Childbearing Year

Congestion during Pregnancy

My daughter is expecting her first child, is in her fourth month. She has a bad chest cough and chest congestion. Docs have given her all the antibiotics she's allowed during pregnancy with no improvement. Do you have any very simple single herb tea or remedy I can send to her or she can get in Washington DC? I live in Minneapolis in the matter is rather urgent. I have your book healing lies and herbal childbearing year. She is a nurse as a fertility clinic. Her pregnancy docs are very negative against her taking any herbs during pregnancy because they said they're not safe. So of course I have to be sure that they are safe.

Thank you so much,
Adrienne

 

Hello Adrienne,

Your daughter is welcome to call in during Susun's free health hotline to speak directly with Susun... She would need to speak with her since it is not good to work thru second hand information. If she is able to call in, Susun holds the hotline each Tuesday evening from 7:30pm - 9pm Eastern and the number for calling in is: (646) 929-2463
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

Mullein is a wonderful supporter of lung health and is gentle and safe .... She can make the infusions, drink either hot or cold -- Susun likes to drink them half and half with whole milk for the extra benefits... Some sources on this below:

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/june03/herbalmedicine.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQjCHcjG8d0

blessings,
Kim
Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com
www.wisewomanbookshop.com
www.wisewomanuniversity.org
www.wisewomanmentor.com

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Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call in with your questions or email ahead of time to [email protected]. 

Visit the link for more info:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

 

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If you're ready to go deeper with your herbal studies, join Susun on her new Mentorship website. Get new content weekly such as the expanded herbal ezine, replays of teleseminars, videos, audio of Susuns past lectures, many articles by Susun, and even personal one on one mentorship from Susun.
www.wisewomanmentor.com

Herbal Safety while Breastfeeding

Hello Susan,

I'm in need of herbal guidance. I purchased a variety of products from a local store that caries herbal products made by local herbalists. The store does not have an in-house herbalist to talk to so my questions were left unanswered, thus leaving me feeling frustrated and upset.

I'm currently breastfeeding my one year old daughter and trying for another baby. I purchased a women's blend tea that has nettle, red raspberry leaf, red clover, oatstraw, and spearmint. I was slightly concerned about red clover after reading that an isolated isoflavone in red clover has phytoestrogen properties to it. I've also read such good and positive things about red clover that I'm not sure what to believe.

I also purchased a bunch of salves that have ingredients that I'm also concerned about. In a calming salve, it has mugwort in olive oil listed in the ingredients. I worry about this because I read that it can cause uterine contractions and should be avoided during pregnancy. Without knowing this, I applied a little on my skin and now I'm scared.

I purchased a breast balm that has calendula, red clover, dandelion and blue violet. I read online that calendula is not safe to take during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Would massaging this on my breasts be unsafe?

I also purchased diaper rash salve that has comfrey and calendula infusions in olive oil. I know comfrey and calendula are wonderful for diaper rash, but I've read mixed contraindications that comfrey is toxic when consumed and applied on open sores. The article I read this from also said that comfrey is therefore best avoided by children and women who are pregnant/nursing. Can you please advise?

Needless to say, my head is spinning and I'm feeling very upset and disappointed. I love herbs and want to trust in their magic, while also making sure what I take for myself and my family is safe.

I hope to hear back from you..
Thank you,
Katherine

 

Hello Katherine,

I know it is hard to make sense of everything out there and sadly there is a lot of misinformation online; it really can be overwhelming. I can say that Susun certainly has no problem with the use of red clover – this is in the form of infusions. If you are unfamiliar with them, it is a bit like a tea but with a greater concentration of plant and a long steeping time. You can read more about them and red clover here: http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/RedClover.html

In regards to the tea, you are not talking about much herb at all. If prepackaged into teabags, there is little actual herb, often old and so cut down as to be almost dust. If you are looking for something that maybe has a nice taste and relaxes you, the tea is probably nice. If you are looking at this as an ally in nourishing your body and helping with fertility, it would be pretty much useless. Susun has seen the infusions work – they are strong and yet gentle, powerful but nourishing…. The other problem with the tea is the use of so many herbs blended together – for one, again this reduces the amount of each herb in a cup of tea to be miniscule … the other problem is if you do have a reaction, how do you tell what is causing it? Susun believes in using simplers – one herb at a time is almost always enough and you can truly listen to your body without interference …. http://www.herbshealing.com/herbal_ezine/September04/healingwise.htm

As to the salve, I am a bit confused… it doesn’t sound like you are currently pregnant…? If not, why are you scared? If you are not pregnant, I would not worry about it… Susun does have mugwort listed as an emmenagogue so I would probably stop using it, but if I were you, I wouldn’t be concerned about the one use… put the salve aside and find something else to use to help with calm… perhaps start including oatstraw infusions… http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/Oatstraw.html  

