Best Foods to Eat to Increase Postpartum Milk Production

Gentle nourishment to support your milk supply, energy, and emotional well-being.

In the quiet weeks after birth, your body begins its sacred work: recovering from labor, bonding with your baby, and, if you’ve chosen to breastfeed, producing milk. It's a beautiful, biological process guided by hormones and intuition. But it also draws deeply from your physical resources.

That’s why what you eat during postpartum matters.

Hi! I’m Hailey Pechan, a postpartum doula located in Phoenix, Arizona. I provide holistic, heart-centered support for new mothers during the transformative postpartum period, honoring their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs while helping them feel deeply seen, nourished, and empowered.

I strive to redefine postpartum care by blending modern knowledge with traditional wisdom, offering compassionate guidance and personalized support that nurtures the whole mother, from conception through postpartum. You can learn more about me and my services here.

As a postpartum doula who specializes in Ayurvedic nourishment and holistic care, I often tell new mothers this: milk is made from blood, and blood is made from food. Your body needs consistent warmth, hydration, and deeply nourishing meals to produce milk and keep your energy steady.

If you're wondering what foods can help increase your postpartum milk production, let’s walk gently through the most supportive ones together.

What Triggers Milk Production After Birth?

When your baby is born and the placenta detaches, your levels of estrogen and progesterone drop sharply, allowing the hormone prolactin to rise. This “milk-making” hormone is what tells your body it’s time to begin producing milk.

In the early days, milk supply is also driven by oxytocin, the love hormone. This is why touch, cuddling, and skin-to-skin contact can be so powerful. Milk production is both hormonal and emotional, which is why we nourish both the body and the spirit.

If breastfeeding is something that feels daunting to you or you are currently facing challenges in this area, I recommend reaching out to a lactation consultant. Lactation consultants are trained health professionals who can offer education, answer your questions, and provide training to support you in your breastfeeding journey. 

What Is the 333 Rule for Breast Milk?

The “3-3-3 Rule” refers to how breast milk typically begins to establish and regulate:

• 3 Days for colostrum to transition into mature milk

• 3 Weeks for your supply to stabilize

• 3 Months for full rhythm and demand-supply balance to settle in

During this period, the foods you eat can deeply influence your milk supply, hormonal balance, and postpartum healing.

Best Foods to Eat for Postpartum Milk Production

Let’s ground this in real, whole-food nourishment. From an Ayurvedic perspective, birth leaves the body in a cold, dry, and airy (vata) state. To support balance within the body, I recommend foods that are warm in both temperature and quality.

These foods are warming, easy to digest, and rich in the nutrients your body needs to produce milk and support your postpartum recovery.

Oats

High in iron and fiber, oats support milk supply and digestion. Try warm bowls of oatmeal with ghee, cinnamon, and dates for breakfast.

Dark Leafy Greens

Spinach, moringa, and kale are packed with calcium, folate, and vitamin K—all important for lactation and postpartum bleeding recovery.

Garlic

A known galactagogue (milk-boosting food), garlic also strengthens immunity. Add it liberally to soups, stews, and sautéed veggies.

Coconut and Coconut Milk

Nutrient-dense and hydrating, coconut supports hormone balance and adds healthy fats to your meals. Cook rice in coconut milk or sip on warm coconut broth.

Lentils and Mung Dal

Rich in protein and iron, these legumes are easy to digest and traditionally used in Ayurvedic postpartum meals like kitchari.

Sweet Potatoes

Grounding and nourishing, sweet potatoes support blood sugar stability and are high in beta-carotene, which boosts breast milk quality.

Fenugreek & Fennel Tea

Both herbs are known to increase milk supply. Steep them gently and sip throughout the day for lactation and digestion support.

Almonds and Nuts

Full of protein and healthy fats, almonds can help enrich the quality of your breast milk and offer an easy snack between feedings.

Dates and Dried Fruits

Naturally sweet and iron-rich, dates are often used in postpartum energy balls or warm tonics to help rebuild lost energy and blood.

For a comprehensive list of warming foods for the first 42 days after birth, read this blog post and check out our Postpartum Meal Guide.

The First 42 Days - A Postpartum Meal Guide

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Foods to Limit During Postpartum

While your diet should be comforting and unrestricted, some foods may interfere with milk production or digestion:

• Cold, raw foods (they can aggravate Vata and slow digestion)

• Excess caffeine can affect baby’s sleep and your milk letdown

• Peppermint and sage in large amounts (may decrease milk supply)

Trust your body’s cues, and if something doesn’t feel supportive, give yourself permission to adapt.

Gentle Tips to Support Milk Supply Naturally

In addition to eating nourishing foods for milk production, remember:

• Nurse or pump frequently to establish demand

• Practice skin-to-skin contact to stimulate oxytocin

• Rest deeply: fatigue can reduce milk output

• Hydrate consistently with warm water and herbal teas

• Let go of pressure and trust your body’s unique pace

Your Healing Is Worthy of Nourishment

Milk production is a miraculous, ongoing gift your body offers your baby. But it’s also an act that requires energy, warmth, and deep care. You are not just feeding a baby, you are rebuilding from the inside out.

Let every bite you take be an offering to your hormones, your healing, and the mama you are becoming.

If you’d like more guidance on Ayurvedic postpartum recipes, postpartum doula care, or customized postpartum meal planning, I’d be honored to support you.

You deserve to be nourished. You deserve to feel full in every sense of the word.