Delicious Galactagogues- Pastries for the Nursing Person

ga·lac·ta·gogue ɡəˈlaktəˌɡäɡ/ noun MEDICINE plural noun: galactagogues 1. a food or drug that promotes or increases the flow of a mother’s milk.

I know what you are thinking; “man, this chick eats a lot of pastries!” I like pastries as a vehicle for nutritious foods because they are easy to make a bunch of at once, they feel like a treat, and they don’t require any prep or reheating to eat once they are made. I try to avoid heavy sugar loads in my recipes, but I also know my body, I know I tend toward very low blood sugar, and I am not afraid of carbs and have no trouble with gluten. In my life as a stay at home caregiver I struggle to find the time and space to eat enough to fuel chasing and nursing a toddler all day.

I have struggled with milk supply at different points in my journey with nursing, most recently early this winter when I let my calorie intake dip too low and came face to face with the decision to wean or not. I decided to hang in there and really commit to building my supply back up, and eating a diet rich in galactagogues was part of my success. Also now that my period has finally returned post-partum, I have been working to increase my iron intake as well. There are tons of recipes out there for lactation cookies, but I have yet to see one for lactation cinnamon rolls! These rolls are packed with ingredients to meet all three of these goals; upping my calorie intake by having one handed food rich in healthy fats available, packing a ton of galactagogues into a single package (I have marked them with a *) , and adding some iron rich foods in as well (Marked with Fe). Prepare this recipe with the exact same directions as my vegan cinnamon rolls.

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 cups besan (chick pea flour)*

• 1 cup oat flour*

• 2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast *

• 3 tablespoons cane sugar

• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 tablespoons flax meal*

• 1 cup warm water

• 1 egg

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Filling

• 2 cups raisins (Fe)

• 1 cup chopped walnuts*

• 1/4 cup black strap molasses (Fe)

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger*

Optional Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

• 2 tablespoons full fat plain greek yogurt

These are a delicious treat for anyone nursing, but I think they would be an especially wonderful gift for anyone who has just delivered a baby and is getting started breastfeeding. A friend brought me regular old cinnamon rolls when I was first home with my son and they were such a welcome gesture! I hope you love these rolls, as much as I do. Enjoy one with a glass of water or cup of nettle tea; remember hydration is the #1 way to keep your milk supply up.

#baking #breastfeeding #cinnamonrolls