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Is creatine safe while breastfeeding?

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

LactMed, NIH's database for nursing mothers, says milk levels of creatine have not been measured after supplementation and that no studies report effects in breastfed infants. Until more data exist, it says it is probably best to avoid creatine supplements unless a health care professional prescribes them. Ask your doctor before taking creatine while breastfeeding.1

Key facts

  • Creatine is a normal component of human milk, supplying about 9% of an infant's daily requirement, though the amount varies by country and ethnicity.1
  • Creatine levels in milk are highest in colostrum and fall over the first 2 weeks after birth before settling.1
  • Milk creatine has not been measured after supplementation in humans, and no published information was found on effects in breastfed infants or on lactation.1
  • Creatine is converted to creatinine in mother and infant. It can raise an infant's serum creatinine and may alter estimates of the infant's kidney function.1
  • Blood creatine is lower in vegan than in omnivorous mothers, according to LactMed.1

What LactMed says about creatine and breastfeeding

LactMed is the National Library of Medicine's database of drugs and substances that nursing mothers may be exposed to. Its creatine entry starts from what is normal: creatine is part of human milk, providing about 9% of an infant's daily requirement on average, with levels highest in colostrum and falling over the first 2 weeks before they steady.1

It then lists what is missing. Milk levels of creatine have not been measured after supplementation in humans, and relevant published information on effects in breastfed infants and on lactation was not found as of the entry's revision date. In its summary, LactMed concludes that until more data are available it is probably best to avoid creatine supplements unless a health care professional prescribes them. That is a precaution based on missing data, and the entry does not report a harm to infants.1

Why creatinine comes up

The entry points to one specific concern. Creatine is converted to creatinine in the mother's and the infant's bodies, and creatinine is the marker used to estimate kidney function. LactMed says the conversion can raise the infant's serum creatinine, which may alter estimations of the infant's kidney function.1

A small rise in blood creatinine on lab tests, without a change in estimated kidney filtration2

That entry summarizes randomized trials in people taking creatine, which show a small rise in creatinine without a change in estimated filtration. The sources checked do not report this measurement in nursing infants.2

Diet and creatine in mothers

LactMed notes that blood creatine levels are lower in vegan than in omnivorous mothers. It also says some authors have speculated about effects of supplements in nursing mothers, but that no studies test the idea. The entry does not recommend supplements for that purpose.1

What the NIH sheets add

NIH's consumer fact sheet on performance supplements says much of the research is done in young healthy men, not in women or older adults, and its health professional sheet says most studies enroll conditioned athletes. Neither lists breastfeeding women. The general NIH advice is to be cautious with supplements beyond a standard prenatal supplement while nursing, because many have not been well tested in nursing women.3,4,5

Who should ask their doctor

Ask your doctor, midwife or a lactation consultant before taking creatine while nursing. This matters most if your baby is a newborn or was born early, if the baby has had or will have blood tests that measure kidney function, or if you have kidney disease yourself.1,4

Questions people ask

Is creatine safe while breastfeeding on Reddit?

This page does not summarize forum posts. LactMed, the NIH database for nursing mothers, says milk creatine has not been measured after supplementation and that no infant data were found.1

Is creatine ok while breastfeeding?

LactMed says it is probably best to avoid creatine supplements unless a health care professional prescribes them, until more data are available. Ask your doctor about your own situation.1

Is creatine safe while nursing?

LactMed's entry found no published information on effects in nursing infants and says creatine can raise an infant's serum creatinine. It does not report an infant harm. Ask your doctor.1

Is creatine monohydrate safe while breastfeeding?

LactMed's entry is for creatine in general and does not separate forms. The creatine monohydrate form is the one NIH and the ISSN describe, and neither reports a study in nursing mothers.1,4

Is a creatine supplement safe while breastfeeding?

LactMed found no data after supplementation and says it is probably best to avoid supplements unless a health care professional prescribes them. It notes that milk creatine varies with diet and population. Ask your doctor.1

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Sources

  1. Creatine. In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006-. Record read October 2026 through PubChem's copy of the LactMed text, because NCBI Bookshelf blocks scripts. Opened 2026-10-11.
  2. Tsiaras A, et al. The Effect of Creatine Supplementation on Kidney Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Ren Nutr. 2026 (online ahead of print). doi:10.1053/j.jrn.2026.04.010. Opened 2026-10-01.
  3. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated March 22, 2021. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated April 1, 2024. Opened 2026-10-06.
  5. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements: What You Need To Know. Fact sheet for consumers. Updated January 4, 2023. Opened 2026-10-07.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.