Thinking About Peppermint? 1 Reason Why It’s Time To Stop!

Tis the season for peppermint and with that comes the risk that you could reduce your milk supply when nursing.  Not everyone is equally sensitive to herbs that can affect your supply, but this is the busiest time of the year for your volunteer La Leche League volunteers. (LLL) When my son was a baby he stayed at an in home sitter and one of the perks was that a LLL leader also lived in the home.  I never worried about leaving my pumped milk, it being waisted, or it being mishandled, but I do remember the LLL leader telling me that winter that there is always an increase in distress calls from moms during the holidays because of the increased consumption of mint in their diets.

Herbs that may decrease milk supply from KellyMom.com

Using large amounts of the following herbs and other natural remedies should be avoided while nursing because they have been known to decrease milk supply. The amounts of these herbs normally used in cooking are unlikely to be of concern; it’s mainly the larger amounts that might be used therapeutically that could pose a problem. However, some moms have noticed a decrease in supply after eating things like dressing with lots of sage, sage tea (often recommended when moms are weaning), lots of strong peppermint candies or menthol cough drops, or other foods/teas with large amounts of the particular herb. These herbs are sometimes used by nursing mothers to treat oversupply, or when weaning.

• Black Walnut
• Chickweed
• Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)
• Lemon Balm
• Oregano
• Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
• Peppermint (Mentha piperita)/Menthol
• Periwinkle Herb (Vinca minor)
• Sage (Salvia officinalis)
• Sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
• Spearmint
• Thyme

You can find KellyMom’s complete list of herbs to avoid while breastfeeding here.

La Leche League International (LLL) shares

Misconception: Herbal remedies are compatible with breastfeeding.

A mother may believe that a medication derived from herbs is natural and, therefore, safe. She might not even mention that she is taking an herbal remedy when asked if she is taking any medication. Herbal remedies are far from benign. Some can increase or decrease the milk supply; others can cause babies to be sleepy or show symptoms of colic. Most important, some are contraindicated when breastfeeding. Since herbs are not regulated in the same way that other drugs are, it is important for a mother to have a good resource person or trustworthy source to ascertain purity, strength, uses and contraindications. PL Leaders can help Leaders with specific herbal questions. (See also LEAVEN Jun/Jul 1998, pages 43-47.) Read more here

Want to learn more about receiving peer support during your nursing relationship?  You can also hang out with a bunch of awesome women near you by checking out all the LLL meetings around the Lowcountry here

And if that doesn’t suit your fancy, you can look up an International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiner (IBLCE) here for professional support beyond mother to mother peer support with LLL.  My personal favorite in the Lowcountry is Lin Cook with Mothers Helper.  not only is she a wealth of knowledge in her private practice, she serves the women of our community as a IBLCE for DHEC in the Woman Infant Child (WIC) office.