Five Nigerian Foods That Can Boost Your Breast Milk Supply

One of the challenges of the postpartum period is how to maintain steady supply of breast milk. This elementary food for children is produced by the activities of the body hormones, prolactin and oxytocin, and certain foods can help boost and sustain breast milk supply or production.In Nigeria, we have been able to identify some foods that nursing mothers can eat to naturally increase their lactation. 

These five foods are easy to come by

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• Pap

Pap is ground fermented maize or corn, it is prepared by grinding the fermented maize and extracting the starch. This local food is a know breast milk booster. Older moms advice that it should be taken in the morning with milk for best result.

There are two variations of pap in Nigeria, the common pap which is made from corn or maize and ogi baba made from millet. Both are highly nutritious and excellent in boosting nursing mother’s breast milk supply when taken regularly during the postpartum period.

• Kunu

Kunu is a locale drink prepared with millet, it is more like very light pap, but it tastes differently. It tastes great and it is also a better choice than a carbonated drink. Kunu is sweetened according to the consumer’s choice. Some use fresh potatoes, coconut and others even use sugar, but the choice is yours.

Kunu as a locale drink contains favourable levels of, lactic acid, protein, fat and carbohydrate which helps to not only boosts milk production but also fortifies it with essential nutrients for the health of the baby.  

• Fura da nunu

This locale beverage is consumed more in the northern part of Nigeria. It is a combination of cow milk and millet which also form its name. It is prepared for consumption by mixing the two in a bowl and whipping steadily with a specially designed propeller until the right texture is gotten.

Apart from being highly nutritious, it also acts as a stimulant to breast milk production. 

• Cheese

Cheese is another great Nigerian food rich in protein, omega 3 and healthy fat. It is common amongst the Yoruba’s and known as wara. It can be eaten fresh or combined with egg as a sandwich and can also be used to garnish other foods. It has served the Yoruba’s for centuries for the stimulation of nursing mother’s breast milk supply

• Soya beans

Soya milk is a product of fermented soya beans. It is rich in protein and essential minerals. Drinking soya beans milk regularly can give a steady supply of breast milk.

Eat healthy let your child get nourished from the breast he or she sucks, it’s their major food at this stage of growth. WHO advises that exclusive breast feeding for the first six months is still the best. 

Cheers!!