Natural Products for the Breasfeeding Mom

In case you hadn't noticed, I'm the resident "hippie" of our little group here :) I like all things natural, organic, and eco-friendly. So it's no surprise that when it comes to products for use while breastfeeding, I get excited about the natural options that are available to women.

Trilight Health makes a wide array of herbal remedies that are great for so many different things. I've used them for everything from assisting my little one with sleep, relieving headaches, and soothing sore throats.

As someone who has suffered from mastitis before, I can tell you that it is not something I'd wish on my worst enemy! It is absolutely brutal. Not only did I experience some extremely intense pain, but I was so exhausted and worn out. I used a number of different remedies, and I only wish I had known about Mastitix from Trilight Health. Users of Mastitix have great success with healing or preventing mastitis. Women only need to take 1/2 teaspoon (up to 150 pounds; those weighing more will need a little bit larger dose) every 2 hours. That's so much easier than the plethora of stuff I was taking to cure my mastitis. If I ever get mastitis again (God forbid!) I will definitely be taking Mastitix!

I've been fortunate enough to not struggle with a low supply, but I know many women are tortured by the fear of not having enough milk. While many times this is an issue that can be remedied by more frequent nursing; the elimination of artificial nipples (pacifiers and bottles); and nursing on demand; there are times when some women just need a little boost. That's where MegaMam can be a great help. (Did you giggle at the name, too?). As with most galactagogues, this is recommended for use under the supervision of a health care practitioner, such as a lactation consultant. Women take 1/2 teaspoon (again, per 150 pounds) for 2-3 times per day. It's that easy! So pills to take or teas to drink. I won't tell anyone if you want to keep making those lactation cookies, though ;)

And last, but certainly not least, we have the always useful Earth Mama Angel Baby Nipple Butter. This stuff is amazing! It was so helpful in the early days as we adjusted to breastfeeding, and was a lifesaver when Nora started teething. Now at 15 months, I still make sure I always have a tub on hand. It even does double duty for dry lips on some of those middle-of-the-night nursing sessions when I didn't have lip balm close by.


*Disclosure: If you purchase from Trilight Health through my links above, I may receive free products from Trilight Health for referring you. If you purchase from Amazon through my links, I may receive a small commission.

Breast Milk Does What?! 5 Surprising Facts

The benefits of breast milk when it comes to nourishing your infant (or toddler) are pretty incredible. Some of them include:

• It's easier to digest.
• It has all the nutrients and calories that your baby needs to be healthy.
• It has growth factors that make sure your babies organs develop properly.
• It changes as your infant (or toddler's) needs change.
• It allows for the transfer of Mom's immunities to baby.

But, besides nutrition, breast milk is still pretty awesome and can be used in ways other than feeding your child.





I'm sure you're thinking I'm nuts at this point.  I mean, it's not coconut oil, which has a list of over 100 uses floating around on the internet!  Just stick with me for a bit longer while I share some other uses for breast milk and why I think it really has earned the nickname "Liquid Gold!"









1. Pink eye - not in our house!  When Lucas was three or four months old he got pink eye.  I squirted some milk in his eye several times that day.  We also did warm compresses of Golden Seal tea.  Again, by the next morning his eye was completely better.  No antibiotics needed (even though I filled the Rx, just in case).





2. Breast milk is great for babies sensitive skin.  It's been COLD this winter and L's skin is really
showing the signs.  My poor little guy has rough, scaly patches on his arms and legs.  I had an extra ounce of milk in the refrigerator that was about to go bad.  I poured a that in the bath with him one night and, I kid you not, his skin was so much better the next day.  This is a great use for milk that maybe have been left on the counter over night (we've all been there, right!) or that's sat in the refrigerator for a few days too many.  




3. It can heal a cut.  Similar to helping with L's dry skin issues, I've placed a little expressed milk on scratches he's gotten on his face and neck and they heal so quickly - like overnight.  I hate my little guy's face being all scratched up, but it happens all the time.  I little bit of expressed BM and he's healed up in no time.

4. Stuffy noses and earaches are no match for breast milk either.  I'm currently in Disney World celebrating L's first birthday with my family and I got sick!  I was a little congested before we left and the plane ride wrecked havoc on my congestion and ears.  I wanted to avoid medication but was really feeling miserable.  At 5:30am I found myself in a hotel bathroom, hand expressing milk into a plastic hotel cup and then using a syringe to place a few drops in my ears and nose.  Yes, it was a little unpleasant but holy heck did it help!  I could feel the pressure releasing from my ears a few hours later and I have blown my nose so much less today.

