Be it your first experience of becoming a mom, or even if you are a mother of more than one child, and you must have probably heard of lactation cookies at least once. All across the globe,  breastfeeding moms prefer these breastfeeding snacks and also consider them to be an effective way to boost and nourish their milk supply.

From lactation bars to lactation cookies, these products are available in a variety of forms. For the people who do not know, there are two common questions asked by them. 

Firstly, “do these lactation cookies actually increase milk supply?” 

Secondly, “how can a cookie have the power to influence lactation?’’

What Actually Are Lactation Cookies and When To Use Them? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 60% of mothers of newborns do not breastfeed for as long as they intend to. There are several reasons why this percentage is so high, and more often than not, it can be lactation and latching issues. This is when lactation cookies and lactation bars might be considered as an option by a mother. 

Many products in the market claim to support healthy lactation. Lactation cookies are one such product. That being said, the key to the effectiveness of lactation cookies is their ingredients. That being said, researching the elements of various products in the market can be exhausting and confusing, especially when you are a mother to a newborn. 

This is why we have made efforts that can be of some additional help for you. 

To begin with, let us answer the question,

“Do Lactation Cookies Actually Work?” 

The answer is yes, and lactation cookies do work to increase lactation or breast milk supply. This is primarily because most good-quality lactation cookies contain galactagogues. These are basically substances that help promote lactation. Such substances are also commonly found in many foods and herbs, including turmeric, oatmeal, fennel seed, milk thistle, and many others. 

Milk supply starts building naturally when you have your baby. Factors like proper nutrition, hydration, and relaxation can enhance the milk supply as well. It’s best to use lactation cookies when hunger or low energy kicks in. These snacks can help regain your strength and power while supplying your body with an abundance of healthy vitamins. This consequently increases your milk supply. 

That being said, several specific ingredients make lactation cookies effective for increasing milk supply. 

The Key Ingredients of Lactation Cookies

There are a few common ingredients that are found in all good lactation cookies. They are: 

  • Brewers’ Yeast
  • Flaxseed
  • Oats
  • Wheatgerm
  • Galactagogues
  • Black sesame seeds
  • Chia seeds
  • Coconut
  • Fenugreek
  • Turmeric

How to Store Lactation Cookies? 

Now that you have got these lactation cookies, you might be grinding on how to store these to ensure you can eat them for longer. We are divulging a few ways you can try to preserve these cookies: 

  • By freezing lactation cookie dough –

If you plan to bake these lactation cookies fresh or make them handy, you can store the dough in the freezer so that you can bake it whenever you need. For this, you need to make a ball of dough on a sheet and freeze it. Once the dough is solid enough, you can put these balls into a freezer bag and take out a few to bake every time you need. For reheating the dough, you require placing the dough ball onto a sheet and baking it in the oven for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. 

  • By freezing baked lactation cookies –

 

You can also freeze the baked cookies. If you do so, make sure you put these cookies into the freezer only after these have been cooled down post-baking. If you need to reheat the cookies, you can put these at room temperature for some time or microwave them for a few seconds. And yes, they’re ready to eat!

  • By refrigerating baked lactation cookies –

You can save the beaked lactation cookies by simply putting them in a refrigerator. So if you’ve just baked the cookies, let them cool and put them in an airtight container, and keep them in your fridge. 

  • By refrigerating no-bake lactation cookies –

If you’re going for no-bake lactation cookies, you can store them in the refrigerator for three months. Just make sure you fully seal the bag in which you’re keeping the cookies so that they don’t get in contact with air or anything and contaminate. 

Final Thoughts

Lactation bars and cookies have been popular for their effectiveness, and people across the globe are using the cookies to boost their milk supply. If you have been wondering if these products are worth the investment, then they definitely are, with several reputed manufacturers offering great lactation cookies at pretty affordable prices!