Strange Use for Peppermint Tea
One friend calls it “peppermint tea breastfeeding.”
She has found that by applying some lukewarm peppermint tea to sore nipples, she can relieve pain and irritation. She had read about a study in Iran claiming that this worked, tried it and it did. Her baby even liked the peppermint treat! Weird, but cool.
But Can You Drink It?
While doctors will advise you to be careful when taking any herbal supplements or drinking herbal tea, some are re-thinking this advice.
Some mommies have found that drinking a tea containing peppermint oil reduced pain after a C-section.If you want to try it, try a reputable brand like Celestial Seasonings and see for yourself.
However, watch your intake of peppermint. Traditionally, peppermint essential oils have been used for decreasing milk supply. Peppermint tea is a very weak form of peppermint and only large amounts (quarts, not glasses, per day) would be expected to decrease breast milk supply.
Some women claim to have successfully used the strong peppermint candies (for example, Altoids) for decreasing milk supply (just having a few pieces of gum or some mints per day aren’t likely to affect breast milk supply, though).
Other Herbal Options:
If you are looking to increase your milk supply, there is an herbal tea made just for nursing mothers who want to increase their milk supply.
Earth Mama Milkmaid Tea is an organic herbal tea that is known to increase breastmilk supply in breastfeeding moms. It contains herbs like fennel seed, and more that encourage increased milk production. It tastes good either hot or on ice. For more information, click here.
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