So there is a time that nearly every new mom has — gazing down at the baby and asking herself “Am I making enough milk? It’s a very common concern in the first few weeks after giving birth and it’s quite normal. The supply of milk can be variable and during all the night feedings and numerous awakenings, it’s easy to doubt oneself.

The good news is that, for most mothers, there is nothing permanent about the situation of low supply; it’s just a reminder that there’s a need to tweak something in the routine, and we’re here to help you do it with a delicate touch. Traditional methods of medicine knew how to do this naturally long before the birth of the modern lactation consultant and lactation supplements. However, let’s discuss how you can truly improve breast milk naturally, without stress, without guessing, and without harsh treatment of the body.

Begin by what your body truly requires

There are two factors that milk production relies on, hydration and nourishment. Mothers are too busy caring for their babies and tend to forget to eat and drink enough. Now that you are feeding two, take this responsibility seriously — warm fluids, small meals, and plenty of rest (as much as your baby can manage) are the key to feeding two.

The top three silent killers of supply are skipping meals, stress and lack of sleep. Before you go to any remedies, ask yourself: am I eating enough, drinking enough and getting even rest breaks?

The Ayurvedic Approach is time-tested and gentle

It is here that the traditional knowledge of Kerala comes into picture. Post natal care in Ayurveda, the concept of postnatal nutrition has long been recognized, knowing that healing and lactation rely on warmth – warm food, warm oil massage, warm body temperature and warm nervous system.

If you are seeking to increase breast milk Ayurveda style, several practices come to mind:

• Galactagogues such as herbal decoctions with fenugreek, shatavari and jeerakam (cumin) have been used for generations in Kerala households.
• Doing warm sesame or medicated oil massage massage according to Ayurveda is believed to improve circulation and hormonal balance, indirectly promoting milk flow.
• Routines with focus on rest (as opposed to baby), massage, warm baths, and calm environment are used as medicine (not luxury)
• Avoid sugary soft drinks.Don’t drink sugary soft drinks.

It isn’t about replacing current care, it is about providing gentle, natural care support as well.

Eat Like Your Grandmother Told You To 

There’s one place where it’s figured out at the dinner table and that’s Kerala. The kitchens of the lactation foods Kerala have long depended on are not superfoods, but simple, ordinary foods:

• Warm porridge made from uluva (fenugreek) is believed to increase supply almost immediately.
• Garlic and pepper rasam is easy to digest and is traditionally started the first few weeks after childbirth.
• Use ghee for cooking vegetables and lentils without any heaviness, for sustained energy.
• Dry fruits, jaggery sweets: Natural, iron rich energy boosters
• Ragi (finger millet) porridge is rich in calcium and is easily digestible. 

These foods are not only traditional; they are also full of nutrients (iron, calcium, healthy fats) that are important not only for the mother to recover, but also for supporting milk production.

Don’t dismiss the emotional component

One thing that is often overlooked is that stress directly inhibits the let down reflex. For a mother who is concerned, tired or unhelped, it is often difficult to feed no matter what she eats. That’s the reason why traditional postnatal care systems have a system of support – someone else is preparing the food and someone else is tending the house and giving the mother real rest. It’s not indulgence. It’s physiology.

Just like any other aspect of the recovery process after childbirth, improving milk supply naturally isn’t a single food or a single cure, it’s a series of foods, warmth, rest and reduced stress — most of which Kerala’s Ayurvedic traditions have taken for granted for generations. Do what your body is telling you, go with what has been used for a long time and don’t be afraid to ask advice from any people who have knowledge about traditional postpartum care.

It’s not unusual for the best advice to be the simplest advice.