When Auckland architect Wendy Poon set out to create her own healthy, protein-filled supplements to support breastfeeding, she had no idea that would set her on the path of helping hundreds of other mothers. 

But in just five years, Mamma’s Milk Bar has taken off, and Poon's lactation blends are now being exported to more than 20 countries.

“When I had my son five years ago, I struggled with low milk supply,” Poon says. 

“I started making these blends for myself as everything out there was just sweet treats or cookies – there wasn't anything out there that was natural and good for you.”

Her lactation blends and protein powders are full of nourishing galactagogues – foods that can help to increase breastmilk supply, typically by increasing prolactin levels. Poon's use a combination of New Zealand oats, proteins, essential fatty acids and traditional herbs.

“We blend our products with yeast, maca, moringa leaf and organic coconut cream, which are used in cultures around the world to help support breastfeeding,” Poon says.

She hadn't considered turning her lactation blends into a business until the pandemic lockdowns arrived. To give herself some career stability, she turned her lactation blends into a side-hustle. 

“I asked around to see if a few mums wanted to try out my blends,” she says. 

“Some of these mums had babies who had just been born and they were struggling with their milk supply. Then they tried my blends and found it helped.”

That encouragement gave her the confidence to set up Mamma’s Milk Bar as a business.

Two years on 

Poon now makes all her products in a commercial-grade kitchen and referrals from a global network of lactation consultants and birthing professionals are helping sales grow by more than 500% each year.

Mamma’s Milk Bar now supplies 17 lactation and protein products to countries including Spain, Austria, Japan, Germany, Canada, the United States, Vietnam, China, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

International sales are driven by referrals from lactation consultants, she says, but finds that word of mouth and online sources are the true drivers of sales.

“Our business really grew from word of mouth, which I couldn't be more grateful for, because it is probably the best form of marketing,” she says.

One of her biggest surprises was the number of people she’s reached. She says she’s contacted every day by grateful mums who've found her products help them feed their babies.

And it’s not just mothers either – Poon says dads also enjoy the taste of her protein blends and many get in touch to let her know.

“I do get dads who ask me if my blends are going to make them lactate, but they don’t have to worry,” she says.

“If my products could actually made men lactate, every single mum out there would want my blends.”