Breastfeeding is an exhausting, famishing business and, while nutrition should be a focal point for our food choices, it is usually more of a “what can I stuff in my face, fast, before I try to close my eyes with baby for 15 minutes?” type of deal. We mamas have to take good care of ourselves if we are going to be a food-source and beyond lots and lots of water, there are a few foods that help lactation. If you are lucky enough to nurse on demand at home, then you might night have an issue with milk supply, but so many of us do not have a seamless transition from pregnancy to nursing- there’s c-sections, NICU stays, baby latching issues, going back to work, multiples, pumping, and the list of things that can make breastfeeding difficult goes on. It is a commitment, to say the least.
I ate oatmeal every morning for the first 3 months of my baby’s life and seemed to overproduce- I had to practice “laid back nursing” because it came shooting out at the poor kid and he’d get all pukey because he couldn’t keep up. Is there a correlation between the oatmeal and my supply? Possibly, maybe not, but I do believe the gallons of water I drank and all the oatmeal did play at least a small role.
When I was pregnant with my first over 6 years ago, I had a friend who made chocolate chip banana bread after we came home from the hospital. I never had many pregnancy cravings, but since then, banana bread has definitely been my nursing craving!
Now, with my newest baby, we had moved to a new state (sunny Florida!), no family or friends to bring us care packages, and I’m on my own for banana bread cravings. I’ve tried to cook and eat a lot healthier this time around, being a little older and wiser and all. There are different lactation cookies out there and the recipes look delicious, but I never have refined/white sugars or flours in my house and I do my best to cook with whole, quality food ingredients. So this rendition of chocolate chip banana bread will not only maximize breast milk potential, but be close to the healthiest version of the tried-and-true bread.
Nursing Mama’s Banana Bread
Ingredients:
- 3 eggs
- 3 bananas (overripe)
- 1/2 c rolled oats
- 1/4 c flax seeds
- 1 c peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 8 oz dark chocolate (I like to break a 72% cacao or higher bar of dark chocolate into chunks)
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degress. In a large mixing bowl, mash bananas with a fork or hand mixer. Add eggs, then peanut butter, mixing thoroughly between both ingredients. Next, add the vanilla, baking soda, and cinnamon. Fold in rolled oats and flax seeds, and finally the dark chocolate chips/chunks.
Pour batter into a greased bread pan and place in the oven for ~30 minutes. When a toothpick/fork/knife/utensil nearby comes out clean, take bread out and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before cutting into it.
Feel free to add some high-protein nuts for added lactating benefits. I leave them out only because my oldest doesn’t like nuts. You will also notice by my picture that I used foil instead of greasing my pan. As a busy mama of 2 rambunctious boys, I try to maximize efficiency and lining my pan saves a step in cleaning. *Note: use wax paper or parchment paper as bread will stick to foil. This was all I had on-hand today.
Enjoy!
Happy Lactating,
Our Sacred Wild
Oh and ps- I am not a doctor, I do not pretend to be, and if you have any health concerns, always consult a medical professional. Nothing that I share is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, etc.. etc.. etc… (in a King and I voice).
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
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