Katie

My Breastfeeding Smoothie written by Katie Louderback

We know how essential it is to nourish ourselves while breastfeeding. However the reality of mothering sometimes gets in the way of our best intentions.  We are often pulled away from meeting our own needs in order to respond to the needs of our babies and/or children.  As the mother of two small children, I know this well.

I found myself able to make a nourishing breakfast but then I struggled to eat much of anything between breakfast and dinner.  I felt the resulting swings in my blood sugar and I wanted to nourish myself and my baby more completely.  I came up with this simple smoothie to give myself some nutritional insurance on really hectic days.

While the foods in the smoothie are simple, they are packed with nutrition to support a nursing mother.  The coconut oil, yogurt and eggs are all healthy sources of saturated fat to support a growing baby. The coconut oil also bestows boosted immunities for ourselves and our babies and its been shown to help our bodies burn fat and aids healthy weight loss.  That is certainly not why I drink it – but it’s not a bad side effect for a postpartum mama!  The ingredients also provide essential vitamins A and D and minerals including calcium and iron.

I make it (or on lucky days my husband makes for me) and drink it as a snack mid-morning and then again in the afternoon.  It keeps my blood sugar stable when my lunch gets delayed or just doesn’t happen for the day and I know it’s helping me nourish a growing baby.

Breastfeeding Smoothie Recipe

  • 1 tbs coconut oil
  • 1 cup of raw milk yogurt (homemade)
  • 1 raw pastured, preferably soy-free egg (these eggs taste delicious and since they come from a family farm 10 minutes from my house – I feel very comfortable eating them raw)
  • ½ a cup of aloe juice
  • About ¼-½ cup of fresh, organic seasonal fruit (or frozen if necessary)
  • Add any filtered water to make desired consistency

Optional: I have also added spirulina at times to give myself an added boost of greens for the day. I know many people that add cod liver oil to their smoothie. I take fermented cod liver oil separately and don’t like the taste mixed in my smoothie but if you’re finding it hard to get your CLO down each day it might be a good idea to add it in.

Nourishing ourselves as breastfeeding mothers is so important and sometimes it can be a challenge. I can get caught up in how much time it takes to prepare traditional foods especially when I feel my time is limited right now. I know this is a very simple recipe but I wrote this post as a reminder (to myself as well) that sometimes nourishing ourselves and our babies can be simple.

I am also curious if others have some great recipes they want to share!

About the Author

Katie Louderback, NC, serves as one of Nourishing Our Children’s volunteer presenters. She has spent most of her working life supporting families.  She began her career in the field of social work with families. Since that time she has shifted her focus into teaching prenatal yoga, being a birth and postpartum doula and a Certified Nutrition Consultant. She was a vegetarian for almost 10 years and it wasn’t until she experienced many health issues that she questioned the wisdom of that approach for her body. Dealing with her own health issues increased her interest in health and diet. However, it was preparing for her first pregnancy that she was introduced to the principals of the Weston A. Price Foundation. Since that introduction, her health has continued to improve she has dedicated herself to learning more, cooking traditional foods for her own family and sharing the wisdom of traditional foods with other families.