Should You Drink Herbal Teas During Breastfeeding?
When it comes to herbal teas for breastfeeding – we often feel left in the dark. I don’t know about you, but questions on my mind looked like this:
Can I drink herbal teas while breastfeeding?
Are herbal teas harmful for my baby?
Will herbal teas decrease my breastmilk supply?
Are there herbal teas that can support breastmilk supply and my postpartum wellbeing?
Let’s dive into every single one of those questions together, right now. As always, you should always seek personalized advice from a qualified health provider to make sure specific herbs are appropriate for you.
A primer on herbs
Herbs can be used in many forms – as teas, tinctures, in capsules or supplements, in topical forms or in culinary applications (e.g., cooking!).
Herbs are powerful – many are packed with nutrients, some are as potent as pharmaceuticals, and others can have profound impacts on our mood, mental health, digestion and sleep.
The way herbs are used makes a big difference – especially for pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Research on the use of herbs for breastfeeding
Herbs have been used therapeutically for all sorts of ailments, conditions, and treatments for thousands of years, including during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
This traditional use tells us a lot about which herbs are likely beneficial for breastfeeding (for not just lactation but also for postpartum wellness – digestion, mood, nutrient repletion and recovery and more), and also demonstrate little risk of harm.
What we don’t have is empirical evidence demonstrating safety for the vast majority of herbs for breastfeeding (or pregnancy). The studies just haven’t been done, and the ethics of doing them are complex and nuanced.
This doesn’t mean herbs aren’t safe for breastfeeding, but it does mean we have very little in the way of scientific evidence – we mostly have historical, anecdotal, and observational knowledge from herbalists and trained practitioners. This is the reason why your google searches or conversations with your health provider can be confusing!
Therapeutic vs. Culinary Use of Herbs for Breastfeeding
When we talk about the safety of herbs for breastfeeding, one distinction that is important is the difference between therapeutic use and culinary use of herbs.
Therapeutic or medicinal use often means you are taking herbs in large does – maybe via capsules in supplemental form, as is sometimes suggested for lactation support. Any medicinal or therapeutic use of herbs in pregnancy and breastfeeding should always be done under the support of a qualified health provider.
Normal culinary use, on the other hand, means you’re consuming herbs in moderate, non-therapeutic amounts, often in a tea or in a meal. With teas, this is usually defined as a cup or two a day.
Safe and Beneficial Herbal Teas for Breastfeeding
Often, I get questions about safe herbal teas for breastfeeding – which makes sense! It’s important to know that consuming something is going to be safe for you and for your baby.
What I’d like to do is take this up a notch and chat about herbal teas that are not only thought to be safe for breastfeeding, but are also readily available, easy to use, and offer specific benefits for your postpartum body and life.
Here’s 4 amazing choices if you’re breastfeeding and are looking for more support for either your mood, your milk supply, your nutrition, or your digestion.
Safe Herbal Teas: Mood, Stress, and Nervous System Support
These teas are wonderful to calm and sooth the nervous system, lower anxiety, and improve sleep, all good things when you’ve got a baby at home!
Camomile
Lemon Balm
Oat Straw
Lavender
Safe Herbal Teas: Milk Supply Support
Substances that are thought to promote milk supply are called galactogogues. I like to think about galactogogues in 3 distinct categories: Herbs (often used as teas, tinctures, or in supplement form), Foods (used in cooking), and Pharmaceutical (prescription medications).
There are many herbs thought to promote milk supply, but I’ve chosen the 4 that are easiest to use – you likely have some of these at home already, they’re easy to find and make into teas, and they have many other culinary benefits for postpartum.
Fennel seed
Ginger
Turmeric
Fenugreek
Keep in mind that if you have worries about your milk supply, it’s always best to meet with a trained lactation consultant to get to the root of the issue and receive individualized support.
Safe Herbal Teas: Nutrient Support
These teas are considered nutritive tonics: they naturally contain lots of vitamins (B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin D and vitamin E) and minerals (including iron, magnesium, potassium and calcium), antioxidants, and can be a wonderful support for postpartum nutrient repletion, energy, and wellbeing.
These 4 nutritive herbs are often used together to make NORA tea, an amazing support for postpartum! I always have some on my counter at home.
Nettle
Oatstraw
Raspberry Leaf
Alfalfa
Safe Herbal Teas: Digestion Support
Aromatic herbs are often used for digestion support and are excellent options if you’re experiencing indigestion, bloating, or cramping. All of these are also considered galactogogues, either through their potential actions to increase milk production or by promoting relaxation to encourage let-down.
Anise
Fennel
Ginger
Camomile
Making Your Own Breastfeeding Tea
If you’re up for it, you can mix and match to make your own custom breastfeeding or postpartum tea. Ordering herbs in bulk is a great way to save money, and it can be an easier way to access the herbs you want to use most!
You can check out your local bulk store to buy herbs, or order them online. I’ve had great experiences with Mountain Rose Herbs (US and Canada) and Organic Matters (Canada).