Wondering how to use Ashwagandha while breastfeeding?
Ashwagandha, or Withania somnifera, native to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and part of Africa; has become very popular in the past year; possibly due to Covid and all the stress we’ve endured.
It’s the ONE botanical, that helped me shift out of postpartum depression as it is an adaptogen; helps us adapt to stress.
So, How do you take Ashwagandha? It’s simple, let me show you how.
In this post, I’ll share the benefits of using Ashwagandha, dosing, and safety concerns.
Ashwagandha Benefits for Women
- Bitter, warm, and dry, Ashwagandha is best known for its calming effects without sedating you. That means, you can take it in the morning and you won’t feel groggy all day.
- But, you can also take it at night if you wake and cannot go back to sleep.
- Known to give you the strength and stamina of a stallion, it will enhance your sleep so that you wake up feeling more rested than before.
- In Ayurveda, it’s considered a Rasayana; “one of the herbs that reportedly promotes youth and longevity and alleviates suffering”.¹
- David Winston adds: “It’s known to prolong your life, stimulate your mind and enhance vigor and sexual prowess”. ²
Ashwagandha While Breastfeeding
- It’s considered safe for breastfeeding. Lactation Category C or compatible with breastfeeding by Mills & Bones ³
- It can re-regulate the thyroid & adrenal glands {a common concern postpartum} Better for hypothyroidism.
- It’s effective in helping if you have anxiety, fatigue, cloudy thinking, and insomnia
- It’s rich in iron and can be used to treat iron deficiency when taken as a powder * see below
- It can relieve muscle pain and cloudy thinking
Perfect for moms, don’t you think?
Feeling like motherhood is too much? Ashwagandha can help. Click To TweetAshwagandha Dosing
Dosing and Safety:
- Tincture; Take 30-40 drops; 3x a day
- Capsules: 400-500 mg capsule; 2x day
- Powder: Take 1 tsp. in warm milk with ghee at night for a good night’s rest
- >>Always start with a small amount to see how you and your baby respond!
Is Ashwagandha Safe?
- Mills & Bones suggest no warnings or precautions with Withania, but at high doses, you may get gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea, or vomiting.
David Winston suggests:
- avoid using the herb if you’re sensitive to plants in the nightshade family – but this could be a case-by-case situation
- Do not use the powder internally if you have excess iron
- He also suggests avoiding the use if you have hyperthyroidism, as Ashwagandha can increase T4 and maybe T3
David Winston also suggests avoiding it during pregnancy. Still, Mills & Bones consider it a Category B1: Studies in animals have not shown evidence of an increase in the occurrence of fetal damage. So, it’s a bit confusing if you’re pregnant and want to try Withania.
- Also, caution may be needed if you have auto-immune conditions as it increases T1 activity.
- How do you know an herb is safe while breastfeeding? Read this post:
Ashwagandha Powder
- Ashwagandha is commonly available as a churna, a finely sieved powder that can be mixed with water, ghee (clarified butter), or honey. ⁴
- In India, the Ashwagandha powder was traditionally used in milk and taken at night to help you sleep better.
- The popular company Apothekary, has made this easier for us to integrate once again.
Is Ashwagandha Safe While Breastfeeding?
The popular researchers; Simon Mills & Kerry Bones list Ashwagandha as a Lactation category C; Yes, compatible with breastfeeding.
Withania is used to promote lactation in Ayurvedic medicine and the traditional medicine of south-east Asia. – Mills & Bones
- * Powder Dosing: 1 tsp. of Withania powder may be given 2x day with milk for insufficient lactation. ³
- Dr. Aviva Romm also suggests it’s a Level 1; the safest herb to be used during lactation in her book Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health. ⁵
When to take Ashwagandha
- For my moms who are breastfeeding, I always suggest trying one herb at a time to see how you and your baby respond. If it’s safe, you can take it as a blended tincture with motherwort to ease stress.
- I prefer taking tinctures, but have just explored the powdered version and enjoy it in my hot cocoa or coffee!
Conclusion
Ashwagandha is considered a Level 1 or safe while breastfeeding unless you have hyperthyroidism you may want to choose another adaptogen. It’s calming, but not sedating so you can take it any time of day. Traditionally, it was used as a powder, but I enjoy using it as a tincture 2-3x day. It’s considered an adaptogen, so it can help take you out of the “fight or flight” response and help ease tension and stress. As always, check with your doctor before adding any new botanicals to your diet.
I’d love to know your thoughts.
