My daughter and I were sitting on the back deck of her house in Kentucky. We were excited to feel the warm spring sunny day! The wind was strong, but it didn’t bother us, as we watched my grandson play in his sandbox. We were ready for spring’s arrival.
The next day, however, my daughter was miserable. Stuffy nose, sneezing, itchy eyes…all the allergy vibes. As many of you know, she had recently given birth to twin girls (healthy and beautiful by the way!). So we needed to be careful about which herbs to take for help. Nursing twins is no joke and we didn’t want to negatively affect her milk supply. I was thrilled to see two of my favorite herbal formulas in her cupboard, and after looking over the ingredients, I felt they would be good choices for her situation.
While nursing, it is best to avoid over the counter drugs and even some herbs, just to be safe. But necessity sometimes drives us to find help. It is important to note that most herbal supplements will have the standard warning language on the bottle…to check with your practitioner before using if pregnant or nursing. This doesn’t mean the herbal formula isn’t safe for these situations – it means that the company hasn’t paid to have it tested to prove that it IS safe. Testing for safety during pregnancy or for children is expensive, so most often isn’t done. Most physicians are not trained in herbs, so if you ask them, they aren’t going to take the legal risk of telling you an herb is safe. This means we have to do the research and take the responsibility for ourselves.
The two formulas which she used were Seasonal Allergy and Histablock, both fromNature’s Sunshine. Decongestants, even herbals, tend to dry up breast milk. Bad idea, but these formulas included the herbs Fenugreek, Fennel, and Nettles which help increase lactation. My thinking was that they would create a balance for the milk supply, but give some relief for the allergy symptoms. Can I tell you that these are safe for use while breastfeeding? No, I cannot, and neither could the company. But I can share with you my reasoning in deciding that they would work for my daughter’s situation. We felt confident in using the small amounts necessary to give her relief, with no noticeable difference in her milk supply.
I hope this encourages you to research and evaluate herbal formulas for your medicine cupboard. Don’t let the standard legal language scare you, do your own research. If you need help, give me a call. I am always glad to share any knowledge I have about the herbs I love!
Stop by the store and this proud grandma will show you a photo of the twins!