5. It can rid you of acne, well, baby acne at least!  I used to put a little expressed milk on L's face when he'd get an outbreak of baby acne in those first few weeks.  It worked like a charm and cleared him right up.

Well, those are my favorite uses for breast milk, other than feeding of course.  Have you used breast milk in some other way?  Share you 'secret' uses for breast milk in the comments below or head over to our Facebook page and let us know your tips there. 

Treating Mastitis Naturally

Mastitis. It's a word dreaded by every breastfeeding mother. Some are lucky to never know mastitis on such intimate terms. Yet others, such as myself, become way more familiar with mastitis than we could ever hope and imagine to be possible.

In between my baby's first and second week of life, I developed mastitis. It was brutal and excruciatingly difficult. Here I was still adjusting to being a mother, learning to breastfeed, and figuring out the nuances of a newborn. Then, for fun, let's throw in the gift of mastitis. Had it not been for my extremely supportive husband and a wonderful doctor who understood my desire to avoid antibiotics at all costs, I might not be where I am today. Nora is 11 months old and going strong with nursing!

I'm certain my mastitis was brought on by a combination of my oversupply and Nora's tongue and lip ties, which unfortunately went undiagnosed until she was 11 weeks.  I cannot stress enough the importance of draining the breast in the early weeks! Because I had an oversupply and Nora had transfer issues, she always got enough milk but didn't take enough out (if that makes any sense).

When I realized what was going on, I started gathering as much information as I could about natural treatments. Because Nora was still so young, the absolute last thing I wanted was to take antibiotics. Her gut flora was still developing and passing antibiotics to her through my milk could wreak havoc on her system for a long time. Aside from that, antibiotic use can perpetuate thrush in mother and baby, and I certainly didn't need any more setbacks!

I kept in contact with my OB's office so they could advise me if I needed to wave the white flag and use conventional medicine. My fever did get pretty high a few times (up to 103.4) but a fever is the body's way of fighting infection and doesn't always need to be shut down. The most difficult part was the extreme pain in my breasts and feeling so exhausted. However, I'm slightly stubborn (huge understatement) so I knew I could get through it. Obviously everyone needs to do what they feel comfortable with, but if you feel strongly about avoiding antibiotics, here is what worked for me.

First of all, do nothing, and I mean literally nothing, except nurse your baby, eat, and stay hydrated! Consider yourself on bedrest. You will need help during this time as someone will need to bring everything to you. Don't get out of bed for anything except going to the bathroom. Rest, rest, rest! Every time you put baby to the breast, use slow massaging motions to help move the milk and the clog out. It will probably be pretty uncomfortable, but it will help work it out. Get yourself a pair of Earth Mama Angel Baby Booby Tubes. These things are indispensable! Pop them in the microwave for a few seconds for instant, heated relief. These can help with letdown and allowing the milk to flow better, which will ease the clog. Some women also find relief from alternating hot and cold compresses. Keep one tube in the freezer and one ready to go in the microwave.

The following can be taken internally to help your immune system fight off the mastitis:

• Raw apple cider vinegar - A tablespoon or two in about a quart of water. You can add a little raw honey if the taste is too strong for you. Add a splash of raw ACV every time you (or rather someone else!) refill your water glass.
• Echinacea - Add 30-40 drops to your water, three times a day. 
• Vitamin C - Taking a megadose of Vitamin C will help boost your system in conjunction with the other vitamins and supplements listed. 
• Raw garlic - Cut 2-5 cloves of garlic into pieces and swallow like a pill. I wasn't able to use this method since I'm awful at swallowing pills, but garlic has some wonderful healing properties. If you can't stomach swallowing the garlic, try eating some food with lots of fresh garlic. 

You can find some additional information and the protocols I followed here and here. Let me reiterate that I AM NOT a medical professional and this is simply a method I used to help beat mastitis. This isn't a substitute for keeping in touch with your healthcare provider and using your best judgment. Letting mastitis continue for too long without getting better can result in serious infection that can lead to abscess. 

This post contains affiliate links. That means I recommend super great products that I use anyway, and may get a small commission for referring you. If you choose to purchase from my link, I greatly appreciate it!

Snuggling with my nursling