Filed under: postpartum care | Tags: postpartum, baby bath, herbal bath, postpartum bath, bathing after birth, postpartum herbs
- 1 C Sea salt
- Lavender flowers
- Myrrh
- 1 Ounce of uva ursi
- 1-2 Ounces of organic comfrey leaf and root
- 1/2-1 Ounce of shepherd’s purse
Boil large pot of water. Add herbs, and simmer 30 minutes to an hour. Strain. Add sea salt Notes: sea salt– antiseptic. Uva ursi — healing for female organs. Comfrey — soothing and is said to aid healing by causing the edges of wounds to grow together. Shepherd’s purse, — preventing and controlling heavy bleeding.
Filed under: postpartum care | Tags: episiotomy, herbal remedy, postpartum, postpartum care, sheperd's purse, stop bleeding after birth, tearing, umbilical cord
Under no circumstances should the umbilical cord be cut until it has stopped pulsing. Babies whose cords are cut immediately have a tendency to become jaundiced or anemic because they did not receive all the blood from the cord and placenta that they needed.
Some mothers prefer not to cut the umbilical cord at all to separate it from the placenta. After the placenta is expelled, it remains attached until the cord falls off naturally at 5 to 7 days after birth. This is called lotus birth. Mothers who use lotus birth believe that the drying up and falling off of the cord is part of the natural process of birth that they do not want to interfere with. The typical procedure is to rub the placenta with salt and rosemary, store the placenta in some kind of carrier, a small bag of some kind, and it remains attached to the baby until it falls off. The placenta is then disposed of in a variety of ways. Some parents keep the placenta and bury it underneath a young tree planted in honor of the new child. Some parents cook the placenta and eat it as a way of strengthening the new mother physically and symbolically. If you are giving birth in the hospital, you will not be allowed to keep your placenta.
In the hospital, the normal amount of time that is allotted for expulsion of the placenta is 30 minutes. During home births, the time is much more flexible. I have known of women whose placentas were expelled anywhere from one hour after birth to 2 days after birth with no ill effects. There is no reason to necessarily rush the placenta. However, if the placenta is not expelled within the first couple of hours, I would periodically check the mother’s temperature to make sure there is no infection setting in. It would also be a good idea to take 250 mg of vitamin C every hour until the placenta is delivered. This helps to prevent infection.
After the placenta comes out, it will be inspected to make sure all the pieces were expelled. It is a symmetrical piece of material, and all the lobes should match up. If a lobe is missing, a piece of placenta may still be inside the uterus. In the hospital, the doctor will probably administer a shot of pitocin or methergine to cause the uterus to contract and hopefully expel and loose pieces of placenta. If this does not occur, the doctor will go in manually and explore the uterus to find the missing piece of placenta. Home birthers have found that if a piece of placenta is not expelled on the first day, if will often be expelled within the next couple of days as the uterus begins to return to its normals size.
If bleeding continues to be heavy, the herb Shepherd’s Purse is often given in tincture form, and is usually very successful at stopping bleeding. Also, the Homemade Cayenne Tincture, 15 to 20 dropperfuls squirted into the vagina, will stop bleeding in seconds. In the hospital, your uterus will be massaged manually and another shot of pitocin and methergine will be given. However, home birthers have found Shepherd’s Purse to be quite effective. You should also use Positive Belief Suggestions to suggest to yourself that the bleeding should begin to lessen.
If you gave birth in the hospital and you have any tears, they will be repaired surgically. If you had an episiotomy, a surgical procedure to widen the birth canal, this will also be repaired. You would not have had an episiotomy without first having a shot of local anesthesia into the tissues. Or if you had an epidural during your birth, you would not have felt the episiotomy, or the repairs. At home, any minor tears can be repaired with superglue until the tissues grow together. Women with extremely small tears should stay in bed and lie as much as possible with their legs together, and usually any small nicks or tears will heal without any repairs.
