Veins Away Salve Works!

Roman pouziva Veins Away 1 a 2 uz par tydny na nohy. Uz rozdil pozna a mi dal zpetnou vazbu:

“Bylinková mastička na žíly po třítýdenním používání. Rozdíl je viditelný, určitě doporučuji.”

-Roman Vojslavsky

Diky Romane! Cim dal tim lepe!!!

Roman has been using Veins Away 1 and 2 for a couple of weeks now on his leg. He has already noticed a difference and gave me this feedback:

“The veins after using the herbal salve for three weeks. You can see the difference. I recommend this product.”

-Roman Vojslavsky

Thank you, Roman. Keep going with it!

BYLINKÁŘSTVÍ 101: LEKCE 2

 Translated by Dana Lebedova

Tak jako květiny rostou ze země, tak lék vyrůstá pod rukama lékaře. Lék není nic jiného než semínko, které se musí rozvinout v to, k čemu je předurčeno.

-Paracelsus

Aktivita 1: Pozorování
  • Vytvořte tři monografie, jednu pro každou vaši bylinku (navrhuji je ukládat v pořadači nebo zápisníku v abecedním pořadí)
  • Nakreslete barevný obrázek každé bylinky a přidejte jej do monografie; pokud možno i semeno, květ a kořen
  • Zahrňte do monografií energetické účinky těchto bylin, o kterých jste se mnou diskutovali
  • Vyberte 5 nejběžnějších léčivých účinků z monografií, abyste se s nimi blíže seznámili
  • Přidejte do tohoto seznamu: analgetické, hojivé, antiseptické, nervové, proti plynatosti, aromatické
Aktivita 2: Dotýkání, očichávání, ochutnávání, poslouchání
  • Seznámení s rostlinami z čeledi hluchavkovitých Lamiaceae
  • Vezměte meduňku, levanduli, mátu a bazalku
  • Všímejte  si tvaru stonků, tvaru jejich listů. Všímejte si podobností a odlišností.
  • Promněte listy mezi prsty a hluboce se nadechněte. Všímejte si aromatických podobností a rozdílů. (Připravte si kávu nebo kávová zrna, abyste si průběhu mohli očistit čichové orgány).
  • Ochutnejte každou bylinu a všímejte si podobností a rozdílů. (K očištění můžete použít citron nebo zázvor).
  • Všímejte si jak se cítíte, když vdechujete jejich vůni a energii, když je ochutnáváte.
Aktivita 3: Postup přípravy bylinné čajové směsi
  • Nasbírejte bylinky na uklidňující čaj
  • Připravte si čaj a ochutnejte: všímejte si chuti, energie (viz lekce 1 )
  • Upravte si recept na čaj podle svého vkusu. Dejte mi vědět, jaké úpravy provedete.
  • Podívejte se na léčivé účinky bylin v čaji. Všímejte si zejména účinků působících proti plynatosti a nervy uklidňujících účinků. Cítíte je, když čaj pijete?
Jedovaté Rostliny: Rulík zlomocný   
  • Přečtěte si tento článek o Deadly Nightshade
  • Vypište všechny rostliny z čeledi lilkovitých Solanaceae , které pravidelně jíte
  • Přečtěte si účinky Rulíku zlomocného Belladonna 

BYLINKÁŘSTVÍ 101: LEKCE 1

Translated by Dana Lebedova

Rostliny mají dostatek ducha, aby měnily naši omezenou představivost.

