Reviewers Call These Great-Tasting Lactation Cookies an 'Absolute Miracle' for Boosting Breast Milk Supply

Galactagogues—foods that help increase your breast milk supply—are a controversial topic in the medical community. While there are just as many studies supporting their benefits as there are disputing them, many cultures throughout the world have relied on well-known milk-boosting herbs and natural ingredients for centuries. And even now, in the midst of a nationwide formula shortage, many parents are turning to calorie-dense, nutrient-rich snacks, like Munchkin Milkmakers lactation cookies, to help them produce the breast milk they need to feed their babies.

The idea of eating certain foods to help increase milk supply is age-old, with many cultures using soups or teas to supplement calories and nutrients. According to Amy Peterson, Evenflo Feeding lactation consultant and co-author of "Balancing Breast & Bottle: Reaching Your Breastfeeding Goals," there are a handful of essential nutrients that support milk supply, including protein, iron, fiber, vitamins D and B12, zinc, and iodine. "Sometimes low milk supply is linked to low caloric intake, and boosting calories alone is beneficial," she adds. Staying well-hydrated is also very important when you're breastfeeding.

To buy: Munchkin Milkmakers Lactation Cookie Bites, $21.99; amazon.com

Munchkin Milkmakers lactation cookie bites provide 270 calories, 5 grams of protein, and 36 grams of carbs in each 2-ounce bag. The ingredients in these cookies also provide some of the nutrients known to benefit milk supply, like eggs (rich in vitamin B12, protein, iron, and zinc), oats (protein, zinc, and fiber), and brewer's yeast (high in B-vitamins), says Peterson. The cookies also contain fenugreek, an herb that may help your body balance estrogen levels and enhance perspiration, which helps trigger your body's reflex to release milk and increase supply, according to scientific studies.

While those ingredients might sound too healthy to taste good, pretty much every review of the Munchkin Milkmaker cookie bites highlights how surprisingly delicious the lactation snacks are. They are available in four flavors: chocolate salted caramel (fenugreek-free), oatmeal chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and a savory cheddar cracker which reviewers say tastes like healthy Cheez-Its (yum!).

While Peterson emphasizes that it's important to try and get these helpful nutrients from whole-food sources, nursing parents seem to really love how convenient and effective these calorie- and nutrient-dense cookies are. One mom who used Munchkin Milkmakers lactation cookie bites to boost her supply when it started to dwindle, said she wishes she had these earlier on because these cookies would be "completely amazing when you have a newborn," since it's so hard to get enough calories during the first few days with a new baby at home.

Another reviewer who was seven months postpartum was having trouble making enough milk for her preemie daughter, and with the nationwide formula shortage, she decided to give the Munchkin lactation cookies a try to help boost her supply. She said these breastfeeding cookies "worked [their] magic" and now, "my breasts are engorged and I am able to feed and pump!"

A nursing parent who was "on the verge of quitting altogether" until they tried these lactation snacks as a last resort, was pleasantly surprised to find that they "worked like a charm." And a mom who was dealing with low milk supply after mastitis said she started producing more milk "about an hour after I ate them," and she called them an "absolute miracle." Some reviewers reported that their output increased by 2 to 5 ounces—which is nothing short of remarkable for exhausted parents—and several even posted pictures showing their amazing results.

A box of Munchkin Milkmakers lactation cookie bites costs $21.99 and includes ten 2-ounce packs, which comes out to a little over $2 per pack. The savory cheddar crisps are $11.79 per box of six 1-ounce bags. Whether you prefer a sweet treat or a savory snack, these delicious bites may be the key to boosting your milk supply and easing your worries.