Can you take a magnesium supplement while breastfeeding?

Can You Take a Magnesium Supplement While Breastfeeding?
As new mothers navigate the challenges of breastfeeding, many find themselves grappling with questions about nutrition and supplementation. One common query is whether it is safe to take magnesium supplements during this crucial period. The answer, based on recent insights, is generally affirmative.
The Importance of Magnesium for New Mothers
Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in numerous bodily functions, including muscle and nerve function, blood sugar control, and bone health. For breastfeeding mothers, maintaining adequate magnesium levels is particularly important. During lactation, mothers pass an average of 3 mg of magnesium per 100 ml of breast milk to their infants, making it crucial for mothers to ensure they are not deficient in this mineral.
New mothers are often more susceptible to magnesium deficiency due to the physical demands of breastfeeding and the stress associated with caring for a newborn. This deficiency can lead to increased fatigue and stress, which can further impact milk production.
Safety of Magnesium Supplements
Research indicates that magnesium supplements are generally safe for breastfeeding mothers. Most forms of magnesium, when taken in recommended dosages, are well-tolerated and do not pose risks to either the mother or the infant. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for breastfeeding women is approximately 300 mg of magnesium daily.
Moreover, there is no substantial evidence suggesting that magnesium supplementation adversely affects breastfed infants. Studies show that while magnesium concentrations in breast milk can increase slightly with maternal supplementation, the oral absorption of magnesium by infants is poor, meaning that any excess magnesium is unlikely to impact their serum levels .
Benefits of Magnesium Supplementation
In addition to preventing deficiency, magnesium supplementation can offer several benefits for breastfeeding mothers. It may help reduce stress levels by deactivating adrenaline, a hormone that can interfere with milk production. Furthermore, magnesium can aid in relaxation and improve sleep quality, which is often compromised during the postpartum period.
Conclusion
In summary, taking magnesium supplements while breastfeeding is not only safe but also beneficial for new mothers. Ensuring adequate magnesium intake can help support both maternal health and the nutritional needs of the infant. As always, it is advisable for mothers to consult with healthcare providers before starting any new supplement regimen to tailor it to their specific health needs.

What supplements should I avoid while breastfeeding?

Dietary Supplements and Herbs to Avoid When Breastfeeding

• Answer: Certain herbals, high dose vitamins, and other dietary supplements can be dangerous to breastfed babies through breast milk.
• Aloe latex.
• Ashwagandha.
• Berberine/goldenseal.
• Bilberry.
• Black cohosh.
• Butterbur.
• Dong quai.

How much magnesium can I take while breastfeeding?

Breast-feeding females—340 to 355 mg per day. Children 7 to 10 years of age—170 mg per day. Children 4 to 6 years of age—120 mg per day. Children birth to 3 years of age—40 to 80 mg per day.

What does magnesium do for the body nursing?

Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation [1-3]. Magnesium is required for energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis.

Does magnesium affect baby?

Magnesium supplementation during pregnancy may be able to reduce growth restriction of the fetus and pre‐eclampsia (high blood pressure and protein in the urine during pregnancy), and increase birthweight.

What is not recommended for breastfeeding?

Medical Contraindications for Breastfeeding
There are a few medical contraindications to breastfeeding, and these include: An infant who has the metabolic disorder of classic galactosemia (galactose 1-phosphate uridyltransferase deficiency). A mother living with human T-cell lymphotrophic virus type I or type II.

Can magnesium supplement help breastfed babies sleep?

Magnesium is an essential mineral, and one new mothers are more susceptible to becoming deficient in. The benefits of supplementing with magnesium are two-fold, meaning they apply to both you and your child since you are passing nutrients onto them in the form of your breast milk. These benefits include: Improved sleep.

Can you take magnesium while breastfeeding on your period?

Although there is no research to support this suggestion, some nursing parents find it helpful to take a supplement of between 500 mg calcium/250 mg magnesium and 1000 mg calcium/500 mg magnesium for three days before their period until three days after their period starts (Marasco & West; 2020).

Can I take magnesium and zinc while breastfeeding?

Breastmilk levels of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, iron and folic acid are fine even if your diet is deficient. If supplements are needed, they are for your benefit — not baby’s.

Is magnesium safe postpartum?

In order to decrease the risk of eclampsia, magnesium sulfate is administered to women with pre-eclampsia with severe features through continuous intravenous (IV) infusion or intramuscular (IM) injections intrapartum, and may be continued postpartum.

Does magnesium decrease milk supply?

For one, adequate magnesium intake may help support your milk supply. No, magnesium won’t literally make your body produce more milk, but since this mineral plays a role in helping your body relax, magnesium may indirectly help your breast milk flow a bit more freely thanks to your stress level being more in-check.