Childbearing Year

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]. 

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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.
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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
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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

 

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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

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    

External Uses of Infusions

External Uses of Infusions

A soak consists of an infusion that has been rewarmed after the plant material has been strained out. The affected body part is then soaked in the warm infusion.

If you soak your feet in an herbal infusion, it's a foot bath, an excellent way to soothe and heal the entire body, and absorb herbal benefits.

A sitz bath is a big soak! Two or more quarts of infusion are usually needed to fill a shallow bowl or pan big enough for you to "sitz" in.

° A bath is an enormous soak, like steeping your body in an infusion. You can prepare an herbal bath by putting the herbs directly in the tub, but my plumber made it clear to me that herbs and drains are incompatible. Some herbals say to put the herbs in a cloth and allow the bath water to run over them but I find the resulting bath too weak. If you want a strong herbal bath, try it this way: Infuse two quarts of your favorite bath herb, strain, and add the liquid to your hot bath. Ahhhhh!

Enemas, douches, and eyewashes are herbal infusions carefully strained and inserted into the proper body cavity.

Plant material strained out as an infusion still contains healing qualities and can be used to poultice. Simply place the damp plant material, warmed if desired, or fresh plant material grated, chewed, or crushed, directly on the body. Poultices are preferred for first aid and infections.

Make a compress by putting macerated fresh or infused dried plant material into a cloth. Compressing is recommended when using hairy herbs like Comfrey leaf which irritate sensitive skin. They are less messy than poultices, and are often the choice when dealing with internal organs and growths.

For a fomentation, take a clean washcloth or a small cotton towel, soak it in a heated infusion, wring it out, and apply. Fomentations treat breast congestion, sprains, muscle aches, and the like.

 

 

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Bladder Infections

Bladder Infections

excerpt from: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

The blood volume increases 50% during pregnancy. Your kidneys, responsible for cleaning the blood, are called upon to work correspondingly harder, and your entire urinary system becomes more vulnerable to stress and infection. As you enter the last trimester of pregnancy, be alert for warning signs of bladder, or urinary tract, infections: an urgent and frequent impulse to urinate (often with little result), a burning sensation during urination, and a mild cramping and aching in the abdomen. Prompt treatment of early symptoms, and preventative action, are the safest course for bladder infections during pregnancy, as both herbs and medicines strong enough to cure these infections increase the stress on the kidneys and have other undesirable side effects. Non-symptomatic bladder infections discovered during routine prenatal urine sampling can be successfully treated with the stronger remedies listed last.

Preventing Bladder Infections

° Wear cotton underwear or no underwear; avoid tight polyester pants and pantyhose; bacteria thrive in the moist heat trapped by synthetic fibers.
° Drink plenty of fluids throughout the day and urinate as soon as you feel the urge; bacteria breed more easily and rapidly in concentrated and held urine.
° Wipe from front to back, and urinate after intercourse; bacteria are easily transferred to the bladder from rectum and surrounding tissues.
° Avoid bubble bath, bath oil, bath salts; bacterial growth is aided by the resulting change in normal acid/alkaline balance.
° Drink 5-10 cups of Nettle tea or infusion every week during the last trimester to strengthen the kidneys.

Remedies for Bladder Infections

° Unsweetened cranberry juice can stop a bladder infection that is just developing. The keys to successful use are 1) the juice must not be sweetened at all (no sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, maple syrup, honey, etc.); 2) the juice must be consumed liberally (an 8 ounce glass every hour for ten hours is not excessive); and 3) the juice must be started as soon as the first twinge or suspicion of infection occurs. Buy unsweetened cranberry juice or concentrate in health food stores, or prepare your own "juice" by blending a handful of fresh frozen berries with a cup of water in your blender. Sour!

° Vitamin C is helpful in acidifying the urine and "washing" out the bacteria. Doses of up to 500 mg per hour may be used. CAUTION: Large doses of vitamin C may cause loose stools.

 • Uva Ursi Arctostaphylos uva-ursi kills bacteria in the bladder. I have seen it clear up chronic bladder infections resistant to antibiotics and standard allopathic medicines. Because it is a strong diuretic, Uva Ursi requires cautious use during pregnancy. Brew one ounce of Uva Ursi leaves in a quart jar of boiling water for eight hours. Drink one cup of this infusion every twelve hours for the first two days, or in severe cases, one cup every four hours. Continue with at least one cup daily for another three days, even if the symptoms disappear sooner. Do not use Uva Ursi for more than ten days.

• Yarrow The astringency, antibacterial effect, and diuretic potency of Achillea millefolium is called for if Uva Ursi alone does not clear the bladder infection within five days. Use one half ounce Yarrow flowers and one half ounce Uva Ursi leaves in one quart of boiling water; steep 8 hours. Drink two or three cups daily for no more than five days.

CAUTION: Juniper berries, Horsetail/Shave Grass, and Buchu are contraindicated during pregnancy due to the stress they place on the kidneys.

 

excerpt from: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year

Trying to conceive, tubal reversal

Had tubal reversal, trying to get pregnant nothing yet.... hsg revealed one open tube one blocked tube... period is regular each month....am taking vitamins that have vitex....husband has low sperm is also on vitamins etc....is there anything else I can do? Am considering taking red clover infusions but is it safe while taking vitamins that contain vitex?...thank you for your time

I am 36 hubby 42
Belinda

 

Hello Belinda,

I encourage you to call in to Blog Talk Radio to speak directly with Susun on Tuesday evenings from 7:30-9:00 EST at 1-646-929-2463 .

I will however give you a starting point. The vitamins you are taking are probably not doing you any good and taking vitex other than in tincture or tea form is not effective. The best way to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need is from whole food stuff. Nourishing herbal infusions are a wonderful way to get a lot of the nutrition you need, especially when trying to conceive for both you and your male partner. Check out this website for information on all of the infusions to rotate through and how to make them. http://www.nourishingherbalinfusions.com/ Red clover infusion is completely safe to drink while taking vitex tincture. The dosage of vitex is usually 30-50 drops, three times per day for at least three cycles, I'm sure you are not taking nearly enough.

You can also start making bone broths, eating at least a quart of plain full fat yogurt a week, exercising and communing with the spirit of the child you wish to conceive.

Here is a link to a question answered on Blog Talk Radio about Improving Sperm Motility, Normality and Count http://www.wisewomanmentor.com/q&a/3058155

Thank you for writing in and please let me know if you need any more help.

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

 

---

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

Raspberry leaf

Raspberry leaf

 

Susun talks about raspberry leaf on blogtalkradio. She talks about how raspberry plants grow, how to harvest the leaves and how to dry them. As well as other info
This audio is just over 3:00 minutes long.

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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:
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