-Rosemary Gladstar

Aktivita 1: Vidění
  • Určete tři byliny, které rostou ve vaší blízkosti nebo které již znáte.
  • Přečtěte si jejich monografie online nebo na Kristas Herbarium. (Co je to monografie ?)
  • Přečtěte si ukázkové monografie na kristasherbarium.com – Bylinkářská dílna – Monografie
  • Ukázka monografie Calendula
Aktivita 2: Dotýkání, Očichávání, Ochutnávání, Poslouchání
  • Najděte tyto bylinky venku, v obchodě – sušené nebo čerstvé
  • Z vybrané byliny (pokud si nejste jistí, poraďte se s Kristou) si připravte čaj.
  • Poznamenejte si: chuť každé byliny (slaná, sladká, kyselá, hořká, štiplavá)
  • Přečtěte si: energetika
  • Poslouchejte, jak se vaše tělo cítí: teplé (myslím, že papričky) nebo studené (myslím, že máta), suché (myslím, že sušenky), nebo vlhké (myslím, že okurky)
  • Vytvořte si zápisky bylin, podle jejich chutí a energetických účinků
Aktivita 3: Cvičení – Vyrobte si louhovaný olej
  • Vyberte levanduli nebo heřmánek
  • Budete potřebovat 50 gramů sušené byliny, čistou sklenici, olivový olej
  • Postupujte podle receptury na louhovaný olej
  • Počkejte 4 týdny….
Následně s Kristou:
  • Pošlete mi fotky vašich čajů, olejů a zápisků
  • V případě jakýchkoli dotazů mě kontaktujte

BYLINKÁŘSTVÍ 101

Translated by Dana Lebedova

Bylinkářství je celé o smyslech:

pozorování, dotýkání, ochutnávání, čichu a sluchu.

pozorování:

  • poznávání rostlin podle čeledí
  • rozpoznávání rostlin podle hlavních rozpoznávacích znaků
  • schopnost určovat jedovaté rostliny
  • rozpoznávání rostlin v květu i mimo něj
  • chápání výhod a nevýhod Doctrine of Signatures

dotýkání:

  • cítit textury listů
  • rozpoznávání tvarů stonků
  • věnovat čas držení rostliny v ruce a  seznamování se s její energií
  • rozpoznávání rostlin podle jejich textur

ochutnávání:

  • rozeznáváme pět příchutí: sladkou, hořkou, slanou, kyselou  nebo štiplavou
  • schopnost určovat jedovaté rostliny bez ochutnávky

čich:

  • rozpoznávat sílu vůně pocitově, fyzicky a duchovně
  • pochopení toho, co to znamená, když bylina nevoní jednomu člověku, ale voní druhému
  • porozumění aromatickým bylinám a jejich použití

sluch:

  • naslouchat našemu tělu a tomu, co nám říká
  • rozpoznání příznaků a pochopení jejich příčin
  • naslouchat našemu tělu, emocím a duchu jako celku
  • konat v souladu s našimi smysly
  • pochopení léčivých účinků bylin
  • rozpoznat, jaké mají rostliny  energetické účinky a vnímat, jak na nás působí

Herbalism 101: Lesson 4

Activity 1: Seeing

Plant Families: Asteraceae

  • Read this article on the Asteraceae family.
  • List all the plants in the Asteraceae family that you use regularly and why.
  • Choose three plants from the Asteraceae family that interest you. Read their monographs online.
  • Make three monographs, one for each of your herbs, draw a colour picture of each of your herbs to add into the monograph; include seed, flower and root if possible.
  • Answer these questions: Which medicinal actions would you benefit from in these plants? How could you use them to aid in your health (e.g. as a tea, in food)?
  • Pick 5 more medicinal actions to familiarise yourself with.

Activity 2: Touching, Smelling, Tasting, Hearing

  • Getting to know plants in the Asteraceae family.
  • We will use chamomile, Echinaceae and calendula. If possible, find them fresh outside or in shops.
  • Note the composite flowers, the shape of their stems, the shape of their leaves. Note the similarities and differences.
  • Rub their leaves between your fingers and inhale deeply. Note the aromatic similarities and differences. (Have coffee or coffee beans nearby to inhale inbetween to cleanse your olfactory system)
  • Taste each one and note their similarities and differences. Can you describe their tastes: note the sensation on the tongue from Echinaceae. It should taste somewhat acrid and have a sparking sensation. (You can use lemon or ginger to cleanse your palate)
  • Make teas with each flower. List their medicinal actions.
  • Note: How each makes you feel when you inhale their aromas and their energetics as you taste them.

