Childbearing Year

Using Castor Oil Packs

Q: I read on your site that Castor oil packs applied to the stomach could help shrink the Fibroids. How do you make the Castor oil packs? I hope you don't mind me asking, I just want to make sure that I do it right.

Love and Light to you
L.

 

A: Hello L., thank you for writing. This is an understandable question. There are several different ways people do the castor oil packs. In the end what is important is warm castor oil on the area. One way I have heard is to apply the oil made from castor beans on the area, then place a warmed towel over this and hold in place. The way I prefer and have done is to soak a towel (some use a flannel cloth reserved for this) in the castor oil, warm in the oven, then place on the area. You can help hold in the heat longer by placing saran wrap or plastic bag over so it doesn't stain anything else, then place more towels or blankets for insulation. I found this a soothing thing to do lying down.

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

Help relieving Morning Sickness

Q: You were very helpful last time, and I could really use some help with advice about HORRIBLE morning sickness.

 

A: Hello F., I had a lot of morning sickness early in my pregnancy too. One of the biggest help to me was Red Raspberry leaf infusions. I started drinking these regularly and noticed a change right away. However I learned not to drink them on an empty stomach in the morn or else....

The second biggest thing for me was learning the value of protein and keeping my blood sugar up. I read in Susun's Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, and elsewhere, that morning sickness can be a drop in blood sugar. I would be sure to go to bed eating at least a good whole grain cracker or bread, and kept this with me through the night and day. In the morn I found it essential to start with this whole grain bread or cracker with a good almond butter, sometimes honey on top of that. Once my morning sickness was finally under control I would even have some meat at breakfast. This may sound nauseating now, but once I got it settled down with the infusions, crackers, bread and almond butter, I was able to eat as I pleased. Are there certain foods you are craving?

I wish you a wonderful pregnancy!! Please let me know if I can help further; you are welcome to write any time.

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

 

Q: thank you so much for responding Karen. Those were some great tips! you can't imagine how nice it was to open this up and read your kind words. but could you explain, what is the difference between infusion and tea? take care Karen joy, and thank you **F.

 

A: A tea for me is a small amount of fresh or dried aromatic herb steeped in water for a short time, usually 2-5 minutes. An infusion is a much larger amount of dried nutrient rich herb steeped in boiled water in covered container for much longer, usually 4-8 hours. The difference is what I wish to get from the herb. If I wish the essential oils, I steep as a tea for a short time, and prefer fresh herb for some. If I wish the protein, minerals, or other nutrition from an herb, more like a nourishing food, I dry it first so the water is able to access it better, then steep an ounce per quart jar for at least four hours, most often overnight. I hope this explains it. Ask if you wish me to write more. I am happy to. lots of love to you and family!

Karen Joy

Fertility Herbs while Pregnant

Q: Dear Susan Weed, Excellant website, wonderful books.  I have a question that I couldn't find answered in your resources. I am 36 and I had two miscarries before I even missed a period.  My accupunturist felt it was hormonal, low proestrogen levels in second half of the cycle.  Due to chronic stress for 2 years about a year ago. She put me on a blend of raspberry, dongquai and vitex and told me to relax as much as possible and wait 5 months before trying again. I am now preganant again (just one week)--can and should I stay on vitex and/or dongquai, do I need to, or is it harmful. I have found so much conflicting research and I am not sure what to do. I really would not like to lose this pregnancy.

Many thanks!
All best...

 

A; Hello, thank you for writing.  I can only answer you with my opinion based on my experience and learning to date.  Since though you originally took these herbs at the advice of this one person, perhaps you would like to consult with that person too.  I love Red Raspberry as a uterine tonic and Vitex as a wonderful support for those wishing to smooth out hormonal production in a manner most helpful for conceiving.  However to me it matters how I take these herbs.  Red Raspberry leaves I prepare as an infusion and drink regularly.  In fact I highly recommend it for those who are pregnant, next to Nettle leaf infusions.  I drank it through my whole pregnancy and beyond!  Vitex berries I prefer prepared as a tincture and taken by the dropperful several times a day.  Researching, I have come to believe if this helped one conceive, especially with history of miscarriage, that it would be worthwhile to continue through the first trimester.  I would then slowly decrease then stop so not taking in last months of pregnancy since it may decrease prolactin levels.  I do not have much personal experience with Dong Quai though so have no comment on that right now.

I love your acupuncturist's recommendation to relax and wait before trying again.  I encourage you to read this article on fertility after forty, it applies to you as well.  Like you said there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. Mine is only one.  If you find a source you consider reputable that counters what I say I am willing to explore it with you, though in the end you may have to weigh all the ideas out there and see what feels most right for you. I know you want this pregnancy to succeed and I want it for you as well (by the way, how are you able to know you are pregnant after just one week?) Your thoughts are just as important as anything else you choose to do to help support your pregnancy.  Personally, I like to sit with the plants, or if not able, read about them, see pictures (or memories in my mind) and sit with the herbal preparations, to help me decide what feels best for me.

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

 

Q: Karen,

Thanks so much for the quick and very, very helpful reply.

Re: Vitex--is it better as a tinture than as a capsule? I have both.  And why is one way better than the other?

