Q: Hello Susun,
I am 39 years old and having my
3rd and final child in March. I won’t go in to major details
of my past pregnancies but in short, they were all “medically” textbook.
There were 2. One at 19 and one at 35. I am lucky enough to have one more
and very happy that I am able to do this. Since my 1st child, 20
years ago, I have had nothing but trouble getting pregnant and horrible
menstrual cycles. The more I read from you the more I wished I knew of
your info years ago. I have always believed in holistic medicine so this is
right up my alley.
Okay, on to my current
pregnancy. I struggle with lactation, and always have. So I have begun
to drink a raspberry, alfalfa and nettle tea I found at a coop. Within a
few days I began to leak. Great, I hope it lasts and baby will benefit
from this. I also have read that these 3 herbs are great for pregnancy,
childbirth and postpartum, so I will continue. What I want to do is buy some in
bulk and infuse them. I know you recommend doing it in singles, however,
I am looking at the time I have left, 62 days, and the fact that you can buy
these as a combo, are they needing to be combined for optimal results, or
should I alternate days, OR make all three at once and alternate teas during
the day?
I have also heard a lot about
the cohoshes and I am not skeptical of their results, I am worried that I could
miscarry or have a stillbirth. Is this possible or just it just induce labor?
I realize that starting the blue is good the last few weeks, when could I do
the black?
I will be delivering in a
hospital with access to an epidural! I am not good with pain and as much
as I love the idea of water birth, my husband protests delivery outside of a hospital
because of precautionary reasons. I also feel we have waited too long to
decide this and being there is only 9 weeks left, it’d be tough to learn
something new, on top of finding a midwife for delivery.
Thank you for your time Susun,
I hope to hear from you soon.
A: Thank you for writing. I
know you ask of Susun. She does not have internet to be able to
correspond through email. I believe some herbalists or herbal companies
combine herbs because they appear to work synergistically. Moreso, I
think they do it because if x, y, and z are all indicated for a situation, some
feel the more the better, then do them all, rather than trusting that just x will
be enough, for example. I feel, as I have learned from Susun, that
simple is better, one at a time. Yes, please prepare them as separate
infusions. And alternate days or alternate through the day, whichever you
prefer. As separate infusions you get to know each more intimately, and
know better how you respond to each.
Regarding the cohoshes, I am
unsure of your question. It sounds you have a doctor but no midwife, is
this true? It sounds you are not working in person with someone with
experience with these herbs, is this true? Are you anticipating some
trouble in your birth?
Blessings,
Karen Joy
wisewoman@herbshealing.com
www.wisewomanweb.com
Q: Thank you so much for getting
back to me. I will definitely search the forum. I do not have a
midwife; I am seeing an OB/GYN. Since I am 39, I believe I am considered
“high risk” however my other pregnancies were so normal, my Dr. said he is not
concerned with my current pregnancy. However, like I said, my husband is
quite skeptical about delivering unconventionally and I do prefer being near
the epidural in case I cannot handle the pain.
As far as the blue and black
cohosh, sorry I made a typo. I have gotten some information an herbalist and
she had mentioned using the blue the last several weeks and then the black
during labor. She also said the cohosh’s worked great for making her own
pregnancy and labor smooth and less painful.
My biggest concern is bleeding
or miscarrying from these. Although I have not heard of this, it’s my own
concern. I hear that many midwives use and recommend the blue and black
cohosh. Any ideas?
A: For the cohoshes I would think it best you work with a midwife herbalist. I would not want to steer you wrong and have little more than book knowledge on the use of them in a situation that was not
acute. Susun has a past apprentice who is now a midwife, perhaps you would wish to consult with her for some fee. I do believe it may be worth
it :)
The term "high risk" is so generic, based on numbers and not on you. There may be 20 year olds considered low risk because of their age who would have a more difficult time than you will! It is wonderful you know what is comfortable for you in your birth and are setting that up.
I would love to hear from you any time, with any questions or just to hear how you are doing!
Karen Joy
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