Red Clover in pregnancy and breastfeeding

What NCCIH says about safety

Red clover extracts have been used in clinical studies for as long as 2 years with apparent safety, and they appear to be well tolerated. Red clover supplements may be unsafe for use during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Quoted in full from NCCIH so nothing is lost in summarising. Where they say “little is known”, that means the studies do not exist — not that the herb is known to be safe, and not that it is known to be harmful.

How much is actually known

Red clover has been studied in people, but the research hasn’t shown conclusive evidence of benefits for any health condition. Some of the research on red clover for hot flashes associated with menopause was not high in quality, findings on cholesterol levels were conflicting, and only a few studies have been done on bone density.

What the research has found

Studies on the effects of red clover on hot flashes associated with menopause have had inconsistent results, and some of the studies had a high risk of bias. Red clover may have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women, but more research is needed before definite conclusions can be reached. Only a small number of studies have been done on the effects of red clover on bone density in postmenopausal women, and the results have been inconsistent.

Before you take this

Dose and form change the answer completely. A culinary amount of a spice, a cup of tea, and a concentrated supplement extract are three different things, and most research is done on the last of them.

Supplements are also not regulated like medicines, so strength and purity vary between products. Bring the actual bottle to your midwife, doctor or pharmacist — that conversation is worth more than any page, including this one.