I Love Coconut Oil and Breastfeeding

I use coconut oil as a moisturizer and I love it. It smells so good and hydrates my skin wonderfully!

As you know, there aren’t any added chemicals, preservatives or toxins in coconut oil which makes me feel really good about putting it on my skin.

Once I became a breastfeeding mother I became curious about how coconut oil and breastfeeding would be beneficial…

… and wouldn’t you know? It’s good for breast milk too!

Coconut Oil and Breastfeeding

Mothers who ingest and use coconut oil topically will make their breastmilk better by strengthening its antimicrobial properties.

Breastmilk with increased antimicrobial properties will protect your baby even more from viruses, bacteria, and protozoa!

Coconut Oil and Breastfeeding

Read the short article below for more details on how coconut oil and breastfeeding protects babies.

COCONUT OIL FOUND BENEFICIAL FOR LACTATING MOTHERS… By Cori Young

The unique composition of human breast milk fat includes the fatty acids, lauric acid and capric acid, which have potent antimicrobial properties. These fatty acids offer the nursing infant protection from viruses such as herpes and HIV, protozoa such as giardia lamblia, and bacteria such as chlamydia and heliocobater.

A study published in 1998 in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that lactating mothers who eat coconut oil and other coconut products, have significantly increased levels of lauric acid and capric acid in their breast milk. Thus, the milk supply has increased amounts of the protective antimicrobials , which will give even greater protection to the nursing infant.

Pregnant females store fat to assure successful lactation. Any lauric acid and capric acid in the diet becomes part of the adipose stores. The milk fat of a lactating mother is made up of these stores as well as her current diet. If her diet doesn’t contain lauric acid, then generally her milk fat will contain around 3% lauric acid and round 1% capric acid.

When a lactating woman adds foods rich in lauric acid to her diet, the amount of lauric acid available in her breastmilk increases substantially to levels three times the original level and nearly double the amount of capric acid. In countries where coconut oil is a diet staple, levels of lauric acid in the mother’s milk can be as high as 21% and capric acid can be as high as 6% giving her infant even more protection against viruses, bacteria, and protozoa.

Coconut oil can be used instead of butter in cooking and baking. You can stir it into oatmeal or even use it as a spread. Also, this oil’s antimicrobial properties are beneficial for the skin. Pregnant women in many cultures the world over rub cocnut oil on their expanding bellies to keep skin soft and prevent itching.

REFERENCES
Fife, Bruce. The Healing Miracles of Coconut Oil
Francois CA, Connor SL, Wander RC, Connor WE. Acute effects of dietary fatty acids on the fatty acids of human milk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1998;67:301-308.
Bach, A.C., et. al. 1989. Clinical and experimental effects of medium chain triglyceride based fat emulsions-a review. Clin. Nutr. 8:223
© Cori Young, 2004- Cori Young is an author and herbalist who publishes a line of health & wellness charts which can be seen at WellnessWallcharts.com

Where to Buy

I buy organic extra virgin, unfiltered, cold pressed coconut oil.

Other Uses of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of my favorite ways to ingest healthy fats. It’s delicious and so versatile. In fact, it’s in many recipes on this website. Here are some of my favorites:

Coconut Oil Chocolates (NOM NOM)

Plantain Pancakes Made in a Blender

No-Bake Energy Bites for Pregnancy and Postpartum

Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup (made in an InstantPot)

Perfect Coconut Oil Popcorn on the Stove 

Making the Best Lactation Cookies

Simply Breastfeeding Online Course

If you are a visual learner, Cindy & Jana’s Simply Breastfeeding online course is PERFECT for new parents! I’ve personally taken this course and LOVE it!

Why learn about breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is natural but it takes time to learn. New mothers say:

“I never imagined breastfeeding would be so hard and so time consuming.”

“They don’t really prepare you for how overwhelming breastfeeding can be.”

Parents who wait until their baby is born to learn about breastfeeding feel overwhelmed.  The learning curve is steep, especially when also dealing with exhaustion from the birth and overrun with company.

I’ve seen plenty of tears and heard families’ frustrations over not knowing how often to feed, whether their baby was getting enough milk, or how to avoid breastfeeding pain.

It doesn’t have to be this way!

You can feel confident breastfeeding your new baby. Spend time snuggling instead of frantically googling. Cindy and Jana have helped thousands of new families and can help you as well.

Simply Breastfeeding is an indispensable resource which takes you step by step through the things you will need to know about breastfeeding. Your subscription never expires; you can refer back when you have questions and learn at home at your own pace. Pause, rewind and replay as often as you like.

As Registered Nurses and Lactation Consultants with over 20 years experience, Cindy and Jana’s goal is to help you discover the real expert for your baby — YOU! ——>>>> CHECK IT OUT!