Tips for Tits: Increasing Milk Supply with Food, Herbs & Chinese Medicine
I wrote this blog in 2019. I’ve updated it for 2026
A few years ago, I got to be a breast milk broker. A patient who wasn't on Facebook texted me: she was moving, and she had about 400 ounces of frozen breast milk. Could I post it in the Buy Nothing group for her? I posted "Urgent, amazing give!" and in less than 60 seconds, another patient replied that her milk supply was low — deal done. Later that evening, a third woman reached out. She'd just had a C-section, her milk wasn't in yet — was there more milk available? I connected the women, and there you have it: well-fed babies in the community. The whole experience had me smiling all day.
I've been treating nursing mothers for more than four decades, and low milk supply remains one of the most stressful experiences a new mother can face. There are numerous reasons it occurs. Some, such as tongue-tie, are difficult to resolve without medical intervention. But often, milk production can be increased with a few simple changes in diet and lifestyle. And when that's not enough, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have a long, thoughtful tradition of supporting lactation.
Here's my list, starting with the very basics:
Eat. Nursing is a huge calorie burner. Pregnancy requires only about 200 extra calories a day — nursing burns through roughly 500. Adequate rest isn't always possible with a newborn, so be sure to eat nourishing food to fuel you both.
Drink. Every. Time. You. Nurse. Water in, milk out. Simple.
Rest. As much as possible. After giving birth, you have one job: caring for your baby and yourself. In China, tradition calls for zuo yuezi — "sitting the month" — a full month of rest after childbirth, with special foods prepared for the mother to encourage complete recovery. Other cultures call this lying-in. I'd love for every one of my patients to have this month, but let's be real: it rarely happens in our culture. Protect what rest you can.
Make choices about where your qi goes. Let the house go to hell — it'll get cleaned later. There are only so many hours in the day. Can you get groceries delivered? Can you afford a housekeeper for a couple of months? If so, just spend the money. You'll never regret it. Every hour spent not schlepping is an hour spent caring for yourself and your baby.
Use nutritional yeast. After I gave birth to my 10 lb., 2 oz. son (at home!), I had to return to work in four weeks. We were broke, and I was the primary earner in the family. I thought I might see three patients a day; within a week it escalated to about 35. I brought him with me — I'd place needles, and while my patients rested, I nursed my boy. I was exhausted, and it didn't take long for that to impact my milk supply. A couple of heaping teaspoons of nutritional yeast in a glass of juice twice daily was part of my strategy, and it worked. There's also a tradition of drinking a glass of dark beer or stout; I can't weigh in on that, but nutritional yeast packs a far greater nutritional punch — B vitamins, protein, and iron — and it's energizing to boot.
Consider fenugreek — with a caveat. Fenugreek is the classic ingredient in "mother's milk" teas, and many women feel it helps. having said that, the research since I first wrote this post has been mixed. Some studies show a modest benefit; others show none, and a small number of women find it actually lowers their supply. Skip it if you have a chickpea or peanut allergy (fenugreek is in the same plant family), and know that it can make you and your baby smell faintly of maple syrup. Harmless, but surprising. If a tea seems to help you, drink it. If it doesn't, don't force it — hydration matters more than any single herb.
Nurse frequently and switch sides. Milk production is supply and demand: the more you nurse, the more milk you make. Emptying the breast signals your body to produce more, which matters especially during growth spurts. Check that your baby has a good, deep latch — aim your nipple toward the roof of the mouth. There's ongoing debate about foremilk and hindmilk. Foremilk, let down first, is higher in lactose; hindmilk is higher in fat. Babies need both, and breast milk composition is, well, fluid — it responds continuously to signals from both your bodies. If your baby isn't gaining enough weight, make sure they're emptying the breast. And if your baby only wants one side, or you only have one breast: don't worry. One boob can make plenty of milk to grow a baby.
Bake some cookies. Really, who doesn't want a cookie — especially one for the greater good? Most lactation cookie recipes are built on nutritional yeast, flax seeds, and oats. My two favorite recipes, generously shared by a patient years ago, are at the end of this post.
Be patient. It takes a full week of good nutrition, hydration, and frequent nursing to meaningfully increase milk production.
What does Chinese medicine have to say about nursing?
When I evaluate a woman experiencing nursing challenges, two patterns are on my mind: deficiency and stagnation. Insufficient lactation can be caused by either — or both.
In Chinese medicine, breast milk is understood as a surplus of qi and blood. The great Qing dynasty gynecologist Fu Qingzhu wrote: "It should be understood that without qi, milk has nothing to transform it, and without blood, milk has nothing from which to be produced."
