One of my biggest honors in life as an herbalist has been to see numbers of women achieve their goals in motherhood. From fertility issues to adoptive mothers who choose to breastfeed, I see this as a client led position, and it has been an absolutely beautiful experience. I encourage you to be a part of this movement my claiming your God given right as a woman to access herbs for the wellbeing of your family, and that is equal part I knowing which herbs to use for any particular situation, and equal part knowing which herbs not to use, hence the reason for this list of herbs to avoid when breastfeeding. Knowing which herbs to avoid when breastfeeding is especially important. Not only are we protecting the safety of the mother, but also the safety of her child. Adding to the importance of knowing which herbs to avoid when breastfeeding is the number of herbs that can decrease a women's milk supply.
This is not a complete list of herbs to avoid while breastfeeding, but rather a list of commonly used herbs found in foods, herbal preparations, and supplements. Some herbs are considered to be generally toxic and should not be ingested, while others are considered safe, but with precautions and best used under the guidance of a healthcare practitioner. When it comes to breastfeeding, there is yet another concern, and that is avoiding a list of herbs that are considered safe, but should be avoided due to the likelihood of decreased milk supply.
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Aloe vera (internally) Artemesias Barberry Root Basil Black Cohosh Black Walnut Bladderwrack Bloodroot Blue Cohosh Blue Flag Boldo Borage Buchu Buckthorn fruit Bugleweed Cannabis Cascara Sagrada Castor bean seed oil Cat's Claw root Celandine Chaparral Chinese Rhubarb Cinchona bark Coltsfoot Comfrey Leaf Comfrey Root Coptis rhizome Devil's Claw Dulse Dyer's Broom Elecampane Ephedra Ginseng Goldenseal Guarana Gymnemna Hellebore Hemp agrimony herb Horse Chestnut Horsetail Jamaican Dogwood Joe-Pye weed Juniper Berry |
Kelp Kratom Licorice Root Life root herb Lobelia Ma-Huang Madder root Male fern rhizome Marijuana Meadow saffron corm and seed Meadowsweet herb Mistletoe Mugwort Myrrh Parsley (decreases milk supply) Pennyroyal Petasites rhizome Pleurisy Root Prickly Ash bark Pulsatilla herb Purging buckthorn Queen's root Rauwolflia root Rockweed thallus Rue (not to be confused with Goat's Rue) Sage (decreases milk supply) Sarsaparilla Saw Palmetto Seaweed thallus Senna Prickly Ash Star Anise Stillingia Stoneseed herb Sumac Tansy Thuja leaves Turkey Rhubarb Uva Ursi Wild Cherry Bark White Willow Bark Wintergreen leaves Wormwood |
Things that must be considered when using herbs while breastfeeding are whether or not an herb is safe in any particular capacity, the safe amount to consume, the length of time you will be taking the herb, along with other factors. For instance, peppermint did not make our list because you would have to consume absolute hoards of it for it to decrease your milk supply. Ant then there are herbs that made the list but are not a threat to you, baby, or your milk supply when consumed in occasional recipes, like basil. So please don't snub mom's homemade spaghetti sauce because you see basil on the list. It is safe to consume basil as a flavorful herb during occasional meals. It would not be safe, however, to consume a tincture of basil.
While this list is a valuable reference, it is always best to check with your healthcare practitioner before taking therapeutic amounts of any herb while breastfeeding.
Here are some of my favorite herbs as related to being a woman who is breastfeeding.
