Herb Safety for Breast Feeding Women

2 Herbal CEUs NCBAHM & California

When treating a breastfeeding mother, we are caring for two patients. Every herb prescribed has the potential to affect both the mother and her nursing infant, yet direct human research on the transfer of East Asian herbal medicinals into breast milk remains remarkably limited. This two-hour course examines what modern research can and cannot tell us about milk transfer, infant exposure, adverse reactions, pharmaceutical medications, and the risks posed by pesticides, heavy metals, adulteration, and poor-quality products. Participants will learn how to evaluate incomplete evidence without becoming either falsely reassured or unnecessarily fearful.

The course also draws upon historical case records from physicians such as Xuē Jǐ and Wàn Quán, who treated mothers and infants as an interconnected clinical unit while carefully differentiating their individual patterns. Particular attention will be given to protecting the infant’s stomach qì, recognizing situations in which the mother and child require different treatment, and monitoring both patients throughout care. Above all, the course emphasizes that safety begins with accurate diagnosis, appropriate formula selection, high-quality herbs, and a trusting practitioner-patient relationship. Safe prescribing does not mean undertreating the mother. Supporting her recovery, health, and milk supply may be among the most important ways we care for her baby.

Sharon Weizenbaum graduated from the New England School of Acupuncture in 1983. She has studied many times in China with a focus on gynecology, obstetrics and, in the last 15 years, Classic Formulas. Sharon teaches internationally, publishes articles, translates much of her own course material and is the director of the clinic White Pine Healing Arts and the primary instructor of the White Pine Graduate Mentorship Program.