Lactation Cookies

I usually don't have very much milk for nursing my babies.  I have weaned at 6 months, 3 months and 7 months, all cold turkey with no problems.  The milk goes down drastically when they start sleeping through the night, or longer hours.  

With Carson (who started sleeping through the night-12 hours, on Christmas Eve, just shy of his two month birthday) my milk had just been regulated. So I set my alarm for 3 am and pumped every night for almost 2 more months.  

When Porter was here, I didn't want to sacrifice my sleep.  

Then Hudson was a champion nurser and did it very fast.  But he didn't gain weight for an entire month in his 6th month.  I started formula and he gained ounces in just a day. I never had much of a surplus in the freezer for when I was away from the baby.  Travis would have to use formula with all of the boys.

So this time with Emma I have been pumping a lot from day 3, especially since she doesn't seem to need/want to eat too often.  I started looking for things to eat that help your milk supply.  I don't know what these are called, but I call them lactation cookies.  And I have been eating them occasionally throughout the last 2, almost 3 months.  Last week I tested them when my milk seemed a little low, and they really work.  Plus they have some good stuff in them, so if you want a treat anyway there is a little health in there! They don't taste too bad either. I would like them better with milk chocolate chips.  I am sure if you didn't want chocolate while breastfeeding, you could substitute raisins and probably take out the spices if those bothered the baby. The little amount of chocolate doesn't seem to bother Emma. 

And I don't mind my kids having one occasionally either.

Sadly, I don't have the exact source for this.  I googled lactation cookie and about 30 different ones came up.  I printed one of them and don't know which one. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp cocoa

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar (I did 3/4 white sugar and 3/4 brown sugar)

2 tsp Brewers yeast

1 Tblsp ground flaxseed

1 1/2 cup oats

1 bag mini chocolate chips (10 oz)

Instructions

1. In medium bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and cocoa.  

2. In a different bowl, mix shortening, sugar and vanilla on medium speed. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes.

3. With mixer on low, slowly add in flour ingredients until just combined.

4. Add in oats, chocolate chips, yeast and flaxseed and mix by hand.

5. Bake for 7-9 minutes.  Remove from oven when the edges are starting to brown.  They will continue to bake while cooling down.

*I have baked these on a baking stone and a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and both turned out great.

Sidenote: I didn't drink THIS milk when I ate these cookies.

And this is the top shelf of my freezer today.  There is more behind this and more on the shelf below.  I need a new system, or to clean out my freezer.