Calendula is not on Susun’s list of herbs to avoid during pregnancy. I wouldn’t have a problem using it… Pretty much any herb will say to avoid during pregnancy … little research is done on most of them and often times it depends on what form it is in, how you use it… if you are uncomfortable using it, then I would recommend discontinuing as being worried about it will not be beneficial to you physically or emotionally… Again the salve has a lot of ingredients – if it causes you concern, why not see about concentrating on just one or two plants… just a lovely oil infused with violets is wonderful or maybe dandelion – read up on some of Susun’s articles for breast health:

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/May09/breasthealth.htm

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/June09/breasthealth.htm

comfrey and calendula are often found in diaper creams… so I would not be concerned about using them for diaper rash. Comfrey is not recommended to use over deep/puncture type wounds… And then consumption is another entirely different thing. One should always look at the herb, the part of the herb being used, how it is prepared, what it is being used for, how it is being taken … In regards to comfrey, there is a lot of controversy in regards to internal use – Susun does use the comfrey LEAF in infusions: http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/Comfrey.html. Most of us put it in our rotation of infusions, although I don’t use as often as others. You’ll find plenty of herbalists that won’t use comfrey internally – you have to decide what you are comfortable with.

Susun’s article on comfrey:  http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/June08/wisewoman.htm

You are also welcome to call in during Susun’s free health hotline – she holds it each Tuesday from 7:30pm – 9pm Eastern; http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed ; (646) 929-2463 

blessings,
Kim
Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com
www.wisewomanbookshop.com
www.wisewomanuniversity.org
www.wisewomanmentor.com

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Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call in with your questions or email ahead of time to [email protected]. 

Visit the link for more info:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

 

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If you're ready to go deeper with your herbal studies, join Susun on her Mentorship website. Get new content weekly such as the expanded herbal ezine, replays of teleseminars, videos, audio of Susuns past lectures, many articles by Susun, and even personal one on one mentorship from Susun.
www.wisewomanmentor.com

Severe pregnancy nausea

Severe pregnancy nausea

An email question is read from a woman who is nauseous and unable to keep food down. She asks Susuns advice.
Susun suggests nourishing herbal infusions as well as other suggestions.

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Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call or Skype in: 1-646-929-2463, with your questions or email ahead of time to [email protected]. 

Visit the link for more info:
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Plantain Ointment

Plantain Ointment

Pick Plantago leaves when they are vibrant and green. Chop them coarsely and pack loosely into a clean, very dry jar. Add olive oil, dislodge air bubbles with a knife or chopstick until the jar is filled to the very top. label and cap securely. Let sit out of direct sunlight, on a surface that won't be marred by oozing oil.

Decant after six weeks, pouring off the oil and squeezing out what remains in the plant material. Discard the herb. Grate one tablespoon of beeswax for every ounce of oil. Stirring constantly, heat the oil and beeswax until the wax melts, usually within a minute. Pour the liquid into small, wide-mouthed jars (a good excuse for buying marinated artichoke hearts) and cool.

Use this ointment lavishly for diaper rash, insect bites, all itches, and minor wounds. It heals, stops itching, checks bleeding, and eases pain.

Excerpt from Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
www.wisewomanbookshop.com/product-page/wise-woman-herbal-for-the-childbearing-year

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St. Johns wort & nursing

Hi -
I’m nursing a 5 month old and taking St. John’s Wort. I’ve recently experienced a dip in supply, and was wondering if SJW interacts with fenugreek, fennel or blessed thistle.

Thank you for your time and help,
Katie

 

Hello Katie,

I have not heard of any correlation between the two -- nor have I heard Susun mention to avoid in general during breast-feeding. Are you taking the tincture? This is the only form that Susun recommends for St. Johns wort. You can call into Susun's free health hotline as well and talk with her directly:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed; (646) 929-2463 .. you might also want to check at Susun's online forum, there is a room there dedicated to the childbearing year:  http://healingwiseforum.com/viewforum.php?f=10

blessings,
Kim
Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com
www.wisewomanbookshop.com
www.wisewomanuniversity.org
www.wisewomanmentor.com

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Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call in with your questions or email ahead of time to [email protected]. 

Visit the link for more info:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

 

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If you're ready to go deeper with your herbal studies, join Susun on her new Mentorship website. Get new content weekly such as the expanded herbal ezine, replays of teleseminars, videos, audio of Susuns past lectures, many articles by Susun, and even personal one on one mentorship from Susun.
www.wisewomanmentor.com

Anemia Prevention Brew

Anemia Prevention Brew

excerpt from: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

½ ounce dried Nettle leaves
½ ounce dried Parsley leaves
½ ounce dried Comfrey leaves
½ ounce dried Yellow Dock root
¼ ounce dried Peppermint leaves

Measure herbs and put them into a glass half-gallon juice jar.
Pour boiling water in until the jar is totally full; cover tightly.
Steep for at least eight hours.

