If you are currently or about to start breast/chestfeeding or pumping, it’s possible you may be experiencing a sense of overwhelm as you are navigating the steep learning curve these new skills entail. And the expectation that you “should’ be able to master these skills overnight can give you an extra nagging feeling of not measuring up. Have you considered how acupuncture and herbal medicine can help with issues such as clogged ducts, mastitis, low milk supply, and techniques to help you along the way?
Everyone’s journey through feeding their baby will look different and there is no one single ‘right’ way. No doubt you have read books or articles about proper nutrition and feeding and have come up with your own individual plan or perhaps one has evolved through trial and error. Just remember, how you care for and feed your baby is a reflection of you and your family’s unique experience and story. You are the author, and the story is still being written. So, read on if you would like to learn some excellent ways you can prepare your body to ease you through the process.
Growing and birthing a baby takes an incredible toll on your body and many of your resources (qi and blood!) go to work to simply sustain your own maternal health. So, it is essential to ensure your body has the added reserve of resources to produce milk. In Chinese Medicine theory, it is understood that milk is made from the blood. It is critical to build and strongly nourish blood, both throughout your pregnancy and postpartum. Qi helps keep blood flowing smoothly and ensures circulation is optimal, so we want to nourish and move qi as well in late pregnancy and postpartum. Look over the list of foods suggested here and consider how you can incorporate as many as possible into your diet. Make a list and plan some menus. We suggest eating dark leafy greens, sea veggies, trace minerals, bone-in meats, or fish (always organic), grains including oats, millet, barley, and sweet rice. Legumes are another great food source to nourish the blood and qi: *adzuki, chickpeas, lentils, mung beans, soybeans, *peanuts. Papaya (especially green), one daily if possible, would be excellent. Sweet potato or Chinese yam, fennel and fennel seed will also increase the supply. Add these herbs as you cook- basil, marjoram, dill, anise, caraway, turmeric. Additional ideas include gelatin (from grass fed source), coconut water, and coconut meat. It is also important to consume ample amounts of fluids by drinking 8-12 cups of water daily. Incorporating soups, stews, and porridges into your diet will also aid in fluid intake. Herbal infusions are also beneficial during this time and some we love are nettles, red raspberry leaf (which supports the uterus after birth), mint rose, and barley. We also need qi, or energy to express the milk so (good news!) slowing down and allowing yourself to rest will absolutely benefit lactation.
In the early days of breast/chestfeeding and pumping, sore nipples are a very common concern (not to mention, really painful!). It is important to find the cause, but there are some things you can do in the meantime to give yourself some relief. A warm soak with Epsom salts or warm compress is like a spa for painful nipples! You can dissolve half a teaspoon of sea salt or Epsom salts in eight ounces of warm water, place the solution in a glass, and invert onto your nipples for about two minutes, five to seven times a day, after pumping or nursing. This should be followed by applying a nipple butter, we like Earth Mama’s. It contains herbs such as calendula and mango seed that moisturize the skin and decrease inflammation.
Engorged breasts are also normal in the early days of starting breast/chestfeeding or pumping as your milk supply is establishing and increasing. Nursing on baby’s cues and allowing baby to empty the breast before switching sides is helpful. Making sure baby is nursing well will minimize engorgement too. It is also essential to determine if there are any anatomical conditions present that may prevent baby from fully latching or from fully emptying the breast. Previous breast enhancement, or reduction in mom can have an impact. Your lactation specialist or pediatrician can help support you in addressing any anatomical issues that may arise. Importantly, if engorgement is present and does not subside, be aware that it may lead to clogged ducts. A clogged duct may show up as a tender area on the breast, a milk blister, pain during let down, and relief after feeding. Teas that promote healing, pain relief, and circulation are chamomile, ginger, marshmallow root, slippery elm, and burdock which are all safe while breast/chestfeeding. A warm Epsom salt soak quickly reduces swelling and inflammation to release the clogged duct. This can be done by mixing two teaspoons of Epsom salt into eight ounces of warm water and soaking the breast. There are also multiple acupuncture points that you can apply pressure to in order to address painful breasts such as Small Intestine 11, Small Intestine 1, Conception Vessel 17, and Pericardium 6 (locations can be found on acumeridianpoints.com). Please note: If your breast is red, if you have a fever or chills, body aches, or flu symptoms, contact your health care practitioner immediately. Flu-like symptoms, in addition to redness and pain at the breast, may be mastitis which must be treated immediately and often requires medical treatment and medication.
There are many herbs that can help boost milk production. Ba Zhen Tang, or 8 treasure decoction is one of our very favorites to replenish blood, qi, and jing (our prenatal qi). These are vital to promote healing postpartum and address milk production. Motherlove’s More Milk Plus herbal blend contains fenugreek, thistle, nettle, and fennel seed to support milk supply along with the teas listed above. There are multiple acupuncture points that you can apply pressure to stimulate milk production. These points include Gallbladder 21, Stomach 36, Small Intestine 1, and Conception Vessel 12. And, finally, we hate to sound like a broken record, but we will because it is so important: drinking an abundance of fluids is essential and listen to the hunger cues; it can be helpful to remind yourself to eat each time you nurse or pump.
