Fenugreek

I dont understand why the Fenugreek advises against preg/nursing moms taking it, but it was suggested to me by a Lactation Specialist when I last nursed. Call a La Leche League Leader in your area and ask them. They always have Board Cert Lactation Specialist at their disposal and may be able to advise you on this matter. When I took fenugreek, I produced plenty of milk as a result. Dr Thomas Hale has published many books regarding the breastfeeding and pharmacology. The link is: http://www.ibreastfeeding.com/
This website carries some very good resources. Hope this helps!

D.
(former LLL Leader and extended nursing supporter)

D.

1 mom found this helpful

At about 6 weeks, I felt I couldn't keep up with the milk demands of my baby. After trying everything recommmended, out of desperation I tried Fenugreek. I was told by a consultant from La Leche League that fenugreek might help. At first, it didn't help. Then I found out that for it to work, you needed to take 9-12 capsules per day. I thought that was way too much, so I said forget it. Another month went by. I was getting so frustrated that I was at home, but still couldn't produce enough milk. I decided to go for it and took that exorbitant amount of fenugreek. Long story short, I was able to produce the milk I needed and it did not have any effects on my baby.

K.-
You just have to do what makes you comfortable-but I would join in the dialogue that fenugreek is fairly accepted to help boost milk production, and safe. I saw the earlier posting about anemia-I think a lot of people who take it are recommended by their doc or consultant who may know what questions to ask to clear for risks. I took it occasionally with my daughter-it did the boost but I felt it somewhat changed the quality of my breat milk in terms of taste (but daughter still took it) and fat-it just seemed thinner (I was pumping at time too).

I nursed my daughter until about 10 months, and twin boys who never took to nursing so I pumped for 8 months. In both cases I had fairly great supply (I was pumping about 32 oz a day consistently for the twins)-and then almost overnight my milk just dried up-there was no weeks of weaning-literally 2-3 days. Maybe there were drastic measures I could have taken to get it going...but it was not worth it to me. So just to throw it out there, I think any one who can nurse for 6 months is awesome, after that it is just frosting to keep going.

So if you are both healthy-fenugreek should be safe (as would be a beer or glass of red wine-drink right after you nurse so will be out of your supply by the next feeding), or supplement if needed.

Good luck!

Call your pediatrician. My daughters pediatrician was the one to suggest fenugreek when I was low on milk and I took it for a couple of months. My daughter is now 4-1/2 and perfectly healthy. I would talk to your childs doctor for reassurance.

Hi K., There is actually a more milk plus capsule that you can find on their website. I took fenugreek with my first son to produce more and didn't have any problems with it, found the mmp after I had my second son either one works.

I take Fenugreek from Nature's Herbs and it says Warning: Do not take if pregnant. Never heard not to take while nursing. I take 3 3x a day per lactation consult (bought from a health food store for $6 100 caps) as well as take Blessed Thistle by Solaray per lac consult 2 2x a day (paid $7 at health food store, 100 caps ). Check with the La Leche League, you can find their resources online. I have never tried More Milk Plus. Hear it is expensive and does not work that well. If you have access to a health food store that sells bulk, I understand you can buy fenugreek in the herb section and crush it up and make it into a tea. Good luck. Also, pump if you can, it is a supply and demand thing.

I used fenugreek and blessed thistle (not milk thistle) based on advice from a doctor who is an expert in breast milk production. I donot recall the doses but you should find someone who can tell you what it is.

Hi K.,

Did you ask your doctor? The warning is there, bu you can use it when nursing. I did for a while. I believe the warning states to check with your doctor before using.

I'm also not sure why the bottle would say that, I was advised by Le Leche League that fenugreek would increase milk supply and it did with me anyway, no harm to baby. But I took the capsules which, from what I've heard, is the way to go! No bad taste and all the benefits. You should be able to order this online also. Good luck.

Don't know anything about Fenugreek. Try a little beer. The yeast stimulates milk production. Good Luck.