Many doctors prefer episiotomy to letting the tissues tear naturally. They feel that a cut heals better than a tear. However, there are no studies or clinical evidence that this is true. In fact, there have been no studies done which show episiotomy to be of benefit at all during birth, yet it is a routine practice. If you are remaining upright during your labor and delivery, you will not need one, and you will probably not tear either.
Judie C. Rall and The Center for Unhindered Living
Photo by Chris and Jennie
Filed under: herbal remedies, postpartum care, pregnancy | Tags: herbs during pregnancy, nettle leaf, postpartum bleedig, pregnancy tonic
Less well known as a pregnancy tonic but deserving a kinder reputation and use, Urtica is one of the finest nourishing tonics known. It is reputed to have more chlorophyll than any other herb. The list of vitamins and minerals in this herb includes nearly every one known to necessary for human health and growth.Vitamins A, C, D and K, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, iron and sulphur are particularly abundant in nettles. The infusion is a dark green color approaching black. The taste is deep and rich. If you are blessed with a nettle patch near you, use the fresh plant as a pot herb in the spring.
Some pregnant women alternate weeks of nettle and raspberry brews; others drink raspberry until the last month and then switch to nettles to insure large amounts of vitamin K in the blood before birth.
The benefits of drinking nettle infusion before and throughout pregnancy include:
~ Aiding the kidneys. Nettle infusions were instrumental in rebuilding the kidneys of a woman who was told she would have to be put on a dialysis machine. Since the kidneys must cleanse 150 percent of the normal blood supply for most of the pregnancy, nettle’s ability to nourish and strengthen them is of major importance. Any accumulation of minerals in the kidneys, such as gravel or stones, is gently loosened, dissolved and eliminated by the consistent use of nettle infusions.
~ Increasing fertility in women and men.
~ Nourishing mother and fetus.
~ Easing leg cramps and other spasms.
~ Diminishing pain during and after birth. The high calcium content, which is readily assimilated, helps diminish muscle pains in the uterus, in the legs and elsewhere.
~ Preventing hemorrhage after birth. Nettle is a superb source of vitamin K, and increases available hemoglobin, both of which decrease the likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage. Fresh Nettle Juice, in teaspoon doses, slows postpartum bleeding.
~ Reducing hemorrhoids. Nettle’s mild astringency and general nourishing action tightens and strengthens blood vessels, helps maintain arterial elasticity and improves venous resilience.
~ Increasing the richness and amount of breast milk.
Filed under: postpartum care, traditional midwifery | Tags: breastfeeding, edema, elevated blood pressure, family, lactation, mothering, placenta, postpartum, postpartum care
From chapter: Back to the Natural Healing Powers of the Placenta
Throughout the world generations have passed down knowledge of how ingesting placenta helps a mother’s postpartum recovery. Women using placenta remedies after birth feel stronger, are happier and can breastfeed more easily. If edema, elevated blood pressure or traces of protein in the urine signal malfunction of the kidneys during pregnancy, placenta remedies can eliminate these symptoms quickly. The symptoms of toxemia in pregnancy usually go hand-in-hand with a late onset of lactation after birth. Swelling in the fingers and legs may take up to six weeks to disappear again.
Placenta remedies, such as the powder, emulsion or an injection with the extract, can speed up this process considerably. With this treatment toxemic women can breastfeed well within two weeks. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) uses placenta to strengthen the kidneys. Mood swings resulting from a drop in the blood progesterone level respond well to a treatment with placenta remedies. Many conditions during birth, the postpartum period and nursing would not arise if we returned to the old custom of applying placenta remedies.