Difficult deliveries, poor nutrition, stress, depression, tongue-tie and painful cracked nipples can all impair nursing — which is why no two women receive the same treatment. Careful evaluation of a woman's constitution, appetite, and bowel movements all inform the diagnosis:
A woman who had a long, exhausting labor or bled heavily receives a formula built on tonic herbs. A woman who is constipated needs the stool freed first — the same channels that connect to the large intestine also traverse the breast. We don't use harsh laxatives; we use gentle, moistening herbs and acupuncture.
A woman who is tense and anxious about nursing receives a formula that soothes and harmonizes. The classical literature is explicit on this point: "Milk is not able to descend: reasons for this are crying, grief and anger that lead to qi stagnation, overflowing of qi, congealed qi and obstructed qi causing blockage in the breast channels."
Some women have Raynaud's syndrome. We usually think of it as a cause of cold hands and feet, but it can also affect the nipples, making nursing painful and difficult. In that case, I use a warming, opening formula.
And if there's mastitis, we clear heat and toxins — a topic that deserves its own post.
A time-tested formula for Building Qi & Blood
Here is a nourishing, classical formula to restore qi and blood that you can cook yourself. It's safe for mother and baby both.
Shi Quan Da Bu Tang — Perfect Major Supplementation Decoction
Shu Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae praeparata 12 g
Dang Gui Radix Angelicae sinensis 10 g
Bai Shao Radix Paeoniae albae 12 g
Chuan Xiong Radix Ligustici wallichii 8 g
Ren Shen Radix Ginseng 9 g
Bai Zhu Rhizoma Atractylodis macrocephalae 6 g
Fu Ling Sclerotium Poriae cocos 6 g
Zhi Gan Cao Radix Glycyrrhizae uralensis praeparata 3 g
Huang Qi Radix Astragali membranace i8 g
Rou Gui Cortex Cinnamomi cassiae 4 g
In my practice, I modify the formula with Tong Cao (Rice paper pith), which unblocks the vessels of the breast. You can even cook the herbs with chicken soup to make it more nourishing.
If you're struggling with milk supply, you don't have to figure it out alone. A good IBCLC lactation consultant is worth her weight in gold — and if you'd like a Chinese medicine evaluation and a formula tailored to your constitution, I'd love to help. I see patients in my Philadelphia office and by telehealth nationwide, with herbs shipped directly to you.
The recipes
Chocolate-Coconut Boobie Bars
2¾ cups oats
3½ cups cereal (any will work; I use Nature's Path Flax Plus)
4 T brewer's yeast
¼ c flax seeds
¼ c flax seed meal
1 c almonds
½ cup coconut
⅔ cup chocolate chips
2 c almond butter
1¼ c honey
Melt the honey and almond butter together in a small saucepan. Grind the cereal and almonds in a food processor and mix with the remaining dry ingredients. Combine everything in a bowl, press into a rimmed cookie sheet with a spatula, chill, and cut to size. Store in the fridge or freezer.
Peanut Butter Boobie Bars
3½ cups cereal
2¾ cups oats
½ cup oat bran
¼ cup flax seeds
¼ cup flax meal
1 cup almonds
½ cup sunflower seeds
3 T sesame seeds
2 cups peanut butter
1¼ cup honey
1 t vanilla
Same as the other batch: melt, mix, press into a pan, cool, cut. Enjoy!
About Cara O. Frank, L.OM.
Cara O. Frank, L.OM., was raised in a health food store in Brooklyn. At 8, she cartwheeled five miles from Greenwich Village, through Soho and Chinatown, and across the Brooklyn Bridge — and she has brought that same unstoppable energy to Chinese medicine for more than 43 years. At 17, a single acupuncture treatment changed the course of her health and her life; at 20, she enrolled in acupuncture school and never looked back.
Cara is the founder of China Herb Company, established in 1991 as the first mail-order compounding Chinese herbal dispensary in the United States, and of China Herb Seminars, where she teaches Chinese herbal medicine to practitioners nationwide. She founded Six Fishes Chinese Medicine in Philadelphia, which she led for many years before returning to a small clinical practice writing and teaching. She is the co-author of TCM Case Studies: Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders (People's Medical Publishing House), and her clinical texts are used in acupuncture schools today.
Cara treats patients in her Center City Philadelphia office and by telehealth nationwide, with custom-compounded herbal formulas shipped directly to your door. Read her full story or schedule an appointment.