Pregnancy & Herbalism

    Hello, and welcome back! I am really excited to blog about this topic. Pregnancy. As you may know if you have read any of my content I am a single mother of two. My daughter is 5 and my son just turned 8 (I swear he thinks he knows it all) LOL. I love my children and as I stated in some of my previous content I just want to make the best choices possible to ensure they are as healthy as can be. Unfortunately, we all have those moments in life where knowledge learned could have been useful and utilized in a past situation. For me, I had a rough pregnancy with both of my children and there were complications with my oldest that could have resulted in my death or his. Thanks to the doctor's ability to think quickly we were out of the red. 

   I have no regrets about my pregnancies, and I am thankful that both of my children are healthy. A piece of me however wishes I knew about herbal remedies and the benefits they have at that time. I am excited to be able to share this informative content with expecting mothers, postnatal mothers, and mothers who are breastfeeding. 

    One of the main problems I had during both my pregnancies was the inability to find medicines that were safe to consume. I had a difficult time with morning sickness, finding out what products or hacks could prevent it.  

Ginger is a safe herb to use during and after pregnancy, it is great for controlling overall nauseous symptoms and is a practical option for morning sickness. A few other safe herbs to use are Slippery Elm and Rasberry leaf commonly used for diarrhea. There is also Cramp's Bark, Butcher's Broom, Bilberry, Lime flowers, Nettle, and many other options. Please again, always do your research for your type of pregnancy and situation. For high-risk pregnancies, some of these herbs are not an option and you should always consult with your health care provider or Doula before using them. 

The first trimester is the riskiest and herbal remedies, especially tinctures that contain alcohol should be avoided. There are a few herbs that should be avoided as they are not safe to use during pregnancy or safe to use if you are breastfeeding. Research and consultation are imperative regardless of anyone's situation pregnant or not. 

   Another great tidbit to share is that just because an herb is known for its remedy does not mean that that herb will work for you and your situation. It is very similar to when a doctor might prescribe a medicine that has no effect on your problem, luckily just like herbal remedies, there is always another option that can potentially benefit you for the better.            

  Pregnancy is a beautiful experience whether you go the herbal route or the latter and you should never let anyone's opinions or the way they choose to do things diminish you from doing what you think is right. I had never been so judged and shamed before in my life until I became pregnant, and let me not get started on the fact that it was frowned upon that I underwent a cesarean. Unfortunately, no one can control the reactions of other people, and there will often be a time when someone will choose to say something ugly or hurtful, I have people who continue to say hurtful things because I choose to live a life of herbalism. All you can do is ignore the naysayers and enjoy motherhood!