Trialling the Effectiveness of Lactation Cookies by Measuring My Milk Supply

**Frangipani Lou** · October 28th, 2012, 09:42 PM

Thanks for your detailed description Pholi bill give it a go tomorrow. The other idea I had was to cut 2 holes in a crop top to hold the flange in place- much cheeper than the commercial version of the top.

**Frangipani Lou** · October 30th, 2012, 01:49 PM

Hiya ,
Just did the crop top double pumping thing and it worked brilliantly! Saved myself $70 on the commercial version.

**Frangipani Lou** · October 30th, 2012, 01:50 PM

How are you going with the cookies Pholi?

**Pholi** · October 30th, 2012, 02:09 PM

OK, results time:

When eating cooked Lactation cookies at a reate of approximately 2/feed- Average 24 hour yield over 5 days before: 372ml. Average over 5 days after: 412ml. Increase of 40ml, or 11%.

Stopped eating cookies for 2 days: Average 24 hour yield: 397ml. Decrease of 4%.

Started eating raw lactation cookie dough, which, according to collective bellybelly wisdom, is supposed to be even more effective than cooked dough, also at a rate of the equivalent of 2/feed. Average 24 hour yield over 4 days: 449ml. Increase from cooked cookie average of 37ml, or 8%; increase from no dough in the previous 2 days of 52ml, or 13%. Increase from before eating any cookies or dough of 77ml, or 20%.

Conclusion - it made a positive, measurable difference to my supply when I ate the cookies raw or cooked, but the raw made a bigger difference. I was certainly not leaking or spraying, or even feeling any fuller. I think that the fact that the numbers dropped when I stopped for 2 days strengthens the results.

Note that most women who breastfeed have an adequate supply, and an increase of 70 ml is probably irrelevant to most people. However, for those of us with a genuine low supply and have no choice but to supplement with formula, another 70mls of BM in 24 hours is a pretty good result.

Areas for further research - How much do I need to eat to maintain the effect? If I eat more, would my supply increase by more? If I stop, will my supply drop rightt back to base level, or would it stay partially or fully increased?

**k4t** · October 30th, 2012, 02:58 PM

Great research Pholi.

So does that mean you're going to keep eating raw cookie dough?

I know it's only a sample size of 1 but you know if there was a medication that promised 10% increase in supply some people would be rushing to buy it. And cookies are so much tastier.

**Ryatha** · October 30th, 2012, 06:54 PM

Awesome results

glad there was an increase for you.

Statistics wise do you have the results in a spreadsheet with all this info? You could graph it and put markers on there indicating amount and cooked/raw detail on. It would give a nice graphical view of the changes to your supply based on what you are doing.

**blessedatlast** · October 30th, 2012, 07:15 PM

Wow, that's fantastic.. I have a low supply and I have tried lactation cookies, however I was under loads of stress and I have no idea if they worked.. At the moment I am on 60gms of motilium, and I take 6 tabs of breastfeeding support (fenugreek and blessed thistle).. I BF my son 3-4 times a day, pump 4 times which gives me about 300mls.. I think a 70ml per 24 hours is a great increase

**Pholi** · October 30th, 2012, 07:19 PM

Thanks, ryatha. How about I scan the hand written table of results and you enter it into a spreadsheet and make a graph?

But seriously, how would I do that?? I've never really used excel or anything equivalent. if you were able to create the table, and send it to me somehow, I'd happily enter all the numbers.

k4t, if I keep eating them, I'll stick with raw, for sure. I just roll the mix into little truffle-like balls and keep them in the fridge. Whenever I feed, DP brings me a glass of water, 2 balls and my pumping kit! But I'll trial a few days without them at the end of this batch, and see if my supply drops again or not. They're so full of butter and sugar, I don't really want to keep this up for 12 months. And they taste... ok... but not so great that I want to eat 14 a day for the next 12 months! If my supply does drop, again, I'll try other recipes with the supposed active ingredients - oats, brewer's yeast and flaxseed. For example, a toasted muesli, which I could sprinkle on my morning cereal, or something. If I could have the same 'dosage' in one meal, and still get the effect, it would be much easier, and healthier.

**Pholi** · October 30th, 2012, 07:27 PM

Blessedatlast, I haven't tried the herbal supplements yet, but it's on the 'to do' list. Maybe you should try the cookies again? You sound like you're in a feeding and pumping routine, and if you know you normally pump 300ml a day, you will know from the volume you pump if the cookies are helping. On the other hand, if you can pump 300ml a day AND your son is still fully BF, maybe you don't need to increase your supply any more! In my case, I know DS is getting about 370 ml and I'm pumping only about 80ml in 24 hours.

**blessedatlast** · October 30th, 2012, 07:45 PM

He's not fully BF he was supplemented through a naso gastric tube.. We have only recently weaned the feeds, tomorrow is weigh day so I am hoping he wont have to go back on the tube feeds. I add loads of EBM to all his meals and also add cream and oil to add calories.. the 300ml is roughly the amount, my supply is up and down.. If DS doesn't need tube feeds anymore I don't need to increase my supply, however 3 months ago he was on 450mls through the tube, so I was putting my EBM down the tube and EBM from a donor..