Message #976 - THE_HERBALIST 
Subject: Pregnancy: Favorite Herbs 2/2
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      Title: Favorite Herbs for Pregnancy part 2
 Categories: Pregnancy
      Yield: 1 text
 
  Continued from Favorite Herbs for Pregnancy part 1
  
  system.  A cup of warm lemon balm tea, sweetened with a touch of honey, is
  a wonderful remedy for headache, depression, and insomnia.  Combined with
  chamomile flowers, it helps take the edge off a stressful day.
  
  Lemon balm can also be used by pregnant women for digestive purposes.
  Possessing a high concentration of essential oils, it has antispasmodic
  powers and helps relieve gas pains.  Because of its antihistiminic
  properties, it is also used to reduce the effects of allergies.  Combined
  with nettle, lemon balm provides an effective, nontoxic tea for women who
  suffer from allergies during pregnancy.  But the best thing about lemon
  balm is its delightful flavor.  Fresh and invigorating, lemon balm makes a
  delicious tea and is a wonderful additiona to salads and soups.
  
  NETTLE LEAF (Urtica dioica)  Rich in calcium, iron, and many other
  vitamins and minerals, nettle is an excellent nourishing herb for the
  pregnant woman.  It is also tasty as freshly steamed greens and makes a
  pleasant-tasting tea.  Nettle is highly recommended for pregnant women who
  suffer from chronic fatigue and low energy due to insufficient iron.  The
  tea is also a mild diuretic and aids in the elimination of excess water
  from body tissues.  Nettle's reputation as a specific herb for general
  female problems and as a tonic during pregnancy stems from its use by
  Native American women as a tonic throughout pregnancy and as a remedy for
  hemorrhaging during childbirth.  It is still used by Native American women
  to enrich and increase the flow of milk and to aid in restoring and
  rebuilding the mother's energy following childbirth.
  
  OAT STRAW STALK AND UNRIPE FRUIT (Avena sativa)  Rich in calcium and
  magnesium, oat straw tea is highly recommended during pregnancy for
  calming nervous stress and tension.  It is a safe natural tonic herb for
  the nervous system and is very relaxing and tasty when combined with
  chamomile flowers.  Is is also a safe remedy for the yeast infections that
  may occur during pregnancy.  People often confuse oat straw with oatmeal.
  I've had several people ask me if their oat straw tea was supposed to look
  and taste like a breakfast cereal!  Though both are great food, the tea is
  made from the young stalks and slightly unripe grain; oatmeal is made from
  the mature, rolled, pressed grain.
  
  Oat straw is readily available in natural food and herb stores.  I always
  found it amusing that farmers buy oat straw by the ton...while herb stores
  sell it by the ounce!
  
  RED RASPBERRY LEAF (Rubus idaeus and related species)  Considered the
  "herb supreme" for pregnancy, raspberry leaf tones and nourishes the
  uterine muscles, is rich in vitamins and minerals, and is especially high
  in naturally chelated iron, which the body can readily assimilate.  It
  enriches and increases the flow of milk, helps restore the system
  following childbirth, and is a good all-purpose, pleasant-tasting herb to
  drink during the entire nine months.
  
  SLIPPERY ELM BARK (Ulmus rubra and U. fulva)  Though this is a favorite
  medicinal herb of mine and one I've used for years, I've cut back on my
  use of it due to the Dutch Elm disease that has destroyed so many of these
  grand old trees.  But when necessary, I still recommend it in small
  amounts, for it is the herb of choice in many health situations.  Rich in
  mucilage, slippery elm is both nourishing and medicinal.  It is excellent
  for any type of mucous membrane inflammation and/or irritation.  During
  pregnancy, it can be safely used for colds, infections, vaginal
  irritations, and as a nourishing, soothing gruel for morning sickness.
  
  If you read in some books that slippery elm is dangerous and not to be
  used, consider the source of that myth.  Historically, Native American
  women used long sticks of the soft inner bark of slippery elm inserted
  into their wombs to induce abortion.  State legislatures passed laws
  forbidding the sale of slippery elm sticks.  This particular (extremely
  dangerous!) use of slippery elm continues to taint its reputation.  It has
  absolutely no toxic properties when taken as tea or food.
  
  SQUAW VINE (Mitchella repens)  Indigenous to the North American continent,
  squaw vine was first used by Native American women as an aid in pregnancy
  and childbirth.  Considered one of the best of the herbs used for toning
  and nourishing the uterus, it is often combined with raspberry leaf for a
  perfect pregnancy tonic.
  
  STRAWBERRY LEAF (Fragaria vesica and related species)  Well known for its
  delicious red fruit, strawberry's leaves are also used by herbalists.  It
  has qualities similar to those of its cousin, raspberry.  Though it is not
  as famous, it, too, is used as a tonic during pregnancy.  A pleasant-
  tasting tea, strawberry can be combined with raspberry leaf and squaw vine
  for an exception tonic blend to drink during the entire pregnancy.
  Jeannine Parvati, in her excellent women's herbal, HYGEIA, recommends
  strawberry leaf to prevent miscarriage.  It is also used for fevers and
  diarrhea.