I have definitely seen dried sage *as used in cooking* make a difference
in milk supply, and I do mean the old, supposedly less potent kind of
herb bought in regular grocery stores in little tins or bottles.

Specifically, culinary sage used in cooking, in my experience, seems
only to affect the actual newborn (less than 28 days old) who's mother
is still establishing her milk supply. It seems not to affect moms who
have already established their milk supply. When I am inundated with
calls the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas about a newborn in a
"marathon feed" pattern who is not at a typical growth spurt time, my
first question for the last several years is "What did you eat for
dinner yesterday?" Invaribly, the answer includes sage dressing. I rarly
have to go any farther and the solution is easy - treat it like the
2-week growth spurt and simply marathon feed for the day (the baby knew
how to fix the problem after all!).

I know many Lactnetters go NoMail during the winter holidays, so it is
quite possible that many did not see the more complete discussion with
case history which I posted last Thanksgiving. Rather than post again,
may I refer those interested to the LactNet archives to

Item #23935 (21 Nov 1996 08:52) - Re: Sage Dressing, Thanksgiving and
Newborns

Fascinated by it all in Sherman Oaks, CA,
Katharine West, BSN, MPH