quitting fenugreek/blessed thistle

[@llli*happynewmom]

Since my husband and I will likely resume 'relations' sometime in the next few weeks, and we're leaving it to chance (not using birth control), I'm going to stop using fenugreek and blessed thistle since the bottles say not to use during pregnancy. In the chance that I become pregnant, I wouldn't want to harm the baby. But how do I quit them? Do I wean myself off of them slowly, or can I just stop abruptly? Will my milk supply diminish as a result of going off them?

[@llli*rakoonz]

Fenugreek or blessed thistle aside, do you know that becoming pregnant could potentially cause your supply to completely vanish (it does for 80% of women)? If your current LO is really 0-3 months, that would be a potential really big problem, depending on whether or not your supply tanked during pregnancy or what your breastfeeding goals are. Just food for thought.

[@llli*happynewmom]

Fenugreek or blessed thistle aside, do you know that becoming pregnant could potentially cause your supply to completely vanish (it does for 80% of women)? If your current LO is really 0-3 months, that would be a potential really big problem, depending on whether or not your supply tanked during pregnancy or what your breastfeeding goals are. Just food for thought.

It would be very unlikely that I become pregnant. We will not be actively 'trying to conceive' but rather 'not trying not preventing.' We do not use birth control due to our religious beliefs. We would not be having sex often (we are just too busy). But since there is a chance of me getting pregnant, I wouldn't want to be taking anything that could potentially hurt the future baby.

[@llli*phi]

Why don't you call infantrisk at (806)-352-2519, Monday-Friday 8am-5pm central time, to assess whether or not these herbs are truly potentially harmful during pregnancy or if the warnings are solely for liability purposes (which is often the case). I would hate to see you endanger your breastfeeding relationship with your existing baby over something that could turn out to be completely harmless.

They can also offer alternative treatments when there are true risks associated with the medications/supplements in question. They are the experts in the field of pharmacology, pregnancy, and lactation and should be able to give you some valuable advice.

[@llli*phi]

So I poked around a little bit, and it looks like fenugreek and blessed thistle are indeed potentially unsafe during pregnancy. There are some milder herbs that are considered safe, but I'm not sure how effective they are as galactagogues. From Dr. Jay Gordon's website:

There are mild galactagogues that are safe to take in pregnancy. These herbs can also be used in combination of two or three.

Nettle up to 2 capsules 3 times a day
Dill up to 2 ml tincture 3 times a day
Marshmallow up to 4 capsules 3 times a day

DO NOT take fenugreek, fennel, or blessed thistle while pregnant.

It is very possible that your supply will drop if you stop taking the supplements. All you can do is try it and see what happens. You might want to start taking the alternatives listed above and eating plenty of oatmeal when you drop the supplements. That might be enough to offset the effects. I don't know how much it really matters whether you wean off slowly or suddenly. I'm sure someone else here can advise you on that.

There are natural birth control methods (such as the fertility awareness method) that are pretty reliable if followed properly. During your baby's infancy you may want to look into these methods.

[@llli*mommal]

There are natural birth control methods (such as the fertility awareness method) that are pretty reliable if followed properly. During your baby's infancy you may want to look into these methods.

FAM is a lot more sophisticated and reliable than the old rhythm method, and it's generally very compatible with religious observance. I suggest checking out Toni Weschler's book "Taking Charge of Your Fertility"- it's a good primer on FAM.

[@llli*lllmeg]

There is also LAM (Lactational Amenorrhea Method). According to the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, LAM is 98 to 99% effective in avoiding pregnancy when (and only when) Baby is under 6 months old AND Your Periods have not resumed AND baby is exclusively breastfed, (baby receives nothing else, no supplements, solids, or even water.) ALL THREE must be true for LAM. See page 168 of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (8th edition)

[@llli*happynewmom]

I do eat oatmeal on a daily basis (not for milk supply, but just because I love it). I don't believe in the fertility awareness method either. I don't believe in any form of birth control but leave everything up to chance. I don't think that LAM would work because, while I am exclusively breastfeeding her now, she had weight gain issues in the early weeks and was supplemented with formula. I didn't have supply issues but started taking the fenugreek and blessed thistle because I was desperate and wanted to try everything. My question is whether quitting will decrease my supply, and whether I should quit abruptly or gradually wean myself off of them.

[@llli*phi]

I didn't have supply issues but started taking the fenugreek and blessed thistle because I was desperate and wanted to try everything. My question is whether quitting will decrease my supply, and whether I should quit abruptly or gradually wean myself off of them.

As I stated previously, all you can do is try it and see what happens. No one can say for sure. Does it really matter anyway? It sounds like you're putting yourself in a situation where you don't have much of a choice but to stop taking them. It stands to reason that because you did not have a supply issue prior to taking the supplements, that you would not have much problem when you quit taking them. However, it is impossible to say for sure. You can try the alternatives that I listed in my previous post if you do see a drop in supply. You can also pump after nursing to stimulate supply.

Medically, there is no reason why you can't stop cold turkey. Physically, you will be fine. However, I don't know if it matters with respect to milk supply. If you haven't been taking them very long, then you can probably just quit all at once without much trouble.

[@llli*lllmeg]

My question is whether quitting will decrease my supply, and whether I should quit abruptly or gradually wean myself off of them.

I assumed you were taking the herbs based on low supply concerns, so, IF they have been needed in helping increase supply, presumably going off them would decrease supply. But if you did NOT ever have supply concerns, that is different-and even if there ever were any supply concerns based on what happened with baby not gaining well early on, well, many moms believe they have supply concerns when in fact there was another issue (or in some cases, no issue.) So how your body will be affected will depend on if you ever really had low supply, why you had low supply, if you still have low supply and, if so, are only able to make enough milk NOW due to taking the herbs. While some moms require herbal or pharmaceuticals or certain foods to have an appropriate supply, most mothers have fine supply without taking anything special. The single best way to ensure good supply is to nurse baby frequently on cue without to much scheduling or limiting of time at the breast.