I have been drinking Red Raspberry and nettle and will continue.

Any ideas on False Unicorn?

My period is due Feb 15th so at this stage I guess I am 10-14 days--or so. I can tell as it is same feeling all three times now. Immediate breast enlargement and nipple tenderness, immediate indigestion and tiredness.

I will join the forum. Thank you thank you!

What would you charge for an phone consultation?  Or continued email consultation?

I would really feel more comfortable if I was able to have the support of a herbalist throughout the pregnancy. There is no such support available in Holland--they seem very far behind here--and herbs are a very important part of my life. I believe that everything can be healed by herbs, accupunture and a positive, joyful mind.

 

A: This is a wonderful phrase you wrote!

"I believe that everything can be healed by herbs, accupunture and a positive, joyful mind."

Right now I do not charge for consultation.  Susun Weed pays me to help with this email.  So consider it her gift to you; and my absolute pleasure to give :)  You are very welcome to write any time.

I do hope you join the forum.  I think you will find it a great source of support for you through your pregnancy as well!

How we prepare an herb affects what constituents we draw out of it.  We choose what part of an herb to harvest, what time of year to harvest it, and even what conditions to harvest it growing in, all based on what aspect of the plant we want to work with.  The menstruum (liquid) we prepare it in is just as important.  It also affects how easily it will be assimilated by us and how much we are really consuming.  Regarding Vitex berries I have heard the two best forms to consume it are prepared as a tincture and the dried berry ground and sprinkled on food.  Perhaps the latter is similar to what is consumed in a capsule, though you would have the capsule in the way, and I would wonder if you are getting less per day than is recommended.  I personally like as close a relationship with the plants as I can.  For me this means harvesting my own fresh herb with my bare hands and preparing them in my kitchen or on my porch.  If I must buy the herb harvested by someone else, as I do with Vitex berries, I at least want to handle the dried berry and still make my own tincture.  Beyond this, I would at the very least want to feel the herb in my body as much as possible.  In this case it would be to ingest the ground berries without the capsules in the way.  I think this helps me develop a relationship with that which I am asking to help me.

So wonderful to hear you are drinking Red Raspberry and Nettle leaf infusions!

I have not yet worked much with False Unicorn, so anything I could say would be book knowledge.  If you wish though I am happy to read about it in some of the herbals I own from herbalists I respect.  If so, please tell me what specifically you want to know about this herb.

lots of love, and really you are welcome to write any time!

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

Herbal Abortion while Nursing

Q: Susun: I have a 9 month old baby and had not a period until last month (January). It was very spotty. I' ve heard there is no normal first period after birth and several women in town said they had the same spotty peroid for their first after giving birth. I've had several cravings as I did when I was pregnant the first time so my husband and I are a little concerned that we may be pregnant again and we don't want to be. I was given one of your books, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, but the pages about herbal birth control were ripped out, so I ordered your books Wise Woman Herbal Series, and then saw the excerpts online. Your book may go into this, but until they arrive my husband and I had a few questions. In the case that I am pregnant and I do any of the suggested herbal remedies, if they don't work will there be any harm done to the fetus? Also, I am still breastfeeding and I wanted to know, is there a method I shouldn't do while I am breastfeeding? I know you are a busy woman, but I would appreciate a response. 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. I am glad you have one, and maybe soon, all of her books. I am also glad you found the ripped out section on our websites. I assume this is the section you are talking about: Wise Woman Birth Control?

If I understand you correctly you are concerned you may be pregnant and do not wish to be. So you would like to try the herbs mentioned in the article/book to end a pregnancy? Is this right? You are nursing now too? And you have not and do not intend to take a pregnancy test to determine first if you are pregnant? Is all this true?

About potential harm to the fetus, anything you do to attempt to abort will harm it, possibly in small enough ways to be able to heal simply, but possibly in more serious ways. In any case the energy and intention will likely have some effect. I know someone who was concerned about being pregnant so took rutin from ovulation to menstruation date. When menstruation did not come she did large doses of vitamin C hoping to induce the menstruation. This did not work and she eventually went for a checkup and found the fetus was weeks larger than was possible. This signaled possible molar pregnancy. She aborted, and I think likely the intention and supplements are what did the abnormal damage and wonder what would have happened then if she had not gone through with the medical abortion.

It is always your choice of course, but I believe if one wants to abort, it is best to be willing to follow through with a medical abortion if the herbal abortion does not work. If the latter does not work there is possible damage to the baby, that may not even be detected until later.

For the future, if you don't already practice some kind of pregnancy protection, perhaps you would be interested to explore Fertility Awareness using temperature, charting, cervical fluid and cervical position to help you determine if you are ovulating and when.

Regarding these herbs and nursing, my first thought would be concern that if you are taking them at a dose to affect a child growing inside you have the potential to affect the child you are nursing. I do not know for sure however and this would be specific to what herb you choose.

I realize you sent this 4 days ago, and wonder if you have already made some decisions, and if there is anything further I can help with. We are happy to help in any way we can. I would also like to invite you to our online forum where people from around the world come to share life experiences and questions. You are welcome to read and/or post at our "Wise Woman Birth Control" section (or any other of course :)) to help you sort through your choices and wants.

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