In honor of breastfeeding awareness focus this month and week - Ayurveda offers little known and valuable information about qualities of breast milk which are based especially on maternal diet.

Vata milk can be thin, even astringent tasting and gas producing, pitta milk can taste sour and increase tendency to rash, like a recent client put on megadose of vitamin C by her midwives for infection. And high kapha milk is harder to digest in a different way, though very sweet, oily and heavy, it may also create gas and incomplete products of digestion.

Yes, breast is still best, though there are reasons sometimes babies refuse one breast or both, such as these. And why knowledgeable Ayurvedic care and wise woman consulting is so valuable to help mothers know how to adjust their diet and lifestyle to support both themselves and their babies better.

Ayurvedic doulas help mothers look at what is going on with Mama and Baby according to a number of questions not commonly evaluated. We do this however we have opportunity, whether on a phone consult, ideally daily, or each time we come for a few minutes.

This helps guide diet and lifestyle, what food we or family prepares, what herbal food supports may be best, and other personalized supports. It is a self-referral dynamic that is part of the self-growth path of parenting that Ma Nature has set up for us. And so valuable, we find, for ensuring happy baby and mama tummies!