If you are nearing the end of your breast/chestfeeding journey and need to stop milk production, there are many herbs that can help. Sage, peppermint, and parsley leaves are all anti-galactagogues and make great teas for this purpose.
Breastfeeding and pumping are often a very challenging aspect of motherhood and so, along with the increased fluid intake, we insist that rest is also so very important during this time. And not just physically but for your mental health! We know it is hard to get, especially when there are other children in the house. But sleep deprivation is a maddening cycle that leads to frustration which leads to… ah(!), you already know!! If you are fortunate enough to have a strong community of friends and helpers, let them help! Accept all the help. Step out of your comfort zone and, dare we say it, ask for help! Get the rest!
Be encouraged that you are not alone. There are many resources available. And we are here to support you. We hope you will put some of these suggestions and techniques into practice, little by little. Every moment of overcoming an issue you face leads to gaining greater confidence and assurance in your journey.
Are you preparing for an IVF cycle? Whether you’re just beginning the conversation with a reproductive endocrinologist at your fertility clinic or if you’ve already started stimulation medication, acupuncture can support you and improve your success rate. This can be a time of high stress and emotion, Chinese medicine can provide you with an extra level of support on many levels. Not only will acupuncture help to calm your mind during this time, it will also help increase your chance of conceiving, reduce adverse reactions to medications, and promote a healthy endometrial lining for implantation. 
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I’d like to address a few things that came up for me as I read the article referenced above. Oral and hormonal contraceptives were introduced in the early 60’s as a way to prevent conception and control family size. In that time infertility was less common. Today, it is a whole other story. Now it is used to prevent conception, decrease unwanted menstrual symptoms and “treat” or “fix” diagnosed menstrual conditions. These menstrual conditions are serious and need to be seen as what they are, the body showing signs that need to be addressed, not covered up. These conditions often accompany severe symptoms that are debilitating for many women. These conditions show up in my office every day and often are the very things that prevent many of my patients from easily conceiving when they decide to stop taking their contraceptive after years of use. “The Pill” doesn’t fix the problem, it is only a bandaid. It also causes your ovaries to shrink, thins the lining of your uterus, and may worsen hormonal imbalance. 
Your thyroid health, fertility, a healthy pregnancy, and postpartum are deeply intertwined. And unfortunately, the detailed care and information we receive as women around this matter is lacking. I see this nearly everyday in my practice and have experienced this discrepancy first hand at my last well woman care visit when I received my blood work results from routine lab work. (if you’re interested in knowing what thyroid tests to ask for consider working with a provider that specializes in thyroid support). My low functioning thyroid was not even addressed by my physician after my visit, and I know I am not the only one this is happening to. The awareness around this is changing slowly and more and more providers are paying closer attention, but when it comes to our thyroid health we need to know what to ask for and how to receive proper treatment. This starts with educating ourselves. 
What foods best support your fertility? Ideally, most of the foods we consume should be organic as well as pesticide and chemical free and in their whole and unprocessed form. If all organic is cost prohibitive you can focus on keeping the ‘dirty dozen’ organic, as well as 100% organic meat, eggs and full fat dairy. You can check the 
If you have been online at all the last couple years or walked inside a grocery store you will have noticed that there is a lot of information and many products touting the importance of gut health and our microbiome. There is a strong connection between our gut health and our mental health and also a strong connection between a weak microbiome and disease. Our gut flora supports our immune function, hormones, detoxification, and mental well being. And the intestinal lining is a protective barrier that allows our food and drink to stay in the bounds of the digestive tract… usually. That is unless it becomes weakened and develops gaps in the tight junctions between the cells allowing foods, medications, and bacteria to enter the bloodstream. The body recognizes these intruders as foreign invaders and the flags go up. It responds by creating antibodies to deal with these intruders. 
In a lot of my research I found that there are many variations on this protocol and that some include foods that others say are not allowed. I also strongly believe in listening to your intuition and doing what feels right to you. You know your body better than anyone else. I also found that the timeline of this protocol varies, from four weeks to six months! Now that is a big difference! After this month, I fall into the latter camp, and will be doing this for six months likely. Part of this reason is that life is busy and following something 100% of the time is not a reasonable expectation and there is no such thing as perfection. I found that my willpower to avoid all chocolate, cheese, and wine for a month was lacking. It is also important to know that I have struggled with digestive problems since I was a small child and have been working most of my adult life to heal my digestion.
As we embark on the new year we all want to make a fresh start, many times this shows up as diets, cleanses, and giving things up. A fresh start is something I love about January; it feels like a beautiful, clean slate to work with. Many of us begin to make our resolutions, which feels good at first. It is a bit like falling in love – we pick a grand idea and romanticize it, we get a big boost of dopamine and can’t wait to dive in. But at a certain point we see things a little more clearly and that lovely romance wears thin, usually in March. 
Have you been spending more evenings in front of the tv streaming ALL the Christmas movies? I know I have been watching more of my favorites lately! Unfortunately more screen time after a full days work of looking at a computer screen has left me very exposed to extra unnecessary blue light. When we think about our health, we think mostly about what we are putting in our bodies, stress level, and exercising and think less about the electromagnetic fields we come into contact with daily. These EMF’s can have powerful impacts on our health as well and should not be underestimated.