bottle a day, and it was more than enough to increase my milk supply. I suggest you start with one bottle and if you find that it doesn’t have much effect, you could increase the number of bottles you take daily till it reaches your preferences.

How Fast Does Body Armor Increase Milk Supply?

I’ll tell you for a fact that just because your mama friend started pumping 3 more ounces of milk a day after drinking body armor doesn’t mean you would too. It all depends on your body and how often you empty your breasts.

Body armor can start working anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Just keep drinking it for a few weeks, and if there are still no changes, you could drop it or just continue because that drink is tasty!

Is It Safe To Drink While Breastfeeding?

We’re talking about drinks here, so you may be wondering whether alcohol is safe to drink while breastfeeding too.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, moderate consumption of alcohol will not affect your baby, especially if you wait 2-3 hours between drinking and breastfeeding. Those few hours allow the alcohol levels in your breasts to reduce.

However, taking more than a moderate amount of alcohol will lengthen the time needed to clear your system of alcohol.

Not to mention that an intoxicated mother is incapable of caring properly for her little one. In that case, arrange for a sober adult to do so and feed your baby with previously expressed milk.

Pumping and dumping do not reduce alcohol levels in your breast milk. You may only need to do this if you feel uncomfortably full due to the missed breastfeeding session.

Is It Safe To Drink Body Armor While Breastfeeding?

This whole article is about how body armor can increase milk supply, so yes, it is quite safe to drink body armor while you breastfeed. Most of the ingredients do not cause any allergic reactions.

There’s something you should take note of, though. Body armor is not an energy drink. So, you shouldn’t go substituting it for any energy drink you find on the market.

Which Body Armor Is Best For Breastfeeding?

There are two main variants of the body armor drink, and they do very well in increasing breastmilk supply.

• Regular body armor

Now, the only concern you may have is the high sugar level of this sports drink. Every 8 ounces of regular body armor contains 18g of sugar. This can be a lot, especially for a lactating mother. But if you’re up for it, there are a few great flavors to choose from:

Just a glance at these flavors can compel you to run to the store to get a bottle. The increased milk supply is a bonus at this point!

• Body Armor Lyte

This was the variant I drank for most of my lactating journey. I would suggest you take this, as it has lower sugar levels and thus less effect on your blood sugar.

The best part is that the body armor lyte contains the same amount of nutrients and galactagogues as the regular version of the drink. You also have a few flavors to choose from depending on your taste. These are:

1. Peach mango
2. Blueberry pomegranate
3. Strawberry lemonade
4. Kiwi strawberry
5. Berry punch
6. Coconut
7. Orange clementine
8. Tropical coconut
9. Watermelon

Tips on How to Increase Breastmilk With Body Armor

1. Do not consume excessive amounts of body armor.

In a bid to get the largest ounces of milk at a pumping session, you may be tempted to drink numerous bottles a day. However, that can get unhealthy quickly since the sugar levels are relatively high.

As I previously said, you can start with one bottle a day and see how it goes from there.

Empty your breasts frequently

One sure way of increasing milk supply, which I know from experience, is to never leave your breasts full. Always feed your baby on demand, and if you still feel full, express or pump any excess milk to feed your little one later.

The expressed milk can also be a lifesaver in the event of getting a little carried away with alcohol. Of course, make sure to store it properly.

This tip goes hand in hand with using body armor because, as the drink increases your supply, you are emptying your breasts to allow room for even more milk.

Pair your body armor drink with other galactagogues

You can make a few other tested and trusted additions to your body armor drinking schedule. Ingredients like oats and flax seeds can further strengthen the effect of body armor.

This is especially a great idea if you are barely noticing any effects from solely drinking body armor. The other galactagogues will top off the drink and result in an increased breastmilk supply in no time.

Personally, oats were my favorite addition to the body armor drink. The combination was the perfect breakfast for me all through my breastfeeding journey.

Mix Your Body Armor With Coconut Water

I already mentioned that coconut water is one of the major ingredients that increase milk supply.

If you opt for the regular body armor, you can mix in an equal proportion of coconut water or milk to even things out. Of course, this depends on your personal preferences.

The goal here is to reduce the sugar intake by balancing it out with a natural alternative, which is, in this case, coconut milk or coconut water. I tried this one time when I suddenly ran out of body armor lyte. It still tasted a little too sugary, but it was a fair substitute.

Speak with your doctor

As I earlier said, body armor is generally hypoallergenic. Still, you would want to check in with a healthcare professional to ascertain whether it is right for you to increase your breast milk supply.

Another reason why I took just a bottle daily was that my doctor advised that that amount was enough to get the milk supply boost I needed. And she was right! So make sure to get some input from your doctor.

Where Can I Buy Body Armor?

There’s a high chance that you will find body armor in supermarkets or convenience stores. In the same vein, there’s a chance that you won’t get it at the store near you.

To save you stress, these are the stores that stock body armor for sure:

• Target
• CVS
• Rite aid
• Walmart
• Walgreens
• Publix

And the convenience stores are:

• 7 eleven
• Circle K
• Mapco
• Speedway

You could also call the store or check them online to ascertain whether or not they stock body armor. That’s for stores not listed here.

Alternatively, you can order a few packs online at Amazon, which is what I did most of the time during my breastfeeding journey.

Conclusion

If you’re a little short on milk supply, especially in those first weeks after birth, you should certainly consider drinking body armor. It has worked for a lot of moms, and it may just work for you as well.

Remember to get the regular body armor if you need a little sugar rush, and if you want something less sweet, consider the body armor lyte.

Have you ever tried out body armor for milk supply? Or do you plan to try it out? I would love to hear how it worked for you, so leave a comment!

References

1. Your nutritional needs while breastfeeding. Grow by WebMD https://www.webmd.com/parenting/baby/features/nutritional-tips-for-nursing-mothers
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2021, Feb 9). Is it safe for mothers to breast feed their infants if they have consumed alcohol? https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-special-circumstances/vaccinations-medications-drugs/alcohol.html