Yes, oat milk can increase your milk supply. This is because it contains a good amount of useful nutrients as it is derived from oats. Many lactation experts recommend oat milk to increase milk supply.
A lot of moms have battled with reduced milk supply. I am one of those moms that have constantly had to deal with a drastic or insufficient supply of breast milk.
So, I started researching ways to increase my milk supply. I found that oatmeal does this job perfectly, then I got tired of consuming one texture so I shifted to its milk.
There’s no scientific back up so, does oat milk increase milk supply?
What Is Oat Milk?
Oat milk is non-dairy milk that is gotten from soaking, blending, and sieving oats with water. Oats provide useful nutrients when consumed and the process of making oat milk retains a majority of these nutrients.
Consuming oat milk will give you the following nutrients:
- Vitamin A, B2, B12, and D.
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Iron
- Protein
- Riboflavin, phosphorus, and potassium.
Just looking at the nutrients you can get from oat milk is enough to have you drinking a cup a day. Not to mention that a lot of moms, myself included, love the creamy texture of the milk. It makes oat milk all the more desirable.
Benefits Of Oat Milk
Asides from the nutrients you derive, oat milk provides a lot of other advantages to you as a lactating mother.
1.Hypoallergenic
One thing I love about this plant-based milk is that it poses no allergic reactions whatsoever to you or your baby. There is no presence of eggs, soy, dairy, or nuts which are the most common allergens.
You should note that you risk no allergic reactions if the oat milk is certified gluten-free. However, many brands use whole wheat which causes the presence of gluten in oat milk. Of course, this applies to you if you are gluten intolerant.
2.Rich In Fiber
Oat milk is packed with soluble fibers, quite more than other non-dairy products.
A lot of people link weight loss to oat milk. Although oat milk does not directly impact weight, the soluble fibers in them can make you feel full faster, so you eat less and thus lose weight. Such a great way to lose some of that pregnancy fat!
The fiber in oat milk also helps reduce cholesterol levels, prevents constipation, regulates blood sugar levels, and lowers the chances of certain cancers and heart diseases.
3.Low In Fat
This feature may also be part of the reasons why you would hear moms saying oat milk made them lose some weight.
Oat milk contains a small amount of fat so it doesn’t give you a couple of pounds while you’re breastfeeding(what a relief!).
The amount of fat in oat milk is significantly less than in other non-dairy milk variants.
4. Environmentally Friendly
When I was consuming oat milk to increase my milk supply I had peace of mind knowing that I was reducing my carbon footprint.
For one, oat milk requires a considerably less amount of water in the manufacturing process than dairy milk and its close cousin, almond milk.
Dairy cows produce a large amount of methane which is much more impactful than carbon IV oxide. Methane makes up the majority of dairy milk carbon emissions. All the more reasons to stick to our lovely oat milk.
Does Oat Milk Increase Milk Supply When Breastfeeding?
Yes, oat milk can lead to an increase in breast milk supply. There has been no scientific research as to whether oat milk increases the supply of breast milk.
However, a lot of women report a significant increase in milk supply during the consumption of oat milk. So much so that even lactating consultants recommend it to breastfeeding mothers.
How Can Oat Milk Increase Milk Supply?
Many women experience deficiencies in iron and folate which can result in anemia and turn reduce breast supply (1) . As stated earlier, oat milk is highly rich in iron.
Postpartum moms can experience anemia for up to 6 or even 12 months. And that’s after pregnancy!
This drop in the level of iron stores in the body will affect your breast milk volume, mostly reducing your supply. Drinking oat milk will revitalize the iron level in your body and so increase your milk supply.
Painful nipples, clogged milk ducts, and milk blebs along with any other breastfeeding problem can be fought with oat milk. This is because the right level of irons in your body will boost your immune system.
In addition, some other nutrients contained in oat milk have a positive effect on the quality and quantity of milk produced by a breastfeeding mother. These are protein, fibers, carbohydrates, beta-glucan, and phytochemicals.
Oats are comfort food and when consumed causes you to relax. When your body is calm, it produces oxytocin, a hormone that stimulates breast milk production.
Since oat milk lowers cholesterol levels, its consumption will leave you much healthier and even improve your lactation.
How Quickly Does Oat Milk Increase Milk Supply?
