Herbs for Breastfeeding Mom

Breastfeeding your baby is one of the best ways to ensure a strong nutritional foundation for your child.
Babies’ benefits from being nursed include these:

• Helps build a relationship with Mom
• Supports a strong nutritional foundation
• Builds the immune system
• Supplies the healthy intestinal flora in the intestinal tract And for Mom:
• Tones the uterus
• Helps bond with the baby
• Burns excess calories
• Can serve as a relaxing experience A mom can enhance her own breast milk using herbs that also give her baby good nourishment.

Herbs taken during pregnancy should be continued during the nursing period to ensure proper nutrition for baby. Remember that all herbs, medications, and foods you take will be passed to your baby through your breast milk. So continue to eat well, and avoid taking any medications (unless prescribed by your physician), harsh herbs (see the following list of herbs to avoid), or very spicy foods because they can upset your baby’s very small digestive system.

Herbs you can add to enrich breast milk include nettle leaves, spirulina (rich in chlorophyll, amino acids, and enzymes), and alfalfa.
And, as my friend who has borne seven (count them, seven) children of her own and breastfed every one wanted me to let you know that a mom also needs lots of extra water (beyond the normal daily intake) because the requirement for water goes up when breastfeeding.