Black tea and breastfeeding

Breast milk is considered the healthiest food for newborn babies. It would seem that nature itself made sure that the child from the first days of his life received nutritious food for normal growth and development. The lactation process often does not require any special adjustments or regulation. A nursing woman just needs to eat right, master the correct feeding technique, and everything else will happen naturally.

teas to improve lactation

However, in some cases, competent actions on the part of the nursing mother are not enough for full breastfeeding and the amount of milk produced begins to decrease for certain reasons. It is then that some methods come to the aid of a woman, with the help of which you can regulate lactation and prolong it as long as possible. To stimulate the flow of milk, you can use certain foods and drinks, for example, special tea for lactation. Each nursing mother chooses which tea to choose, store-bought or home-prepared.

Is it possible to have black tea while breastfeeding?

This drink contains up to 300 valuable components. A special place is occupied by ascorbic and nicotinic acid, phosphorus, iron, potassium, tannins and essential oils. But along with these biologically active compounds, caffeine is also present. Its content in tea is significantly lower than in coffee. However, 100 grams of the product still contains as much as 40% of this substance. Therefore, you should take black tea with caution, taking into account all the risk factors.

You need to know that only a percentage of the caffeine consumed by the mother comes into breast milk. However, if you abuse tea, especially black tea, then a few percent can become critical for the baby’s body. It is also worth understanding and realizing that the effect of caffeine contained in tea lasts longer than in coffee. And, therefore, it remains longer in the mother’s body, and in particular in breast milk. To minimize the risk of consequences from caffeine, a young mother should drink no more than two cups of black tea a day, while trying to brew a weak drink.

Black tea

In addition, you need to understand that when drinking tea, you should eliminate all caffeine-containing products from your diet. Otherwise, you will get an excess of this substance and greatly harm the baby.

Drinking black tea does not increase the volume of lactation, but does not reduce it either. If you drink a warm drink, this will help to expand the ducts in the mammary glands, which will stimulate a better outflow of milk, and therefore will significantly simplify the baby’s task during feeding.

I drank black tea, but in limited quantities. I brewed myself a weak drink for the first time when my son was 3 months old. It did not cause any atypical reactions in the baby. After a month I decided to add milk to my tea. Just a little bit at first. My son took it well, so I increased this portion. It’s surprising that before I gave birth, I didn’t even understand how people drink tea with milk.

Consequences for baby's health

If a mother follows all the rules and recommendations, she can easily avoid the negative effects of tea herself, as well as protect her child from the consequences.

So, what are the consequences of improper or excessive consumption of black tea for the baby’s body:

  1. The baby may suddenly experience sleep disturbances. He will become restless, wake up often, and be capricious. There is even a risk of developing insomnia.
  2. Problems may arise in the functioning of the digestive (including disorders and vomiting) and excretory systems.
  3. Allergic reactions. They are possible both for the tea itself and for the substances that are added to it. Therefore, you should exclude all drinks containing flavorings, flavorings and pieces of dried fruit. You also need to wait a while before adding lemon or milk to your tea. Let the child first adapt to the fact that the mother began to drink just pure black tea.

We prepare effective tea for lactation ourselves

Insufficient production of breast milk can be due to a number of reasons, among which are constant stress, unfavorable living conditions, the current state of the environment, fatigue, etc. If a nursing mother notices that there is less breast milk and its quantity continues to decrease, the baby does not get enough (detailed article - why the baby does not get enough) and therefore often cries, is capricious and does not gain weight well, it’s time to think about how to stimulate lactation process.

