Childbearing Year

February 19, 2013 in Food and Drink, nourishing herbal infusions | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 23, 2012

Prenatal Nutrition - No Pills Needed

Hi Susun,

Thank you...

Hello,

A good article by Susun can be found here: http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Pregnancy_Problems.htm

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

September 23, 2012 in Food and Drink, herbal safety, nourishing herbal infusions | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 16, 2012

Support Rather Than Cleanse

...was wondering if you knew anything about these herbs and breast feeding...worm wood, barberry root, Chinese rhubarb, marshmallow root, slippery elm bark, cloves, and black walnut. I'm seeing a chiro/functional medicine doctor and he recommended that I do a 28 day parasite cleanse followed by a liver cleanse. He knows I'am breast feeding and says it's safe, but I had a friend mention worm wood not being so awesome while nursing. Any input would help.

Thank you so much!

Hello,

Susun does not advocate the heroic tradition of cleanses. Very hard on your body and especially would not do while breastfeeding. Instead we find it far more conducive to good health to support and nourish.

From Susun: "The Wise Woman Way focuses on nourishing the wholeness and health of the unique individual. Cleansing ultimately damages the organs of detoxification and destroys the health of the body. A well-nourished liver will do its job - which is to remove toxins from the body - superbly. The liver is not an inert object like a car or a rug that needs to be cleansed. It is not a filter that gets clogged. It is a living organ that constantly replaces itself. The liver is so important that every cell in it is rebuilt every thirty days. Just think! You have a brand new liver every month. There is no need to cleanse it! Love it and nourish it and your liver will be well."

Drink nourishing herbal infusions daily, eat whole foods, move and love your body. Support rather than cleanse by eating leafy bitter greens, including dandelion and chicory, eat burdock root, eat seaweeds, take milk thistle seed tincture...

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/index.html

April 16, 2012 in Food and Drink, nourishing herbal infusions, Pregnancy, Diet and Nourishment | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 14, 2012

How Much Infusion to Promote Fertility?

I recently started to use red raspberry leaf and red clover tea for fertility. My boyfriend will start to use it. Is drinking it 1 time a day enough?

Hello,

Susun suggests drinking 1-4 cups of the infusion daily. Also make sure it is infusions - 1 oz of herb steeped a minimum of 4 hours in a quart of boiling water.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

April 14, 2012 in fertility, nourishing herbal infusions | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 10, 2011

Increasing Iron Levels

Hi Susun,

I am writing in hope that you can give me some advice?

I am 30 weeks pregnant with babe no 6, and I am low in iron, I have begun drinking organic nettle tea, and was wondering how much I should drink per day?

Also I have just discovered I am lacking in vitamin b12, (something I believe I have been suffering for a while now) I have read that dandelion has high levels of b12? I really don't want to go for nasty shots at the dr! and the sublingual vitamin b12 I have looked at has a whole load of nasties such as sorbitol etc it it! I am wondering if dandelion is what I need and how much?

One other thing I am rhesus negative and have given into the anti-d shot after each babe so far :-( the only intervention I have allowed) I was wondering if this time there may be a herbal answer to this?

I would really appreciate any advice you may be able to offer, I have just ordered your books and am looking forward to them arriving :-)

Thanking you...

Hi,

You should be able to drink from a cup up to a quart of nettle infusions daily if you wish. Also perhaps yellow dock syrup which is so good for helping with iron issues. Cooked dandelion greens are great for iron as well.

There are studies showing dandelions do contain b12 as well as sea vegetables and mushrooms but it is debated as to whether it is a form we can assimilate. Only truly reliable source seems to be from animal product. Susun recommends using some animal protein, nourishing bone broths, organic eggs and dairy to round out a mostly vegetarian, wild-foods diet.

I have not heard of anything specific in regards to herbs for rhesus negative. You may wish to call Susun during her free health hotline. She is running in on Tuesday evenings from 7:30pm - 9:30pm EST at 845-246-8081. With different time zones, I don't know if that is an option for you or not. I would also ask at our health forum: www.healingwiseforum.com. Perhaps someone there may have some further suggestions for you. Best wishes to you!

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kINxqaNW4HY

October 10, 2011 in Food and Drink, nourishing herbal infusions | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 14, 2011

Red Clover - Supportive Ally in Pregnancy

...I have all Susun's books and since I have tried for a long time to get pregnant, I bought LOTS of red clover.

I am now pregnant and I am wondering if I can still drink red clover infusions during pregnancy??

I don´t really find anything about this in Susun's books...

Thank you in advance.

Hello,

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Red clover is not on Susun's list of herbs to avoid.

From Susun: "Red Clover (Trifolium pratense)

As a keeper of dairy animals, I was introduced to this herb as an ally to keep my goats' fertility high and their milk production generous. It took only a little imagination for me to begin to use it for women, too. Red clover blossoms are best taken as a strong infusion (one ounce of dried blossoms brewed overnight in a quart of boiling water). The tincture is a sedative; pills and capsules have very little effect.

