Boosting Milk Supply with Malunggay 🌿

Yippee! Dumpling and I have finally reached 37 weeks and it's truly an answered prayer!🙏  Thank You, Lord! It's very timely that today is my first day of maternity leave, I no longer have to drive myself to work (Las Pinas - Makati - Las Pinas) every day.  With my oversized belly that looks as if I'm carrying multiples, it's hard to be behind the steering wheel because it already touches my tummy.  Last week, I had to adjust the driver's seat so that it's farther from the manibela, but that meant my not-so-long legs would exert a little bit of effort reaching the gas and brake pedals. Hehe. Hashtag BuntisNaBulilit  problems.🤣

Anyway, as part of our preps for Dumpling's arrival, I have already started taking malunggay capsules to aid me in my breastfeeding plan.  It's among the herbal supplements popular in the country as a galactagogue (milk-stimulating food), similar to fenugreek, fennel, milk thistle, and cumin.  

Photo from Google Images

It's always best to eat freshly cooked malunggay but for people like me who want to be sure I'm getting enough, supplements are the way to go. Though there is really no standard dosage for malunggay supplements, OBs who are also breastfeeding advocates recommend 2-3 capsules everyday 2-3 weeks prior to one's due date. In the list below, the "recommended dose" is what each brand suggests among their consumers.  Let's have a rundown of these brands available locally, shall we? 

In no particular order:

Grammage/Piece: 250mg of pure malunggay
Price: PhP 10.50 per capsule
Recommended Dose: 1-2 caps daily

Grammage/Piece: 600mg (500mg pure malunggay & 100mg sodium ascorbate)
Price: PhP 950 per box of 100 or PhP 9.50 per capsule
Recommended Dose: 2-3 caps daily

Grammage/Piece: 300mg of pure malunggay
Price: PhP 650 per box of 100 or PhP 6.50 per capsule
Recommended Dose: 3 caps/meal or 9 caps daily

Grammage/Piece: 500mg of pure malunggay

Price: PhP 990 per box of 60 or PhP 16.50 per capsule

Recommended Dose: 2 caps daily

Grammage/Piece: 350mg of malunggay and 400mg folic acid

Price: PhP 875 per box of 100 or PhP 8.75 per capsule

Recommended Dose: 2 caps daily

Grammage/Piece: 350mg of pure malunggay

Price: PhP 7.00 per capsule

Recommended Dose: 3 caps daily

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Currently, I am taking 2 caps of Natalac daily because it's what my OB suggested, but I plan to try Mega-Malunggay too after my Natalac caps run out. Malungai Life Oil also got me intrigued, so maybe I'll give that one a shot, too, and see what would be the most hiyang for me and would really push my milk supply.  I am praying that I could successfully breastfeed this time.  With Lia, I only did for about 7 months, and that wasn't even exclusive breast milk because she got nipple-confused very early.  With Dumpling, I'm wishing I could do it exclusively and directly. *fingers crossed*

And that's it! A summary of available malunggay capsule brands in the Philippine market today. I'm sure there are many others out there, but these are the ones that stand out as far as OBs' and other mommies' recommendations are concerned. Hope this helps.🙂