Everyone loves ice cream. I’ve never met a person who didn’t like it. Now there’s even more reason to, because apparently one of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavor has health benefits and helps moms increase their breast milk supply. Yup, you read that right.
So, what’s the deal? Ben & Jerry’s flavor, Oat of this Swirled, has oats in it–which means it helps a woman produce more milk, since oats are galactagogues. All that basically means is that oats help women produce milk. This means eating foods with oats in general could help, but obviously there’s not exactly a lot of scientific evidence to show that eating a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s is actually going to really help–especially since the sugar intake may outweigh any of the benefits in this case.
In all seriousness, if you are having trouble producing enough milk, definitely speak with a lactation consultant. Many suggest drinking more water, reducing your stress levels, pumping, and nursing on demand as ways to increase your supply. For instance, Nina Leicht-Crist, certified lactation counselor and writer at Millions of Peaches, suggests letting the baby nurse when possible:
