Lion's Mane While Breastfeeding: Is It Safe?

After nine months and hours of labor, your baby is finally here. And while that’s reason enough to be overjoyed, we know that many moms are also happy for another reason: the return of their favorite comfort foods. That’s right — now that your baby is in your arms, you can get back to eating lunch meat, soft cheese, and sushi.

However, if you’re breastfeeding, there are still a few things you’ll need to avoid. For instance, alcohol should be consumed no later than two hours before breastfeeding. There are also many supplements that can be unsafe for breastfeeding. 

Is lion’s mane mushroom one of these supplements? Read on to learn more about breastfeeding, how supplements can affect your baby, and whether you should take lion’s mane while breastfeeding.

How Does Breastfeeding Work?

Most people might not think too hard about how breastfeeding works. However, having a basic knowledge of breastfeeding can help you better understand which supplements to avoid. Plus, learning more about how it all works can help you feel proud of your body and all of the cool things it can do (as if growing a whole baby wasn’t cool enough). 

Essentially, breast milk is made from the mother’s blood. The mother’s body pulls nutrients, fats, sugars, and proteins from the blood and mixes them up into an entirely new cocktail of ingredients for the baby. Because of this, the composition of breast milk changes from day to day, hour to hour, and even letdown to letdown. 

The mother’s production of breast milk is controlled both by hormones, diet, and stimulation. Basically, as long as you’re eating enough calories to support milk production and your baby is nursing (or you’re pumping) at least eight times every 24 hours, your body will generally make enough milk for your baby.

What Causes Supplements To Be Unsafe While Breastfeeding?

When you’re breastfeeding, there are four main reasons why a supplement might be unsafe to take. It could affect your baby, lower your milk production, affect your own health, or have unsafe side effects.

They Are Dangerous for the Baby

Because breast milk is made from blood, some supplements that enter the bloodstream can end up in your milk. This isn’t always a bad thing, though — in fact, sometimes this is actually what you want. 

For instance, turmeric can pass through breast milk and expose your baby to new flavors, while other supplements can have benefits for your baby when they pass through your milk. However, some supplements can be dangerous for babies when they pass through breast milk.

They Lower Milk Production

Some herbs can affect the mother’s hormones and either raise or lower milk production. For instance, fenugreek, milk thistle, and goat’s rue can all increase milk production. However, sage, parsley, and peppermint can all lower your body’s milk production. It’s not impossible to bring your production back up after this, but it will take some time to balance out your hormones again.

They Interfere With Health Conditions

Breastfeeding can be very hard on the body. If you’re already being treated for a health condition like diabetes or high blood pressure, you should ask your doctor about any supplement before you introduce it while breastfeeding.

Some supplements can interact with medications, while others can raise or lower blood sugar and other health markers. If these effects are harmful to your health, it could be very difficult to keep breastfeeding. 

Their Side Effects Are Too Strong

Many supplements have relatively few side effects. However, there are some supplements that should really say “buyer beware” not because they’re bad for you, but because the side effects can be so strong if you take too much of them.

For instance, taking too much zinc on an empty stomach can cause nausea and vomiting. Meanwhile, taking too much magnesium citrate at once can cause diarrhea. If you can manage to breastfeed or pump while throwing up, more power to you — but most moms would probably prefer to avoid that situation altogether.

Is Lion’s Mane Safe To Take While Breastfeeding?

So, now that we know how supplements can affect breastfeeding, let’s discuss lion’s mane. Can you take it while breastfeeding? 

Ultimately, the choice is up to you. There’s no research that proves whether lion’s mane is safe to take while breastfeeding, and we probably won’t ever have a clear answer. 

The reason for this is that doing the studies that would confirm this would expose babies to potentially harmful substances. Obviously, this is incredibly unethical.

What we do know is that lion’s mane generally has no side effects. If you want to feel more confident in your decision to take lion’s mane, you can always ask your doctor or pediatrician. And, if you do decide to take lion’s mane while breastfeeding, just make sure you monitor your baby for side effects and your milk supply for any drops in production.

Can Lion’s Mane Support Breastfeeding?

Since the jury is out on whether lion’s mane is safe for breastfeeding, you might be wondering why some people choose to take it anyway. The reason for this is that many of the benefits of lion’s mane could theoretically support breastfeeding.

For instance, lion’s mane can help you feel more relaxed and less stressed. Stress plays a huge role in milk production and can actually dry up your milk if you’re exposed to too much of it. Lion’s mane can also support high-quality sleep and mental focus, both of which are like a breath of fresh air for new moms struggling with midnight feedings and postpartum brain fog.

The Bottom Line

Lion’s mane is a pretty popular supplement for its ability to support focus, minimize feelings of stress, encourage sleep, and support gut health. When it comes to breastfeeding, there’s not enough research to say whether lion’s mane can hurt you, your baby, or your milk production. However, the benefits of lion’s mane may outweigh these unknowns for some moms.

At Everyday Dose, we like to follow the science. We know that it might be hard to decide whether to take lion’s mane while breastfeeding. Whatever you choose, we know it’ll be the best choice for you and your baby. To learn more about medicinal mushrooms and how to take them, visit our blog today.

Sources:

Alcohol | Breastfeeding special circumstances | CDC

Newborn Breastfeeding Frequency | La Leche League International

Breastmilk Production | Sutter Health

Breast Milk Oversupply and Overactive Milk Ejection Reflex | LLLI

Lion’s Mane - LiverTox | NCBI Bookshelf