Herbs are great! But sometimes not during pregnancy.
Last week I had a woman who came to my booth and wanted something that would help with her ankles being swollen. There was a catch though…She was pregnant. It’s important to know what women should avoid during pregnancy to give the growing fetus the best chance of survival.
There were a couple of things right off the bat I knew she couldn’t use: Devil’s Club, so my massage oils were out of the question. That left two of my products that she could use: the Borealis Bruise Balm (it has a lot of anti-inflammatories) and the Popular Poplar Balm. Except wait! There is Wormwood in the bruise balm. That leaves the Poplar balm.
Thankfully, the poplar balm worked for her. Herbs don’t work the same in everyone as each person has a different biochemistry. And it can be difficult for pregnant women to find something that will help ease their discomfort.
That led to this wonderful post you are about to read. This is a list of herbs, that grow in Alaska and otherwise, that should be avoided during pregnancy. It’s not exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start.
Alaskan Herbs to Avoid During Pregnancy
Bearberry
Chickweed – Topical only
Coltsfoot
Gentian
Labrador Tea
Wild Mint – Culinary is fine
Shepherd’s purse – Can be used after baby is born
Sweet gale
Juniper
Lodgepole Pine
Spruce
Male Fern
Wormwood
Devil’s Club
Angelica
Arnica
Gentian
Yarrow
Non Native Alaskan Plants to Avoid
Sage
Tansy
Roman Chamomile
Fennel
Lobelia
Peppermint
Rosemary
Thyme
Oregano
Others
Barberry
Golden Seal
Mandrake
Pennyroyal
Poke Root
Rue
Southernwood
Thuja
Aloe Vera
American Ginseng
Butcher’s broom
Black cohosh
Blue cohos
Bugleweed
Camphor
Castor bean
Cascara sagrada
Cayenne
Cedar Berries
Clove bud
Dong quai
Elecampane
False unicorn
Feverfew
Flax
Hyssop
Licorice root
Ma huang
Myrrh
Oregon grape
Safflower
St John’s wort
Sassafras
Senna
Squaw vine
Wild ginger
Wild yam
Wood betony
Caffeine containing herbs
Guarana
Kola nuts
Colanitida
Herba mate
Bissty nuts
Now you know what to avoid, next week we will go over some herbs that can help during pregnancy.
