Is Ashwagandha Safe to Take While Breastfeeding?

Is It Safe to Take Ashwagandha While Breastfeeding?

Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb used in Ayurvedic healing traditions. The botanical is popular for managing anxiety, stress, low energy, and sexual health complaints. However, safety concerns arise for breastfeeding mothers considering ashwagandha supplementation.

Does ashwagandha affect breast milk? Can nursing babies tolerate exposure through milk supply? Understanding the evidence helps inform smart decisions about using ashwagandha while breastfeeding.

Ashwagandha Overview

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a shrub native to Asia and Africa. The small yellow berries and leaf powder provide antioxidants, iron, amino acids, and unique withanolides.

These active compounds produce hypotensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-stress, sedative, and immunity-boosting effects inside the body.

Traditional and Modern Uses

In Ayurveda, ashwagandha treats general weakness, impotence, memory loss, rheumatism, constipation, anxiety, and poor immune function. Traditional preparations use powdered root mixed with honey, butter, milk, or dried grapes.

Today’s preparations include capsules, tinctures, and extracts standardized to higher withanolide percentages. People use ashwagandha to enhance:

• Mood, relaxation, and sleep
• Mental focus and cognitive health
• Endurance, muscle strength, and coordination
• Thyroid and adrenal gland health
• Male fertility and sexual performance

Possible Benefits and Uses During Breastfeeding

For stressed-out or exhausted new moms, ashwagandha offers tempting benefits surrounding:

• Adaptogenic relief diminishing effects of chronic stress
• Less anxiety, irritability, fatigue, and depression symptoms
• Improved sleep quality with more restorative rest
• Increased energy, motivation to exercise, and healthier eating habits

Is Ashwagandha Safe While Nursing?

With mixed scientific evidence about breast milk transmission, many doctors remain hesitant suggesting ashwagandha for breastfeeding women.

However, small amounts may pose low risk for baby with attentive maternal supervision.

Limited Quality Research

Very few studies examine ashwagandha consumption by breastfeeding mothers or evaluate amounts secreted into human breastmilk. Without this, estimating true infant exposure is imprecise.

Some rodent research notes ashwagandha derivatives in nursing offspring circulation. But extrapolating animal data to humans doesn’t always predict equivalent effects.

Theoretical Risks

Known as an thyroid-stimulating herb, ashwagandha theoretically might disrupt infant thyroid hormones, especially in babies born prematurely or already at risk for hypothyroidism.

Ashwagandha may also theoretically alter neurotransmitters, hormones, or enzymes still developing in babies under 12 months old.

Likely Low Exposures in Milk

However, with no evidence yet confirming ashwagandha secretion into human breastmilk, assumed infant exposures remain very low.

And with centuries of traditional use during postpartum recovery across India, perceived risks seem less concerning when doses stay modest.

Dosage Considerations While Breastfeeding

Without quality data examining ashwagandha passes into breast milk or affects nursing babies, cautious dosing provides the safest option.

Consult Healthcare Providers First

Discuss supplement plans with OB-GYNs or pediatricians first. Providers consider patient history, specific products, and dosing when advising breastfeeding women about herbal safety.

Start Low and Go Slow

The adage to “start low and go slow” definitely applies for nursing mothers using ashwagandha. Begin with small doses like 300 to 500 mg capsule daily for a week before increasing.

This allows carefully evaluating baby for any fussiness, changes in sleep patterns, alterations in bowel movements, or side effects possibly tied to maternal ashwagandha use after a week. Stop immediately if problems arise.

Avoid High Potency Extracts

Stick to plain root powder or less concentrated extracts while breastfeeding. Highly purified, supercritical CO2 extract versions provide up to 10% withanolides. But effects on breastfed babies are wholly unknown.

Plain root capsules with 2 to 3% withanolides present far lower risks so are recommended over high-potency extracts for nursing women.

Monitoring Baby on Ashwagandha

Paying close attention to infant health allows promptly catching side effects potentially resulting from ashwagandha exposure through milk.

Appetite Changes

Decreased interest in nursing or formula could signal baby digestive upset. Ashwagandha may alter taste or pass gastrointestinal distress through milk.

Sleep Pattern Changes

With sedative qualities, ashwagandha may affect baby sleep cycles or duration. Note differences and stop supplements if baby seems constantly drowsy.

Behavior and Activity Level Changes

Fussier disposition or periods of lethargy could reflect ashwagandha reactions. But also consider if baby is teething, fighting illness, or hitting developmental leap.

Diapering Changes

More watery stools, gassiness, constipation all point to possible GI irritation from compounds in breastmilk. Track stools and intestinal behavior closely.

Ashwagandha Alternatives While Nursing

Many herbs lack strong safety data for breastfeeding. Without good evidence, avoiding ashwagandha may be easiest. Talk to your doctor about alternative anti-anxiety options like:

Mind-Body Therapies

Meditation, yoga, therapeutic breathing exercises, mindfulness walking and hypnosis therapy often effectively tackle anxiety, depression, insomnia, and pain when practiced regularly.

Counseling

Seeking professional counseling provides support and teaches coping techniques for handling stressful life challenges from parenting young babies to healing from traumatic births.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture adjusts circulating hormones, activates natural painkilling endorphins, and balances mood. The subtle needling treatment aligns vital energy flow to calm stressed systems.

Massage

Massage also boosts mood through endorphin release while easing muscular tension commonly carried after pregnancy and childbirth. Try adding restorative massage to self-care routines.

The Bottom Line - Ashwagandha While Breastfeeding

With insufficient quality evidence definitively deeming ashwagandha 100% safe for breastfed babies, nursing mothers should remain cautious using this herb.

However, small doses may offer therapeutic anti-anxiety, anti-depressive effects under healthcare provider supervision. Monitor baby closely and avoid highly concentrated extracts.

Prioritize safety first, and consider safer alternative stress relief therapies not reliant on medicinal plants passing through breast milk.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.