This brew contains three excellent sources of iron: Nettle, Parsley, and Yellow Dock.
It provides folic acid from the Parsley and vitamin B12 from the Comfrey.
The green herbs all contribute vitamin C which aids iron absorption.
The Mint makes it tasty.
Drink freely, up to four cups a day , for one week each month.
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excerpt from: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
www.wisewomanbookshop.com/product-page/wise-woman-herbal-for-the-childbearing-year

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Fatigue and Mood Changes

Fatigue and Mood Changes

excerpt from Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

Hormonal changes, emotional changes, physical changes, and all the attendant stresses of pregnancy may cause extreme fatigue and emotional swings, especially during the last trimester. One midwife advises: "This is the perfect opportunity to touch your own deep emotional truths . . . to acknowledge and resolve your inner disharmonies, and to recreate your life as you create another life. The emotional changes experienced during pregnancy are not to be avoided, but valued; they are cathartic and valid." Use exercise, relaxation, meditation, diet, and herbs to improve your energy and moods, but don't neglect emotional and spiritual work.

Feeling Energetic and Peaceful
° Regular moderate exercise combined with affirmations and creative visualizations tones the body and the mind. Ten minutes of exercise done regularly does more to prevent fatigue and depression than an occasional arduous workout.

° Deep relaxation is a powerful tool for easing emotional and physical stress. It can be done as a break in the day's demands, just before sleep, or just after waking. See page 62 for a complete relaxation to read or tape.

° Meditation refreshes and centers the mind.

° Affirmations, visualizations, and forms of active or guided meditation, are important emotional and psychic tools, and are easy to use. Check the resource listing at the end of this chapter for self-help guides to learning and using these skills.

° Indulgence (of yourself, not your obsessions) helps prevent fatigue and depression. Give yourself time to read and relax and create and be easy. Take a stern stand with your guilt about keeping the house clean, or making breakfast for everyone, or excelling at your work, or whatever you ride yourself about. There will be plenty to do when the baby is born; don't exhaust yourself now.
 
Diet and Herbs for Even Emotions
° Your body's need for minerals and proteins soars during pregnancy. Lack of either registers as a craving for sweets.
Eating sugar may case blood sugar swings, fatigue, and depression. Eliminate white sugar, and restrict honey, fructose, maple syrup, etc. Focus on high protein snacks, such as nuts, yogurt, popcorn with nutritional yeast, sardines, and cheese.

° Raspberry leaf infusion calms; adds up to half as much Peppermint or Spearmint for a lift of spirits and a renewed sense of energy.

° Burdock, Blessed Thistle, and Sarsaparilla are bitter tonics. Occasional use helps keep your emotions on an even keel and makes a nice change from your daily Nettle or Raspberry leaf brew.

° Motherwort tincture calms without causing drowsiness, making it ideal as an ally at work and at home, whenever pressure and stress threaten to overwhelm you. Try five drops in a small glass of water to restore emotional balance. Allow fifteen minutes for the full effect to come on; repeat if necessary, as frequently as every two hours during times of particular upset. Motherwort tincture works best when combined with a short break from the day's routine to stretch, breathe, relax, and return to center.
CAUTION: Limit use of Motherwort if you begin to feel that you can't get through the day without it, as this calming herb may be psychologically habit forming.

° Skullcap tincture provides deep, refreshing sleep. Take up to thirty drops of commercial tincture (from dried plants) or 5-15 drops of fresh plant tincture half an hour before you go to bed. An infusion of the dried plant nourishes and strengthens the nerves. Drink two cups daily for several months if your nerves feel frayed and you are easily upset.

excerpt from Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

Fertility in women over 45

Fertility in women over 45

A caller on blogtalkradio, asks about fertility, she is 47, was tested for any issues, her fsh is high, and her periods are irregular. Susun says those are signs of early menopause, but that pregnancy is still possible. She talks about vitex tincture and red clover infusion.
This audio is just over 8:00 minutes long.

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Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call or Skype in: 1-646 -929-2463, with your questions or email ahead of time to [email protected]. 

Visit the link for more info:
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Achieving pregnancy using Red Clover

Dear Wise woman,

I would like to know approximately how many months does it take to achieve pregnancy using Red Clover tea or capsules. I have had 4 unexplained miscarriages. Please let me know. Also, what method is better capsules or tea?