Hi K.- I know nursing your babies is very important, I am a mother of a 2 1/2 year old and a 6 month old. I did not see your original posting, but if your milk is down and not coming back in I encourage your to switch to formula. I was not able to breast feed, as much as I wanted to. I thought it would be such a big deal giving my kids formula, but you know what, it wasn't. They are both healthy, happy and do not know the difference. Stop stressing over this, breastfeed for as long as you can, and don't put more things in your body, if it says not safe for pregnant women their is a reason. Try formula and see what your boys think. I think giving them formulas would be a lot safer than putting milk producing products into your body unnaturally. Just my thought. God bless you and your family, and I hope you find what works for you.

I drank fenugreek tea all the time while nursing, and it was recommended by a lactation nurse. Not sure why the bottle would say that...The tea was not pleasant tasting by itself. I added milk and sugar.

they are just cautioning you not to take it unadvised.. When nursing if you have a big supply , increasing your supply can lead to clogged ducts, mastitis, etc. I took More Milk Plus for over 1 year. Did you get the capsules? I never tasted them myself. Just swallowed them three times a day ( I was over 175 lbs). Some women thought they had a "maple syrup" like smell and others thought they could smell it on their skin once and awhile although they said their husbands didn't... Anyway. I never tasted them, just swallowed the capsules whole. And they helped my supply. If this isn't helping your supply you could ask you OB about Domperidone. It is an expensive RX but many of the moms in my group have found it cheaper online.

I took 3 capsules 3 times a day of Fenugreek powder plus i drank Mother's Milk Tea by Traditional Medicinals, ate brown rice, sweet potatoes, & apricots at the advice of the lactation nurse at Kaiser. My son and I are alive and well and I would have had to put him on formula due to lazy milk production. The tea worked well for a few of my friends, but I didn't notice much of a boost, but it tasted good - couldn't hurt, right?
Herbal remedies are hated by the FDA becauz the drug companiez don't make any money off them. Fenugreek has been used in China for hundreds of years.

Pretty much everything will have that label on it as a disclaimer, not to worry. I used Fenugreek while nursing my son, and it helped my milk production quite a bit. THe only problem, is that in some babies, they can get a little reflux-y with it. Other than that it is fine, according to my pediatrician and lactation consultant.

I took Fenugreek while I nursed and it seemed to help. If you're nervous,I would check with your doctor.

Another booster that worked for me was brewers yeast. I took tablets from the health food store. They don't taste bad at all. A faster way to get to it was a 1/2 a beer. I know... no alcohol right? My mom swore by it, and let me tell you, it works. Not enough to alter me, not enough to alter the babe...but the yeast in the beer would get me producing very quickly. Of course the best way to get production up, is rest, plenty of good food and let them go at it.

Good luck!

I took Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle for many months while I pumped and nursed my daughter until she was 14 months old. I didn't see any side effects besides the smell of maple syrup when I would sweat etc. I ended up having to take a prescription for lactation but I can't remember the name of it now. I know that it made me really tired and that it's usually used for stomach problems. But it helped a lot.

I think you will be fine taking the Fenugreek. I ended up taking three pills three times daily. I heard for many people from La Leche as well as my doctor to take that much and that when you smell like maple syrup then you are taking enough.

Good Luck!

More Milk Plus is a fabulous product that comes in 3 forms: Capsules, Liquid in alcohol and liquid in glycerine. Yes the one in alcohol takes horrid - sounds like that is the one you got. :) I sell Motherlove but not the tincture in alcohol. Call Motherlove and talk to them - they may exchange it for you for the liquid in Glycerine or the capsules - you may have to pay a bit more (a couple bucks) but it is worth it. I have fount the More Milk Plus to be much more effective with my clients than Fenugreek by itself.

Fenugreek is perfectly fine for nursing mothers. It has been used for centuries for the purpose of increasing milk supply. Companies put those warnings on there to cover their butts legally - they have to. However, in the case of pregnancy - you should NOT take fenugreek. It can cause uterine stimulation and in high enough doses can possibly bring on a miscarriage. So it is a No-No.

For more information you are weclom to call me anytime. :) My name is J. Simpson, and I am a Private Practice Lactation Consultant (in the business for 14 yrs) in Sacramento. I have tons of experience with herbs and milk supply. :) Sorta part of my job... ;)

Hope this information helps...

