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Kava & Breastfeeding

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Paul

The medical community has no studies on kava so they default to saying it's not ok due to depressant qualities. Does anyone know what the 1000's of years of use in the islands say about kava and breastfeeding?
 

blindy107

Kava Lover
No idea but I thought all CNS depressants were bad to pass on due to infants having breathing issues to begin with. My wife is still breastfeeding and I advised her to stay off for now just based on that theory. But I haven't read datas either.
 

violet

Do all things with love
If I recall correctly, I think someone with experience had mentioned that women who regularly partake of kava will cease intake when they discover they are pregnant. Lebot mentions in Tanna women may use a leaf extraction close to their delivery date to help with presentation. He also mentions that the leaves have been used as an abortifacient. There are a number of herbs that can be helpful in late pregnancy that could induce a miscarriage if used early on, so these usages don't seem all that contradictory.

Kava lactones are lipid soluble which would allow for a significant amount of them to pass into breast milk. Because kava can have definite effects on neurotransmitters, my personal opinion is that kava should not be consumed at all if nursing a child. Infant brain development is incredibly sensitive and changing the balance of what is naturally occurring could have detrimental, possibly devastating effects. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I don't think messing with the GABA receptors of an infant or very young child is safe.
 
D

Deleted User01

I totally agree. There is no use taking any chances. Besides, if you breast feed on Kava, your baby may become overly mellow. Then you will miss out on the best part of child rearing .... THE TERRIBLE TWOS. :LOL:
 

sɥɐʞɐs

Avg. Dosage: 8 Tbsp. (58g)
Review Maestro
The breast may indeed be the best kava delivery system, it would add the extra fat needed for optimum kavalactone solubility while simultaneously offering a comfortable place to rest your head when it kicks in so nicely.
::happyshell::
 
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Deleted User01

The breast may indeed be the best kava delivery system, it would add the extra fat needed for optimum kavalactone solubility while simultaneously offering a comfortable place to rest your head when it kicks in so nicely.
::happyshell::
Thank you Professor. We will keep that in mind. :rolleyes:
 

TheKavaSociety

New Zealand
Kava Vendor
Interestingly, Lebot mentions in his book that "Some reliance on kava within folk medicinal systems no doubt reflects its symbolic rather than chemical attributes. Use of kava to induce women's breast milk flow, for example, may relate to the general symbolic appreciation of kava as a fertile fluid" (p.114)
 
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Deleted User01

I wonder if the islanders of yore didn't want their women drinking kava because of the possible danger to an unborn child? See, that's the same reason men don't want their women tagging along to the local beer joint. Am I right or what? :D Now that we got that problem solved, let's start on world peace.
 

Roaddog

Kava Who?
@Paul , In my opinion, using it during Breast Feeding, can possibly cause some complications. I said possible. Now with that said, I know mothers, who smoke, have a few drinks, and do all kinds of stuff, breast feeding. Wishing you the very best. Much Love. Roaddog....
 
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