Hey there! Last week I went over Alaskan plants that could help with pregnancy. However, those aren’t the only ones. While I try to keep to Alaskan plants, there are several others that could help while pregnant and I wanted to share them with you. Remember, this is informational only and should be discussed with your doctor or midwife before trying.
Other herbs to help while pregnant
Before getting pregnant
- Cascara sagrada (Rhamnus pushiana) – cleanses liver, helps prevent future morning sickness
- Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) – helps build up liver additionally helping to prevent morning sickness
During
- Liquid chlorophyll – helps with anemia and red blood cell count.
- Horsetail(Equesetum arvense) – This is actually one that grows in Alaska, but I forgot to put it in the previous article. Horsetail has lots of calcium. Be careful with the time you harvest because the calcium can build up crystals in your system. The calcium will help build bone strength. My mother-in-law (Shout out to Babbi!) says that my husband stole all of the calcium from her while she was pregnant with him. Consuming good nutrients can help prevent this.
- Oatstraw (Avena sativa) – also full of calcium. See the above paragraph for the importance of calcium.
Morning Sickness
- Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) – In addition to being good for nausea, meadowsweet is good for overall digestive health. Even when you’re not pregnant! It helps protect and soothe the mucous membranes which can get irritated during pregnancy due to all of your digestive tract being moved around to make room for the baby. It can also be used for heartburn, hyperacidity, and ulcers.
- Black horehound (Ballota nirgra) – If your nausea lasts into the later parts of pregnancy, it could be caused by nervousness. Black horehound is what you want for that.
- Ginger (Zingiber officinale) – Most people are familiar with the anti-nausea effects of ginger. With pregnancy, most over-the-counter anti-nausea medicines can’t be used.
For labor
- Squaw vine (Mitchella repens) Use only a few weeks before due. It helps prepare not only the uterus but the whole body for labor.
Milk production
Some women are worried about milk production. However before turning to formula, you may want to try some of these to help increase milk flow and production.
- Aniseed (Pimpinella anisum)
- Blessed thistle (Cnicus benedictus)
- Caraway seeds (Carum carvi)
- Fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare)
- Fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
- Goat’s rue (Galega officinale) – Goat’s rue has been shown to increase output by up to 50% in some nursing mothers.
- Vervain (Verbena officinalis)
Thank you for reading! I hope you learned a little more. If you are pregnant, I hope you have a good pregnancy and birth.
