Can I Take OvaGold When Breastfeeding?
Naturally, as the age of first time parents, particularly mothers, increases it often means thinking about adding to your family before you finish breastfeeding your most recent addition.
We start to think about the overlap of preparing for conception and breastfeeding and the unique requirements, needs and considerations including supplement safety.
So, here’s what you need to know about OvaGold, its ingredients, safety considerations during breastfeeding.
Why OvaGold Isn’t Recommended During Breastfeeding
OvaGold is not recommended for use in pregnancy or breastfeeding.
OvaGold is purpose-built for before pregnancy, focusing on providing antioxidants like Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) to support reproductive health.
Here’s why...
OvaGold is intentionally designed for pre-pregnancy
OvaGold is formulated for specific reasons such as to help reduce free radical damage to body cells and to support energy production. While breastfeeding, nutritional needs shift to focus on milk production and postpartum recovery, requiring different nutrients.
Nicotinamide Riboside (NR) and Safety in Breastfeeding
Each single capsule of OvaGold contains 150 mg of Nicotinamide Riboside Chloride (NR).
With a daily dose of 2 capsules recommended for OvaGold, this exceeds 230 mg per day, which is considered the upper safety limit for pregnancy in the absence of sufficient clinical data. A recent panel from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) emphasised caution during these phases of life (EFSA Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) et al., 2021).
Given the limited data on the safety of this ingredient during pregnancy or breastfeeding, the recommendation is to discontinue OvaGold during pregnancy & breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding and Supplements: What’s Safe?
Breastfeeding demands specific nutrients for milk production and your own health postnatally. While some supplements are safe, like specifically-designed prenatal and postnatal vitamins, formulations like OvaGold do not meet these needs.
For breastfeeding mothers, consider a supplement plan that contains:
Iodine: a mineral to support healthy thyroid function for mother and baby. Many people are surprised to learn that iodine requirements increase from 220 mcg per day in pregnancy to 270 mcg per day in breastfeeding (NHMRC).
Choline: a semi-essential vitamin-like nutrient researched for its ability to support baby’s cognitive development through breastmilk (Wu et al., 2023)
DHA: a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid found in oily fish like salmon, ocean trout, mackerel, sardines & anchovies to help support baby’s brain development, alongside choline (Lassek et al., 2015).
Folate: not just a pregnancy B vitamin, folate requirements are not quite as high as pregnancy but still remain higher than preconception (NHMRC). Folic acid whilst famed for its neural tube defect preventing benefits is also used by the body for DNA synthesis and cell division.
B Vitamins: specifically vitamin B6 and B12 you may need more of than you did before baby, to help support energy production because breastfeeding demands more energy than growing a baby! (NHMRC; NHMRC)
Vitamin C: demands are higher than both preconception and pregnancy to account for baby’s vitamin C needs (NHMRC).
Zinc: whilst zinc requirements aren’t higher than pregnancy, you may want to choose a postnatal vitamin with some zinc to support post-birth healing if you experienced any tearing in birth or C-section.
Vitamin D: whilst the transfer of vitamin D from mother to baby via breastmilk is thought to be a little less efficient compared to other nutrients (Við Streym et al., 2016), optimising your vitamin D status for your own immune and hormone function as well as supporting the baby is important.
You may also need additional iron if you’re iron deficient postpartum after the huge demands of pregnancy - when your blood volume rapidly expands as well as any blood losses that occurred with birth or postnatally.
Breastfeeding is a time of lower iron demands whilst you’re not getting a period, and it presents as a great opportunity to “catch up” if you’re behind on iron, especially if you’re thinking about preparing for another pregnancy soon.
As always, consult your health care provider before introducing or changing any supplements into your routine.
Navigating How to Prepare for Conception While Breastfeeding
Like we mentioned earlier, for many, breastfeeding and planning for another baby can overlap, creating a unique set of challenges and opportunities.
The Biology: How Prolactin Suppresses Ovulation
Breastfeeding triggers the release of the milk-producing hormone, prolactin. While essential for lactation, prolactin can suppress ovulation by interfering with the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH).
GnRH is needed to stimulate the production of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), which drive ovulation. Without these signals, your ovaries remain in a resting state, delaying the return of menstruation and ovulation (Gross & Eastman, 2011).
This natural suppression is why breastfeeding can sometimes act as a form of contraception, though its effectiveness varies based on factors like feeding frequency and your individual biology, so definitely don’t rely on breastfeeding as your only contraceptive.
This is your body’s way of conserving energy to ensure that your baby is getting enough breastmilk and preventing you from becoming depleted in nutrients and energy if you were to become pregnant again whilst breastfeeding.
When Will I Start Ovulating And Getting My Period After Birth?
Getting back both ovulation and menstruation while breastfeeding is highly individualised - no, there isn't a simple answer here! But, here are some common scenarios and why they happen.
1. Exclusively Breastfeeding Mothers:
Ovulation often remains suppressed as long as your baby is feeding frequently, especially during the night. Some people may begin to ovulate again even whilst exclusively breastfeeding day and night, this is individual and is difficult to predict. The reason for delays in reinstating ovulation & menstruation is because prolactin levels stay elevated with frequent feeding.
2. Partial or Weaning Mothers:
As breastfeeding frequency decreases, prolactin levels drop, allowing your body the opportunity to potentially restart ovulation. This process may take weeks or months depending on your hormonal sensitivity and overall health.
As we mentioned earlier though, there is wide variation between individuals. For some, ovulating and periods may return as early as a few months postpartum, even with regular breastfeeding. For others, it may take over a year. This variability depends on factors like genetics, stress, body weight, and feeding patterns as well as your medical history.
Preparing for Conception While Breastfeeding
If you're planning a pregnancy while still breastfeeding, there are steps you can take to support your health.
1. Track Your Cycle
Watch for signs of ovulation such as cervical mucus changes, basal body temperature shifts, or ovulation test results.
Irregular cycles are common when ovulation first resumes, so patience is key
2. Adjust Feeding Patterns
Consult with your doctor and/or lactation consultant first as this will depend on your child’s growth, age and development. You can consider gradually reducing night feeds or introducing solid foods for your baby from around 6 months of age, which may lower prolactin levels, encouraging the return of ovulation.
3. Focus on Nutrition
Balance your diet to include nutrients that support both lactation and your preconception health, such as DHA, iodine, zinc, choline, and B vitamins.
Hydration is essential for breastfeeding mothers but also supports overall health, not to mention the constant thirst, make sure you are drinking at least 2.5 L of water each day.
4. Consult Your Healthcare Provider
If ovulation doesn’t return after extended breastfeeding or you’re facing challenges conceiving, please seek professional advice from your GP or fertility specialist.
When to Restart OvaGold
Once breastfeeding ends and you’re ready to start planning for your next pregnancy, OvaGold can rejoin your routine alongside your prenatal multivitamin and omega-3s.
Balancing Breastfeeding and Preparing for Another Pregnancy
Breastfeeding provides numerous benefits to both mother & baby. From a pre-pregnancy viewpoint, not everyone will naturally ovulate and menstruate whilst breastfeeding or even immediately after stopping breastfeeding.
Whilst pregnant or breastfeeding, OvaGold is not recommended for use.
Remember to consult your healthcare provider for personalised advice. Always read the label and follow directions for use.
