Oh bum, does peppermint tea really affect milk supply?

[openerofjars]

I have been advised that I may have IBS and to try peppermint tea in order to alleviate abdominal pain. Hooray, this appears to be working!

However, I think it might be decreasing my milk supply and while DD is now 8mo I don't want to finish breastfeeding just yet.

Any ideas for either increasing milk supply while I take the peppermint, or for an alternative treatment for the IBS? I was feeling really cheerful about not being in pain until I realised that I was struggling to pump more than 2 or 3 oz. Bugger.

Help?

I don't think it's supposed to reduce supply, I never noticed this effect anyway. However I think pumping does just get harder as your baby gets older, I did experience this. If she's 8 months do you desperately need to pump? If you're working, babies of 9/10 months are often happy to feed in the evenings, mornings and weekends and your supply can adjust to this. If you could move towards this that's only another month or so of pumping.

Plus by 8 months supply is very well established. Even if you were to take something regularly which reduces supply your baby is well equipped to bring it back. I went on the pill when DS was about 2 and although I noticed a dip DS brought it back within no time.

There are other teas you can take for IBS. Fennel is one, and since fennel is a galactolouge, it certainly won't hurt anything. :)

I went off ordinary tea (and dairy and meat!) when I was pregnant with DD and switched to peppermint tea instead. I drank at least 5 or 6 mugs a day but had no issues with breastfeeding. In fact I fed DD until she self-weaned at just over 2 years old.

FWIW I don't think I've ever been able to express more than an oz but I've always had plenty for the DCs when they actually fed.

Fennel tea good for milk supply too.

Thanks for your replies. Yeah, I have to pump at work so that I can take expressed milk to nursery for her. I'm really keen to keep her on breast milk and it's been working really well so far. She shows no sign of not wanting milk in the day: in fact, nursery staff have mentioned that she gets shouty when the bottle is empty.

Fennel, you say? Hmm, worth a try, thank you!

I don't know if it is IBS yet but as I am horrible suggestible and am a sucker for the placebo effect whatever the pain is, it seems to be responding well to mint.

Right. Fennel.