Fenugreek...how Long Is It Safe to Take It?

My doctor told me I could take Fenugreek several times a day for up to two weeks, but after that, I would need to lessen the dosage. Good luck.

With my first, my supply decreased around 4 to 5 months old and I thought I was losing my supply, turns out it was just settling down. I did take fenugreek daily with no problems and as far as I experienced we had no problems, my daughter is now 4. With my son I never used anything despite him being 10 lbs at birth and 20 lbs by 4 months old, he was huge, but he nursed well and was happy so I didn't worry and he is still nursing at 2 years old. I still sometimes think my milk is gone and then once in a while he pops off and I see milk in his mouth. So I know he is still getting some, but it often doesn't feel like it, so I suspect you are making plenty of milk especially if yoiur boy is that big. But if you are really concerned taking the fenugreek daily would be fine. I was told to continue to increase the amount until I smelled like maple syrup. Good luck and I am sorry you are going through a stressful time. I can relate to the stresses and it makes everything harder. Blessings!

Hello,
I understand stress!!! It's okay and completely understandable that you are concerned and would like to continue to breastfeed. With or without the stress with all three of my babies, I have had to supplement in addition to breastfeeding. It is okay to supplement! The only thing that I can suggest is talk to a Lactation consultant and do some research. You could also talk to your doctor(OB). There are other alternatives to the Fenugreek as well. There is tea that help lactation. Its called Mother's Milk. I know this might not help much, but sometimes you just need to hear that it is okay.

I took it, and you can also take some of those Mother's Milk tea blends. The lactation consultant said it was fine to take every day. The only thing I found was that I had to quit taking it because it made my blood sugar get a little too low (its clinically proven to be useful for lowering blood sugar) and then I'd feel a little funky. You could also try hops flowers as a tea. It's terribly bitter, but it seems to get the milk going (some people drink a little cup of really dark beer, but after I did a little research it's probably the hops and the alcohol just relaxes you so the milk lets down easier). Hops is also a useful nervine to calm frazzled nerves and to help you sleep better.

Fennel seed was another thing I used. I'd mix fenugreek, hops, and fennel and it made this awful bitter tea, but it was the only thing that seemed to keep the milk up. (I had a low milk supply issue that just wasn't resolvable).

Try: "The Breastfeeding Mother's Guide to Making More Milk".

I also pumped. I got a Medela Swing pump at Target for $150. You can check and see if you have a lactation consultant in your area, or a breastfeeding support group. If not, start one!

The easiest way to see how much milk your son is getting is by weighing him on a sensitive scale that does ounces and fractions of ounces, weigh him before he gets on the breast, and then again when he's done. That might do a lot to relieve you that he's getting enough. Sometimes it seems like the milk is low, or they aren't staying on there very long, when in fact they're sucking down 4-8 ounces of milk in under 10 minutes.

I had a severe nursing problem (lack of much milk) for the first 9 weeks of my second child's life. My lactation consultant recommended Fenugreek, but it did nothing for me. (After doing a lot of different things, my milk finally came in at 9 weeks...and we nursed for 2 years.) I would check with your doctor and/or a lactation consultant!

From kellymom -- http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/milksupply/fenugreek.html

Fenugreek can be used either short-term to boost milk supply or long-term to augment supply and/or pumping yields. There are no studies indicating problems with long-term usage. Per Kathleen Huggins "Most mothers have found that the herb can be discontinued once milk production is stimulated to an appropriate level. Adequate production is usually maintained as long as sufficient breast stimulation and emptying continues" [Huggins].

and

Fenugreek is used to flavor artificial maple syrup, and is used as a common food ingredient (curries, chutneys, etc.) and traditional medicine in many parts of the world, including India, Greece, China, north Africa and the Middle East. It is a basic ingredient of curry powder (often used in Indian cooking) and the Five Spice mixtures (used in Asian cooking). It is also eaten as a salad and sprouted.

Fenugreek is considered safe for nursing moms when used in moderation and is on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's GRAS list (Generally Recognized As Safe). As with most medications and herbs, various side effects have been noted; see the side effects and safety information below.

Per Hale [Hale 2002], "The transfer of fenugreek into milk is unknown, but untoward effects have not been reported." Hale classifies it in Lactation Risk Category L3 (moderately safe).

You are taking such a low dose that I wouldn't even worry about it - I was taking mass amounts of it and I survived. I have heard that it can give you gastrointestinal discomfort, but if isn't, I wouldn't worry about it. Fenugreek is a common ingredient in many Indian dishes as part of curry...the only side effect I found was that I smelled like a pancake factory. According to Dr. Jack Newman, Fenugreek is oftentimes only helpful early on in breastfeeding. This was true for me - it does absolutely nothing for me now.

I had major supply issues with my daughter. I started taking Fenugreek when she was a couple months old and I took it until I stopped nursing her at one year. I took between 4-6 capsules/day everyday for that entire time (about 9 or 10 months). It made such a huge difference for me- it was the only reason I was able to continue breastfeeding. None of the other "tricks" to increase milk supply worked for me (I pumped after every feeding, nursed every 3 hours for at least 45 min, etc.).

Yes fenugreek is safe.. your supply is probably not low... does your son nurse happily and then seem content.. well he is getting enough milk.. I would nt take fenugreek just cause you think your supply is low..

the best way to build up supply is to nurse often..

when you first have a baby it is normal to be engorged and have too much milk.. but after a couple ofmonths themilk supply meets the demand and you have enough milk but no extra...

I am sure you are fine.. and yoru son is gettting plenty..

I see you have plenty of responses. I just wanted to share the contact info for an amazing lactation consultant in the Philadelphia area.

Jackie Kelleher is the owner of
BirthMark
107 S. Monroe Street
Media, PA 19063
Phone: ###-###-####
http://familybirthmark.com/

she was amazingly helpful to me when I was nursing and had some supply issues. I saw her in person many times and she was always willing to take my calls.

Good luck!

I never used Fenugreek, but here's an article (written by a doctor) that came across my desk this morning I think is worthy of passing along about herbal supplements, etc.

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/02/alternative-herbal-me...

Even though you can purchase it at reputable stores, it is not regulated by the FDA, so there are no clinical studies to back its safety and side effects (including how much to use and for how long).

The BEST way to increase your milk supply is by more nursing. Your body should respond to the demand your son produces. You can supplement with pumping to try to increase supply, but it doesn't work as well.

I'm not anti natural products, I just am cautious as to how effective they are and how safe for you and your child in the long run.

My lactation consultant recommended it to me, and other nursing moms, and I started at 3 pills/ 3x a day. I think I got to 5 pills 3x a day at one point. (Others were taking 7.) Once it seemed that my son was getting enough, I would slowly lower the dose, and then the frequency. You aren't taking many, so you can try every other day, or even stop and see what happens. If my body hadn't caught up to that level yet, I always noticed a difference when I stopped. You can also start eating oatmeal in the morning. I didn't think it made a difference, until I ran out one week.