Most herbal treatments have not been thoroughly researched, particularly in regard to lactation. Herbs are drugs, and some caution is necessary. It is possible for anyone (mother or baby) to have an allergic reaction to just about anything. Watch your baby closely for any adverse reactions if you take any herb or medicine.
Following are references (both web pages and print) on herbs and breastfeeding.
Herbs and Breastfeeding
Conover E, Buehler BA. Use of herbal agents by breastfeeding women may affect infants. Pediatr Ann. 2004 Apr;33(4):235-40.
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Frank Nice, DPA, CPHP, Raymond J. Coghlan, Pharm.D. and Brian T. Birmingham, Pharm.D. Herbals and Breastfeeding. U.S. Pharmacist: September 2000, Vol. 25:9
Increasing Milk Supply by Cheryl Taylor White (discusses herbal galactagogues)
List of Galactagogues from herblore.com
Breastfeeding Pharmacology is the web site of Thomas Hale, Ph.D. Dr. Hale is a renowned Breastfeeding Pharmacologist and the author of Medications and Mothers’ Milk.
Lactnet archive search LACTNET is an email list for sharing professional information regarding lactation and case management. A search of the archives is one way to find info on herbs (but you should check the sources of the information you get before using it).
The University of Rochester Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center (585-275-0088) maintains a database of drugs and medications and provides free information to physicians on their use and effects during breastfeeding. Ruth A. Lawrence, MD is the Director of the center.
Herbs, General Information
American Botanical Council online publications
Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Holistic Online Herb Directory
Materia Medica by Sharol Tilgner, ND
The Green Pharmacy by James A. Duke, Ph.D.
Raintree Tropical Plant Database
O’Hara M, Kiefer D, Farrell K, Kemper K. A review of 12 commonly used medicinal herbs. Arch Fam Med. 1998 Nov-Dec;7(6):523-36.
Christopher Hobbs – The Virtual Herbal
Southwest School of Botanical Medicine
Dr. Jim Duke’s Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases
U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s GRAS list (more about Generally Recognized As Safe)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Info on Dietary Supplements
Warnings and Safety Information from the United States Food & Drug Administration
National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements
International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements (IBIDS) This is a database of published, international, scientific literature on dietary supplements, including vitamins, minerals, and botanicals. IBIDS is produced by the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health.
Motherlove herbal company has some very good FAQs and herbal information for pregnant and nursing women.
Thomas Schoepke Plant Image Gallery
Books and Print Articles
Humphrey, Sheila. The Nursing Mother’s Herbal. Minneapolis: Fairview Press, 2003.
Hale, Thomas. Medications and Mothers’ Milk, 12th Edition. Pharmasoft Medical Publishing, 2006.
Briggs, Gerald G., Roger K. Freeman, and Sumner J Yaffe. Drugs in Pregnancy & Lactation: A Reference Guide to Fetal & Neonatal Risk, 7th Edition. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, 2005.
Paul Fleiss, MD. “Herbal Remedies For The Breastfeeding Mother” Mothering. 1988: Summer 68-71
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed
Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals: A Handbook for Practice on a Scientific Basis. Medpharm Scientific Publishers (Stuttgart 1994)/CRC Press(Boca Raton). Norman Grainger Bisset. ISBN 0-8493-7192-9 (CRC Press). This is the English edition. You can purchase this from the American Pharmaceutical Association at 202-628-4410.
Lawrence R, Lawrence R. Breastfeeding, A Guide for the Medical Professional, 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Mosby, 2005.