Is Consuming Peppermint Tea While Breastfeeding Safe?

To reduce discomfort and inflammation, apply lukewarm peppermint tea to painful nipples. Peppermint has antimicrobial characteristics and can help avoid nipple damage by increasing tissue elasticity. After a C-section, some moms drink peppermint tea to relieve discomfort. If you’re nursing and want to try this, limit yourself to one or two cups per day. Peppermint tea is a mild version of peppermint, and you’d have to consume a lot of it to affect your milk production. Some moms have also stated that strong peppermint content reduces their milk production.

What Is Peppermint? 

Peppermint is a relaxing plant commonly used to alleviate gum pain, stomach difficulties, and digestive issues. Peppermint is included in a variety of commercial items, including chewing gum, toothpaste, and tea. Peppermint’s relaxing and numbing properties help with nausea, diarrhea, headaches, menstrual cramps, anxiety, skin irritation, and flatulence.

Peppermint, menthol, and methyl salicylate are active ingredients with antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral effects. Peppermint is also used as an active element in vaporizers and chest massages. It is also said to help with indigestion and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). Read this article to learn about peppermint tea and breastfeeding.

Can You Consume Peppermint Tea While Breastfeeding? 

If you are a nursing mother, it is best to avoid drinking peppermint tea unless your doctor confirms the tea’s safety. Peppermint tea relieves stomach issues, skin acne, sore throats, and the common cold due to the calming impact of menthol.

However, a bit of advice about herbal tea and breastfeeding, if you’re breastfeeding, remember to drink a lower amount of herbal tea to avoid any potential negative effects. Peppermint tea contains emmenagogic properties, meaning it can increase uterine blood flow.

Doctors advise against drinking too much peppermint tea while breastfeeding since it lowers the production of breast milk. The methanol in peppermint oil, according to researchers, can enter into your breast milk and cause diarrhea or skin irritation in your nursing infant.

Potential Benefits of Peppermint Tea During Breastfeeding 

Here are a few advantages of drinking peppermint tea when breastfeeding:

1. Pain Relief 

Doctors may recommend that you consume a few sips of peppermint tea to alleviate the discomfort you’re experiencing after a C-section. It’s advisable to restrict your intake of peppermint tea as a pain reliever to one or two cups per day. Since peppermint tea contains only a trace of methanol, a few glasses will not influence your breast milk production.

2. Stress Relief 

Peppermint tea is a natural energy booster that can help you cope with stress and anxiety during nursing. The methanol in herbal tea acts as a muscle relaxant and provides significant stress alleviation. Before going to bed, drink peppermint tea to get a good night’s sleep.

3. Relief in the Sinus

Methanol’s calming impact relieves sinus congestion and soothes a sore throat. Peppermint tea, also known as a natural decongestant, is used to treat coughs and colds.

4. Reduces Nipple Soreness 

When lactation begins (especially in first-time mothers), your nipples swell, and you may endure considerable pain when feeding your newborn baby. Apply a cotton swab dampened in lukewarm peppermint tea on your nipples. Peppermint’s antimicrobial properties aid in enhancing tissue suppleness and decreasing nipple soreness; it also aids the reduction of pain and inflammation.

5. Aids in Weight Loss  

Most nursing moms acquire undesirable body weight after delivery, especially after C-section surgery. You can lose weight by drinking peppermint tea regularly. The herbal tea suppresses your appetite and keeps you full for a longer period. Drinking the right combination of green tea and peppermint tea can help you lose weight by regulating your metabolic rate and making it simpler for your body to burn fat.

6. Cures Indigestion 

Peppermint tea relieves gastrointestinal problems such as bloating and gas. Having a cup of peppermint tea might help you overcome gastrointestinal issues and make food digestion smoother.

Side Effects of Peppermint Tea on Lactating Mothers 

While nursing, lactating moms should be aware of the following adverse effects of consuming peppermint tea:

1. Contamination

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate the manufacture of peppermint tea or any other herbal tea on the market. Pesticides and other dangerous substances may be present in the tea. To avoid contamination, it is usually best to get herbal tea from a recognized producer.

2. Acid Reflux 

It is a common ailment that affects many people. If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease or acid reflux, drinking peppermint tea might make your symptoms worse. The herb relaxes the valve that connects your stomach to your esophagus. It triggers the backflow of the stomach acid into your esophagus, and your condition gets worse.

3. Reduced Breast Milk 

Does peppermint tea dry up breast milk? The increased consumption of peppermint tea lowers breast milk production and supply. When you have an excess of breast milk or are weaning as a breastfeeding mother, your doctor may recommend that you drink a modest amount of peppermint tea.

4. Drop in Blood Sugar Levels

One of the most serious adverse effects of consuming too much peppermint tea is a sharp drop in blood sugar levels. So, if you have diabetes or have high blood pressure, it’s best to cut peppermint tea out of your diet.

5. Causes Allergies 

It appears that some persons are allergic to methanol. Headaches, Tremors, mouth discomfort, and unsteady feet are all common allergy symptoms.

6. Interacts With Drugs 

Peppermint tea has been shown to interact with several prescription drugs, according to researchers. Peppermint tea should never be consumed on an empty stomach or if you suffer from blood pressure, diabetes, or cyclosporine medications. Peppermint tea/oil should be avoided if you have a menthol allergy or suffer from severe asthma. An overdose of peppermint tea causes diarrhea, sleepiness, muscular soreness, tremors, and an irregular heart rate, among other things.

Peppermint tea while nursing does not go hand in hand since it inhibits the formation of breast milk. Consult your doctor before drinking peppermint tea or taking supplements. When breastfeeding moms desire to wean or dry up their milk production, they commonly drink peppermint tea. Rooibos tea is a healthy tea to take throughout the breastfeeding period. It’s a caffeine-free tea low in tannins, which means it won’t harm either the mother or the baby.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita) and menthol are herbs that should be avoided while nursing but are frequently used to treat oversupply or during weaning. They should be avoided in large doses during breastfeeding since they can diminish milk production. Many physicians also advise drinking very little peppermint tea since it includes menthol, which can pass via breast milk and cause diarrhea and skin irritation in infants. We hope that this post provides you with the necessary information on the subject.

Also Read:

Chamomile Tea when Breastfeeding
Ginger and Ginger Tea during Breastfeeding
Consuming Coffee/Caffeine while Breastfeeding