To date, I know of dozens of women who, unable to conceive, have found success after drinking up to a quart of red clover infusion every day for at least six weeks. The generous amounts of minerals, proteins, antioxidants, and phytoestrogens in red clover restore health to the entire reproductive system. It's great for men, too. Most notable are the amounts of vitamin E and the presence of selenium and zinc. Red clover has ten times more plant hormones than soy.

Don't stop drinking red clover infusion once you get pregnant though. The infusion prevents and eases the constipation so common during pregnancy. It also strengthens the liver and improves appetite, especially when morning sickness is a problem. And it relieves anxiety.

And keep on drinking red clover once your child is born. There is no more valuable herb to keep breast milk rich and the breasts healthy then red clover. In fact, it is the world's most respected anti-cancer herb, acting not only to eliminate cancer but to stop its occurrence as well."

As with anything, always listen to your body, especially since sometimes our reactions can change during pregnancy. Try a little, see how you feel. I drank red clover throughout pregnancy without problems.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

http://www.herballegacy.com/Menstruation.html

September 14, 2011 in herbal safety, nourishing herbal infusions, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 28, 2011

Using Herbs Simply for Fertility

Hello Ms. Weed,

My wife has purchased your herbs in the past for fertility issues. Took the rasberry leaf, nettles and oatgrass.

Appreciate all your work over the years and am curious about a site a client ran across...

http://www.herballegacy.com/Female_Reproductive.html

Hoping you could give me your opinion.

Thank you.

Hello,

...great to hear from you, thank you for your email and your kind comments. Susun has never sold herbs, but she does offer a vast wealth of educational matter pertaining to herbs and herbal remedies for health and prevention and cure of illness and disease.

As for the site you refer to, Susun very much recommends abstaining from the use of herbal formulas, herbs in pills, and combinations of herbs, especially prepared by people other than the user. Here are a few articles to illustrate this:

http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Simple_Safe_Herbal_Medicine.htm

http://www.susunweed.com/An_Article_Weed_Self-help1.htm

red clover infusion is one of the best nourishing herbs for promotion of fertility

visit www.nourishingherbalinfusions.com

find lots of good articles here http://www.childbearing-year.com/

http://www.childbearing-year.com/articles-Herbs_for_Fertility.php

http://www.childbearing-year.com/articles-Herbal_Allies_for_Pregnancy_Problems.php

hope this helps…

Love,

Justine

You can get your health questions answered by Susun in one of two ways. Join the health hotline teleseminar on Monday and Thursday evenings 8pm EST, through the winter months. Or you may register for a private telephone consultation. You can also join the free women's health forum where hundreds of wise woman can help you. Sign up for the free herbal healing ezine, filled with wise woman wit and wisdom. Visit the Wise Woman Bookshop for online university, gift shop, bookshop, digital downloads, and more. Go to www.susunweed.com for a complete list of offerings including radio show and free videos.

May 28, 2011 in nourishing herbal infusions, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 24, 2011

Herbal and Vitamin Safety in Pregnancy

aloha Susun,

I am currently 8 weeks pregnant. Since the first day of my last menes period. If going by this date I was taking some herbs that would induce menes when I would have been 5 weeks along. Without knowing I was pregnant, and taking the herbs during this first week if being late, I never started bleeding, so I stopped and took a pregnancy test.

It was positive and I have since been taking extremely good care of myself. My cycle is mostly 5 weeks apart, not the usual 28 days. and I think I would have really been only 3 weeks since being conceived. Is there any serious concern of birth defects from vitamin C, rue, and Dong Qaui during this one and half week? Please help me for I do not want there to be any issues.

Hope you are well and hear from you soon...

Normally a body will naturally abort any fetus that is not perfect….the only way to tell for sure is to either communicate with the spirit growing inside you or to go to your doctor and get a sonogram (you don’t need to tell them about the herbs you took, they wont know anyhow)….spend this time envisioning the outcome you want…worry is prayer for things you don’t want…so pray for what you want and make it be so…

love,

Justine

Thank you sooo much, I have been not worrying about it too much... is more in the back of my mind these last days. Is just if there was something really wrong i would feel horrible and would want to know now and not later. Is not fair to the baby you know.

I feel good and healthy, I feel my body is good and healthy. I take good care of myself eating organic as much as possible and lots of mixed nutrition, veggies, fruits, whole grains, eggs in the last two weeks. I take my vitamins regularly for the last months, and exercise regularly to. bike, surf, swim, etc.... I live kauai and this is a healing place as well for many. I have a good partner and I am super stoked to hear from you that I have nothing to worry about. I will keep my spirits up and stay in tune with myself and keep positive, healthy, happy, flourishing energy going.

thank you and take care.

much aloha...

