Breastfeeding?

My 2nd is 5.5 months and I recently almost lost my milk supply due to a long bout of pneumonia. I had to use donor milk several times (luckily from a mom I know and who eats a WAP diet). My older son and I have been on GAPS due to many issues, but I started eating soaked oatmeal and potatoes for extra carbs as I lost a whole bunch of weight (and again wanted to get my milk supply up). I was wondering if I could start baby on some nourishing foods or if I should stick to something like raw milk? We have a huge history of dairy intolerance, but goat milk has been fine. I'm all set to give him broth, raw egg yolk and liver. Just curious as to what other's think or have experience with? My older son is healing fabulously since starting GAPS over a year ago and is now regularly eating nourishing foods like raw goat cheese and yogourt and growing so well! I want to set my baby up for life as best I can

Yes! Raw milk is amazing for increasing breast milk supply (Sarah from the Healthy Home Economist has an excellent testimony for that: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/raw-milk-solves-low-supply-for-breastfeeding-mom/) as well as many other blogs about breastfeeding. My friend's sister died after giving birth and she was very against the use of conventional formulas so she gave the baby raw milk and raw milk colostrum. The baby is absolutely thriving on it, especially when given the colostrum!

You are doing fantastic Roxanna! Your baby is fine with these foods at this age although other babies might not show signs of readiness at 5.5 months. In another month or so, you can add mashed banana and avocado and in another month some pureed meats and cooked veggies blended into that nourishing bone broth.

Just delay any grain based foods as long as you can. After one year, soaked porridges are wonderful but not before as baby doesn't produce much amylase to digest carbs before age 1 year.

As breastmilk is really supposed to be the main food for children under 12 months of age, and food is more for experimentation than anything else, I'd personally be concentrating on building up my milk supply.

There are a lot of galactogogues out there you can either incorporate into your diet, or can drink in a herbal tea form.

Here is a good article: http://kellymom.com/bf/can-i-breastfeed/herbs/herbal_galactagogue/

Here is a recipe for "lactation cookies" to help increase your milk by linseed, yeast, and oats.

http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/lactation-cookies-recipe-increasing.html


Of course the other part to increasing your supply is breastfeeeding as often as possible, giving baby unrestricted access to the breast, allowing/encouraging comfort nursing, not using breast subsitiutes eg pacifiers or bottles, as your breastmilk supply will equal demand given time to adjust.

All the best with it, breastmilk is amazing stuff, all my sons breastfed for years

You don't need to eat any special or different foods while you're breastfeeding. However, you should try to follow a healthy, balanced diet. Read more here: http://motherhow.com/breastfeeding-diet-what-to-eat/

Breast milk is undoubtedly a baby's best medicine for anything and everything!

have you looked into moringa?
Moringa for Breastfeeding Mothers: Benefits & Recipe
International BreastFeeding Centre | Using herbs to increase milk supply
Moringa - Why Breastfeeding Moms are raving about it!
congratulations and good luck with your new baby.