NOURISHING, TONIC, AND ANTI-INFECTIVE HERBS

Safe Use of Herbs After a Cesarean:

• Water-based infusions provide optimum benefit and greatest safety
• Capsules are most likely to cause ill-effects and odd reactions
• Avoid poisonous forms of herbs such as essential oils
• Use tinctures diluted to treat acute problems
• Herbs move rapidly into breast milk (10-20 minutes)

2. Benefits of nourishing herbal infusions after a cesarean:

• Nettle increases breast milk and helps replace blood loss.
• Oatstraw improves sleep and strengthens the nervous system.
• Comfrey leaf helps incisions heal and helps prevent scarring.
• Red clover improves breast milk production and brings hormonal sanity.
• Linden soothes and heals mucus surfaces and incisions; prevents colds.

Tonic Herbs for Mother and Child After a Cesarean:

1. Water bases:

• Raspberry leaf (Rubus ideaus) to tonify uterus.
• Aromatic mints - rosemary, lavender, and lemon balm - for digestion.
• Avoid sage (Salvia officinalis) if breast feeding.

2. Tincture bases:

• Astragalus (A. membranaceous) strengthens immunity, prevents infection.
• Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) to ease after-birth pain and prevent post-partum depression.

Herbs That Can Counter Infection After a Cesarean:

• Echinacea (Echinacea augustifolia) to increase macrophages; counter bacteria.
• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) against all gram-positive and -negative bacteria.
• Usnea (U. barbarata) to counter deep infection.
• Poke root (Phytolacca americana) - USE WITH CAUTION.

THE EMPOWERED WOMAN PROMOTES HER OWN HEALTH

Benefits to Being Pro-Active in Healing After a Cesarean:

• Quicker healing for mom.
• Less scarring of the incision site.
• Better bonding between mom and babe.
• Deeper sleep for mom and babe.
• Fewer problems with infection at incision site and fewer infections for baby.

Bringing It Home:

1. Making nourishing infusions:

• One ounce stinging nettle, quart of boiling water; steep 4 hours - for energy.
• One ounce oatstraw, quart of boiling water; steep 4 hours - for patience.
• One ounce comfrey leaf, quart of boiling water, steep 4 hours, strain; rebrew with two cups cold water, bring to a boil; steep 4 hours, strain - to improve chances of a VBAC with next child.
• One ounce red clover blossom, quart of boiling water, steep 4 hours, strain - to prepare for the next pregnancy.
• One-half ounce linden flowers, quart of boiling water, steep 4 hours, strain; rebrew with two cups cold water, bring to a boil; steep 4 hours, strain.

2. Additions to infusions:

• Honey (Note: do not give honey to infants younger than 12 months)
• Milk
• The Israeli Public Health Ministry recommends against soy beverage for children under the age of eighteen (18); it's not good for mom either.
• Ice
• Juice (Note: problems with fructose)

3. Sources for buying herbs and tinctures:

• Listed in my books and website (http://www.susunweed.com/Links_herbal_resources.htm#h3)