Have you tried Ashwagandha? Let us know below in the comment area💕
xo
Tara
References
References
- ¹ Romm M.D., Dr. Aviva; Hormone Intelligence pg. 34
- ² Winston, David & Maimes, Steven (2007); Adaptogens Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief. Healing Arts Press.
- ³ Romm, Aviva, (2014): Botanical medicine for women’s health. Churchill Livingston.
- Upton, Roy; Bear, Soaring, Winton, David; Gagnon, Daniel; Romm, Aviva Jill; Low Dog, Tieraona; Hardy, Mary; Craker, Lyle. Botanical Safety Handbook, Second edition (2013). CRC Press.
- ⁴ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3252722/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501905/
Is motherworth really safe while breastfeeding? I read that it is really unsafe.
Hi, Christina~ I understand your concern. Motherwort is considered a L1/L2 safest/safer botanical while breastfeeding by the German commission E. and by Dr. Aviva Romm; my teacher. Here are some of the references I use when considering herbs while nursing: https://taragregorio.com/how-to-use-herbs-while-breastfeeding-without-fear-4-simple-steps/. But…whenever you feel unsure about using a botanical you may want to wait until you feel more comfortable. Let me know if you have any other questions. xo Tara
Thank you very much! Unfortunately my anxiety was so hard, that I need to take sertralin and and lorazepam. But I take Ashwaganda as well, it helps a lot with my hypothireosis.
Thank you for your work, I found theese information quite useful.
I understand. Thank you for your kind words. I also just posted this video and how we need more than ashwagandha to heal anxiety. I hope you’re doing well. Tara https://youtu.be/-NDmT5219ZM
Where is the best place to buy ashwagahanda? I’m assuming some is more purely processed than others.
Hi, Meghan~ As a liquid I like herb pharm or herbalist and alchemist. You can also log into your full script account on my site and see all the products I love and save 15%.https://taragregorio.com/supplements/
I have a question that you may can help me with! I had some pretty intense postpartum anxiety after the birth of my son. My brother is pretty well versed in natural medicine and he recommended Ashwaganda and I’ve been using it (in the form of gummy supplements) as needed for the last couple of months. I felt that it really made a difference. Last week I had labs drawn and my thyroid levels were high and I’ve since read that Ashwaganda can alter thyroid tests. If I discontinue use will my levels go back to normal? I have zero symptoms of Hypothyroidism- so I feel confident that the test was just altered by the herb working in my body! Thanks for any input!
Hi, Lynn~ Great question. What were your exact numbers?
Here is a quote from Dr. Aviva Romm: “In animals, Ashwagandha has been shown to increase circulating T4 levels with no influence on T3.
Another study noted both hormones (T3 and T4) increase.
Ashwagandha has also been investigated as a combination with Guggulsterone gum and Bauhinia Bark and appears to be well-tolerated; and a rise in T3 was recorded with this blend possibly due to the Bauhinia
Beyond that, Ashwagandha possibly has benefit as an adjunct therapy. While Metformin administration can alleviate many effects of experimentally induced type II diabetes, it further reduces circulating T4 levels; Ashwagandha administration at 1.4g/kg ameliorated these adverse changes in one study.
At least one human case study has noted a medically relevant case of hyperthyroidism after usage of a supplement containing Ashwagandha. – which makes sense since it potentially increases T4 and possibly T3.
There may be a gender difference in regards to T3 where men can produce more in response to Ashwagandha than women.
From an autoimmune disease perspective, there is evidence that it can modulate a variety of immunologic factors, Because it can increase T1 activity, those with T1 dominant conditions may want to be more cautious with this herb. but it is not considered contraindicated in these conditions…
TH1 dominant conditions:
Type I diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Grave’s Disease
Crohn’s Disease
Psoriasis
Sjoren’s Syndrome
Celiac Disease
Lichen Planus
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Chronic viral infections”
Hope this helps! There are so many other herbs you can use if you’re still experiencing anxiety. Let me know if you need help!
Thank you, Tara
Thank you for the information! I have stopped taking it and I am hopeful that my levels will return to normal on their own. Do you think once it is out of my system my thyroid will go back to normal and make the proper amount of TSH again? My number last week was 7.49 and back in Feb it was 1.5 so it was a significant increase! Also- as far as my son is concerned do you think what could be passed to him through breast milk could alter his levels? Thanks for your help! I’m having a hard time finding consistent information online and havnt been able to get an answer to either of my questions! I just want to know will my level return to normal on its own since it was induced by the herb and will my sons exposure through breast milk harm his levels in any way?
Hi~ Send me an email so we can talk. hello@taragregorio.com. Keep in mind, that thyroid levels change 3-9 months after childbirth as well. Tara