Does Body Armor ACTUALLY Increase Milk Supply?
Body Armor is a popular drink for breastfeeding moms because of its yummy flavors, coconut water content, and ability to help hydrate quickly.
But does it actually help increase milk supply?
Let’s explore what’s in the Body Armor drink and if it can actually help you produce more breast milk.
(this post may contain affiliate links)
DISCLAIMER:
Galactogogues (any food or herb that helps increase milk supply) should not be the first line of treatment for low milk supply. Even if they boost your supply a bit, it’s important to reach out to an IBCLC FIRST to help you fix any underlying, potentially more serious issues. (ex: ineffective latch, an oral restriction in baby, hormonal issues, etc.)
Body Armor and Breastfeeding: Does It Actually Increase Milk Supply?
The quick answer: potentially a little.
Body Armor MIGHT increase milk supply, but it’s not scientifically proven as there are no official studies to support it.
However, anecdotal evidence (aka personal experience) shows that it may bump up milk supply a bit, especially if you’re dehydrated to begin with.
This is because Body Armor is rich in electrolytes and contains coconut water. Coconut water is a drink that helps restore fluid balance in the body.
Whenever you’re dehydrated, your milk supply may dip a bit, so proper hydration is very important when nursing and pumping.
Not surprisingly, coconut milk is also the “secret ingredient” in the Starbucks Pink drink that so many moms swear by for boosting their milk supply.
To get a sense of if Body Armor boost milk supply for breastfeeding moms, I conducted a (unscientific) poll to gather some data in a large Facebook group! I asked the question: To those that tried the Body Armor drink to increase milk supply. Did it work?
Here’s what I found. Over 60 people answered the poll.
As you can see - only 17% said Body Armor definitely DID NOT increase their milk supply. So a majority of women polled said it either did or they’re not sure if it did.
The truth is, if you’re dehydrated – you can restore your fluid balance with water and food as well.
So Body Armor isn’t the only drink that can help restore your hydration levels.
Our absolute favorite drink for restoring electrolyte balance is plain coconut water because it’s super healthy and contains only ONE INGREDIENT – coconut!
But body armor IS great for you when you’re breastfeeding if you struggle to stay hydrated and dislike drinking plain water for days on end.
It will not only hydrate you, but also restore essential nutrients in your body that get lost during breastfeeding. So even if it doesn’t boost your milk supply, it’s not for nothin’!
We LOVE this sample pack of Body Armor drinks – so you can try them all and see which flavor you like best.
The Best Way To Increase Milk Supply
The best way to increase milk supply is to remove milk, more frequently through extra pumping or breastfeeding sessions. Power pumping (a way to pump to mimic cluster feeding in babies), is a proven method to increase milk supply over a few days.
How To Power Pump To Increase Milk Supply:
Pump for 20 minutes, take a break for 10 minutes, and then pump on and off a few more times for 10 minutes each, totalling about an hour. Do this several days in a row and your supply will gradually increase.
If you struggle with sugar cravings and appetite control, Body Armour is not the best choice for you. Plain coconut water, or a protein shake like Milk Dust is a much better choice for you. Milk Dust has just a few grams of sugar per serving combined
Get 10% off your entire Milk Dust order using the code MILKOLOGY at checkout!
Related Articles:
The Real Signs of Low Milk Supply (and 12 Fake Outs!)