Herbs and BreastFeeding

[dhav]

Herbs that may decrease milk supply

Using large amounts of the following herbs and other natural remedies should be avoided while nursing because they have been known to decrease milk supply. The amounts of these herbs normally used in cooking are unlikely to be of concern; it's mainly the larger amounts that might be used therapeutically that could pose a problem. However, some moms have noticed a decrease in supply after eating things like dressing with lots of sage, sage tea (often recommended when moms are weaning), lots of strong peppermint candies or menthol cough drops, or other foods/teas with large amounts of the particular herb. These herbs are sometimes used by nursing mothers to treat oversupply, or when weaning.

*Black Walnut
*Chickweed
*Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
*Lemon Balm
*Oregano
*Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
*Peppermint (Mentha piperita)/Menthol
*Periwinkle Herb (Vinca minor)
*Sage (Salvia officinalis)
*Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
*Spearmint
*Thyme
*Yarrow

Herbs that may be harmful to mom and /or baby

Other herbs should be avoided while nursing due to their potential for harming mom and/or baby. Here are a few herbs that are generally to be contraindicated for nursing mothers. This is by no means a complete list.

*Bladderwrack
*Buckthorn
*Chaparral
*Coltsfoot (Farfarae folium)
*Dong Quai (Angelica root)
*Elecampane
*Ephedra/Ephedra sinica/Ma Huang
*Ginseng (Panax ginseng)
*Indian Snakeroot
*Kava-kava (Piper methysticum)
*Petasites root
*Phen-fen, herbal
*Rhubarb
*Star Anise
*Tiratricol (TRIAC)
*Uva Ursi
*Wormwood.

Source: http ://www kellymom.com/herbal/herbs_to_avoid.html

Always check with your doctor before using any of these.

[symulhaque]

A very nice and helpful post. Thank you for sharing.