Herbal Use in Pregnancy Part II

Continuation of herbal remedies (listed by problem)

• Perineal Care - postpartum use, calendula or comfrey - make a tea, strain and add to a sitz bath. Vitamin E oil or calndula, comfrey, pilewort, St John's wort, symphytum, hydrastis, and achillea creams or ointments can be topically applied to the perineum. Make comfrey tea and soak sanitary pads in the teat, then freeze and use on perineum.
• Postpartum Depression - teas of chasteberry, motherwort, nettle, or raspberry leaf. (Encapsulated placenta is supposed to be wonderful in preventing depression - will get an article up at some point about that!)
• Sleep Problems - take a small bed pillow, open one end, add cloves, mint, and rosemary, and sew up open end.
• Sore Nipples - wash the nipples with infusions of marigold or comfrey and expose to the air or sunlight. Ointments from calendula, comfrey, plantain, St. John's wort, or yarrow are particulary effective in healing cracked nipples and relieving pain. Wipe breasts prior to feeding baby.
• Threatened miscarriage - crampbark or black haw bark taken in the form of a cup of the decoction or drops, or a tincture of chasteberry, or raspberry leaf tea
• Varicose veins and hemorrhoids - tea, capsule, or tonic of blessed thistle. Lotions, compresses, or creams made from comfrey, marshmallow, marigold, plantin, yarow, or hawthorn berries. For hemorrhoids, try pilewort cream combined with an equal quantity of comfrey cream or try echinacea an comfrey teas put into a sitz bath, soak 15-30 minutes.
• Water retention - dandelion leaf, corn silk, or both used in tea form.

I can't stress enough that seeing a well trained herbalist is the best option for trying herbal remedies. There is an extensive list of herbs that are to be avoided during pregnancy and childbirth so be sure to check with your provider or a skilled herbalist prior to trying ANY herbal remedy.

There are numerous books and websites on herbal medicine, which can be found doing a search on the internet.

Information on herbs in this post and Part I are from Childbirth Education: Practice, Research, and Theory 2nd Edition by Nichols and Humenick.