Delivering a new baby into the family is a grand experience. Making sure that mother stays healthy, gets enough rest, and really enjoys the wonders of the breast feeding connection amidst hormonal changes can seem a daunting task. You do have a vast sea of herbal knowledge to help you relax, stay healthy and balance out those changing hormone levels so that both mother and baby connect the way mother dreamed would happen.
Experienced mothers will chime in that enjoying a new baby while keeping up with the needs of older children feels almost impossible, especially so if there were complications at birth: vaginal tearing, C-section or excessive bleeding. Prolapsis, painful cramping and an outbreak of candida albicans after the birth can really dampen any new mother's experience of her baby. All of those experiences plus lack of sleep can also reduce breast milk production. Let's take charge of the situation and prepare before baby's birth. Knowing the thousands of years historical evidence of safe herbs to use postpartum andhaving them on hand will make this transition time much more enjoyable.
Herbs have been historically used for millennia and when used with educated caution will definitely assist mother to transition from the gestation period to breast feeding baby. Making sure that medications and herbs do not end up as contraindications is a responsibility that should be addressed with your doctor. It is wise to be informed if you have used such herbs as Gingko Biloba for better peripheral artery flow or to increase memory function that pregnancy, delivery and immediate post partum is not the year to use such herbs. This is because it will also increase the risk of too much blood loss.
Herbs that are safe for nutritional support during pregnancy, such as Alfalfa, Red Raspberry, Spirulina, Passion Flower, Dandelion, Chlorella are sage for post partum use. These are food grade herbs and will support the bay also as well as breast milk production and quality. These herbs are high in vitamin and mineral content and are more of the kingly-type of herbs which is food that feeds certain organs and systems. They are not medicinal in nature.
An outbreak of Candid Albicans can be normal after giving birth because of the rapid change in hormones. This is the same reason many women experience post partum depression or "let down" feeling: changing hormones, ensuing candida albicans, lack of rest and good nutrition. For this Passion Flower is considered an anti-fungal making it a wonderful postpartum herbal choice. Passion Flower also is an anti-spasmodic which will assist the uterus to take its original position within the peritoneal cavity with less painful cramping.
Alfalfa and Dandelion have long been used to clean and restore the entire body. Both herbs are foods high in vitamin and mineral content, good for mother and baby. Dandelion again is an anti-spasmodic and assists to restore healthy intestinal balance. Alfalfa has for centuries been known to help the body produce breast milk. Dandelion is especially high in Vitamin A.
When choosing herbs it is best to stay with choices that are tested centuries and millennia longer than even modern medicine for efficacy and safety. While breast feeding it is important to remember that, like any food you eat, they will feed the baby too. Choose herbs that have food grade qualities above those that are purely medicinal. Remember that herbs are vegetables and that all of it was placed here as a natural pharmacopeia. With that in mind, have a precious time of connection with your new baby.
Everyone deserves support to heal. Coaching works! Your body has the innate infinite intelligence to Regenerate! Ellen Valentine is a Clinical Nutritional Counselor and Wholistic Wellness coach in Sacramento, CA. Your body has the innate infinite intelligence to Regenerate!
