Breast Feeding Is Natural and Healthy, But That Doesn’t Mean It’s Always Easy. There Is Natural, Healthy Help.
Herbs that encourage breast milk are called galactogogues from the ancient Greek words meaning to bring milk. Some of the best galactagogues are blessed thistle, fenugreek, fennel, red raspberry, stinging nettle, milk thistle, chastetree berry, anise, vervain, dill, hops and false unicorn.
How to Choose
Any of these herbs, or a combination of any of these herbs, can be drunk as a tea three or more times a day. But since each of these herbs also has a myriad of other uses, you can try making a formula that address other needs of you or your baby.
If your baby is suffering from colic, then fennel, dill and anise will address your baby’s concern while increasing your breast milk. Vervain and red raspberry are relaxing herbs that will help with any anxiety you may be experiencing while breast feeding. Nettle is great for restoring energy after birth, and both nettle and red raspberry are ideal choices if you need something extra that is very nutritious.
Spotlight on Research
Fifty women with borderline production of breast milk were given 420 mg of silymarin, the normal dose of the active ingredient in milk thistle, or a placebo. After 30 days, the women on the placebo produced 649.76 g of breast milk while the silymarin group produced a significantly greater 989.76 g. After 60 days, the placebo group was still only producing 700.56 g, but the silymarin group was producing 1119.24 g. The silymarin increased milk production by 85.95 percent versus 32.09 percent on the placebo.1
Fenugreek also has scientific support. Controlled research shows that when mothers are given fenugreek tea every day, breast milk volume is significantly higher than in placebo or control groups.2
Less talked about than herbs that increase breast milk are herbs that may encourage your baby to breast feed longer. Eating garlic increases the scent of breast milk for a short period. When breast feeding mothers eat garlic, their babies attach to the breast longer and suck more.3
The Latest Research
The newest research on encouraging breast milk is on anise. It is the first scientific study of anise as a galactagogue, though it has been traditionally used by some cultures.
The infants in this study were all born preterm. Their mothers were given either a placebo tea made from 3 g of black tea or a tea made from 1 g of black tea and 2 g of dried anise infused for 10 minutes. There were 129 women in the study, and they each drank their tea three times a day for a week.
The women drinking the anise tea had significantly greater volume of milk. There were no side effects. The study shows that anise is safe and effective for increasing breast milk. The researchers say that anise tea “can be used easily, cheaply and effectively in practice to increase” breast milk.4
Hugging & Soothing
Stress, anxiety and fatigue are powerful inhibitors of breast milk. When mothers of premature infants practised relaxation techniques, their breast milk production went up by 63 percent compared to a control group.5
Holding your baby skin to skin also increases breast milk.6
Foods That Might Help
Foods that might help include whole grains, peas, beans, nuts—especially walnuts and almonds—and seeds. Raw fruit and vegetables are also good: perhaps especially apricots, asparagus, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes and leafy greens.
Foods That Don’t Help
Don’t eat sage or parsley or use them as herbs: they are powerful stoppers of breast milk.
Don’t Give Up
The hormone prolactin causes you to make milk (hence the name); the hormone oxytocin causes the milk to squirt out: your baby’s sucking stimulates both hormones. So, the more you breast feed, the more breast milk you make. In many cases, feeding your baby every couple of hours helps solve the problem.VR
Sources:
1 Acta Biomed 2008;79:205-10.
2 J Altern Complement Med 2011;17:139-42.
3 Pediatrics. 1991 Oct;88(4):737-44.
4 BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023;23:19.
5 Pediatrics 1989;83:57-60.
6 J Perinatol 1997;17:213-17.
Linda Woolven is a master herbalist, acupuncturist and solution-focused counsellor with a virtual practice in Toronto, ON, Canada. Woolven and Ted Snider are the authors of several books on natural health. You can see their books at www.thenaturalpathnewsletter.com. They are also the authors of the natural health newsletter The Natural Path. The Natural Path is a natural health newsletter specifically designed to help health food stores increase their sales by educating their customers. The Natural Path contains no advertising and never mentions a brand name. Retailers can provide The Natural Path Newsletter to their customers. For more information, contact Snider at [email protected] or (416) 782-8211.