Warmly,
J.

www.breastfeedingnetwork.net
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I used a tea called Mothers Milk by a company called traditional medicinals here is a link to the product it worked great for me, just some herbs and 100% organic
http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/?title=women%27s+teas

also be sure to keep up on your fluids that is huge, drink lots of water, teas, juices etc and you know they use to say a dark beer will help with milk let down, that one I haven't tested ( I like wine) :)
good luck

I took Fenugreek with my first child and got incredibly constipated. I had to discontinue it's use and weeks later I got back to normal. I took Mother's Milk with my second child in the pill form.

Don't pay attention to that because one of the main ingredients of More Milk Plus is fenugreek seed!!! FDA cannot regulate herbs or any type of natural supplements... So they just won't let any supplement be sold with out this warning!!! Look at all natural supplements... they all say that!!! My bottle of Fenugreek has a warning of asking your doctor before using this product!!! Maybe a Breast feeding nurse would know!!! you can also buy the Blessed Thistle that More Milk Plus has in capsules... and that way you can have without the bad taste!!! And don't forget to drink lots and lots of water!!! Mineral water (club soda) helps and you can mix with Trader Joe's Organic Pink lemonade!!!

go to www.iherb.com
here is a 5 dollar first time discount code:
LAD030

Love, G.. :0)
http://stemcellforautism.blogspot.com/

"I know of nobody who is purely Autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some Autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin." ~ Jerry Newport

Hi K.

I took copious amounts of Fenugreek that my son smelled of it! It increased my milk supply a little but I still had to supplement with formula and pump frequently to keep up my supply. After 9 months my milk supply dried up completely. Looking back, I think I was too obsessed with giving my kids breast milk. I wanted to give them the best start in life and was so disappointed that I did not have enough milk, and I was even more disappointed when the nurses, doctors and lactation consultants did not try to find out why. They just said to relax!!! I think it was because I was anemic. My kids got formula from the beginning and fenugreek filled breast milk for a few months, and they are smart, healthy and slim children. Don't feel guilty if you have to supplement or switch entirely to formula. Formula is a great alternative and it is being improved all the time.

All the best

M.

Hi K.: I had trouble with supply with both my children. I used fenugreek on the advice of a great lactation consultant. What really worked for me, however, was a prescription my doctor gave me on the advice of my lactation consultant. It was a compound called domperidon, or something like that. That drug worked great for my production and I had no side effects.

I drank a tea that was for nursing mom's. this was a while ago as it was with my second child. I cant remember what the name was, but I am recalling Mother's Milk Tea, I bought it at Safeway in their organic section. Your pills probably are too concentrated.

I would contact the Le Leche League (a Breastfeeding group) that can help. www.llli.org is the website. Maybe there is someone that you can contact that can give your better answers.

I agree I think most of it tastes bad, but when you think of the benefits, its worth it in the end.

When I drank the tea, it worked well. But as soon as I stopped it slowed down again. I think it had something to do with pumping mostly and not breastfeeding. My daughter instantly fell asleep on the breast. Too comforting I suppose.

Good luck.

Hi K.,
I took Fenugreek pills while nursing to increase my milk supply and it worked pretty well. I was working with a lactation consultant at the time and she said to take 3 pills 3 times/day. I also drank a nasty tea called Organic Mother's Milk by Traditional Medicinals several times per day. Along with that I was pumping after every feeding for a couple of weeks to encourage my milk supply as well. Jumping through all of the hoops enabled me to breastfeed until my little guy was almost a year - he quit on me. Good luck to you and don't give up!!!

I think they just put that warning on the Fenugreek to cover their tail. My pediatrician recommended that I take Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle to increase my milk supply...she said it's totally safe. And I did take both for several months and had no problems. I felt fine, and my son is growing, healthy, happy, and with no problems apparent at 7 months. Don't worry--I think you are safe!! You could ask your doctor to be sure, but mine said it's fine.