From chapter: Recipes for the Medicine Cabinet
Recipe for Placenta Emulsion
1/3 oz emulsifier (10 g)
1 oz distilled water (30 ml)
1/2 tsp of placenta powder (2 g)
Dissolve the emulsifier in distilled water at 120° F (50° C). Add placenta powder as soon as the solution has turned into a paste. Simmer at the same temperature while stirring swiftly, until the powder has dissolved completely. Remove from heat and let soak. Cool at room temperature while beating it well with a whiskExerpt from “Placenta: The Gift of Life” by Aqua-Midwife Cornelia Enning
See her book here: midwiferytoday
Filed under: baby care, birth, breastfeeding, postpartum care | Tags: colostrum, benefits of colostrum, what is colostrum, colostrum and breastfeeding, brestfeeding, nursing after birth, meconium, premature babies, infant mortality rate
The sooner after delivery that breastfeeding is begun, the more colostrum your baby will receive. The sooner you nurse your baby after delivery, the better. Colostrum comes in small quantities and prepares your baby’ digestive tract for receiving the milk that comes later by stimulating the baby’s first bowel movement. Meconium, the black, tarry stuff that passes in the first stool, contains bilubrin, the substance that causes jaundice in newborns.
Colostrum contains white blood cells which are there to prevent infection in the newborn by attacking harmful bacteria. Colostrum is easy to digest with its high protein, low sugar and fat content, so it is an ideal first food.Dr. Robert Jackson, a member of the Professional Advisory Board for La Leche League International, has also pointed out these interesting facts about colostrum:The proportions of the constituents in human milk gradually change; the colostrum of the first day is not the same as the colostrum of the second; with the transitional milk there is a gradual consistent change intimately related to the needs of the baby.
Therefore no matter how much artificial formulas are improved, it’s never going to be possible to manufacture formulas for the first day, the second, the third, and so o, that are as suited to baby’s needs as his mother’s own milk. Don’t worry if your baby looses a little weight before your milk comes in. Nearly every newborn will loose some weight after birth.Your baby is born with enough extra fluid to tide him over until your milk is in. A slight weight loss is normal and usually quickly recovered once your milk supply is well established.
Colostrum is specially important to premature babies because it contains high amounts of amino acid cystine, an important component of protein, which premature babies lack. What to speak of the intimate connection between the nursing mother and the child which the infant needs for a healthy development. Studies show that the mortality rate from one to six month is less for breastfed babies than for artificially fed premature infants.
Filed under: baby care, midwifery, postpartum care | Tags: natural childbirth, midwifery, homebirth, hospital birth, umbilical cord, when to cut the umbilical cord, when to clamp the umbilical cord, placenta, lotus birth, newborn care
The World Health Organization states (Care in Normal Birth: A Practical Guide) “Late clamping (or not clamping at all) is the physiological way of treating the cord, and early clamping is an intervention that needs justification.”Dr. M. Jeffrey Maisels says “If the cord is not clamped, the placenta gives the infant the equivalent of 20 cc of blood per kilogram of body weight within these first 3 minutes. This placental transfusion in the normal infant is equivalent to the amount of blood given to an infant in profound shock.
When cords are not clamped early, the third stage of labor is one-third shorter and the total mean blood loss after delivery is substantially less than when cords are clamped early. This might be because when cords are not clamped, the placenta is allowed to give up its volume of blood. It thereby contracts and separates more easily from the uterine wall.
It is wise to think of the placenta as one of the baby’s organs. What rational human being would even consider amputating a live organ when waiting just an hour or so will cause it to expire naturally?
What you can do: If you are planning a hospital birth, discuss with your physician your wish of delayed clamping. Most medical practitioners are not educated about the function of the umbilical cord after birth, and you may end up having to do some education in order to see that your baby gets the best care.
Regardless of their rules, you have absolute legal right to say what does and does not happen to your baby. You need to make your wishes clear and if your doctor is unwillingly to assist your needs, you may want to re-evaluate your choice of a physician.
This issue is easier to handle when having a home birth, but be sure to make your wishes clear to your midwife. Do not assume that the cord will not be immediately clamped. And of course if you are having an unassisted birth, you need only do what you choose! [www.gentlebirth.org]
What is Lotus Birth? Lotus birth is the practice of leaving the umbilical cord uncut, so that the baby remains attached to his/her placenta until the cord naturally separates at the umbilicus - exactly as a cut cord does - at 3 to 10 days after birth. This prolonged contact can be seen as a time of transition, allowing the baby to slowly and gently let go of his/her attachment to the mother’s body.
