Do You Know the Muffin Man?

I am ever in search of ways to make my life easier. Each day I attempt to eat oatmeal in order to build up my milk supply. In a previous post I mentioned that I'd made some Lactation Cookies to help build up my milk supply, which are made largely with oatmeal, a food known to increase the milk supply of a lactating mom. This got me thinking about other ways that I could ingest oatmeal. With two babies to look after it's not always easy for me to prepare and eat oatmeal the traditional way. I have nightmares about hot foods and/or beverages falling on the girls and burning them, so I generally steer clear of all that stuff when I'm holding them, which is most of the time.



When the girls were new, a friend brought over these great muffins--full of nutritious goodness, including oatmeal. They are the perfect breakfast or snack for me, and I can grab and eat them while the girls eat. That cookie recipe got me thinking, and I decided that I would modify her muffin recipe just a bit, so that they could be lactation muffins, full of even more lactogenic (yes, that is a word) ingredients. Here's the recipe, and an explanation of each ingredient's benefits to the lactating mom.



4 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup olive oil****
2 tsp vanilla
1 medium carrot peeled and grated*
1 large apple or pear peeled and grated
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 cup oats**
3 T brewer's yeast***
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal****
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger*****
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Fill muffin trays to the top. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

*Carrots contain beta-carotene needed in extra amounts during lactation. They also contain phytoestrogens, which support breastfeeding

**Oats increase milk production

***Brewer's yeast has been known to boost milk supply, contains phytoestrogens, and is a good source of protein.

****Healthy fats such as those found in flaxseed meal and olive oil help to keep a good composition of fat in the breastmilk.

*****Ginger helps with letdown and milk flow.