What Makes Our Lactation Tea Work?

Years ago when I had my baby, a kind and well-meaning midwife handed me a little bag of 'lactation tea' in the hopes it might help us during our struggle, but it tasted awful and was quite undrinkable, let alone enjoyable! So when formulating our latest  Lactation Tea, it was a MUST that it be both functional and work well for mums, but it HAD to be delicious too!

Since launching this beautiful tea, we've been inundated with questions from you all wondering what it is that makes it work - and it's a great question!

Firstly, it's always our firm belief that the time during new motherhood is a delicate one and that it's vitally important to ensure the products we provide are the healthiest and most organic choices.
Our Lactation Tea is no exception and we're pleased to say ticks all of the following boxes:

• Sourced from an ACO (Australian Certified Organic) Processor
• Free from insecticides, pesticides and other chemicals
• Free from fillers or preservatives
• GMO Free
• Low GI, Sugar Free, Vegan, Gluten Free

Our ingredients have been specially chosen to work together, providing a refreshing and soothing taste, while also containing all the galactogogues (milk boosters) reputed to traditionally help build milk supply including the following:

Organic Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek has a long history of being reputed to help breastfeeding mothers with their supply and in recent years too, medical professionals and researchers have also taken a serious look at fenugreek due to its popular use and effectiveness.

Hormone Precursors

The hormones that these precursors bring about are the very same that lead to increased milk production. When these chemicals are present in the body they act like signals letting the mother’s body know that it’s time to make more milk. For women who aren’t making enough milk or who are having a hard time getting lactation to happen in a steady way, fenugreek could possibly assist in providing extra signals to the body to help get the process moving along more productively.

Steroids

Fenugreek is rich in a variety of specialized steroids called steroidal sapogenins. These steroids help strengthen and energize certain functions within the body – and as you’ve probably already guessed, lactation is one of them. Several of the gentle, all-natural steroids contained in fenugreek may help help strengthen the parts of the body that produce milk so that the process can happen more regularly with greater output.

A recent study involving 1,200 mothers found that all of them experienced a noticeable increase in breast milk production within just 72 hours of using fenugreek (1).

Organic Fennel Seeds

Fennel is an amazing herb with a long history of being used help increase the quantity and quality of breast milk in lactating mothers. The main way that fennel seems to help increase breast milk naturally in mothers is through its reputed estrogenic properties. As the name implies, the chemicals contained in fennel help make positive changes in the hormones which can lead to greater milk production.

Organic Aniseed

Like many galactagogues (milk boosting ingredients), Aniseed is one that's been used through the ages by breastfeeding mothers and it's reputed to:

• increase breast milk supply.
• help to treat clogged ducts and other problems in the milk glands, by maintaining a constant milk flow.
• decrease colic symptoms in babies via the breast milk.

Organic Alfalfa Leaf

Alfalfa has been used as food and complementary herbal remedy for many centuries. It's packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and has been widely reputed to help digestive disorders, arthritis, and kidney problems, but it's also considered a milk boosting galactagogue as well, helping breastfeeding mums increase supply.

Alfalfa contains phytoestrogens or plant-estrogens, which are reputed to increase breast tissue and milk supply.
When dried and brewed as a tea it will enter a mother's breastmilk and it's benefits filter through to babies as well.

Organic Marshmallow Root

Marshmallow root is highly nutritious ingredient that helps enrich the fat component of milk allowing your baby to be fuller for longer and is a key ingredient we had to include for this reason in our Lactation Tea.

Organic Lavender

There's just something about the old-world scent of lavender that REALLY is calming and soothing, but that's not the only reason we've included it in our tea!
Lavender tea can also help support digestive health by soothing all manner of digestive issues and that it also has anti-inflammatory properties that can help irritated stomach muscles, eliminating stomach pain and bloating.

There really is just so much to love about our Lactation Teas, but the other GREAT benefit is that while we did formulate it for breastfeeding mothers, during taste testing, we were overwhelmingly told that it’s so nice that it’s been a fantastic tea option for ANY tea drinker (even kids) to enjoy as a relaxing, pre-bedtime sleep tea.

References

Carol Reeder, BSN, RN, IBCLC, Anita LeGrand, BSN, RN, and Susan K. O’Connor-Von, PhD, RN. “The Effect of Fenugreek on Milk Production and Prolactin Levels in Mothers of Preterm Infants.” 2013. Web.

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. “Effect of Fenugreek on Milk Production (fenugreek)” November 25, 2013. Web.