Can I take senna while pregnant or breastfeeding?
A plain-words look at what the NHS, the US drug label and LactMed say about senna.
In short
Pregnancy: Senna can usually be taken in pregnancy, but it's best to talk to a pharmacist or doctor.
Breastfeeding: If your baby is 1 month old or older, you can take senna while breastfeeding.
Your doctor, midwife or pharmacist can help you decide.
What this means for you
Pregnancy
- They may suggest changing your diet or lifestyle, or trying another kind of laxative first.
Breastfeeding
- Side effects in breastfed babies from medicines their mother takes are rare, but talk to a healthcare professional if anything about your baby worries you.
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist
This page is educational, not advice for your own situation. Talk to your doctor, midwife or pharmacist before you start, stop or change any medicine in pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
The details: what each source says
Senna in pregnancy
The NHS says
Senna can usually be taken in pregnancy, but it's best to talk to a pharmacist or doctor.
They may suggest changing your diet or lifestyle, or trying another kind of laxative first.
In our words, from the NHS page Senna (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
The US Drug Facts label says
If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use.
Drug Facts label: Laxative (oral), WALMART INC. Label on DailyMed. Quoted verbatim; US labels are written for US prescribers and patients.
More on senna in pregnancy: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet (external site).
Senna while breastfeeding
The NHS says
If your baby is 1 month old or older, you can take senna while breastfeeding.
Side effects in breastfed babies from medicines their mother takes are rare, but talk to a healthcare professional if anything about your baby worries you.
In our words, from the NHS page Senna (nhs.uk). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL v3.0). The NHS does not endorse this site.
LactMed says
Although an early uncontrolled report using an old senna product found increased frequency of diarrhea in breastfed infants, several controlled studies using modern senna products found no effect on the infant. Usual doses of senna are acceptable to use during breastfeeding.
“Summary of Use during Lactation”, LactMed record “Senna” (LM474), quoted verbatim. Everything LactMed reports about Senna while breastfeeding.
Other names
UK brand names (per the NHS): Senokot.
US name: sennosides.
Sources
- NHS, Senna (nhs.uk), page last reviewed 24 September 2026. Paraphrased. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- US drug label: Laxative (oral), WALMART INC., human otc drug, label effective 10 September 2026, set ID eb541836-af8c-4ac7-9210-37fb06264594. DailyMed (National Library of Medicine). Public domain; quoted verbatim.
- Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), via NCBI Bookshelf, record “Senna” (LM474), bulk release of 22 September 2026. LactMed on NCBI Bookshelf. Public domain; quoted verbatim. LactMed is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy), UK Teratology Information Service: Bumps (Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy) leaflet. Linked, not reproduced.
Sources checked 26 September 2026. How we source and check every page.
Educational summary of named sources, not medical advice.