[Photo by Dr. Cornellius]
Filed under: herbal remedies, postpartum care | Tags: afterpains, colic, herbal medicine, herbal postpartun, how to get rid off jaundice, how to relief colic, jaundice, natural childbirth, newborn jaundice, overcoming afterpains, postpartum, postpartum care
Keep the room warm immediatley after the birth, and do not give a postpartum woman cold drinks. If a newly postpartum woman has to warm her body after a chill, or if she has to warm up the contents of her stomach, she is wasting vital energy. Her entire course of postpartum recovery can be greatley affected by these two factors. Her energy at this time is precious. Respect and conserve it.
Afterpains
These can be very painful and distracting for the new mother. Strongly brewed Ginger tea brings relief from afterpains. Pour one cup boiling water over three to five slices of fresh ginger and steep five to ten minutes.
Motherwort tincture also eases afterpains-begin dosage at 1/2 dropperful and increase as needed.
Jaundice
Traditional Chinese medicine offers a very effective remedy for newborn jaundice, which parents can obtain from a Chinese apothecary or herbalist. Simmer this root, and swab the liquid inside the baby’s mouth. One or two applications will usually clear the jaundice.
A few teaspoons of crushed Fennel or Caraway seed tea can greatly relief the discomfort of colic. Try light pressure and warm compresses on baby’s belly, or bringing his feet slowly up to his ears several times. Clockwise massage in a sweeping motion above the belly button may also be effective.
Misalignment of the skull or spine may also be implicated in colic. Have the baby see a chiropractor with pediatric expertise (newborn adjustments are more like massage than manipulations).
Some babies find great relief in this simple exercise. With the baby on her back, grasp her tights and lift her feet toward her head, like during a diaper change. Continue to roll upward, and raise the baby until she is hanging upside down. Really! Now wait and watch her move: she will rotate her back this way and that, and when she seems finished, gentky let her down.
First touch her head down, then roll down shoulders, back, butt, and her legs uncurl. Babies partucularly benefit from this exercise when offered daily.
Excerpts from “Herbs and Homeopathy Postpartum” by Shanon Anton, found in “Hearts and Hands” by Elizabeth Davis; Photo by David K
Filed under: baby care, postpartum care | Tags: bonding, natural childbirth, natural childbirth benefits, natural childbirth books, natural childbirth techniques, natural childbirth vs medical childbirth, natural methods of childbirth, newborn, pros natural childbirth, separate newborns from their parents, sheila kitzinger, supporting natural childbirth, tips for natural childbirth
The hours after birth are extremley important ones; they can deeply affect the future realationship between the child and the parents. Time spent together during those first few hours and days after the birth lay the groundwork for a profound relationship with one another. Becoming deeply bonded is vital for the family and can be wonderful satisfying to all.
And, one might ask, why should it be any other way? Perhaps no aspect of conventional birthing has caused as much distress for new mothers, fathers, and babies as hospital policies that require separation at a time when parents most want and need to be with their babies. There is no good medical reason to separate a heathy newborn baby from his mother.
In 1989 Dr. Mardsen Wagner, an American born pediatrician who is currently a consultant to the Maternal/Child Health division of WHO, lectured “I am convinced the procedure of placing all newborn babies in one room was the biggest mistake of modern medicine.” He further refers to the newborn nursery as “a cradle of germs, separating babies from their mothers at the most sensitive point of their relationship.
Sheila Kitzinger, well presented British childbirth educator and author, noted, “A screaming baby alone in its cot or lined up with rows of other screaming newborns is a neglected baby. He cannot know that help is near, that milk is coming in half an hour, or twenty minutes or even five minutes. He cannot know that loving arms are waiting to hold him. He is to all intents and purposes completley isolated and abandoned.
In a gentle birth the mother is awake and aware, highly conscious, energized by having given birth, and extremley eager to spend time with her child-touching, looking, feeding, resting, or sleeping together. The newborn wants the comforting presence of his mother, her warmth, touch, sound and smells. Exerpts from “Gentle Birth Choices” by Barbara Harper, R.N.
