Nature In Your Birth Bag
by Katy Polone
© 1997 Midwifery Today, Inc. All rights reserved.
[Editor's note: This article first appeared in the book Wisdom of the Midwives:
Tricks of the Trade Volume Two
Although Mary wasn't severely anemic, I knew the kinds of problems we could encounter
during her birth if we didn't help her build up her hemoglobin. She had previously
taken iron pills that left her extremely constipated. I recommended an herbal tea
consisting of nettles, alfalfa, hibiscus, rose hips, lemon grass, red raspberry
leaf, and stevia (mix equal parts of each with half a gallon of water). This tea
is an excellent blood-builder and has the added advantage of tasting great! Mary
drank a quart a day and her blood slowly became richer in iron.
Sometimes, Black cohosh tincture (Cimicifuga racemosa) is an invaluable aid during
labor when the woman is tired and her contractions are painful. It will smooth the
contractions out so they aren't so gripping. This can allow the uterus to work much
more effectively to an easier completion of labor.
Homeopathic pulsatilla (Anem-one pulsatilla) can also keep a slow labor progressing
so that the woman doesn't tire so much. I have also recommended black cohosh for
women who have cramps during menstruation. This seems to be especially effective
for adolescent and young adult women.
Lobelia (Lobelia inflata) is used by some midwives to help a laboring woman get
some sleep when it's obvious that is all that's needed to get things going, but
this herb must be used with great care. It is a very strong nervous system relaxant,
and when used incorrectly, can be fatal. Homeopathic lobelia would be safer. However,
one must remember that what the mother takes, the baby takes.
We had a woman come to us for a first prenatal who had an advanced case of ringworm.
She had tried different preparations, but just as one area would clear up, another
area would break out. Although gentian violet dyes the skin purple, I suggested she
try it next, along with bathing twice a day. We saw her a week later to check on
the fungal infection. Her skin was a lovely shade of lavender, but the white and
angry red patches were gone.
Often, one of the most irritating nuisances of pregnancy is itching skin. In general,
this is caused by an overtaxed liver. My usual recommendation is to take dandelion
root tincture (Taraxacum officinale) twice daily. As the liver is nurtured and strengthened,
the itching will stop, or at least lessen considerably. Yellow dock (Rumex crispus)
is also good for itching. Both of these plants are mildly cathartic (help to empty
the bowels), and diuretic, which is useful to remove the toxins from the stressed
liver.
Another very common discomfort during pregnancy is recurrent yeast infestations
(I don't refer to these as "infections" because they are not bacterial.
The cause is a massive increase of the yeast organism—an infestation). Some women
find relief by gently douching with white vinegar and water. [Editor's
note: Avoid apple cider vinegar! It can cause an increase in yeast!] Others
with more serious or persistent cases insert one charcoal tablet into the vagina
every other day for six days (three times), then douche with 2 tablespoons of a
good, plain yogurt in a quart of warm water. (Make sure the mom wears a panty liner,
as the charcoal will stain her clothing.) Of course, the mom should avoid sugar
in her diet, because yeast thrives on sugar.
Recently, I counseled a woman who had two early miscarriages in the past year and
was reluctant to try again. We discussed her previous menstrual history and found
a pattern of irregularity which sometimes indicates a hormonal imbalance. I suggested
she use Dong quai tincture (Angelica sinensis) for three months to stabilize her
hormones before attempting pregnancy again. She followed the advice, and is now 28
weeks pregnant with twins.
Related information:
If you enjoyed this article, you'll enjoy Midwifery Today magazine! Subscribe now!
| 
