Breastfeeding with Anise: Nature’s Little Helper

Anise and Breastfeeding

What is Aniseed?

Anise (Pimpinella anisum), sometimes called aniseed, is an herb from the Apiaceae (parsley) family, which is native to the eastern Mediterranean.

This licorice flavor herb has been used in cooking and medicine for decades.

The Anise seeds contain anethole, which is a Phytoestrogen. This means it has estrogen-like effects.

Please do not confuse Aniseed with Star Anise. The consumption of Star Anise should be avoided when pregnant and breastfeeding.

What can you use Anise for?

• Treating clogged ducts and other problems in the milk glands by maintaining a constant milk flow.
• Increasing breast milk supply.
• Treat menstrual discomfort and pain.
• Ease childbirth.
• Increase your sex drive. Read more about sex and breastfeeding here.
• Anise water can be given to babies to relieve gassiness. Get the recipe here.
• Decreases colic symptoms in babies via breast milk.

What Part to Use?

The flower of the Anise plant can be picked when the seeds form. The seeds are then separated from the flower and easily dried on trays.

The other parts of the plant (leaves and stems) can also be used, but the seeds have higher volumes of Anise’s precious properties (oils). Thus the seeds are most often used.

How much to Consume?

• To boost low milk supply: Take about six teaspoons of Anise seeds daily for the first 4 to 6 days. Continue regular dosing after that. Always remember that every person reacts differently to the herb. Keep an eye on the effects Anise has on you and your baby.
• To keep your milk supply constant: Consume at least three teaspoons of Anise daily.

Ways to use Anise

• Anise Tea: Take a teaspoon of crushed Aniseed and add it to a cup of boiling water. Let it steep for 10 minutes. Dosage: 1 to 2 cups per day
• Anise Oil: Anise oil can be used in cooking or baking.
• Syrup: Anise syrup is mainly used to relieve coughs or congestion. If you’re not a tea person, then a spoon of Anise syrup is just as beneficial as it contains all of its precious properties. Dosage: Take 1 to 3 spoons of Anise syrup up to three times per day.
• Cooking and baking: The sweet flavor of Anise has been used in cooking and baking for decades. The seeds can be used as a whole or even crushed. The mild licorice taste of Anise seeds enhanced the sweetness in pastries, cakes, or cookies. When cooking, you can combine Anise with cinnamon, which compliments it very well. Dosage: You’ll have to follow the recipe or trust your taste buds.
• Tincture: Tinctures are concentrated herbs with an extended shelf life of several years. Vodka is used to aid in the release of essential components. Do not worry about alcohol intake, as it will be in such small amounts that it is not harmful. Dosage: 20 to 40 drops can be taken up to 3 times per day, directly under the tongue or in juice or even water.
• Used externally as a compress: You can soak a cloth with warm Anise tea and put it on any area to relieve pain, like your tummy, breasts, or even your eye.
• Anise Seed Milk: Drop a teaspoon of Anise seed in a warm glass of milk.

Other Uses:

• Chew Anise seeds in the morning for fresh breath.
• Suck on Aniseeds for a sore throat. It’s perfect as lozenges.
• Prepare a bath with some Anise seed. It’s ideal for rashes, bites, infections, cuts, and headaches.

Aniseed Recipes

Aniseed Rusks

Ingredients

4 cups cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 cup butter
30 ml whole anise seeds
20g instant yeast
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 ½ cups water

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Note: It can be a bit tricky to tell you how much Rusks to consume to increase your milk supply. Remember that you can combine all the different ways of consuming Anise. Feel free to do so if you prefer eating the Anise instead of drinking tea. I would recommend consumption three times a day. You may take a few Anise rusks at breakfast, Anise tea in the afternoon, and maybe a glass of milk with Anise seeds at bedtime.

Method

Mix flour and salt. Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like breadcrumbs.

Mix the Aniseeds, sugar, and yeast.

Lightly whisk water and eggs together with a hand whisk. Add to flour mixture and mix until combined.

Knead the mixture until elastic. Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest in a warm place until it doubles in size.

Shape the dough into balls without handling it too much and put them in a smeared bread tin, and let sit until it’s risen to the edge of the tin.

Bake for 45 minutes at 180 °C.

When finished baking, remove from tin to cool down thoroughly.

Do not cut with a knife!

Break pieces apart and dry out on an oven pan at 100 °C.

Anise oil

Ingredients

¼ cup Anise seeds (coarsely ground)
1 cup Coconut oil

Note: Store in refrigerator and use within one month.

For increased breast milk, use in proximity to the dosing mentioned above. Ensure you take the same amount as three teaspoons of Aniseed daily. One teaspoon of Anise will be the same as about 25 ml of Anise oil.

Method

Add the Anise seeds and oil in a pot.

Boil on medium heat for about 10 minutes while stirring regularly. Let the oil mixture cool down.

Transfer the mixture to a glass bottle and put it into the fridge for two weeks.

Strain the Anise oil through a sieve and pour it into a clean, airtight oil bottle.

Anise and Breastfeeding Warnings

• Consuming a lot of Anise has no serious side effects, but high doses can cause nausea and vomiting.
• Anise’s intake can influence (reducing the efficiency) some medications, such as birth control pills and other Estrogen medication, as it acts like the hormone Estrogen.
• Anise (with its Estrogen-like properties) can affect people with hormone-sensitive conditions, such as breast cancer, uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids.
• Stick to dosing, except if specified otherwise by a healthcare professional.
• Allergies: Allergies might occur in people allergic to the same plant family, such as asparagus, caraway, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, and fennel.