Milky way

Mothers looking for breast-feeding help have a sweet treat ahead.

Milky way
Garett Fisbeck
Melany Boughman, of More Milk Cookies, poses for a photo in front of Mercy hospital, one of the locations where her product is sole, in Edmond, Tuesday, July 12, 2016.

Relax, fellas; lactation cookies won’t cause you to start producing milk.

The same is true for children and women who aren’t lactating naturally. It’s a question More Milk Cookies founder Melany Boughman answers a lot.

“Men can eat them,” she said. “They just have the extra ingredients a normal cookie doesn’t have.”

The cookies use “galactagogues” — natural ingredients like flaxseed, oats and brewer’s yeast that promote milk production and are good for overall health. But while the cookies can increase lactation yields for new moms, they can’t magically make anyone begin lactating.

However, they can help keep mothers producing milk longer, said Boughman, who began the company while pregnant with her fourth child.

It would be a difficult year — not only nursing a newborn, but also taking care of her family and running a business.

Formerly the owner of cupcakes to go go, Boughman had a lot on her metaphorical plate. Considering the nutritional demands of nursing, what she needed was more on her literal plate. She needed an easy way to get extra nutrition. And because she wanted to keep breastfeeding longer, she began researching natural ingredients to increase lactation longevity.

“I wanted to nurse longer this time,” she said. “With my last one, I nursed 14 months rather than the six months I did with the first three.”

But she was always hungry. And it’s hard to choose healthy foods when you’re starving and in a hurry. That’s why cookies made perfect sense.

“Just to be clear, I didn’t invent lactation cookies,” she said. “They’ve been around for a long time.”

The trick is lactation cookies need to be fresh because they don’t have a lot of artificial preservatives in them. So, Boughman set about making and marketing her own cookies locally.

Energy boost

More Milk Cookies is still a part-time business. After selling the cupcake shop in January, Boughman is taking a small break before ramping up into full-time work.

That doesn’t mean the cookies aren’t around. Boughman sells them at seven retail shops in Oklahoma and one in Missouri as well as online at moremilkcookies.com.

Elizabeth Pilgrim, co-owner of The Changing Table, 1745A NW 16 St., said some of the store’s customers come in specifically looking for the cookies.

“We recommend them,” she said. “They’re great for moms who need a boost in milk supply.”

The fact that they taste great is just a bonus, she said. The store carries the chocolate chip varieties but occasionally orders in cinnamon oatmeal raisin on special request.

Boughman said convenience is key for new mothers who might be at a loss for time when it comes to caring for themselves.

“I’d keep them wherever you nurse the baby,” she said. “You need to eat when the baby needs to nurse, so it’s convenient to sit and munch on one.”

A cookie might not seem like much, but Boughman said the added ingredients and wholesome recipe make for a satisfying treat.

“They’re very filling. When you’re really hungry, you can eat two or three at a time as a snack or even as a meal,” she said. “Nursing mothers need an extra 500-1,000 calories a day.”

The company’s milk chocolate chip cookies are 140 calories each.

If it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes some help to get a new business off the ground. Boughman found help at Oklahoma State University with the labeling requirements, and she has made connections with local physicians who recommend the cookies to patients. Mercy Hospital locations in Oklahoma City, 4300 W. Memorial Road, and Edmond, 2017 W. Interstate 35 Frontage Road, sell cookies, as does Doyle Chiropractic and Family Wellness, 1050 W. Vandament Ave., in Yukon.

Boughman said the cookies are a well-deserved treat for people facing a difficult challenge.

“I think, especially with nursing, you think it’s going to be easier than it is,” she said. “You either know you’re up for a challenge or you will quickly discover you’re in for one.”

Nursing is painful in the beginning and stressful for mothers who aren’t making enough milk to feed their babies.

“The cookies are a little higher in calories than your normal cookies, but it’s a treat,” Boughman said. “You need all the support you can get.”

Print Headline: Milky way, Mothers looking for breast-feeding help have a sweet treat ahead.

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