Is Flaxseed safe while breastfeeding?
Here is what NIH LactMed, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's authority on medicines and breastfeeding, reports about Flaxseed. This is a summary of that source — not our own verdict.
Effects on the breastfed infant
Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Effects on milk supply
A randomized, blinded trial compared lactation cookies containing oatmeal, brewer s yeast, flax seeds, and fenugreek (Oatmeal Raisin Milkmakers Lactation Cookie Bites, Munchkin Inc.) were compared to similar cookies with no purported galactogogues (Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookies). Subjects were women nursing full-term 2-month-old infants (n = 176) and instructed to eat one bag of cookies daily for 30 days. They pumped their breasts completely with an electric pump at the start and end of the study. The milk production rate was 5.8 mL/hour in control participants and 5.5 mL/hour in the lactation cookie participants, which was not statistically significant difference.[ 6 ]
Levels in milk
Maternal Levels. Seven nursing women who were 2 to 11 months postpartum were given 4 weeks of supplementation with 20 grams flaxseed oil (10.7 grams of alpha-linolenic acid) daily after a 2-week washout period. The flaxseed oil was given as 1 gram capsules (Spectrum Essentials Veg-Omega 3 Cold Pressed Organic Flax Oil; Spectrum Naturals Inc., Petaluma, CA) in 3 divided doses. Ten breastmilk samples were collected at about the midpoint of nursing. Samples were collected at baseline, after the 2-week washout, weekly during supplementation, and for 4 weeks afterward. The ALA and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) content of breastmilk increased markedly and EPA increased slightly during supplementation. The ALA content of milk reached a peak of 7.5% of fatty acids at the end of 4 weeks of supplementation and returned to near baseline of 1.9% after as little as one week after supplementation was discontinued. No increase in breastmilk DHA was seen during the study.[ 5 ] Infant Levels. Relevant published information was not found as of the revision date.
Source: NIH LactMed (National Library of Medicine).
Educational summary of an authoritative source — not medical advice. Never start, stop, or change a medicine while breastfeeding without confirming with your doctor.