Moms swear Starbucks 'pink drink' boosts breast milk supply

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Nursing moms will try anything to make sure their milk supply can keep up with their little one's demands.

Some moms are spreading the word that a little Starbucks can help out.

It's being referred to as the "pink drink" and nursing mothers swear by its ability to help boost their supply.

Erin R. said she drank two of the drinks one day and the next day pumped nine and eight ounces. That's a huge increase compared to her normal output of one-and-a-half or two ounces per session.

Caity S. agreed, saying she drank one of the drinks the day before and bottled nearly two ounces more than usual during her next time pumping.

So what is this magical supply boosting drink?

It's actually a Strawberry Refresher made with acai, strawberry and coconut milk.

While moms are sharing pictures of the magic drink and stories of pumping success, some might be wondering what the secret ingredient is.

For many long-time nursing pros and experts it's really not that magical. It's the coconut.

The website MommyNearest lists coconut as one of the three foods breastfeeding moms need to keep up their supply.

Coconut is high in good saturated fats and essential fatty acids that actually make up breast milk.

Before you race off to Starbucks, you might want to consider the added sugar and other ingredients you're getting with the pink drink.

MommyNearest says a simpler, and likely healthier, way to up your coconut intake is by incorporating virgin coconut oil into your diet. The site claims just one tablespoon added to the nursing mom's diet can boost her supply for the next three days.

Other coconut products include milk, water and coconut meat that can all help a mom increase her daily intake.

While there's no medical proof that certain foods or drinks work better than others to increase a woman's supply, experts say as long as something is healthy and safe for mom and baby it's worth trying.

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