TF/Paleo/Primal and milk supply?

[ariane77]

Prior to getting pregnant, I ate either a WAPF or Primal diet for quite some time, and felt fantastic. I added a little bit of grains (mostly quinoa) and  some chocolate during the Ipregnancy, and still felt great. I have been off of gluten for years.

I now have a three month old and have been having unexplained low supply issues.  Have tried just about ALL the herbs, nursing constantly, pumping, etc etc. She's now getting about 25-35% of her intake supplemented by donor milk through a LactAid. 

I'm (finally) ok with that. But I would like to prevent my supply from dropping lower.  The issue is that I've been steadily feeling worse and worse postpartum. My diet has quite a bit of grains and carbs, as they are supposed to help with milk supply. So I eat oats, rice, lots of fruit and some sweets on a regular basis. I'm not sure it's helping the milk issues, and it's certainly starting a bad downward spiral (e.g. "why shouldn't I have a bowl of ice cream, when I had a massive bowl of rice with dinner and feel groggy and bloated from it already"). I'm pretty fed up with it, and would like to go back to the way of eating I know makes me feel better, physically and mentally.

But, I don't want to risk losing supply - we've worked SO hard to get here. Any other low supply mamas have experience with this type of diet? I've read on several other forums that lower carb tanks many people's milk supply. I wonder if eating moderately lower carb would have a similar impact. Heck, at this point, maybe it would even help supply? So many other causes of low supply have been ruled out in my case that I almost wonder if it's a weird adrenal/inflammation type thing, and whether I'm making it worse by eating all these carbs and less fats/protein.

Mostly curious about others' experiences....

[Juvysen]

I'd be looking into eating typical "fertility" foods like organ meats and oysters and such (if you haven't already)...

[phathui5]

Have you had your thyroid checked?

[HouseofPeace]

potatoes were my go-to increase.  i've been traditional foods since my son weaned (was a raw foodist before, but then got the raw milk and really went TF after that pregnancy).  i eat pretty low-carb naturally all the time.  but during breastfeeding have to find a balance.

liver (i do frozen chunks of pastured organic from my farm), cod liver oil, and loads and loads of butter and cream (though i don't do milk or cheese for a few months as my babies have been sensitive in the past, though my last 2 were fine with it), and other super foods are key.  i can be lower carb, as long as i listen and eat carbs when the supply is lower.  fish is also something i found key.  coconut.  bone stocks.  i basically do GAPS much of the time, with potatoes and rice when i can feel that my body is carb craving.  my thyroid also does drop after pregnancy, so making sure i add in some seaweed to stocks and also as a side dish, and other seafoods.

i wouldn't stay high carb, but would increase fats and quality nutrient dense foods and pump if possible (after nursing) to stimulate more milk.  i hit the point of infinite let-down- as long as i drank enough fluids, and kept nursing, my body would just keep making more.  also, resting more to make the time and energy for pumping.  i also feel sluggish and bloated on too many carbs, so figuring out which ones work, and also what balance keeps your energy and milk up are key.  i've also been lactating now for about 7 years straight, and it's a constantly changing game to figure out what's working and what needs work.  i tandem nursed my two girls (now 4 1/2 and almost 3) and i can verify that diet was intense- cream cheese, yogurt, loads of fish, rice cakes, 1000 calorie coconut milk smoothies every morning, and organ meats in everything i could put them in, as well as the fermented cod liver oil and prenatals.  i needed 3200-3500 calories a day just to maintain my weight (i'm 5'4", and around 130 most of the time, size 6ish, when cycling) and it was high fat but definitely balanced on carbs/protein.  just not a lot of grains- usually one serving of grains a day.