August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month! The purpose of this month is to improve the nation’s health by protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding. Breast milk is truly nature’s gift to Mothers and babies. It is uniquely created by a Mother’s body to meet the exact nutrient needs of the baby. While formula companies have made improvements, breast milk remains the nutritionally superior choice for nourishing your baby and contains many health benefits for Mom and baby.

Benefits to baby:

• Easier to digest
• Contains all the nutrients, calories, and fluids your baby needs to be healthy
• Contains growth factors to ensure the best development for your baby
• Contains substances that will reduce the risk of:
  • Eat infections
  • Diarrhea
  • Pneumonia, wheezing, and bronchiolitis
  • Bacterial and viral infections
  • Necrotizing enterocolitis
• May protect against:
  • Obesity
  • Sudden infant death syndrome
  • Asthma
  • Eczema
  • Colitis
  • Some cancer

Benefits to Mom:

• Returns Mother’s uterus to pre-baby size
• Burns calories
• Reduces risk of ovarian & breast cancer
• Reduces risk of osteoporosis

Maintaining a Mother’s milk supply can be tricky at times. Frequent breast feeding, exercise, adequate calories and fluids can all help you maintain an adequate supply. For those still looking for help with their supply, many women have reported that consuming flaxseed and raw oats have helped. Below is a nutritious cookie recipe incorporating both of these lactation-supporting ingredients.

 

www.cdph.ca.gov – HowDoesFormulaCompareToBreastmilk.pdf

Cinnamon Apple and Pecan Lactation Cookies
Recipe from wholelifestylenutrition.com

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp ground sea salt
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
¾ cups ground flax seed
1 cup grass-fed butter, softened
½ cup honey
½ cup unsweetened organic apple sauce
¾ cup raw turbinado (or cane) sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 cups oats (not quick oats)
1 cup finely-chopped pecans
1 ½ cup organic raisins

Instructions

In a small bowl mix together the first 6 ingredients.
In a large bowl cream together the butter, honey, apple sauce, and sugar.
Beat the eggs and vanilla into the wet ingredients.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together just until incorporated.
Next mix in the oats, pecans, and raisins. Mix just until incorporated
Roll dough into balls and place onto non-stick baking sheet, flatten balls slightly with hand. Bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees or until they just begin to brown.

**Store in the fridge (ground flax spoils quickly at room temperature), or in the freezer to eat later!

Sources
American Academy of Pediatrics
The Journal of Pediatric and Neonatal Individualized Medicine- Human milk benefits and breastfeeding
California Department of Health & WIC
NSW Health