Herbal Teas for Women
Mothering is profound and mundane, rapturous and
maddening. You alternately dance and tear out your
hair. Boundaries dissolve. You are no longer an
individual even after the birth. When you’re pregnant
- more than any other time - how you treat your body,
mind and soul matters. Because we care about our
health, many of us wish to treat unpleasant side
effects of pregnancy such as morning sickness with
gentle herbal remedies. Yet, the question arises:
Should you take herbs when you’re pregnant? Sharol
Tilgner, a naturopathic doctor in Creswell, Ore.,
prefers to err on the side of caution. Her attitude is
that during the first three months, a critical and
vulnerable time for the baby’s organ development, a
woman should avoid all medicines including medicinal
herbs unless advised
otherwise by a health professional.
However, some herbs are part of the foods we eat
daily, says Rosemary Gladstar, author of Herbal
Healing for Women (Simon & Schuster) and a teacher at
Sage Mountain, a center for herb education in East
Barre, Vt. "The herbs traditionally used by pregnant
women for centuries are food herbs, " She states, Four
herbs are particularly recommended by experienced
herbalists and have been used safely by pregnant women
for centuries. Rich in vitamins and minerals, red
raspberry leaf, nettles, alfalfa and dandelion act as
system supporting tonics for overall health of the
expectant mother. Please note, however, that you
should always check with your doctor before taking any
herb while you’re pregnant.
Pregnancy herbs are meant to be used whole, either
eaten as a vegetable or taken as a tea or tincture,
Gladstar stresses. She recommends pregnant women not
use botanicals that concentrate isolated chemical
constituents unless prescribed by a health
practitioner.
Red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus), termed " the best
all round herb for a healthy pregnancy" by Catherine
Hunziker, an herbalism instructor at the Rocky
Mountain School of Botanical Medicine in Boulder,
Colo., is a nourishing, "building herb with an
affinity for the reproductive system. In moderate
dosages," Gladstar adds, "red raspberry is a tonic
that’s been safely used by women for centuries. " Rich
in calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium and
vitamins B, C, and E, raspberry also contains the
alkaloid fragarine, the constituent that contributes
to the plant’s potency as a pregnancy tonic.
Taken in tea or capsule form, red raspberry increases
fertility in men and women (especially when combined
with red clover), tonifies the uterus, eases morning
sickness and assists in plentiful milk production,
according to Susun Weed, an herbalist from Woodstock,
N.Y., and the author of Wise Woman Herbal for the
Childbearing Years (Ash Tree).
If you have a history of miscarriage, delay using
raspberry until after the first trimester, Hunziker
cautions. After this time, Tilgner says you can drink
two cups of tea a day every other day. To make a tea,
add between one teaspoon to two tablespoons of the
dried leaf per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 to 20
minutes. You can alternate taking red raspberry with
other nutritive herbs such as nettles.
"Nettles, rich in biochealated iron, calcium, protein
and other nutrients, are virtually a pregnancy tonic
by themselves," says Gladstar. Drinking a nettle
infusion before and throughout pregnancy nourishes and
strengthens the kidneys, increases fertility in men
and women, nourishes the mother and fetus (by virtue
of its high calcium content), diminishes leg craps and
childbirth pain, prevents hemorrhage after birth,
reduces hemorrhoids, and
increases the amount of mother’s milk.
Although nettles taken as a tonic are considered safe
in pregnancy,
concentrated extracts of stinging nettles (such as
used to treat hay fever) can act as an abortifacient.
According to Gladstar, alfalfa is loaded with vitamins
A, D, E, and K;
eight digestive enzymes; and numerous trace minerals.
Colorado herbalist Kathryn Cox, who specializes in
women’s formulas, recommends alfalfa in late pregnancy
because the vitamin K it supplies promotes proper
blood clotting, thereby reducing the risk of
postpartum hemorrhage.
The fourth tonic herb commonly used by pregnant women
is dandelion. Both the leaf and root provide many
essential nutrients: vitamins A and C, iron, calcium,
potassium and numerous trace elements. The root helps
boost liver function, allowing that organ to detoxify
the blood. The leaf is a mild diuretic much loved for
its help in alleviating water retention during
pregnancy.
Relieve Morning Sickness
Morning sickness afflicts millions of pregnant women.
Fortunately, several natural remedies offer relief.
First, eat small frequent meals and sip warm liquids.
Foods rich in vitamin B6 (Whole grains, meats,
blackstrap molasses) help alleviate nausea of all
types. Because morning sickness is often worse when
your stomach is empty, especially upon rising in the
morning, keep snacks on hand.
"Ginger is one of the best antinauseants available,"
says Weed. In one clinical trial of pregnant women
with severe nausea and vomiting, 250mg of powdered
ginger root taken four times a day significantly
reduced their discomfort (European Journal of
Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Biology, 1990,
vol.38). A scientific review of the use of ginger as
an antinausea remedy concluded it’s safe during
pregnancy provided normal doses are consumed (HerbalGram,
1996, Vol 38).
