Healthy Horizons and Herb Lore hosted a virtual class on Nursing & Nature: Tinctures, Teas and Treats to provide nursing mothers alternative ways to overcome challenges in her breastfeeding journey.
The worldwide use of traditional and alternative medicine has grown considerably in recent years. Herbal medicines are becoming widely used because of their affordability, accessibility, and effectiveness if used correctly.
Below are tips and tricks if you decide to incorporate herbal medicine into your breastfeeding and pumping plan.
Herbal 101: The most common way to take an herbal product is through a tincture or tea. A herbal tincture is a concentrated extract made by soaking fresh (or dried) leaves or roots in alcohol or vegetable glycerine. Herbal teas made from leaves soaking in hot water is called an infusion. Making a tea with roots is called a decoction as these harder herbs must be boiled. Your bag of tea will give you brewing directions to make it easy! If tinctures or teas are not your thing, there are several different treats (cookies or bars) that you can try.
Lactation Care: There are a variety of conditions that mothers have found relief in when incorporating herbal products into their daily regimen. Some of the most common are:
Symptom Recommendation
Low Milk Supply Goats Rue, Moringa, Shatavari, Blessed Thistle, Fenugreek
Over/Uneven Milk Production Sage or Parsley
Plugged Ducts Lecithin, or Poke Root
Thrush/Yeast Deodorized Garlic, Probiotics,
Baby Jarrow,
ACV Rinse Non-Dairy Acidophilus Liquid
Powerhouse Products: Is your milk supply not exactly what you imagined it would be? While lactation herbal supplements won’t make your supply turn on like a faucet, there are several “powerhouse” teas and treats that can help.
Low Supply
Overproduction
Earth Mama No More Milk Tea
Common Food & Herbs to Avoid: Some herbs can decrease a mother’s milk supply, others can pose possible health risks for the baby. Below are common herbs that you might see in foods, herbal preparations and supplements. Please note, this list is not a complete list of herbs to avoid during breastfeeding, and please make sure to check with your doctor before taking any herbal products.
Lactation Consultant: There are additional resources that a mother can introduce to help make breastfeeding easier and more seamless, one being a lactation consultant. Lactation Consultants can:
Help you figure out underlying issues
Educate you with appropriate herb choices
Refer you to the right resources
Create a consistent plan
Help you view your lactation journey holistically
Additional Resources:
Healthy Horizons is the first company to offer comprehensive workplace mother’s rooms services and lactation-at-work benefits at scale across North America. We support parents at work and at home. In addition to our workplace services, we have Breastfeeding Centers in the San Francisco Bay Area. We are here to support any of your breastfeeding needs.
Herb Lore prides itself on offering the highest quality herbal products. In addition to their focus on quality, they offer extensive information about the herbal products that they manufacture in-house. Their product descriptions are thorough, covering what each product is best used for, suggested dosage, ingredients, related herbs, any potential or known contraindications, and food/herbs to avoid.
Disclaimers: This information has not been approved by FDA. This information does not replace the advice of your doctor, please consult your doctor prior to starting a herbal regimen. Don’t take anything for increasing milk production until you see that there is a problem. Taking herbs to increase production can lead to making too much milk, engorgement, plugged ducts, and mastitis. Herbs aren’t guaranteed to work for everyone or work the same for everyone. Everyone's bodies are different and results can vary.