There is a tendency for a mother to want to take the strongest and longest-lasting medication available. When a woman is breastfeeding, however, the smallest effective dose and the shorter-acting preparations are usually better choices. Remember that we, as Leaders, never recommend a medication or say it is safe. A mother may believe that a medication derived from herbs is natural and, therefore, safe. She might not even mention that she is taking an herbal remedy when asked if she is taking any medication.
Herbal remedies are far from benign.
Most important, some are contraindicated when breastfeeding. Since herbs are not regulated in the same way that other drugs are, it is important for a mother to have a good resource person or trustworthy source to ascertain purity, strength, uses and contraindications. PL Leaders can help Leaders with specific herbal questions. A PL Leader will be able to provide a definitive answer to a drug 's compatibility. While PL Leaders have access to the most recent and reliable information that is published on most medications, there are some medications about which safety during lactation is unknown.