Table 3.
Top ten most commonly used herbal medicines during breastfeeding (in descending order of popularity)
| Common name of herbal medicine | Binomial/scientific name | n (%) reporting use of this herb | n (% of specific herb users) who believed the herb helped | Reasons for use (% of specific herb users) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenugreek |
Trigonella foenum-graecum |
56 (18.4) |
44 (78.6) |
Increase breast milk supply (98.2) |
| Boost immune system during cold (1.8) | ||||
| Ginger |
Zingiber officinale |
36 (11.8) |
17 (47.2) |
General health enhancement, tradition (65.7) |
| Relief of “winds” and “air” (22.9), Others (11.4) | ||||
| Dong quai |
Angelica sinensis |
24 (7.9) |
10 (41.7) |
General health enhancement (90.9) |
| Others (9.1) | ||||
| Chamomile |
Matricaria chamomilla |
22 (7.2) |
13 (59.1) |
Calming and relaxation, stress (86.4) |
| Others (13.6) | ||||
| Garlic |
Allium sativum |
20 (6.6) |
7 (35.0) |
Boost immune system during cold (38.9) |
| General health enhancement, tradition (50.0) | ||||
| Antifungal (5.6) | ||||
| Improve blood circulation (5.6) | ||||
| Blessed thistle |
Cnicus benedictus |
18 (5.9) |
15 (83.3) |
Increase breast milk supply (100.0) |
| Cranberry |
Vaccinium macrocarpon |
15 (4.9) |
6 (40.0) |
Urinary tract infections/bladder health (76.9) |
| Others (23.1) | ||||
| Fennel |
Foeniculum vulgare |
15 (4.9) |
10 (66.7) |
Increase breast milk supply (80.0) |
| Relieve of colic (13.3) | ||||
| Energy, restore iron levels from blood loss (6.7) | ||||
| Aloe vera |
Aloe vera |
10 (3.3) |
2 (20.0) |
Detox (n = 6) |
| Aids digestion, intestinal health (n = 1) | ||||
| General health enhancement (n = 1) | ||||
| Sunburn, cooling effect (n = 1) | ||||
| Peppermint |
Mentha piperita |
10 (3.3) |
7 (70.0) |
Calming and relaxation (n = 6) |
| Relieve of bloating (n = 2), Others (n = 2) |