Skip to content

Coming soon. The store is not open yet.

Menu
Full Measure

Safety

Is valerian 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

NIH's lactation database says no data exist on valerian in nursing mothers or infants and that it is often not recommended during breastfeeding, because of theoretical concerns about two compounds that were harmful to cells in laboratory tests. NIH's supplement office says nursing women should not take it without medical advice. Ask your doctor first.1,2

Key facts

  • NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database says no data exist on the safety or efficacy of valerian in nursing mothers or infants.1
  • It says valerian is often not recommended during lactation because of theoretical concerns about valepotriates and baldrinals, which were cytotoxic and mutagenic in laboratory tests.1
  • The Office of Dietary Supplements notes that valepotriates are not necessarily present in commercial preparations and were not carcinogenic in animal studies.2
  • The database says an alternative may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.1
  • The Office of Dietary Supplements says nursing women should not take valerian without medical advice.2

What does NIH's Drugs and Lactation Database say about valerian?

LactMed's entry begins with the main fact: valerian has no specific use in nursing mothers, and no data exist on its safety or efficacy in nursing mothers or infants. In adults, it calls valerian generally well tolerated, with dizziness, a hangover feeling or headache reported occasionally.1

The entry then explains why it is often not recommended during lactation: concern, which it describes as theoretical, about two valerian compounds, valepotriates and baldrinals, that were shown to be cytotoxic and mutagenic in vitro, meaning harmful to cells or their genetic material in laboratory tests. Because there is no published experience of valerian during breastfeeding, it says an alternative may be preferred, especially while nursing a newborn or preterm infant.1

How much weight does the laboratory concern carry?

The concern comes from test-tube findings, not from babies. The Office of Dietary Supplements adds two points that bear on it. Valepotriates are not necessarily present in commercial preparations, and in animal studies they were not carcinogenic. Neither point settles whether any compound reaches breast milk, because no source we read measured that.1,2

This is why the sources sound cautious without describing any case of harm. The reasoning runs from what laboratory work showed to what has not been tested in people, and it ends with a recommendation to be careful, particularly with a very young or premature infant.1,2

Which adult effects could matter to a nursing parent?

A parent who is up at night with a baby may care about drowsiness. NIH reports one small study in which people felt sleepier the morning after a higher evening amount, and another in which a lower amount had no clinically significant effect on reaction time, alertness or concentration the next morning.2

In one small study, people felt sleepier the morning after a 900 mg dose.2

NCCIH says valerian should not be taken along with alcohol or sedatives, which matters for anyone who also uses another sleep aid.3

Who should ask a doctor about valerian while breastfeeding?

Ask your doctor or a lactation consultant before using valerian if you are breastfeeding or pumping. If your baby was born early, mention it, because the database singles out preterm infants.

  • Bring the label of any tablet, capsule or tea blend.
  • Ask your baby's pediatrician whether anything needs watching if you already took some, since the sources do not say what to look for.
  • Mention every sedating medicine or supplement you use, because NIH says valerian might add to their effects.2

Questions people ask

Is valerian root safe while breastfeeding?

NIH's lactation database says no data exist on valerian in nursing mothers or infants, and that it is often not recommended during lactation. Ask your doctor.1

Is valerian tea safe while breastfeeding?

The sources do not measure valerian in tea, and the advice from NIH covers valerian generally. Ask your doctor before using it in any form.1,2

Can you take valerian root while breastfeeding?

NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says nursing women should not take valerian without medical advice, and the lactation database says an alternative may be preferred. Ask your doctor.1,2

Is valerian root tea safe while breastfeeding?

No source we read tested valerian root tea in nursing mothers. The caution from NIH applies to valerian as a whole. Ask your doctor or a lactation consultant.1

See what we make

Every product shows its whole label and what its lab report covers. The store opens soon.

See the Full Measure line

Sources

  1. Valerian. In: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed). Bethesda (MD): National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; 2006 onward. Updated May 17, 2021. Read as its summary of use during lactation, indexed in PubMed as PMID 30000874. Opened 2026-10-11.
  2. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Valerian: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated March 15, 2013. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Valerian. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes of Health. Last updated May 2025. Opened 2026-10-07.

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