Regulating Menses, Conception, Licorice, Ginger, and Wild Yam

Q: Ms. Weed, I have just purchased the Women's Freedom Tea from Mountain Rose Herbs to help regulate my cycles. It contains: Dandelion, licorice, and ginger roots, sarsaparilla root, fennel, star anise pods, burdock, dong quai and wild yam roots, cinnamon bark, pau d'arco and orange peel. I am also trying to conceive and read in your book Herbal for the Childbearing Year that licorice should be avoided in the two months prior to conception. Should I return the tea due to the licorice or do you believe it would be safe. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer. Thank you, A.

 

A: Hello A., thank you for writing. Susun does not have internet in her home so is not able to correspond through email. If you are concerned about the licorice during this time perhaps you would like to see if you could return it, or perhaps you wish to hold on to it to use during a time that feels safe.

Looking over the herbs in the tea you are concerned about I see ginger. You will see in the same book that this herb taken in large enough amounts can be an emmenagogue. Some of the herbs in the mixture are wonderful reproductive nourishers and tonics. However I wonder if some herbs, like the ginger, were included in the mix because of their ability to help bring on a delayed menses. In this way, helping to regulate a woman's cycles, but not the best for someone wishing to conceive perhaps. We are thinking of you and wish you the very best.

Blessings,
Karen Joy
wisewoman@herbshealing.com
www.wisewomanweb.com

 

Q: Ms. Joy, Thank you so much for your email! I have decided to return the tea and have purchased raspberry leaf and nettle leaf instead per Ms. Weed's childbearing book. I am still deciding whether to use a dong quai tincture or red clover with the raspberry. My main goal is to regulate my cycles from a miscarriage to improve my chances of conception. Thanks very much for your insight! A.

 

A: That sounds wonderful A.! Nettles and Red Raspberry leaf infusions are great especially through a pregnancy. Would you like to elaborate on what about your cycles you want to regulate? You can read in this article for those older than 40 wishing to conceive, that Vitex berry tincture can in time help get one's cycles flowing more smoothly. I have heard about Dong quai, but have heard much more about women using Red Clover blossom infusions to help them conceive. I trust whatever you decide is most nourishing for you :)

Karen Joy

 

Q: Ms. Joy, Thank you so much for your emails! They are ever so helpful! I had a miscarriage in July '05 and ever since I have constant bleeding! I begin spotting a couple of days before ovulation and then start a light period-like flow from the day of ovulation to the first day of my cycle. My period lasts approx. 7-8 days. That leaves me with only 4- days a month where I have no bleeding or spotting. My doctor has tested my progesterone, estradiol, and fsh levels and thyroid-they are all normal. I have had an ultrasound for my uterus and ovaries and a pap-all completely normal! My doc wants to put me on birth control pills but I refuse. Not only am I trying to conceive again but I have never had good results with pills in the past. They cause me to bleed everyday except the placebo days. I did try Vitex capsules but it delayed my ovulation. Maybe the tincture would be better? Thanks again, A.

 

A: Hello A., wow a lot of tests. Now reading I understand your choices and fully support you in focusing on nourishing yourself, and in not taking pills you know to be harmful. Vitex I understand primarily to be used as a tincture. I do not use or study capsules so do not know the efficacy of these. Though I have heard some use the powdered berries directly in foods. How do you know the pills delayed your ovulation? If you are wanting to regulate your menstrual cycle, then whatever does so is supposed to affect your ovulation I would imagine.

Blessings, Karen Joy

 

 

Q: Ms. Joy, I hope all is well. I have a question I hope you can answer. I got a positive pregnancy test over the weekend but had been spotting that whole week. I started drinking 1 cup of raspberry leaf infusion immediately followed by 2 oz. of wild yam infusion. This has stopped the spotting, much to my relief, but now I am afraid to stop drinking the wild yam. Would it be safe to continue drinking the 2 oz. of wild yam every morning following my cup of raspberry through my 1st trimester? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. Thank you, A.

 

A: Hello A., congratulations on your pregnancy! I understand your fear especially since your last miscarriage. I personally have not worked closely with Wild Yam infusions so would base my thoughts on what I have read from Susun. Since this infusion is recommended to help relieve morning sickness, and I see no other warning of it, I would guess that it is okay to use through the first trimester. For the morning sickness Susun recommends sips of the infusion through the day. In New Menopausal Years however she says that 3 cups of the tea daily can be used to prevent pregnancy. I am not sure however how this would translate to already having conceived. If it were me I would continue though no longer than through the first trimester, with only sips as mentioned above, while continuing to tune into and trust the strength of my body to carry the baby to term. While it is vital to do what we need to do to help us hold the pregnancy, I believe it is also vital to carry our thoughts in ways that support this possibility. I would work off it as soon as I felt able, that is, if it were me. I trust your feeling on it since this is your body, your baby, and you experiencing this herb.

With love,
Karen Joy

Comments

[wadzanai]

I have got a question , I am trying to conceive but my memses are very waterly and does not even have period pains as it used to be before marriage. I am wondering if it is a problem of the uterus . Help Its now six months since I tried . I did not use an contraceptive pills or injections in the pasts . Till I got married last year . And that was the first time of trying to conceive.

[KarenJoy]

Have you tried anything to help you conceive? Any of the suggestions above? I am unclear if you never took contraceptives or only did after getting married a year ago. I am unsure what would make our bleeding watery, though do know it can change through time. My favorite way to learn more, if there is not something that seems more pressing needing faster attention from medical tests, is using the Feritlity Awareness Method. You can read some on this at www.gardenoffertility.com. This can help you grow closer with your cycles, get to know better when to time conception, and help diagnose some possible concerns.

Karen Joy

[Farida Saraima]

l have not seen my period for 2months now.
l also have cyst which l understand is associated with absent periods, infrequent or absent ovulation and infertility.

So my Doctor started giving me a tablet called Norethisteron to help bring out my period.

What do you suggest that l should take to help bring out my mensis faster and remove the cyst also?
Thanks
Farida

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