herbmed
Herbs & Pregnancy
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Herbs & Pregnancy

During pregnancy, the following herbs should be avoided.

Aloe vera
Angelica
Anise
Arnica
Asafetida
Ashwaganda
Barberry
Basil
Bee balm
Black cohosh
Bladderwrack
Blessed thistle
Bloodroot
Blue cohosh
Blue flag
Borage
Buchu
Bugleweed
California poppy
Camphor
Cascara sagrada
Cassia
Castor oil
Catnip
Celandine
Celery
Coltsfoot
Comfrey
Corydalis
Dong quai
Elecampane
Ephedra
Fenugreek
Feverfew
Goldenseal
Guggul
Horehound
Hyssop
Ipecac
Juniper
Kava
Lemongrass
Licorice
Lobelia
Mace
Motherwort
Mugwort
Myrrh
Nutmeg
Oregon grape root
Osha
Parsley
Pennyroyal
Pleurisy root
Prickly ash
Quassia
Red clover
Rosemary
Rue
Sage
Senna
Thuja
Turmeric
Uva Ursi
Vervain
Vitex
Wild indigo
Wormwood
Yarrow

 

Herbal remedies are a time-honored and safe, But more caution and homework are required to be absolutely safe when you're pregnant or nursing. If in doubt, avoid it.
There are many more that can hurt a pregnant woman and baby, than can help.

Several herbs are recommended widely by midwives and are considered safe to use during pregnancy.

Ginger: Morning sickness- Ginger tea settles the stomach and reduces nausea. Use only fresh ginger, organic if it's available, Crystallized ginger can work as well as the tea.
Make a strong ginger tea by simmering several slices of the fresh rhizome or one teaspoon of the cut and sifted dried herb for every cup of water. Drink 2 or 3 cups a day as needed, around mealtimes. You can also take 2 capsules of the powder or 2 to 4 droppersful of the tincture, 2 to 3 times daily.

Nettle leaf: The leaf tea is nutritious and pleasant-tasting. Simmer 1 cup of the nettle leaf or rhizome for 20 to 30 minutes. Drink several cups daily. Add red raspberry leaf for regulating your bowels and toniing the uterus, or chamomile flowers for their relaxing qualities.

Red raspberry leaf: Fruity-tasting herb is the safest and most widely recommended herb for toning and preparing the uterus for birth. Drink 1 or 2 cups daily throughout the pregnancy.
Dosage: Make a light decoction by simmering 1/4 cup of the dried or fresh herb in 2 cups of water for a few minutes and steeping the herb for 15 minutes or so. Drink 1 cup daily.
Yellow dock: Many women are iron- and blood-deficient during pregnancy. This can make you tired and deliver less oxygen to you and your baby's cells and tissues. Widely recommended by midwives, using the root of this common weed is the best way to enhance iron uptake and utilization during pregnancy. Yellow dock tea, tincture, or capsules act as a mild bowel regulator. Add nettle leaf tea or natural iron supplements in capsules or tablets to yellow dock.
Dosage: To make a tea, simmer 1 teaspoon of the cut and sifted herb for every cup of water for 20 minutes. Drink 1 cup of the tea, or 3 to 5 droppersful of the tincture in a little water, 2 or 3 times daily.

Avoid the following herbs during nursing

Aloe vera
Basil
Black cohosh
Bladderwrack
Borage
Bugleweed
Cascara sagrada
Coltsfoot
Comfrey
Elecampane
Ephedra
Kava
Licorice
Male fern
Senna
Queen's delight (stillingia)
Wormwood