Negatives to using Fenugreek?

[Virginia884]

My DD is almost 6 months old. She has been EBF and we are starting to slowly introduce foods (mainly fruits and vegetables) via BLW. My supply is just right for her; we have no issues when we are together, but I WOH and pump and either do not get as much milk with the pump OR when she is at daycare she is fed more than she normally eats. Basically, it is a struggle for me to pump and send 16oz of milk with her a day. Sometimes she only eat 12oz, sometimes she eats it all.

I have been using fenugreek to up my supply so I don't have to pump so often, pump in the middle of the night, etc. Are there any downsides? Lesser quality milk? Damage to my supply if I stop taking it?

Thanks!

[sunwise]

Hi there, I am right there with you on struggling to pump enough for daycare. (Since my son just turned one, I am going to start introducing cow's milk soon and slowly stop pumping, which I am looking forward to!)

Regarding fenugreek, I found that it made my son fussy. That is a known potential side effect. I stopped taking it because I didn't want to deal with the fussiness. I didn't experience any problems when I stopped taking it (like a dip in supply or anything). But I didn't take it long-term either (just for a few weeks).

[janinemh]

I just read  that fenugreek is a thyroid suppressor so if that is an issue for you, you may want to be careful.

[Megan73]

Before worrying about your supply, I'd check whether you really need to send more milk. Average milk intake for a baby is 25 ounces a day so if your babe is in DC 8 hours a day and nursing well the other 16 hours you may be sending plenty. Kellymom.com has a handy milk calculator to figure out it out and a fact sheet on bottlefeeding the breastfed baby to make sure your caregiver isn't overfeeding.
Taking fenugreek won't mean you can pump less often because milk production is based on supply and demand and galactagogues only work with good and frequent milk removal.

[foreverinbluejeans]

Herbs are not regulated. There is no way of knowing if they are contaminated, where they came from, or the strength. We don't even know for sure that they work. I'm not sure what BLW means. You could replace some of the breastmilk you are sending to day care with food. When she is with you and at night she can breastfeed.

The 24 ounces of milk is for 24 hours. A baby over 6 months may need 32 ounces every 24 hours. The 16 you are sending to day care is at least half of what she needs a day. You shouldn't need to send that much if you are nursing several times every 24 hours and she is eating solids. It seems like 12 ounces would be fine.