The Self-Reported Use and Perceived Effectiveness of Galactagogues by Breastfeeding Women in the Netherlands

Breastfeeding women are often concerned about their milk supply. To increase their milk supply, a galactagogue may be used. Galactagogues are foods, herbals, or medicines that increase milk production or flow. There is limited information on the effectiveness of galactagogues.

We aimed to evaluate the use and perceived effectiveness of prescribed and over-the-counter galactagogues in the Netherlands.

We performed cross-sectional analyses among breastfeeding participants using a galactagogue in the cohort study the Dutch Pregnancy Drug Register. Their baseline characteristics were compared to the general breastfeeding cohort. Timing and duration of galactagogue use and the perceived effectiveness were explored. The perceived effectiveness of domperidone was compared with that of over-the-counter products.

Of the 6623 breastfeeding participants, 381 (5.8%) used a galactagogue. Participants using a galactagogue were more likely to breastfeed for the first time and to have a twin pregnancy or a premature birth than the general breastfeeding cohort. A total of 29 different galactagogues were used. The most commonly used galactagogue was oxytocin (37.8%) followed by "Boezemvriendjes" (25.7%) and domperidone (24.9%). Overall, 69.2% of the participants reported that the galactagogue influenced their milk and 41.0% indicated it led to an increase in production. There was no significant difference in the percentage of participants experiencing an increase in milk production between domperidone and over-the-counter products.

In this study, a variety of galactagogues were used including prescribed and over-the-counter products. Almost half of the participants experienced an increase in milk production, regardless of the galactagogue used.