Message #46 - THE_HERBALIST 
Subject: Pregnancy
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V>              be!  In fact, one thing you could certainly do for me, to 
V>              save my figuring it out.  Can you tell me exactly which 
V>              herbal teas and such I should bring when I DO go to the 
V>              hospital?  I know my St.John's Wort salve (haven't made it 
V>              yet - haven't found a good herb supply yet), and my 
V>              raspberry tea, right?  Except I'm going to try to turn the 
V>              tea into ice cubes - everyone says that I'm going to want 
V>              VERY cold stuff (gee, I wonder - the middle of June??) 

    I would say that raspberry leaf tea would be a really good idea.  If you 
like, you can add an equal part of nettles.  The ice cubes are a good idea.  
Jell-O and honey are good...honey is an EXCELLENT energizer!  This will also
help with postpartum hemorrhage.  You may wish to start taking liquid
chlorophyll, zinc supplements, and calcium-magnesium supplements in your last
trimester.  The chlorophyll (available in health food stores...I like
Nature's Sunshine brand) will be extremely helpful in avoiding hemorrhage and
keeping your hemoglobin up.  The zinc helps avoid low birth weight babies and
also helps keep the membranes from rupturing.  The cal-mag is wonderful for
making an easier labor...I don't know why but the women who take it seem to
have much easier labors!  You might wish to make up a tincture of 1 part blue
cohosh, 1 part black cohosh, 3 parts pennyroyal leaf.  This is your basic
labor facilitator and would certainly be nice to have if they start
threatening induction.  Rosemary says it shouldn't be used unless your
prolonged labor has become debilitating to you or the baby...but in my
opinion that includes when they are going to induce you, since that is a
dangerous procedure for you both!  Also, chamomile and valerian would be good
to take, for a relaxing bath, which can help facilitate labor and hasten
delivery.  And an oil made of fresh grated ginger, valerian and lavender is
excellent for massaging the back and stomach muscles.  If you need directions
for oils and tinctures, let me know!  Also, when they give you that cute
little "peri-bottle" for squirting on after you use the bathroom (after
birth), instead of just water (or sometimes they have you use betadine in
water), try making up comfrey tea and using that, maybe with a squirt of aloe
vera gel in it.  This will help your bottom heal faster if there are any
tears or scrapes.

Janie Young, moderator P_BIRTH, Traditional Homebirth Midwife (in training)
Labor of Love (Services & Support for Childbearing Families)
1157-A Lee Rd, Ft. Sill, OK 73503 Phone/Fax 405-250-0993
93:9040/13   1:147/124.5   50:360/360   42:4601/13
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