What form of ginger should you take? Choose from
fresh, dried, powdered, tea or crystallized ginger. To
make ginger tea, Gladstar says to grate one to two
teaspoon of fresh root into a cup of water, simmer for
a few minutes, then add honey and lemon to taste.
An herbal blend of meadowsweet, spearmint, ginger and
chamomile could be just your coup of tea, recommends
Mindy Green of Herb Research Foundation. However if
you’re allergic to ragweed, you may also be allergic
to chamomile. Aromatherapy, the therapeutic use of
essential oils from plants, can also ease morning
sickness. During pregnancy, your sense of smell is
heightened,. Foul smells may sicken you, but pleasant
aromas such as oil of lavender, ginger, sandalwood or
chamomile may alleviate nausea. Green, who’s also the
coauthor of Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the
Healing Art (Crossing Press), reminds you not to apply
undiluted essential oils to your skin or take them
internally. "The safest essential oils to use during
pregnancy are those from flowers." she notes. Diffuse
the aromas of these oils into the air to benefit from
their healing properties.
For heartburn, common in pregnancy, chew or make a tea
of seeds of herbs such as fennel, anise or dill,
suggests Gladstar.
Alleviate Insomnia
Sleeplessness generally strikes during the third
trimester when a belly full of revolving elbows and
knees interferes with comfortable repose. Cox says
herbs high in calcium soothe the nerves, promote
restful sleep and ease muscle cramps. Her favorites
for pregnant women are scullcap and oats (Oatmeal,
oatstraw, or oatseed).
A warm bath might help you sleep. Gladstar recommends
adding a cloth bag full of chamomile and lavender
blossoms to the bathwater. Or, put aromatherapy to
work for you by mixing a drop or two of essential oils
of neroli, ylang ylang, lavender, rose, or jasmine,
which help calm the nervous system.
Stretch Marks & Hemorrhoids
According to Green, massaging a pregnant belly and
breasts with diluted aromatherapy oils can help the
skin expand and thus prevent stretch marks. Topical
use of essential oils mixed into carrier oils are
generally safe for healthy pregnant women after the
first trimester, she says. Her recipe is 15 drops
lavender oil, five drops neroli oil, two drops rose
oil and 800iu of vitamin E in four ounces of a carrier
oil such as almond oil. Cox uses comfrey, calendula,
mallow and raspberry in olive oil or a beeswax salve.
Gladstar’s belly oils calls for 1/2 cup cocoa butter,
1/2 cup coconut oil, 20,000iu vitamin E oil, 2
teaspoons of grated beeswax, 1 teaspoon of lanolin,
and 1/4 cup apricot, almond or grape seed oil. Melt
the ingredients together and rub this emollient oil
over your belly and breasts two to three times a day.
Caused by excess pressure on the vessels around the
rectum, hemorrhoids (enlarged and painful blood
vessels) are the bane of pregnancy. However, you can
ease the pain by using nontoxic salves containing
herbal comfrey and St. John’s Wort, says Gladstar,
especially when the salve is cooled in the
refrigerator beforehand. (Cold temperatures constrict
swollen veins.) Apply the cool salve two to three
times a day.
Cox recommends a sitz bath of comfrey, yarrow,
uva-ursi and sea salt for hemorrhoids. The blended
dried herbs can be put inside a muslin bag and infused
into warm water. She also uses a balm of comfrey root,
calendula, yarrow and plantain mixed into olive oil
and beeswax. Use this formula for a healing sitz bath
after the birth; these same herbs soothe tears and
sore pelvic muscles.
Herbs to Avoid
Experts agree pregnant women shouldn’t take herbs with
strong medicinal or potentially toxic effects. Some
herbs listed below can treat complications of
pregnancy. For instance, cohosh (contraindicated in
pregnancy) may be recommended during the last weeks of
pregnancy to stimulate contractions. As with any
herbal remedy, consult with a licensed practitioner.
Herbs to avoid during pregnancy.
Herbs that stimulate uterine contractions: Birthwort,
blue cohosh, cinchona, ergot, goldenseal and gotu
kola. Herbs that stimulate menstrual flow: agave,
angelica, black cohosh, chicory, feverfew, hyssop,
horehound, lovage, milk thistle, mistletoe,
motherwort, mugwort, osha, pennyroyal, poke root,
pulsatilla, rue, sumac, tansy, thuja, watercress,
wormwood and yarrow.
Herbs high in volatile oils:
osha, eucalyptus, nutmeg, yerba mansa, basil,
catnip, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, peppermint,
pennyroyal, rosemary, true sage and thyme.
Using herbs to flavor food generally doesn’t pose a
risk. The concern lies with high doses in women
susceptible to miscarriage.
Plants high in alkaloids: barberry, blood root,
goldenseal, coffee and mandrake
Herbs that affect hormones:
hops, licorice, motherwort, dong quai and wild yam
Harsh laxatives: senna, rhubarb, casara sagrada,
purging buchthorn, aloe, and yellow dock (in large
amounts)
Strong diuretics: uva-ursi and juniper berries.