In this matter, modern nursing women come to the aid of the recipes of our great-grandmothers, who knew how to prepare tea to increase milk production at home, knew what their composition should be and how to brew herbal teas correctly. It is very important for a successful event to choose the right brewing composition. The most common herbs that can serve as the basis for herbal teas include the following:

  • lemon balm, which helps normalize sleep, helps with flatulence and promotes normal digestion;
  • nettle, which contains many vitamins, tones the nervous system and normalizes metabolic processes in the body;
  • anise, which has an antispasmodic effect;
  • fennel, which stimulates digestion;
  • dill, which promotes normal digestion (read about dill water);
  • dandelion roots with vitamins contained;
  • lemon verbena, which increases skin tone and elasticity;
  • galega herb, which lowers sugar levels and has a mild diuretic effect;
  • hibiscus, which has an anti-inflammatory effect and optimizes intestinal function;
  • cumin, which has an antispasmodic effect.

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One of the most common and simple means to improve lactation are teas based on black tea, which are recommended to be taken with milk and honey. This product perfectly tones, stimulates all processes occurring in the mother’s body, enriches her with vitamins, beneficial nutrients, microelements, and also gives additional strength, drives away fatigue and anxious thoughts.

types of tea for lactation

In addition, you can prepare the following drinks at home:

  • tea leaves (black), prepared in the traditional way, are mixed with 20 drops of hawthorn extract;
  • Nettle decoction can be prepared by brewing 20 grams of dry leaves in a thermos for half an hour at the rate of 1 liter of boiling water;
  • a decoction of dill, anise and oregano pre-crushed in a mortar is added to traditional black tea;
  • a decoction of dandelion roots, nettle, oregano, cumin, anise, which is best infused for half an hour in a thermos and then added to traditional black tea.

To increase lactation, it is best to try several tea options and choose the best option for yourself. All the necessary herbs can be purchased at your nearest pharmacy or prepared yourself. As for black tea, it is best to use large-leaf varieties harvested this year.

Black tea with milk during breastfeeding

Some mothers are afraid to pour milk into tea. They fear that the baby may have an allergic reaction. However, everything is not so scary. Firstly, not all children have lactose intolerance, and secondly, the mother can drink such an amount of milk that it will be invisible to the baby’s body.

In any case, first you need to adapt yourself and your baby to black tea in its pure form, and only then add milk to it. If you make this drink the first time, then you won’t understand what exactly your little one is allergic to.

Learn more about black tea with milk.

In fact, adding milk to tea is very beneficial. Thus, we use less brewing volume and, accordingly, reduce the caffeine content in the finished drink. In addition, thanks to the valuable calcium content in milk, we restore the balance of water and this macronutrient in the body.

If the baby still has some kind of atypical reaction, then you should not add milk to the tea yet. But this does not mean that you will exclude this product from your diet forever. Please try again in a couple of months.

Galega officinalis, goat's rue: medicinal properties

The plant has several varieties. For example, “eastern goat’s rue” is a plant most often found in forests or forest-steppe. The plant is noteworthy in that it is actively used by people to treat diabetes .

For diabetics, galega helps lower blood sugar . To do this, decoctions and infusions should be prepared from the plant. However, like any herbal medicine, goat's rue is effective only in the initial stages of the disease.

Not only diabetics can regularly use decoctions and infusions of goat's rue. The decoction can improve digestion and even promote the natural release of toxins from the body. That is why this remedy is used to get rid of worms , various parasites, and treat intoxication and poisoning. In addition, the plant has a powerful diuretic effect .

The leaves of the plant are considered unique in their properties . They can be consumed fresh, adding to vegetable salads. The herb has a beneficial effect on lactation in nursing women and increases milk flow. Galega leaves can also be used as an antibacterial agent in the presence of abrasions, wounds, scratches and ulcers on the skin.


Galega is actively used in traditional medicine

Tea with lemon


Lemon teaMany people, when drinking tea, throw a slice of lemon into it.
Of course, this fruit contains a high content of vitamin C, which is so necessary to strengthen the body and fight colds. In addition, it adds a pleasant taste and aroma to the tea. But you should not forget that now you are a nursing mother, which means you need to very carefully select foods in your diet. Lemon, like all citrus fruits, is a strong allergen, so it must be administered very carefully and in very tiny portions. And do not do this before the baby turns three months old. It is clear that if the slightest deviation appears, you should immediately exclude the lemon. Learn more about lemon tea.

