If you’re a breastfeeding mother who has asked herself whether her baby is getting enough breast milk, you certainly aren’t alone.
One of the most common reasons for early weaning from breastfeeding is perceived low milk supply.
If you’ve ever Googled ‘How to increase breast milk supply’, there’s a good chance you’ve come across articles about the use of herbal remedies to boost breast milk production.
One of the most commonly used herbs to maximize milk supply is fenugreek.
How exactly do herbal treatments increase a mother’s milk supply? And is fenugreek safe for nursing mothers?
This article will discuss the use of fenugreek and other herbal supplements to increase milk volume in breastfeeding mothers.
Consuming fenugreek
Fenugreek is considered safe for breastfeeding mothers, when used in moderation, and ‘generally recognized as safe’ by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Leading breastfeeding researcher, Doctor Thomas Hale, classifies fenugreek in the Lactation Risk Category L3, which means moderately safe.
Fenugreek is enjoyed as a culinary herb and spice in many parts of the world, such as France, India, Argentina, North Africa and the Mediterranean countries.
There are several different ways fenugreek seeds can be consumed, and fenugreek is available from most health food stores, in various forms.
Some of these include:
- Whole fenugreek seeds
- Fenugreek powder
- Fenugreek supplements / fenugreek capsules
- Fenugreek tea
- ‘Mother’s milk’ tea.
Who should not take fenugreek?
Before taking fenugreek, seek advice from your health care provider. Just like prescription drugs, herbal supplements can have contraindications, which means they could be harmful to certain people.
It is important for the following groups of people to use fenugreek with caution, or avoid it altogether:
People with a peanut or chickpea allergy
Fenugreek is in the same family peanuts, chickpeas and possibly other legumes. Therefore, fenugreek can cause an allergic reaction in mothers who have an allergy to these foods. If you have a peanut or chickpea allergy, you should avoid fenugreek.
People who are diabetic
High doses of fenugreek can reduce blood glucose levels. Lower blood sugar in women who have diabetes can mean that the insulin dosage needs to be adjusted.
People who are taking warfarin or other blood thinners
Fenugreek supplements can interact with the blood thinner warfarin. Check with your doctor for alternative medications to help increase milk supply.
People who are asthmatic
Some mothers have reported that fenugreek made their asthma symptoms worse.
Women with a history of breast cancer
Historically, fenugreek was used for its ability to stimulate uterine contractions to induce labor. Fenugreek can act like estrogen in the body, and should therefore be avoided by women with a history of hormone sensitive cancers.
Pregnant women
For the reasons above, fenugreek should also be avoided by pregnant women.
Is fenugreek safe for babies?
Overall, fenugreek appears to be generally well tolerated by adults. However, some common side effects in babies of mothers who are taking fenugreek are:
- Diarrhoea and flatulence
- Sweat, urine, breastmilk and the breastfed baby might smell like maple syrup.
Fenugreek and breast milk supply
Fenugreek is probably the most commonly used plant to increase human milk volume.
Some women have found fenugreek to be helpful in increasing milk supply but there is a lack of scientific research to back this up. There have been only a limited number of studies about fenugreek as a galactagogue. Most of these studies are of low to moderate quality and most didn’t find fenugreek to be effective in increasing milk supply.
Some of the problems with the research into fenugreek as a galactagogue are:
Lack of randomisation
The most important aspect of randomisation is that it ensures participants are representative of a larger population.
If a study isn’t randomised, it increases the risk of bias.
For example, if some participants who consume fenugreek and are motivated to increase milk supply are then compared with other, less motivated participants who consume a placebo, then this affects the results.
Randomisation helps prevent this.
Lack of a control group
Without a control group for comparison, it’s more difficult to determine whether the treatment being studied has any effect.
It’s possible for participants to feel an effect due to other factors, such as knowing they are taking something that could boost breast milk production.
Small number of study participants
A small number of participants in a study affects its reliability.
Reliability refers to how consistently the study outcomes are repeated in a group of people.
More well designed studies are needed before taking fenugreek can be recommended as a herbal supplement to increase breast milk production.
Increasing breast milk production
Before you consume fenugreek to increase breast milk supply, consider seeking advice from a lactation consultant.
The first thing is to determine whether your supply really is low.
For more information on determining whether your baby is getting enough milk, you can read BellyBelly’s article: 3 Reliable Signs Baby Is Getting Enough Milk.
Breastfeeding works on the principle of supply and demand. The most important factor in increasing milk supply is milk removal.
Effective and frequent removal of breast milk is more effective in treating low milk supply than taking fenugreek or other herbal supplements, dietary supplements or traditional medicine.
Breastfed babies need to feed 8-12 times in a 24-hour period. Factors that help increase milk flow are:
- Feeding according to your baby’s cues
- Good positioning and attachment
- Ruling out any oral anatomical problems, such as tongue-tie
- Having a skilled breastfeeding expert, such as a lactation consultant, watch a breastfeedIf your baby is not yet transferring milk effectively from the breast, you might need to express breast milk, using an electric breast pump, to help build or maintain your milk supply.
Breastfeeding support organisations such as the Australian Breastfeeding Association or La Leche League can help.
If milk is being removed well and often, and you still have a low milk supply, then fenugreek might help.
To be safe, make sure you check with your healthcare provider that taking fenugreek is the best choice for you.
Curious about additional milk-boosting options? Check out our article on lactation cookies.
