As if you didn't need another reason to go into Starbucks, they have come out with a delicious "pink" drink some moms are claiming increased their breast milk supply.
So what's in this "pink" drink? It's Strawberry Acai Refresher mixed with coconut milk. It was once a secret menu item but after it gained popularity, it made it to the menu. Many moms think the electrolytes from the coconut milk are causing the extra breast milk production.
One mom, Laura Galvin, posted in her Facebook mom support group, Milky Mamas, about her experience. She shared an image of a wet t-shirt after drinking the "pink" drink. It had become soaked with breast milk.
There are lots of products and home remedies available to help nursing moms produce breast milk. Moms Pump Here has our own favorites but is the "pink" drink the real deal??
Lets dive in a little bit more and demystify this myth. Lactation consultants have gone on record saying it's a "myth that drinking more fluids or consuming more calories increases supply." Moms have to be seriously dehydrated or undernourished to see a difference after drinking this beverage or any other.
Other mothers swear by it, suggesting the electrolytes from the coconut milk in the drink increased their milk supply. Once again, lactation experts beg to differ. There is no credible research that confirms coconut milk is a breast milk booster when consumed. The same goes for acai, the other touted ingredient in this Starbucks drink.
So experts are simply poiting to a placebo effect as the main driving force behind this claim by moms. Moms become relaxed when they're confident something will increase their breast milk production. This soothing calm feeling assist "letdown" and their breast milk releases with ease.
A sure way to increase breast milk supply is to breastfeed or express milk more frequently through pumping.
