Start Fenugreek Right After Birth?
QUESTION
Dear Lactation Consultant,
Overall the experience of breastfeeding my first child was positive but I did have some problems to start. My milk didn't come in until day 7 so I had a starving baby which was really stressful. A nurse recommended Fenugreek tablets to increase my supply which did seem to help and I also took them a couple of months down the track when I felt my supply wasn't keeping up and again they seemed to work.
My question is, I am now pregnant with my second and I worried that my milk will be slow in coming in. Would you see any benefit in starting to take Fenugreek as soon as my second is born?
Thanks,
Julie A.
ANSWER
Hi Julie,
Hopefully this time around you won't have the problems that you experienced with your first baby. Breastfeeding tends to go much more smoothly the second time, and many moms who encountered breastfeeding difficulties with first babies find it much less stressful with subsequent children.
Since Fenugreek seemed to be helpful to you before, I can't see any reason not to start taking it right after your baby's birth. It is generally safe and has very few side effects, and since you didn't have any problems with it before, it shouldn't do any harm, and it might give your body a little boost that will help bring your milk in faster. There are no scientific studies to prove that Fenugreek increases supply, but it has been used for many years by thousands of nursing mothers, and many of them do see a difference. However, it rarely causes a dramatic increase in supply, and is not a solution to supply problems caused by improper positioning or medical issues such as tongue tie.
I hope that everything is easier for you with this baby, but if not, at least you know that hanging in there is worth it in the long run. First time moms who have never experienced the joy of successfully nursing their baby often give up when they encounter problems, and they never know what they are missing. Mothers like you who overcame problems and went on to enjoy breastfeeding will do whatever they have to do in order to make it work, even if they do get off to a rocky start.
-- Anne, IBCLC
Kathleen Tackett
Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a health psychologist, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and Research Associate Professor of Psychology specializing in women's health at the Family Research Lab, University of New Hampshire. She is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association in both the Divisions of Health Psychology and Trauma Psychology. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is a La Leche League leader, chair of the New Hampshire Breastfeeding Taskforce, and the Area Coordinator of Leaders for La Leche League of Maine and New Hampshire.
Dr. Kendall-Tackett is author of more than 140 journal articles, book chapters and other publications, and author or editor of 15 books including The Hidden Feelings of Motherhood (2005, Hale Publications), Depression in New Mothers (2005, Haworth), and Breastfeeding Made Simple, co-authored with Nancy Mohrbacher (2005, New Harbinger). She is on the editorial boards of the journals Child Abuse and Neglect, Journal of Child Sexual Abuse and the Journal of Human Lactation, and regularly reviews for 27 other journals in the fields of trauma, women's health, interpersonal violence, depression, and child development. Dr. Kendall-Tackett is the "Ask a Lactation Consultant" columnist on Pregnancy.org and serves on the Board of Directors of Attachment Parenting International.
Dr. Kendall-Tackett received a Bachelor's and Master's degree in psychology from California State University, Chico, and a Ph.D. from Brandeis University in social and developmental psychology. She has won several awards including the Outstanding Research Study Award from the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and was named 2003 Distinguished Alumna, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, California State University, Chico.
