Drinking Milk During Breastfeeding: Benefits, Safety & Myths

Is it safe, does it affect milk supply, and how much milk is okay for breastfeeding mothers?

By Tian C | Updated: 31/01/2026

Medically Reviewed By

Shyamala Sathiaseelan (Lactation Educator and Counselor)

In this Article

Can I Drink Milk While Breastfeeding?
How Much Milk Should Be Consumed by a Breastfeeding Mother?
Alternative Foods to Include in the Diet for Increasing Calcium Amount
FAQs

For some mothers, breastfeeding is not an easy affair. There are several factors that contribute to the supply and demand of breast milk, which in turn ensures the growth and development of the newborn baby. Knowing the sole dependency of their babies on themselves for nutrition can take a toll on mothers. This is why many moms try out different ways to boost their breast milk supply, from testing out different home remedies to consulting doctors for medication. One of the most popular conceptions about boosting breast milk supply is drinking milk while breastfeeding. But, is it really that effective? Should you drink milk while breastfeeding? Let’s dig into the article to find out whether there are benefits of drinking milk while breastfeeding or if it is just another sham!

Can I Drink Milk While Breastfeeding?

Yes, you can drink milk milk while breastfeeding. However, you don’t specifically need to drink milk only to increase your breastmilk supply. You can include a variety of fluids in your breastfeeding diet.

How Much Milk Should Be Consumed by a Breastfeeding Mother?

In order to produce sufficient breast milk, it is important for breastfeeding moms to stay hydrated. Mothers can have three or more servings of milk-related products in a day: milk, curd, cheese, and yogurt (1). While there is no particular limit on how much fluid intake a breastfeeding mother should have, it is recommended to drink loads of water and fluids throughout the day. Most importantly, it is recommended to drink to thirst, not by a particular amount, and drink while feeding or pumping. Breastfeeding moms can have sufficient fluid intake in the form of water and milk. Fluids from foods like fruits, dal, rasam, sambhar, etc., can also be included in the diet for optimal hydration. Drinking cow milk during breastfeeding is also beneficial.

When it comes to the amount of milk, a good rule of thumb is to drink enough to sate your thirst. New mothers tend to feel a lot thirstier when they are nursing. If your urine is light-coloured, this means you are drinking just enough fluids. Many people believe that herbal teas, infusions, and other natural products like fenugreek, fennel, blessed thistle, etc., also help stimulate milk synthesis (2). Herbal teas, in general, are not bad if taken in moderation. An important piece of information to keep in mind here is that to increase milk production; it is important to empty out the breasts of milk to prompt them to generate more milk.

Alternative Foods to Include in the Diet for Increasing Calcium Amount

Clacium Rich Foods

Calcium is a crucial nutrient required by literally every single organism on earth. In a human body, calcium is important in the synthesis and maintenance of teeth and bones. Further, it is used in its ionic form as a means of signal transduction both within cells as well as between different cells. Calcium is also relevant as a chemical messenger which drives the actions of muscle contraction and relaxation. Other functions include transport of nerve signals, blood clotting, promoting fertilisation of the egg cell by the sperm, and so on.

However, cow’s milk for breastfeeding mothers is not the only option to get the required calcium. Here are a few calcium-rich foods you can consume to increase the amount of calcium present in your breast milk (3):

Leafy, green vegetables like beet greens, kale, and collard greens.
Sesame seeds can be consumed in the form of sesame butter, sesame paste or eaten whole. These seeds should be properly chewed to allow the digestive system to absorb the calcium present in them efficiently.
Tofu is prepared from soybeans with the help of coagulants like calcium sulphate and calcium chloride.
Drinking goat’s or sheep’s milk while breastfeeding is a great choice.
Fish, especially canned mackerel, sardines, pilchards and salmon. These have bones which have been softened during processing, making them easier to eat. A paste made from anchovies is also rich in calcium and can be consumed along with your meals.
Whole grains, such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, etc.
Chicken broth, wherein the meat is stewed for long periods of time, resulting in softened bones.
Nuts like walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, dried figs and so on. Avoid overeating these due to the high amount of calories present.
Certain types of sea plants or algae, for instance, wakame, are rich in calcium.
Fermented items like miso and soy sauce can be included in your diet.
Dairy products like cheese, paneer, butter, and whole curds also contain small amounts of calcium.
Legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, among others.
Molasses is a natural sweetener obtained from partially refining cane sugar or beet sugar.
Eggs and white meat, preferably boiled or stewed.
Citrus fruits like grapes, oranges, lemons, sweet limes, grapefruits, and so on.
Amaranth, a highly nutritious pseudocereal, provides manganese, magnesium, and iron in addition to calcium.

FAQs

1. Does pumping help in increasing milk supply?

Yes, pumping breastmilk is an effective way to prompt milk supply as well as keep ailments like breast engorgement and mastitis at bay.

2. What can affect breast milk supply?

Lack of sleep and rest can significantly affect the production of breast milk. Moreover, poor diet, supplementing baby with formula milk, being in constant stress or anxiousness, or getting sick frequently can also take a toll on the milk supply (4) (5). Therefore, it is important for nursing moms to keep a check on their health by including plenty of rest in their routine so their bodies heal faster and generate sufficient breast milk for their infants.

3. What is the benefit of drinking milk while breastfeeding?

Drinking milk while breastfeeding will ensure the mother’s bones are healthy. Milk is rich in calcium, vitamins A, D, B2, and B12, phosphorus, protein, and many other nutrients that help restrengthen a mother, ultimately ensuring a healthy baby (6).

4. Won’t drinking milk during breastfeeding cause allergies to my baby?

According to the Australian Breastfeeding Association, adding common allergenic foods like milk to the pregnancy and breastfeeding diet will reduce the likelihood of babies developing allergies to such food items in the future compared to mothers who exclude common allergic foods from their diet (7).

There is no evidence that consuming milk or dairy products improves breast milk production. However, drinking milk provides a whole plethora of benefits for breastfeeding mothers and should be included in the diet, provided neither you nor your baby is allergic.

Also Read:

Detox Diet While Breastfeeding
Does Flaxseed Affect Breastfeeding?
Foods to Increase Breast Milk
Fruits to Eat and Avoid While Breastfeeding

Was This Article Helpful?

Our Editorial Policy

Parenting is a huge responsibility, for you as a caregiver, but also for us as a parenting content platform. We understand that and take our responsibility of creating credible content seriously. FirstCry Parenting articles are written and published only after extensive research using factually sound references to deliver quality content that is accurate, validated by experts, and completely reliable. To understand how we go about creating content that is credible, read our editorial policy here.

Sources References

1. University Hospitals – Educating Breastfeeding Mothers on Proper Diet and Fluid Intake

2. PubMed Central – Health provider experiences with galactagogues to support breastfeeding: a cross-sectional survey; J Multidiscip Healthc

3. NHS – Breastfeeding and diet

4. UT Southwestern Medical Center – 4 factors that can decrease breast milk supply – and how to replenish it

5. Queensland Government – Increasing your breast milk supply

6. Harvard – Milk

7. PubMed Central – Maternal Intake of Cow’s Milk during Lactation Is Associated with Lower Prevalence of Food Allergy in Offspring; Nutrients

Author
Expert Reviewer

About the Author

Tian C

About the Expert

Shyamala Sathiaseelan

(Lactation Educator and Counselor)

Shyamala is a certified Lactation Educator Councillor, certified fitness and exercise councillor. She has also done certification in Breastfeeding friendly child care centers. Shyamala is a Lactation Counsellor try and help the parents in their breastfeeding journey. She has been volunteering with the her community Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers.