Detox Tea and Breastfeedingby Marianne
Answer: This is a common question and we want to answer it in more detail here than we have in previous posts. Many people are cautious about herbs, particularly some western doctors. They are potent healing remedies and one must use them with great respect for their healing properties. There is often conflicting information about herbs and so we want to advise you to listen carefully to your own internal wisdom and seek further information if you are uncertain about using any of the herbs that we recommend. We feel that most of the herbs used in our Detox Tea are safe for nursing mothers, with some words of caution around burdock and licorice root. For burdock root you will find conflicting information around its safety for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Licorice root is not recommended in large doses for extended periods of time. We'll share why and more on that information here. First off, nettles leaf and milk thistle, two of our detox tea herbs, are consistently recommended for pregnancy and breastfeeding. They are nourishing for the baby and they have been shown to increase milk supply in mothers. Dandelion root and ginger are also recommended for mothers during pregnancy and nursing. Dandelion is full of nutrients that are very nourishing for the baby and ginger is a great remedy for morning sickness. Cinnamon is a good digestive spice, but as with other spices, some babies are sensitive to it and will object. So this is one you will simply want to notice your babies reaction to. The amount used in our detox tea is fairly small and shouldn't cause a problem unless you already know that your baby is very sensitive to spices. Finally, burdock root and licorice root, the two herbs that you will find some controversy around when it comes to pregnancy and breastfeeding. Burdock root has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries and was given to pregnant moms to tone the womb and was believed to help "hold the baby inside." In Japan it is very common and used daily in most homes, including for pregnant moms. It nourishes the blood, restores the liver and stimulates immune function. Today you will find western herbalists who recommend burdock as a nourishing herbs for moms and babies and other doctors who warn against its use because of limited studies on its safety. I read one that says it can "stimulate the uterus" and thus may not be safe. So this is one where you'll want to listen to your intuition and if you have concerns, either leave it out or do more research. Licorice root was not found to be recommended by herbalists for mom's during pregnancy because of potential side effects including alteration of hormones. For nursing, there is conflicting information again. To be safe, they usually do not recommend it for nursing, especially large doses over a long period of time. However, it is sometimes recommended for short duration to increase milk supply. Many of these contraindications are regarding large doses of the herb taken in pill form. In our tea, the doses are high quality but not particularly large or used over an extended period. Thus nursing moms might choose to cut back on the amount of the burdock and/or licorice or to take them only for a short period of one week and no more. Also, each mom knows whether they are sensitive to hormone issues, have challenges with milk supply, or have a baby with sensitivities to foods and spices. So our final recommendation is to listen to your own body, listen to your baby and follow your own intuition on the use of these healing herbs. Please let us know your experience and if you find additional information helpful for our moms. Best wishes and happy mothering!!
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? |
