Life

A Super Bowl Recipe To Get Your Milk Flowing

I can't believe Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. For one thing, it means I get my fiancé back on Sunday afternoons. For another, it means I get to indulge in tons of delicious food. From hot wings to cupcakes, Super Bowl Sunday every foodie's dream sporting event. Even breastfeeding moms can get it on the chow, because the one Super Bowl recipe to increase milk supply is also super delicious and perfect to share with all your friends as you root on the Falcons. (Right? You are rooting on the Falcons, aren't you?)

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that not all low milk supply issues can be cured with food. According to Kelly Mom, a galactagogue (which is a substance that increases your milk supply) is only effective if you're continuing to remove milk frequently by nursing or pumping as much as possible. You can't just eat a food that's supposed to increase your milk supply and expect to have your cups literally runneth over. There's got to be more of an effort and it also helps to determine why you have a low supply. If it's because of your little one's latch, eating all the galactagogues in the world isn't going to help.

Knowing all that, there is a Super Bowl recipe that could help increase your milk supply — Gimme Some Oven's garlicky baked shrimp.

Shrimp is always a party crowd pleaser, isn't it? Plus you can easily whip up a huge dish for all of your friends. But this dish specifically is helpful for breastfeeding moms because garlic might help increase your milk supply.

It's not that garlic is a galactagogue — it increases your milk in another way. In 1993, researchers studied the effects of garlic on a breastfeeding mother and found that babies nursed for a significantly longer time when their mothers ingested garlic capsules. It turns out that what you eat can flavor your breast milk and babies. And, apparently, babies like garlic.

The garlicky baked shrimp from Gimme Some Oven obviously uses a lot of garlic. With six cloves for four to six servings of the dish, you're going to be ingesting a whole lot of that flavor. And if it means your baby will nurse for longer and more often, then that means your milk production will increase. Janice Campbell, lactation consultant at South Nassau Communities Hospital, tells Romper, that the best way to produce more milk is to "breastfeed on demand." More milk out equals more milk made. If garlic can make your baby's nursing sessions longer, your body's going to have to up production to keep up with your little one's demands, giving you an increase in supply.

So not only will chowing down on Gimme Some Oven's garlicky baked shrimp make your tummy happy, but it can also potentially give you a boost in supply, meaning you get to celebrate two victories that night — more breast milk and the Falcons winning the Super Bowl for the first time ever. (Hey, good vibes help for both breast milk and football.)