Foods (and Other Things) That Can Decrease Your Milk Supply

If you're breastfeeding, chances are you've thought about your milk supply. As a breastfeeding parent, there are many ways to increase your milk supply from frequent nursing or pumping to eating certain foods known as galactagogues that may boost breast milk production and supply.

It's important to know, however, that just as you can encourage increased milk production with food, there are things you can consume that may interfere with making breast milk and decrease your supply. Some, like alcohol, can slowly de­crease milk supply over time. Others, like pseudoephedrine (a common ingredient in cold and allergy medications), can decrease milk production as soon as 24 hours after the first dose.

If you have any concerns about your breast milk supply, consult with a doctor or certified lactation consultant. In the meantime, avoiding or limiting your consumption of things known to negatively affect breast milk production is a good place to start. Learn all about the herbs, medications, and foods that can decrease your breast milk supply.

Alcohol

You may have heard that enjoying a beer before nursing can help with letdown and may even boost breast milk supply, but regularly drinking alcohol can actually have a negative impact on breast milk supply. While the occasional alcoholic beverage is unlikely to reduce your milk supply, chronic alcohol consumption can. Additionally, after a night of heavy drinking, you may notice that your milk supply rapidly declines.

Alcohol acts as a depressant to the central nervous system and temporarily blocks the release of oxytocin, leading to a de­crease of circulating oxytocin in the body. This can temporarily disrupt the letdown reflex, which is crucial to the flow of breast milk during feedings and pumping sessions.

According to the Drugs and Lactation Database, both long-term drinking and binge drinking, defined as drinking five or more drinks at one time, can decrease breast milk production and block the letdown reflex. Most lactating people recover quickly from this decrease, usually within 24 to 48 hours, but if alcohol consumption is high and frequent, the body may not have time to return to baseline.

According to the National Institutes of Health, "Nursing after 1 or 2 drinks (including beer) can decrease the infant's milk intake by 20 to 23% and cause infant agitation and poor sleep patterns." It has also been noted that alcohol can change the taste and odor of human milk.

The myth that alcohol improves milk supply is rooted in the fact that many types of beer used to contain therapeutic levels of barley or barley malt, which are galactagogues or substances that are thought to increase breast milk. However, modern beer-making results in sub-thera­peutic levels of barley or oats.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while the safest route is to abstain from alcohol while breastfeeding, moderate alcohol consumption (up to 4 ounces of wine, 1 ounce of hard liquor, or 8 ounces of beer per day) is unlikely to have any appreciable negative impact on your infant, your milk supply, or your infant's abili­ty to nurse. Any amounts beyond this should be avoided. It's also recommended to wait at least two hours after drinking before nursing or pumping and feeding.

Sage, Parsley, and Peppermint

Some herbs are naturally lactogen­ic foods that may provide you with a boost in breast milk production. Others may suppress milk production.

For instance, sage, pars­ley, peppermint (which contains menthol), and menthol are often associated with decreased milk supply in lactating people who consume them in large quantities. For this reason, these herbs are often used to aid weaning.

However, scientific research and anecdotal evidence are inconclusive about just how much these herbs affect breast milk supply. There are no formal studies proving whether or not these herbs impact breast milk supply or the exact quantity needed for each herb to have a negative impact on breastfeeding. Some studies even seem to show the opposite. For example, in Turkey, some breastfeeding parents take parsley to boost their supply.

Furthermore, researchers suspect that if there is an impact one way or the other, you'd need to ingest a lot of the herb. So, you don't need to avoid each of these herbs altogether—just be mindful of dishes that contain large amounts. For instance, sage is a popular herb used around Thanksgiving, lots of parsley is found in dish­es like tabbouleh, and peppermint is often found in teas, gums, and candies.

While you may choose to limit your consumption of these herbs to avoid a negative impact on your breast milk supply, topical uses aren't necessarily off-limits. For example, research shows that menthol can help improve nipple fissures, and applying menthol to soothe your nipples is unlikely to negatively impact your breast milk supply.

Chasteberry

Chasteberry, the dried fruit of the chaste tree, is native to the Mediterranean and has traditionally been used as alternative or complementary medicine to treat things like menstrual cycle irregularities and symptoms, including breast pain.

Chasteberry has been shown to act directly on the pituitary gland, inhibiting the secretion of prolactin. When prolactin levels are reduced in a lactating person, milk supply typically reduces with it. As a result, breastfeeding parents may want to avoid chasteberry supplements.

If you're looking for an alternative herb to help ease the inflammation associated with en­gorgement, turmeric is a well-studied option that doesn't have a negative effect on milk supply. In fact, in some traditions, turmeric is used to boost breast milk supply. Additionally, turmeric can be used as a topical application to counteract breast engorgement. Cabbage leaves placed on the breasts may also be helpful.

Pseudoephedrine, Methylergonovine, and Bromocriptine

Some medications adversely affect breast milk supply, so it's important to ensure any prescription or over-the-counter medications you take while breastfeeding won't suppress lactation. Three medications known to affect breast milk supply are:

• Pseudoephedrine: Pseudoephedrine is the active ingredient in decongestants like Sudafed and is added to many cold and allergy medications for relief from nasal congestion.
• Methylergonovine: Methylergonovine is available under the brand name Methergine and is often used to treat postpartum hemorrhage (severe uterine bleeding after child­birth).
• Bromocriptine: Bromocriptine is sold under the brand names Parlodel and Cycloset and is used for a variety of health issues from diabetes to hyperprolactinemia (too much prolactin).

If your milk supply has dropped, and you realize you've taken one of the above medications, ask your doctor if you can switch to an alternative treatment for your medical issue.

Your doctor may also be able to recommend some ways to increase your breast milk supply if needed. For instance, while everyone is different, strategies such as more frequent breast­feeding or pumping and supplementation with lactogenic medications, herbs, or foods can help you build up your milk production again.