JUST like any mother, Kristal Lynn Macuto wanted her children to be breastfed during their crucial years to ensure they get the full nutrition they needed to grow. But just like any mother, she also struggled to produce breast milk. And she vividly remembers how baked goodies saved her from this nightmare.
“I really wanted to exclusively breastfeed my kids,” Macuto began. “With my eldest, I was able to breastfeed him until 24 months. So, with my youngest, I also wanted to breastfeed her exclusively and if possible, longer. When I was breastfeeding my youngest, I experienced low milk supply, every breastfeeding mom’s nightmare.”
The former registered nurse, who used to work, in one of the hospitals here in Davao said she already experienced low milk supply even when she was breastfeeding her eldest. That time, she just resigned and lived in Manila for quite some time.
It was there when she learned about lactation treats. These are simple treats such as cookies or brownies enriched with galactagogues, a substance that induces lactation.
“I bought lactation treats easily from mommy sellers in Manila and those lactation treats really helped me increase my milk supply,” she said.
When she returned to Davao City and gave birth to her youngest, she found no similar treats in the city.
“I had to buy from online sellers based in Manila and they had to ship it here in Davao. It takes time for the shipping and I had to pay for the shipping fee pa. Medyo hassle talaga (It is very hassle),” Macuto recalled.
It could have prevented her from producing enough milk for her child but with the baking skills she learned from her mother, she decided to bake her own lactation treats.
“I started making lactation treats for my consumption but then I also wanted to help my fellow breastfeeding moms who are having issues with their milk supply just like me. That is when I started selling lactation cookies online and Mommycuddle Hub was born,” she said.
Her six-year-old Mommycuddle Hub currently has a wide array of goodies such as cookies, brownies, muffins, blondies, cupcakes, crinkles, and bars.
The business also fortifies her advocacy as a breastfeeding peer counselor in Davao. She is also one of the organizers of HAKAB Na! Davao, a simultaneous breastfeeding event every August in celebration of the Breastfeeding Month.
She shared that among the reasons for low milk supply is when babies do not latch often.
“Breastfeeding kasi works on demand and supply, so if the baby breastfeeds often, the latching or sucking of the baby will trigger the body to supply more milk since there is a demand,” she explained.
Other factors that affect decreases in the production of breastmilk also include an improper latch, contraceptives or other medications, and stress.
“My focus now is to reach more moms who need help in increasing their milk supply. I want to help them and be a part of their breastfeeding journey through my lactation treats. I experienced the same struggle that they are experiencing and it is not easy,” Macuto said.
Right now, she displays her lactation treats online, in Storked, a store selling infant supplies in Circumferential Road, Grazzi Hafna Concept Store in Ponciano, and some partner stores in Kidapawan City and Tagum City. She also ships outside Davao City.
“I do have plans to open my own store here in Davao but my focus now is more on grassroots [level], reaching out to more moms in different areas,” she said.