Fenugreek (as Milk Booster) During Pregnancy

Hi Mummies!

Recently I was approached by a Mummy who is Breastfeeding her 1 year and 3 months old child. She is also Pregnant with her second child (7 weeks POG).

She asked was it safe to take Fenugreek (As Milk Booster) during Pregnancy?

Fenugreek Seeds

Probably this few sentences from few resources would help summarize the answer:

"Fenugreek is LIKELY UNSAFE in pregnancy when used in amounts greater than those in food. It might cause early contractions. Taking fenugreek just before delivery may cause the newborn to have an unusual body odor, which could be confused with “maple syrup disease.” It does not appear to cause long-term effects."
Source:  http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-733-FENUGREEK.aspx?activeIngredientId=733&activeIngredientName=FENUGREEK


"Avoid use in pregnancy as fenugreek has documented uterine stimulant effects. It has been used to stimulate milk production in nursing mothers. Excretion into milk has not been studied."
Source:  http://www.drugs.com/npc/fenugreek.html

"Traditionally, fenugreek has been used to stimulate labor. However, this does not mean that it is safe or effective for such use, since it has never been studied for such purposes. For instance, think about the many strange ways women try to induce labor (such as eating kiwi, eating spicy foods, or taking bumpy car rides). There is no real way to know if these methods are effective, even if they work. It could very easily just be coincidence.

Even though there is no research to suggest that fenugreek works for stimulating labor, it is a good idea to avoid taking it unless you are full-term (37 weeks pregnant or beyond). If fenugreek does happen to be effective for stimulating uterine contractions, which is currently unknown, it could cause preterm labor or miscarriages if taken earlier in pregnancy. Also, there have been reports of body or urine odor smelling like maple syrup in infants after fenugreek was used for labor stimulation (the herb contains a compound that smells like maple syrup). Sometimes, this is mistaken by medical providers as a rare but serious condition known as maple syrup disease.

Pregnancy is not a time to be experimenting with herbs or medications. It is best to stick with products that are known to be safe for pregnant women. As an herb that has been studied very little, fenugreek is not one of these products."

 Source: http://diabetes.emedtv.com/fenugreek/fenugreek-and-pregnancy.html

Note: The above are merely paragraphs taken from different resources. To read whole article, mummies may click on the links above.

Moral of The Story, Do Consult you Healthcare Proffesional before starting any Herbs/Supplements/Medications during Breastfeeding and Pregnancy :-)

Much LOVE <3