Breastfeeding your baby may be one of the most satisfying and fulfilling things you’ll ever do in your life. But when you’re jiggling your crying baby and wondering if she’sstillhungry even though she’s been nursing for seeminglyhours on end, satisfaction and fulfillment may be replaced with frustration.

About 3 out of every 4 new moms in the United States start out breastfeeding their babies, but many stop either partially or completely within the first few months.

One of the biggest reasons many new mothers head for the formula? They’re worried that they don’t have enough milk to satisfy the bottomless pit that is baby’s stomach. The struggle is real.

Keeping in mind that most womendohave a sufficient milk supply — and even make more thanone-third moremilk than their babies need — you still may have circumstances that prompt you to want to try and boost production. That’s where natural treatments like fenugreek might come in.

Fenugreek has been used for centuries by breastfeeding women looking to boost their supply. But does it work?

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an herb that grows to around 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 centimeters) tall. It has small, white flowers and each green leaf divides into three smaller leaves.

你可能遇到过胡芦巴不知道it: The herb has a maple-like taste that’s used to add flavor to artificial maple syrup, and the ground seeds are used in curries. These small golden seeds are what we’re interested in.

A 2018 review of studies of 122 mothers who took fenugreek showed that the herb really did increase —significantlyincreased, in the words of analysts — the amount of milk they produced.

And a 2018 study compared 25 mothers who took a super-mix of fenugreek, ginger, and turmeric with 25 mothers who took a placebo.

Voila!The mothers who took the super-mix had a 49 percent increase in milk volume at week 2 and a 103 percent increase at week 4. (But again, this study looked at an herbal mix rather than just fenugreek. The fenugreek is assumed to have contributed.)

Researchers aren’t quite sure why fenugreek works. It may have something to do with the phytoestrogens (plant chemicals similar to estrogen) that fenugreek contains.

If you’re looking for these benefits in your own life, you probably want to know about how much fenugreek will do the trick.

Herbal tea drinkers can simply steep 1 teaspoon of whole fenugreek seeds in a cup of boiling water for about 15 minutes and sip at leisure two or three times a day.

If you’re looking for a more concentrated form of fenugreek, you may want to try capsule supplements. A good dose is usually 2 to 3 capsules (580 to 610 milligrams per capsule) three or four times per day, but check package instructions.

Fenugreek capsules work fast, so lucky moms will probably see an increase in milk production in as little as 24 to 72 hours. Others may have to wait about 2 weeks — and sometimes fenugreek just isn’t the answer.

Before you start, remember that herbal supplements aren’t regulated in the same way that prescription drugs are. Check with your doctor or lactation consultant before taking any herbal remedy, and stick to trusted brands.

Remember the study with 25 breastfeeding moms ? The good news is that no adverse effects were recorded. And fenugreekison the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) GRAS list (it’s “generally recognized as safe”).

But LactMed — a database of drug info as it relates to lactation — does report some concerns. It says fenugreek is mostly “well tolerated,” but some of the more common potential side effects include:

  • vomiting
  • nausea
  • gas
  • diarrhea
  • urine that smells like maple syrup

Here’s also an important point to remember: If you’re pregnant, you’ll want to stay away from fenugreek — it can cause uterine contractions.

Fenugreek is also likely safe for your baby. A 2019 study compared moms taking Mother’s Milk herbal tea — an all-natural tea containing fruits of bitter fennel, anise, and coriander, fenugreek seed, and other herbs — with a test group who drank lemon verbena tea.

Study participants kept detailed diaries. No one reported any adverse effects in their baby during the 30-day study or the first year of their babies’ lives.

There are no reported interactions with other drugs for those taking fenugreek to increase milk production. But there’s some evidence that fenugreek reducesblood glucose levels, so women who have diabetes may need to adjust their insulin dosage.

It may also interact with blood thinners like warfarin. Check with your doctor before taking fenugreek or other herbal supplements, especially if you take prescription drugs or have diabetes.

If you don’t like the idea of trying fenugreek to increase your milk supply, here are some supplements that you might prefer.

  • In the 2018 review of studies , researchers found that palm dates andColeus amboinicus Lour, a perennial plant that smells and tastes like oregano (pizza anyone?) increased milk production even better than fenugreek supplements.
  • Fennelseeds make a great tea that seems to help increase milk production.
  • Blessed thistleis another tea that you can brew from the dried herb.

Modifying the way you breastfeed can also help to increase your supply. Try to:

  • breastfeed often
  • pump between feedings
  • feed from both sides each time you cuddle up with your baby

With these strategies, you’ll probably notice that your milk supply is increasing and that you’ve become a pro.

Breastfeeding is an art. (Do we have you thinking of those dreamy paintings of suckling infants?) Butit’s not always easy. Fenugreek may help, especially if you have concerns about supply.

If you’re still finding that breastfeeding your little one is a challenge, check with your doctor or lactation consultant — herbal remedies won’t solve all milk supply problems.