Fenugreek is fine, it won't harm your supply at all and is wonderful for milk production!! I have had it in several teas that help promote milk production. My favorite to help in production is "Woman's Nursing Mom" by Yogi Tea. I get it at Raley's in the tea aisle. It's about 2.99 a box, I use 2 bags per cup of tea, they reccommend 1 cup upon waking and 2-3 cups throughout the day. It has several herbs that aid in production and help you to relax. It has Fennel, Chamomile, Stinging Nettle Leaf, Anise, Fenugreek, and English Lavender. All Organic!! I've had alot of success with it. I've used it since my son was 2 months old, and still do today, he's 13 months now!! Worrying that a little Fenugreek may have had negative effects isn't going to help your production though, Just breath, and relax!! It's going to be okay!! I've read also that Hops is very good for milk production, but it tastes terrible, very bitter. A good resource book for natural remedies is "Wise Womans Herbal for the Childbearing Years" Hope this is some help!

I didn't use either. I found that increasing my water intake did the trick every time. I would use a jar that had the ounce measurements on the side so I could keep track of how much I drank.

I was reccomended to Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle also, by an excellent lactation consultant. You will be fine. I also had a friend whose doctor reccomended 2 beers with lunch to increase her supply and it totally worked for her. Something about the yeast in the beer...anyway, he assured her that it wasn't enought to harm her infant.

Hang in there!

Yes I took Fenugreek. You don't need a big store for it - I would buy it at Raley's. Most grocery stores carry it.

I am currently using Fenugreek to help my milk supply. My baby's peditrican recommended it to me. I got it from the GNC store and on the bottle it says to consult a physician before using if pregnant or nursing (which I did). I also talked to the GNC manager and she said lots of moms use it for increasing milk supply. Why don't you talk to your peditrician and/or doctor to get some advice as well. I know it has helped me to increase my supply without any effects on myself or my baby.

Good Herbal books (Whole Foods will let you look at them for free) will have a "contraindication" section: why or who shouldn't take the herb. Fenugreek inhibits the uptake of iron, so there is a significant risk you (and then the baby) will become anemic. I was rather anemic at the end of my pregnacy, so the Fenugreek made me limp with anemia. I was far from "fine".
Then my sister in law told me that some book.... Ultimate Breadfeeding guide? Did a study and found Fenugreek doesn't work, it's placebo. Apparently drinking a huge volume of gatorade works better!! However, Fenugreek has a cult like status, and people will push it on you and never stop to ask you if you are anemic, or have had issues with it.

And funny, they supliment formula with iron why? Because so many mothers and infants run anemic.

There is a drug: Reglan that she (s-i-l) had great sucess with. I have heard of a number of sucess stories with that medication, but you have to push your doc for it. I found it was contraindicated for people with sezuire conditions, so I couldn't take it.

GOOD LUCK!
I got a ton of bad breadfeeding advice and had to see a number of consultants before I got away from the crazy ones who didn't have my daughter's best interests at heart (sugar water??? that will make a baby with jaundice MUCH sicker!) She is a brillant first grader now, and living proof formula for over 2 years can result in healthy smart kids.

Fenugreek is perfectly safe for nursing mothers. Especially if your milk production is low. The best thing to do is to call your doctor. My family's doctor reccommended it within 2 weeks of my sister giving birth to her son because her supply was low. Make sure that it is just fenugreek and not some mixture of herbs. But otherwise, call your doctor and let them know that this is what you are doing and if they are not happy, ask them for an alternative. But you should be fine. Fenugreek actually makes the milk sweeter, too.
Don't worry, you haven't caused your little one any harm.

I recommend starting with just the fenugreek. Take one capsule 3 times a day with meals and then gradually work up to 3 capsules 3 times a day .If you experience loose stools cut back-this can be an unfortunate side effect. .Your urine and sweat may also smell like maple syrup. Really, no joke.If you are Diabetic, this herb may lower your blood sugar.
I would research online about taking fenugreek to increase your milk supply. It is actually quite safe. Another thing that should be looked at is why your milk production is low. Maybe contact a local Lactation Consultant. Hope this info helps!