Photo by Nico
Filed under: breastfeeding, herbal remedies, postpartum care | Tags: boost milk supply, breastfeeding, galactagogue herbs, herbal medicine. latching on, herbal milk enhancement, herbal remedies, herbs, herbs for brestfeeding, natural childbirth, natural milk enhancement
Alfalfa is used to increase appetite, vitality and to help with water retention. It is high in various nutrients, high in protein, and contains vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, E, K1 along with minerals calcium potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. It is a good pregnancy herb. many midwives and lactation consultants suggest about 2-4 grams daily. There are rare reports of allergic reaction and sprouts are not to be used by those with SLE (Lupus). It is also a great blood builder.
Anise- pimpinella anisum
Anise is a wonderful anti-spasmodic and is great for the woman with a colicky baby or one with heartburn. It is not for use in pregnancy.
Blessed thistle- Cnicus Benedictus
Blessed Thistle is a wonderful herb for helping milk supply; in many uses it is combined with fenugreek. This bristly herb also modifies hormone levels and can also be used alone.
Black cohosh- cimicifuga rasemosa
Black Cohosh is used herbally and homeopathically. Modifies estrogen levels and helps with oxytocin levels. This herb is used to aid in labor and delivery, and to make the labor easier. In modifying oxytocin it aids in the milk ejection reflex. Oxytocin is responsible for uterine contractions and the contractions in breast with MER. It s anti spasmodic and used with menstrual cramps. Black cohosh is used to treat symptoms of PMS and in other folk remedies is that it is used for rattlesnake bites. 1ml tincture 3x daily. Not for use in early pregnancy as it is a known abortificient. Use with guidance from a qualified practitioner.
Borage- borago officinales
Borage leaves can be eaten as greens and mixed with collards and mustards. However there is controversy as borage leave contains pyrozoloid alkaloids, and large amounts of this constituent can cause liver damage. however in my research it seems that most agree that the seed oil has so little of the PA’s that the oil is safe. The flowers are also safe and edible. It is used a restorative to the adrenal cortex and the flowers are said to be an aid in treating depression. The oil is rich in the omega 3 fatty acids needed to enrich milk for brain growth. it is also used in the last weeks of pregnancy to help in perineal massage or to soften cervix. Usual dose is 1000mg (1 gm) daily.
Caraway- Carum carviifor
Caraway seeds are used when a woman has muscle spasms, in back, neck and breasts. Caraway contains a substance which seems to relax the muscles in the breasts and improve let down.
Dandelion- taraxacum officionale
Dandelion leaves and root have been used for generations to treat liver, gallbladder and kidney aliments. Them leaves are traditionally used as a diuretic. It is loaded with calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, and k that it helps with women post birth to recover their vitality quickly.
Dill- Anethum graveolens
Dill is reported to be antispasmodic, duretic, anti-flatulent, and galactagogue. It is used in “gripe water’ remedies for colic in infant. the oil and tea has been used to use its antifoaming action and as an appetite stimulant. The seeds have been chewed to help with bad breath. Dill is an emmenagogue so only use food doses in pregnancy. It does well in tea to aid a milk supply, usually 2-3 cups are taken daily.
Evening Primrose Oil- Onethera Biennis
Evening Primrose oil it is a seed oil that is used medicinally . EPO contains gamma lenoleic and gamma lenolenic acids- necessary for brain growth and good for skin conditions. it relieves menopausal discomforts and PMS. it seems to control psoriasis and thrombosis. In lactation it is used to actually enrich mothers milk that seems to be low in fat.
Fennel-Foeniculum vulgare
Fennel seed’s general actions include those of a circulatory stimulant, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, galactagogue and anti-spasmodic. These particular reasons make it a good milk aid. It is also used in many colic remedies. In low doses this can be used for heartburn in pregnancy but large doses are toxic and an emmenagogue. This can be used in tincture or tea.
