Lactation Cookies

Serifm had her baby!  A beautiful boy, a perfect delivery (what's that?), they're doing great.  In honor of the news, I decided I'd make her some Lactation Cookies last night to take to her.  Only I forgot to add the oats.  So they just reeeeeeeeeeallly taste like flaxseed.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing

(Original recipe here.)

Lactation Cookies

Cream together:
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup brown sugar

Add:
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups ground flax seeds

Stir in:
3 cups flour - whole grain is best to use
4 tablespoons brewers yeast
3 cups rolled oats (2 cups mixes in better)

Add 1 cup chocolate chips, or toffee pieces, or whatever.

If mixture is too dry, add some olive oil.

Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.

They work well - I got 4 more ounces the first time I pumped after eating some.  A good friend swears by them also.

It's the flaxseed and the brewer's yeast that help with milk production.  The old wives tale that drinking a beer will help with your milk?  It totally works because of the same principle.  The DHA supplement that is recommended during pregnancy and especially breastfeeding?  Flaxseed is a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA.

My most recent piece of advice:  Don't eat these if you're trying to stop your milk production because you're weaning your toddler.  I ate one last night ... leaking all over the place today.  Bad idea.

After I discovered that they work so well, I had decided that every baby shower I went to after that, I'd bake a batch and take the recipe.  What a great gift!  Only they're pretty much a pain in the butt to make because of all the mixing.  I thought it was too easy last night, then when they were in the oven I realized I forgot to add the oats.

Also, not every expectant mother is planning to breastfeed, so when you present them with cookies designed to help them increase their milk supply, you might get teased, if you're in the wrong crowd.

But they seem to work.  And what better way to celebrate the arrival of a new baby than to bake the momma some cookies?