Gillian McKeith's Food Bible (31 page)

Fennel

Fenugreek

Licorice

Marshmallow root

Nettle

Raspberry leaf

Red clover

Thin Milk

It is common for milk quantity and quality to decrease slightly at around two months after the birth. Some women find their milk has gone thin or watery. You may simply be overtired at this point, so rest whenever you can. Keep putting your baby to the breast, as it is the sucking action that will stimulate the milk to flow. Nourish your spleen, liver, and blood supply, and the milk will thicken. Use the herbs above in rotation and add one of these superfoods to your daily diet:

Alfalfa

Spirulina

Wheatgrass

Wild blue-green algae

Barley grass

Too much milk

Too much milk can result in engorged, uncomfortable breasts. You can buy or rent an express machine to pump out some extra milk and freeze it for a later date. Be cautious of too much expressing, since it gives your body the same message as putting baby to the breast; so your body will continue to produce extra milk. Too much milk usually lasts only for a few days, when the milk first comes in, and balances itself as your baby becomes more settled. Applying ice bags to the breast can sometimes relieve the pain. If your breasts start getting hard, lumpy, and
uncomfortable, have a warm shower and gently massage the lumps toward the nipples, while manually expressing out the blocked milk. This will usually relieve the discomfort, while leaving enough milk in the breast to allow your body to naturally regulate milk supply.

Remedies to decrease milk production or reduce engorgement

Drink an infusion of sage herbal tea three times a day until milk slows down. It’s also available in tincture form.