Chamomile while breastfeeding. Chamomile tea: benefits and harms

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Chamomile is one of the most popular remedies used in herbal medicine and cosmetology. Despite a wide range of useful properties, many young mothers are concerned about the safety of this medicinal plant for a child. Is chamomile allowed while breastfeeding? Is tea based on it useful during this period, or can it only do harm? We will talk about all this later.

Chamomile and its beneficial properties

Chamomile is a truly unique plant, all the healing properties of which are difficult to enumerate. Its flowers contain a number of useful elements. The most valuable of them are:

• essential oils, in particular chamazulene;
• flavonoids;
• glycosides;
• nicotinic, ascorbic, salicylic acids;
• micronutrients.

The rich active composition provides a wide range of medicinal plant applications. It is prescribed for the treatment and prevention of many diseases:

1. Thus, due to the high content of flavonoids, chamomile is endowed with antibacterial and antiviral properties. This makes it possible to successfully use the plant in the fight against flu and colds.
2. Chamomile is known for its disinfectant action, which allows it to be used to relieve various inflammations, wash wounds and rinse.
3. Due to its choleretic properties, chamomile helps to cope with diseases of the liver and gallbladder.
4. It is also used as an antispasmodic, as it helps to relax spasmodic areas of the muscles. A special effect is achieved with intestinal spasms and gastric colic.
5. As an anti-inflammatory agent, chamomile is used internally and externally. Surely many people know that chamomile tea compresses give a good result in inflammation of the eyes, in particular, conjunctivitis.
6. Chamomile is actively used in cosmetology. It is added to the composition of various cosmetic products (creams, shampoos, face masks, etc.).

An equally valuable property of chamomile lies in its ability to calm the nervous system. Due to its calming properties, the plant is effectively used to combat depression, which is important when breastfeeding. A decoction of chamomile during breastfeeding is recommended to drink at night not only for mom. Starting from 3 months of agecan be given to the baby so that he sleeps better. Chamomile is also recommended for breastfeeding with a child's dysbacteriosis.

Taking chamomile while breastfeeding

Many people know that many medications are prohibited during lactation. But what if the breastfeeding mother is ill? In such a situation, the problem is solved with the help of all permitted means, in particular with the help of herbal medicine. Often the choice stops at chamomile. This medicinal plant helps in the following cases:

• Increased nervous irritability and insomnia. Nursing mothers are advised to drink chamomile tea before going to bed. This will help to get rid of disturbing thoughts, relieve fatigue and stress. A good help will be chamomile tea for the baby. It will help to fall asleep faster if the baby is worried about pain in the tummy or teething.
• Cold diseases. Since chamomile has antiseptic properties, its use allows you to get rid of cough, runny nose, tonsillitis and pharyngitis not only for a child, but also for a nursing mother.
• Dermatological problems. Strongly brewed chamomile when breastfeeding helps with cracked nipples. In addition, it prevents suppuration of wounds, promotes their healing, and also eliminates acne and boils.
• Digestive disorders. Diarrhea, increased gas formation, colic - a very unpleasant phenomenon that takes away the joy of life and causes a lot of inconvenience. If the mother has digestive problems, even if the baby feelswell, you should use chamomile.
• Diseases of the genitourinary system. Infusions used orally, as well as douching, are used to treat cervical erosion, thrush, and inflammation of the urinary system. They help to normalize the menstrual cycle.
• Toothache. The decongestant and anti-inflammatory properties of the medicinal plant are used to relieve toothache in an adult and to alleviate the condition of a baby who is teething.

Can I drink chamomile while breastfeeding?

As noted earlier, the use of chamomile is indicated for various ailments. Chamomile tea, the benefits and harms of which during breastfeeding are still being discussed by scientists, helps to cope with digestive disorders that are often observed in the mother and her crumbs.

Due to the soothing and relaxing properties of the plant, it is possible to normalize sleep.

Often, chamomile when breastfeeding affects milk production. Moreover, in some cases, its volume may increase, and in some, on the contrary, it may decrease. However, most lactation consultants tend to believe that excessive consumption of chamomile suppresses milk production. One way or another, lactating experts recommend observing the measure and drinking no more than 2 cups of chamomile tea per day. Do not forget about the likelihood of allergic reactions to chamomile in a child.

Chamomile Allergy

In rare cases, but the use of chamomile tea by a nursing mother causes allergic reactions. The tendency to them is associated with the individual characteristics of the body of the baby. Therefore, you need to start taking chamomile with small doses, observing the well-being of the baby. Allergy to a plant is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• rashes and redness on the skin;
• shortness of breath;
• appearance of nausea and vomiting;
• discharge of mucus from the nasal cavity;
• puffiness of the eyes and lips.

When the above signs appear, mom needs to stop taking tea or decoction. It should also be noted that an allergic reaction in an infant can occur even with the external use of the plant.

Rules for taking chamomile while breastfeeding

Can I drink chamomile while breastfeeding? In the absence of negative reactions from the child, the allowable dose of chamomile tea for the mother is no more than 2 cups per day. The best time to drink is after dinner and before bed. This will ensure a good sleep for mom and baby, help them calm down. Chamomile tea, the benefits and harms of which depend on the individual characteristics of the body, it is recommended to start drinking in small quantities, observing the child's condition. If the crumbs showed the slightest reaction, the reception should be stopped.

And in order to exclude it as much as possible, the medicinal plant must be properly brewed, observing the prescribed concentration of tea or infusion:

• One bag is used for momfor 200 ml of boiling water. Duration of infusion - no more than 15 minutes.
• For a baby, the concentration should be 3 times less, and the first portion of the drink should not exceed 1 teaspoon.

It should be noted that pediatricians generally do not recommend giving your baby herbal infusions, including chamomile, in the first month of life. After this period, the maximum allowable dose is 50 ml per day.

Chamomile tea for breastfeeding mothers who are not producing enough milk are recommended to consume no more than a cup a day and preferably before going to bed. It is also important to consider that the duration of treatment should not exceed 2 weeks. The need to extend the course should be agreed with the specialist.

Side effects

Chamomile tea or tincture may rarely cause side effects. These include:

• headaches;
• weakness and malaise;
• dizziness;
• irritability.

In addition, before drinking chamomile, you should make sure that you are not allergic.

Reviews

How good is chamomile for breastfeeding? Reviews of nursing mothers confirm that during lactation, drinking tea from it saves from many problems. So, in the first months of life, when the gastrointestinal tract of the baby is not yet strong, and feeding is almost always accompanied by colic, chamomile teahelps to cope with digestive disorders.

In addition, the decoction is able to solve the problem of increased excitability of the baby, which is accompanied by tearfulness and sleep disturbance. Chamomile especially helps with painful teething of the first teeth.

Conclusion

Medicinal herbs have been used for a long time. They are especially helpful when taking medications, due to their side effects, is unacceptable. Chamomile during breastfeeding can help to cope with many ailments in a mother and her baby, as well as become a good alternative to medicines, which are contraindicated. The main thing is to be careful and not exceed the recommended doses so that the child does not show allergic reactions.