Fenugreek- trigonella graceum foecus
This herb is a standard among lactation consultants. It is diaphoretic, galactagogue, stomachic, anti- diabetic mucilaginous herb. This herb is used in flavoring maple syrup, and Indian curries. Fenugreek is used in many mother’s milk teas and is used as a poultice for mastitis. The dose is safe up to 6 grams per day and if using on a regular basis, moms report their skin can smell somewhat like maple syrup, but the babies do not seem to mind. Many lactation professionals will mix this with blessed thistle. If you have diabetes or are hypoglycemic use with caution, It does not replace insulin therapy. In studies done with diabetics fenugreek also reduces cholesterol level. This herb is also an emmenagogue and not to be used during pregnancy as it can cause contractions.
Goat’s rue- Galega officianalis
is a wonderful herb for milk supply and is safe to use if you are tandem nursing or are pregnant and needing to develop more breast ductal tissue. This herb is a galactagogue, diuretic, diaphoretic and it reduces blood glucose levels. So be cautious if you are diabetic or hypoglycemic. it does not replace insulin therapy. Animal studies show that this herb can increase milk supply up to 50 percent.
Hops- Humulus lupulus
Hops helps with some supply issues, but is actually a relaxant and assists with the milk ejection reflex. The strobiles can be eaten as a vegetable. Hops is a milk tonic and a mild sedative and muscle relaxer. The estrogen content is the reason for its increase in lactation, however it should NOT be used if there is or has been a history of depression. Usual dose is 2 -350 mg 3x daily.
Marshmallow root althea officianalis
The Marshmallow leaves are used to heal bronchial and urinary tract irritations. It is very mucilaginous and the root are use as expectorant, used to heal wounds, such as burns and boils and heal peptic ulcers and hiatal hernia. It is good in minute doses for babes for reflux. It is used to heal mastitis as well. Marshmallow may slow the absorption of other medications. Tincture or tea can be used. 1 cup of tea 3 times daily or tincture 3ml 3-4 times daily.
Milk Thistle- silbanum marianum.
The entire plant is edible and aids in digestion. Many people use this herb for liver protection from all type of toxins from cadmium to death-cap mushrooms. The leaves are used to increase milk supply. It is also protectant of the heart. Seeds should only be used by qualified practitioners. Many midwives use this on infants in just a few drops to help with jaundice. To build milk supply the herb moderates estrogen levels. It is good for PMS symptoms as well.Usual dosage is 1 gram daily in 2 doses.
Nettles- Urtica diotica
Nettle has been used since ancient times for disorders of the spleen, asthma and as a diuretic. it’s powder has been used for nosebleed and contains calcium so that it is effective against bleeding internally and externally either as a powder or tincture. It is also taken to treat nettle rash and works well in allergic rhinitis and in Germany is used in arthritis preparations.There are no known restrictions for use in pregnancy and lactation. It is high in other vitamin c and K.
Oats- Avena sativa
Oat straw works as a nervous system restorer, to strengthen a weakened constitution. It treats shingles and chickenpox topically. It calms a nursing mother and stimulates supply. It contains high contents of silica, zinc, and manganese and beta -glucans that stimulates immune functions. There are no know contraindications in pregnancy and lactation. oatmeal in current medical studies is also shown to reduce cholesterol levels.
Red raspberry rubus ideaus
Red Raspberry leaves are the ultimate pregnancy and nursing herbs. High in vitamins; a,d,e,k,c, and it contains calcium, iron, it is safe during pregnancy. See a whole post about it on Birthowl’s natural childbirth blog.
Schizandra berries-
This is a Chinese herb that is used similarly to red raspberry as that it is tonic and astringent, and adaptable enough to balance female hormones. Schizandra is supportive of supply in that it assists with the milk ejection reflex to make it manageable and more efficient. It harmonizes the balance of the body’s physiologic processes. Schizandra is a woody and aromatic vine that is sometimes referred to the fruit of 5 flavors in Chinese medicine because it includes the taste of all the five Chinese elements.
Inspired by Mechell Turner, photos by Mechell Turner
read more at Birthandbreastfeeding.com
