In the case of assessing if these drinks are responsible for increasing milk supply with this understanding in mind, the answer is yes and no. Here is a visual of how these components are individually and collectively responsible for producing an adequate milk supply. Multiple components have to come together simultaneously to produce an adequate milk supply, and a deficit in any one of these components can reduce milk production. Making More Milk describes a milk supply equation that shows how truly complicated it can be to assure a good milk supply. The electrolytes in these drinks help faster than plain water would have, and the sugar in these drinks provides a nice dopamine release which helps calm you down, which also encourages increased milk flow. If you were dehydrated, your body recovers and your supply comes back. So in this instance, you start to panic, remember someone said these drinks could help, so you grab one and start praying that the milk fairy returns. Lactation is typically successful, with most moms having an adequate milk supply, but almost every mom I have met that doesn’t have an abundant oversupply questions their supply at some point. Add in the extra demands for increased calories and hydration that breastfeeding demands, and it can be extremely easy for a mom to get dehydrated. Anyone who has ever cared for a young child knows that some days it is easy to forget that you need to eat and drink yourself. The reason mothers perceive these drinks to work is that they can help address one reason behind a decreased milk supply - if that reason is dehydration. So what is the deal with recommending these drinks? Do they really increase milk supply? Do you need them to successfully breastfeed? What is in these drinks that could increase milk supply? The drink of choice may have changed over time, but there is still an ever present string of moms singing the collective praises of these magic drinks. Now with my third son, Blue Gatorade has some new friends - the Starbucks pink drink, BodyArmour drinks with coconut water, and anything with added electrolytes. When I had my second son, Blue Gatorade was still around with the same string of moms singing the praises of the Blue Gatorade. Every mothering forum I saw said the same thing. Not red, not pink, not orange, not white……blue! No one ever stated why, but the why was not nearly as important as the string of moms who told the struggling mama that it had worked for them. When I was nursing my first son, Blue Gatorade was touted as the magic fix for low milk supply.
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