HI…Susun talks a lot about the dangers of vitamin pills, in case you want to save money…

http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411882,00.html

http://newroots.drizzlehosting.com/SWDig.html

Do you know about nourishing herbal infusions? check it out www.nourishingherbalinfusions.com

Sending you lots and lots of love,

Justine

May 24, 2011 in herbal safety, nourishing herbal infusions, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 30, 2011

Red Rasberry Leaf for Uterine Health

Hi,

I had Persistant Uterine Atony (weak muscles of uterus) after the birth of my 4th child. I believe that my Uterus needs healing and it seems like Red Raspberry is the herb to help! I have a pound of Red Raspberry to begin drinking Nourishing Herbal Infusions. I am hoping to do the Red Raspberry infusions for 2 years or less and then get pregnant God Willing, and use the Infusions throughout pregnancy.

Does Red Raspberry help strengthen weak Uterine Muscles for women who have had several children, have you ever heard of this before? I want more children! Thanks so much for help ing me with this!

Hello,

Yes, I would definitely ally myself with red raspberry infusions. From Susun:

RED RASPBERRY LEAVES (Rubus spp.)

Brewed as a tea or as an infusion, raspberry is the best known, most widely used, and safest of all uterine and pregnancy tonic herbs. It contains fragrine, an alkaloid which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself.

Most of the benefits ascribed to regular use of Raspberry tea through pregnancy are traced to the nourishing source of vitamins and minerals found in this plant and to the strengthening power of fragrine - an alkaloid which gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus itself. Of special note are the rich concentration of vitamin C, the presence of vitamin E and the easily assimilated calcium and iron. Raspberry leaves also contain vitamins A and B complex and many minerals, including phosphorous and potassium.

The benefits of drinking a raspberry leaf brew before and throughout pregnancy include:

~ Increasing fertility in both men and women. Raspberry leaf is an excellent fertility herb when combined with Red Clover.

~ Preventing miscarriage and hemorrhage. Raspberry leaf tones the uterus and helps prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage from a relaxed or atonic uterus.

This article goes into deeper detail on many of the herbs that help before, during and after pregnancy. You can read it here.

So I would certainly be drinking red raspberry infusions and you can do so throughout your pregnancy if you feel moved to do so.

Nettles infusions as well are considered an uterine tonic and overall nourisher, so another nice one to add to your diet. If you do not already have it, you may want to check out Susun's book The Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year - lots of information to support one from before conception to postpartum. You can read some excerpts here: http://childbearing-year.com/

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

April 30, 2011 in nourishing herbal infusions, Uterine Health, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 22, 2011

Yellow Dock Usage While Nursing

Hello

I have a 3 year old and a 4 month old. I often feel light headed and also suffer from anxiety (feeling lightheaded and like I'm going to pass out). Before I was pregnant the feeling seemed to coincide with my menstrual cycle (get worse as my period got closer). I'm exclusively nursing my 4 month but have had 2 periods since she was born and I seem to be feeling lightheaded again (I am also more anxious since she's born though, it probably was a little better while I was pregnant).

My chiropractor suggested I take Yellow Dock root as a blood cleanser .. he says my brain isn't getting enough oxygen. Is it safe to take while breastfeeding? I searched your site and couldn't find anything. Thank you very much for any advice or information you may have.

Hello,

Yes, yellow dock is safe to take while pregnant and breastfeeding. Yellow dock is a good ally for blood issues and an easy to absorb source of iron which may well be causing you to feel light headed. If not doing so already, incorporate cooked nettles and dandelion greens, salads with fresh chickweed and make sure to drink herbal infusions daily - especially nettles and oatstraw.

The oatstraw infusion, along with being loaded with vitamins and minerals to assist in maintaining strong health, is also nice at calming frayed nerves. I would use motherwort tincture, 5-10 drops in a glass of water as needed for those times when the anxiety hits you. You certainly have a lot going on with a 3 year old and an infant! No wonder you may be feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know it's so hard, but you do have to try and rest as well when they are down. Just let us know if you need anything else.

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team

I can't thank you enough for your response. I haven't done infusions .. I'm going to read up. Really, thank you!

Hi,

Sounds good. Infusions are a large part of the foundation of Susun's work and we drink them everyday. Easy to make, inexpensive and taken daily, they can really help to build up overall health. I know that you are extremely busy with the young ones, but I did want to let you know that Susun is offering a free online course that deals with herbal infusions along with other aspects of the Wise Woman Tradition. I'll give you the link for the course at ning. You can access the lessons (which are in PDF format so you can save them to your computer for reading at your convenience) and if you create an account, you can also participate in discussions. But at the very least, download the lessons as part of your reading... Scroll down a bit and you will find them right above Susun's video. Have a lovely weekend yourself. :)

http://wisewomanuniversity.ning.com/group/nourishingherbalinfusions

blessings,

Kim

Wise Woman Team