After I had consumed oat milk consistently for a few days, I began to pump about 2 – 3 additional ounces of milk. It doesn’t seem like much but it was highly relieving for me as a breastfeeding mom.
Some mothers say that start seeing an increase in supply as early as 6 hours after consuming oat milk. That’s pretty quick, right?
How soon you start to see changes depends on how much oat milk you consume, your body’s metabolic rate, and other factors. Just observe the levels of increase in supply for every quantity of oat milk you consume. So, you’ll be able to determine how oat milk works for you.
How Much Oat Milk Should I Drink To Boost Milk Supply?
The daily consumption of calcium for a lactating mom is about 1300mg. So if you want to meet up with that then you should take at least three and half a cup of oat milk each day.
Otherwise, try to consume as much oat milk as you can. It has many benefits and can only be useful to you. Again the amount you need to consume for increased milk supply is dependent on factors relating to your body.
Best Oat Milk Recipes For Breastfeeding Moms To Increase Milk Supply
Oat Milk
The first recipe on our list is about how to make the actual oat milk. It’s nice to drink some DIY oat milk occasionally.
Ingredients
- Oat milk
- Water
- Flavoring or sweeter of your choice
Instructions:
- Soak oats in warm water or cold water for 20 – 30 minutes.
- Use an iron strainer to separate the water from the soaked oats.
- Pour oats into a blender and add 1 liter of water. Add flavor here, if any.
- Blend the mixture until smooth.
- Viola your homemade oat milk is ready!
Oat Milk Latte
This one is for my coffee lovers!
Ingredients
- Coffee
- Oat milk barista
- Flavor (optional)
Instructions:
- Brew your coffee and pour it into a cup. Add any sweetener or flavor you want here.
- Froth oat milk with a frothing wand, an electric mixer, or a plain old mason jar!
- Pour frothed oat milk into coffee and enjoy!
P.S you can make some fun designs on that latte!
For better comprehension, check out the source video by buttered side up.
Chocolate Oat Milk Smoothie
Ingredients
- 25g Rolled oats
- 1 tbsp. Chia seeds
- 1 tbsp. Cocoa powder
- 1 Banana
- 240ml oat milk
- Sweetener of your choice(optional)
Instructions:
- Place all ingredients in a powerful blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour into a glass and serve.
If you’re going to try out this recipe then you should watch oat smoothie video by the cooking foodie! In it, they walk you through the process of following their recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where Can I Buy Oat milk?
You can find these non-dairy products in the aisles of most groceries stores. Although it is common to find stores out of stock with oat milk because, as with other non-dairy milk, oat milk is increasing in demand every day.
Alternatively, you can get oat milk online. Imagine squeezing out time to go to the store only to find that oat milk is out of stock. The best way to avoid this is to order your non-dairy milk from online stores. That’s what I did during most of my lactating period and it was a lifesaver.
2. What Are The Best Brands Of Oat Milk?
Technically, any brand of oat milk will do as they mostly pose the same benefits. Although you may want to check for gluten-free brands if you are gluten intolerant.
That doesn’t mean I don’t have favorites! These are my favorite brands of oat milk to get and they can be yours too!
3. How Long Does Oat Milk Last?
Oat milk is best when it is consumed fresh so try to buy the quantity that you will be able to use in a few days.
Typically, oat milk will last anywhere between 7 – 10 days when it hasn’t been opened. So, as soon as you open a carton of oat milk, try to consume it within a few hours to a day.
4. What Does Oat Milk Taste Like?
The brands I bought had a heavenly creamy texture. Most of them had a nutty taste and depending on the brand were rather sweet.
You should know that adding any flavorings to your oat milk will change its taste a bit. So, for the best experience, you should get or make oat milk that features your favorite flavors.
Conclusion
The only way to know if oat milk will boost your milk supply is to try it out. There’s no harm in it, even if it doesn’t increase your supply it provides you with so many other health benefits.
If do you try out oat milk, I would love to hear your experience with it. Just remember to go for the Oatly oat milk barista, Oatsome organic oat milk or Califa farms oat barista blend.
What are your thoughts on oat milk and breast supply after reading this article? Let me know in the comment section.
References
- S J Henly et al. (1995, Jun 22). Anemia And Insufficient Milk In First Time Mothers. National Library of Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7779228/