Recipe for Disaster

Those are the lyrics to this adorable Backyardagains song... and now I will be singing that all day long!  But I do have a recipe to share.  About 2 weeks ago I realized that my milk supply was decreasing yet again.  I know, I know -- I'm a broken record if I've ever heard one... so let me cut to the chase.  I found this recipe on a breastfeeding forum and haven't stopped eating these cookies since!  It's a recipe for oatmeal cookies with flaxseed and brewers yeast (which all are supposed to help your milk supply) and these are probably the most delicious cookies I've ever made. And they have completely solved my problem! (for now)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal*
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
1 cup or more chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of brewers yeast** (be generous)

Directions:
Preheat oven at 375 degrees F. Mix together 2
tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes.

Cream (beat well) butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix
well. Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine
mix. Beat until blended.

Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips. Add to margarine mixture.
Stir in oats then chips.

Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment or
silpat. The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.

Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Serves: 6 dozen cookies

*can be found at any local health food store
**IT MUST BE BREWERS YEAST, NO SUBSTITUTIONS.

Now, I have no idea how many other mothers have as much trouble breastfeeding as I've had, but obviously some do because these forums and websites exist.  It's just amazing to me that all this information is not more readily available to first time moms.  I feel like I have had to search high and low for every little bit of information that I've gotten.  Randomly my sister-in-law told me about the beer with hops and how that might help with my milk supply.  Then, randomly again another breastfeeding mom mentioned Fenugreek.  The midwife at the birth center just happened to suggest a warm bath to help my milk produce.  And then I had to blog about my troubles before a friend suggested oatmeal.  I feel like I've been pulling teeth to get all this information.  And maybe it's out there in some magical book, but none of the books I've read suggested all of those things, they say things like balanced diet and lots of water.  Also, I didn't take any classes or call the Le Leche Club, so I can't comment on how helpful those may have been.  But I don't think you should have to take an extra class or pay for extra help to get some simple ideas.  Or to be told important things like - 'around 5 months your milk supply may drop some, here are some things you can try before you give up'.  

A friend was telling me that in China you start a special diet once your baby is born.  I bet money it includes things like oatmeal, flaxseed and brewers yeast. And probably other helpful things that I don't even know about!  It's just odd that we are told over and over again how important breastfeeding is - 6 months at least, 1 year if you can.  But they don't give you all the tools accomplish that.  I wonder how much money insurance companies would save by helping moms breastfeed with a special diet.  Sick babies are expensive.  Multiple trips to the ER, Urgant Care Center, Dr. office.  Ear infections, tubes in ears.  I know that breastfed babies get sick all the time, so it's not an easy fix -- Miles is still coughing with a runny nose.  But research says they get sick less than non-breastfed babies.  Even if it's 25% less, that adds up to lots of dollars.

All I do know is that I'm so grateful for the internet and all the other moms with helpful suggestions. I will definitely be making these cookies for all my pregnant friends once their babies are born.  I may even compile a list of all the helpful things I tried so they don't feel as in the dark as I did.  And hopefully they will never have a problem with breastfeeding.  But I think more information is always better than less!