Mint tea

This drink is not recommended for pregnant women and nursing mothers.

  • Firstly, this plant lowers blood pressure, which can have a bad effect not only on the mother’s well-being, but also on the baby’s health. For him, this can have serious consequences, including heart rhythm disturbances and, as a consequence, cardiac arrest. But this happens with frequent and excessive use.
  • Secondly, such tea can reduce the amount of milk produced. This drink is prescribed to women who want to stop breastfeeding.
  • Thirdly, mint is an allergenic. Therefore, in principle, it may not be perceived by the baby.

Based on this, we can conclude that it is better to delay drinking such tea or replace it, for example, with a decoction of chamomile or lemongrass.

More details about mint tea for guards.

Galega herb for diabetes: application

Decoctions and infusions of galega have a beneficial effect on people with diabetes. The unique properties of the plant can reduce the amount of sugar in the blood and improve the body's metabolic processes . Everything happens thanks to the active substance of the plant - galegin.

You can use goat's rue without any special restrictions, because it has no specific contraindications . The course of treatment takes approximately half a year. During this time the patient's health improves , and a decrease in cholesterol is observed. However, people with high blood pressure should take it with caution.


Galega improves the well-being of people with diabetes

Recipes for preparing medicines from galega:

Preparation of the decoction:

  • For the decoction you should use galega seeds or crushed dry plant.
  • You will only need one teaspoon of the mass, which should be steamed in a glass of boiling water.
  • The glass with herbs and boiling water is covered with a saucer and left for about two hours.
  • This medicine should be taken before each meal, two tablespoons.

Galega should be taken no more than four times a day, also taking into account the fact that a strong diuretic effect can be achieved.

Preparation of tincture:

  • To treat diabetes mellitus, you can also prepare a tincture with alcohol.
  • This tincture should be prepared in one to one proportions. For half a glass of the dry part of the plant, use half a glass of vodka or alcohol.
  • The medicine is infused for about a week in a dark and cool place. After this it is stored in the refrigerator.
  • The tincture should be taken in twenty drops and only after meals.
  • The course of treatment with galega tincture should not exceed thirty days in a row.

The infusion should be taken with caution because it can increase blood pressure.

Galega infusion with blueberry leaves:

  • Approximately 50 grams of dry galega herb, mint and blueberry leaves should be crushed.
  • The dry part is filled with boiling water, half a liter (two glasses)
  • In this state, the components are infused for about an hour.
  • After infusion, the liquid must be filtered
  • You should drink the infusion half a glass a day
  • You should take breaks in the monthly course of treatment for ten days

Rules of use

Of course, when consuming any product, you need to follow certain recommendations so as not to harm your baby’s health in any way:

  1. It is very important to start drinking black tea in small quantities. A mother should watch how her baby reacts to a new drink. If atypical reactions occur, you should exclude this tea. If everything is fine with the baby, then gradually increase the portion.
  2. Do not overuse black tea. The maximum serving is two cups per day.
  3. Avoid tea additives, flavorings, flavorings, and dried fruits, especially if these products can reduce lactation (such as mint).
  4. Drink only loose leaf tea, not bagged tea.
  5. Pour hot 80 degree water into the tea
  6. For brewing, it is better to use ceramic or porcelain dishes. Do not forget to pour boiling water over the container before pouring the tea leaves.
  7. Drink fresh tea.
  8. Avoid strongly brewed drinks.

Young mothers can drink black tea. But try to drink no more than two cups a day. Don’t forget that the tea should be weak to minimize the caffeine concentration. Now you are convinced that such a drink does not increase lactation, but in combination with some herbs, in particular mint, can, on the contrary, reduce it. Tea consumed warm stimulates the expansion of the ducts, which promotes the flow of milk to the breast, which is also important for the breastfeeding process. In addition, it contains a fairly large complex of substances that are so useful for the normal life processes of mother and child.

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