Thank you,
Jackie

 

Hello Jacqueline,

We are all highly individual and it is impossible to give you an exact answer. I can say that Susun has known women to have success after only a couple of months and then there are those that take a couple of years... Many factors have to be included, your diet, your lifestyle, your habits, stress levels, etc. Certainly given the above, I would not try it for 2 months and then give up if the pregnancy has not yet happened... Do not discount the power of the mind as well -- plenty of visualization and positive affirmations can only help, make sure that you do not eat a low-fat diet, make sure that the only way you take red clover is as an infusion - not a tea made from a teabag, not tinctures, not pills .... only one ounce of dried herb to one quart of boiling water and steeped for at least 4 hours... you can check out more at the link below:

http://nourishingherbalinfusions.com/RedClover.html

Also a fertility article from Susun in case you have not read it: http://www.susunweed.com/Article_Fertility_After_Forty.htm

Susun also goes into fertility after 40 in her book, The New Menopausal Years - I highly recommend, no matter where you are in your life journey ...

You can also call Susun during her free health hotline - each Tuesday from 7:30pm - 9pm Eastern.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

blessings,
Kim
Wise Woman Team

www.wisewomanweb.com
www.wisewomanbookshop.com
www.wisewomanuniversity.org
www.wisewomanmentor.com

---

Join Susun Weed on blogtalkradio, Tuesday nights 7:30-9:30 pm EST. Call in with your questions or email ahead of time to [email protected]. 

Visit the link for more info:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/susunweed

 

---

If you're ready to go deeper with your herbal studies, join Susun on her new Mentorship website. Get new content weekly such as the expanded herbal ezine, replays of teleseminars, videos, audio of Susuns past lectures, many articles by Susun, and even personal one on one mentorship from Susun.
www.wisewomanmentor.com

Backache

Backache

Excerpt from: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year    

Exercise for Backache

Cat/Cow can be practiced daily or whenever needed. Get on your hands and knees on a firm surface; inhale, let your head hang down and arch your back up like a cat; exhale, lift your head all the way up and let your spine return to parallel with the floor. Continue flexing the spine up and down while breathing rhythmically. This exercise can also be done in a standing position.

Knee/Chest Twists stretch the spine and keep it supple. Once a day, or when needed, lie on your back on a firm surface and pull your knees to your chest. Stretch your arms straight out to the sides. Roll your knees to the left and your head to the right; relax for half a minute, then roll your knees to the right and your head to the left and relax again. Repeat once or twice.

Also for Backache

• Chiropractic adjustments are one of the best preventatives of backache during pregnancy.
• Sleep with pillows supporting your legs, back and belly.
• Wear shoes which have flat heels and offer good support to the feet and legs.

Diet for Backache

• Minerals needed to diminish and prevent backache include calcium and magnesium. Refer to pages 21-22 for best sources of calcium. Magnesium is found in all fresh green vegetables, apples, figs, wheat germ, and all seeds and nuts, especially almonds.

• Lemon juice in water, up to six glasses daily, benefits the kidneys, easing backache.
 
Herbs for Backache

• Wheat grass juice is highly recommended for all ills, including backaches. The bright green juice of the wheat sprouts contains a plentiful supply of the nutrients needed to strengthen muscles, ease the nerves, and keep the spine flexible. To prepare the juice: soak wheat berries overnight, drain off the water, and spread the wheat one berry deep onto an inch thick layer of dirt on a cookie sheet with edges. Water the whole thing several times a day. Harvest the green shoots by cutting them when they are several inches high. Use a special wheat grass juicer to extract the most juice, or blend the shoots with water in your blender, then strain and drink the liquid.

• Nettle infusion is unsurpassed for toning and aiding kidneys.

• Comfrey infusion provides every vitamin and mineral necessary to prevent backaches. It is also rich in amino acids, the building blocks of protein, needed in plentiful supply for strong abdominal muscles and healthy babies.

First Aid for Backache

• Heat—a warm bath, a hot shower, a hydroculator, a hot water bottle, a towel dipped in boiling water—will provide temporary relief for most backaches.

• Tiger Balm, Olbas, Zheng Gu Shui, Wintergreen oil and other homemade or purchased herbal liniments and rubs can penetrate into deep muscle tissue to relieve tension and pain. They work best if followed by moist heat.

• St. John's/Joan's Wort Hypericum perforatum is highly effective at relieving backaches. The tincture is a specific for muscle spasms; use 15-20 drops in a glass of water every few hours as needed. For severe pain, add 3-5 drops of Skullcap tincture. The infused oil of St. J's has the unique ability to enter the nerve endings, relieving pain and easing any nervous system irritation. It works like a chiropractic adjustment, but through a different route: the nerve endings are soothed and the muscle is released, the vertebrae slide back into place.

Excerpt from: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year