Activity 3: Practice-Making an Herbal First Aid Kit

You will be making Echinaceae Tincture, Chamomile Tea and Calendula Salve
  • Gather ingredients for the Herbal First Aid Kit recipes.
  • Make the tinture,salve and tea.
  • Write the medicinal actions of these herbs in these remedies. How will you use these preparations for healing?
  • If desired, make labels for your remedies.

Poisonous Plants: Tansy

  • Read this article on Tansy.
  • Read the monograph of Tansy.
  • Do you think you would grow Tansy? Why or why not?

Plant families: Asteraceae

Asteraceae Family

Key Words: Composite flowers in disk-like heads.

This family was previously known as the Composite family-Compositae.

Asteraceae plants are everywhere. From sunflowers that make the sky look even bluer to the lettuce that’s in your salad, you come into contact with members of this family regularly. The Asteraceae family is one of the largest plant families with several sub-genera within, such as the genera Artemisia and Arnica.

Mostly used for flowers and food, some members of the Asteraceae family have been used in folk medicine for centuries. Containing terpenoids and flavonoids, they produce many beneficial effects on our bodies. Some though may be allergic to these compounds, so a bit of general knowledge and information is necessary.

Asteraceae are recognised mainly by they composite flowers. though they look like a single flower, imagine a sunflower, it is actually a disk containing hundreds of single flowers known as a composite flower.

What is a composite flower?

Photo of aster by Skyler Ewing on Pexels.com

A word from Wikipedia about composite flowers:

In plants of the family Asteraceae, what appears to be a single flower is actually a cluster of much smaller flowers. The overall appearance of the cluster, as a single flower, functions in attracting pollinators in the same way as the structure of an individual flower in some other plant families. The older family name, Compositae, comes from the fact that what appears to be a single flower is actually a composite of smaller flowers.

The “petals” or “sunrays” in a sunflower head are actually individual strap-shaped flowers called ray flowers, and the “sun disk” is made of smaller circular shaped individual flowers called disc flowers. The word “aster” means “star” in Greek, referring to the appearance of some family members, as a “star” surrounded by “rays”. The cluster of flowers that may appear to be a single flower, is called a head. The entire head may move tracking the sun, like a “smart” solar panel, which maximizes reflectivity of the whole unit and can thereby attract more pollinators.

On the outside the flower heads are small bracts that look like scales. These are called phyllaries, and together they form the involucre that protects the individual flowers in the head before they open. The individual heads have the smaller individual flowers arranged on a round or dome-like structure called the receptacle. The flowers mature first at the outside, moving toward the center, with the youngest in the middle.

The individual flowers in a head have 5 fused petals (rarely 4), but instead of sepals, have threadlike, hairy, or bristly structures called pappus, which surround the fruit and can stick to animal fur or be lifted by wind, aiding in seed dispersal. The whitish fluffy head of a dandelion, commonly blown on by children, is made of the pappus, with tiny seeds attached at the ends, whereby the pappus provides a parachute like structure to help the seed be carried away in the wind.

Wikipedia
Photo of dandelion seeds (pappi) by Anthony on Pexels.com

Getting to know the Asteraceae Family

Courtesy of Thomas J. Elpel

This article by wildflowersandweeds.com is a great resource for the Asteraceae family.

Photo of daisies by Aaron Burden on Pexels.com

Members of the Asteraceae Family

Courtesy of britannica.com

Photo of calendula by Mitchell Luo on Pexels.com
American medicinal plants New York,Boericke & Tafel,c1887. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/84253

Asteraceae Medicinal Actions

Asteraceae or Compositae is an exceedingly large, annual and widespread family of flowering plants. They produce secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids and terpenoids which have lots of effect on our body. Many of the Asteraceae family are plants which have been used in traditional medicine. Many studies have shown the effects of Asteraceae family plants or their extract on immune-mediated diseases, especially their anti-inflammatory effect. 

http://jrhc.miau.ac.ir/article_3435.html
Members of this family can have these medicinal actions:

Diuretic, drawing, expectorant, draining, antiparasitic, respiratory support, gastric support, blood regulation, antibacterial, help with microbial infections.

Asteraceae: A Cautionary Tale

Many Asteraceae members contain metabolites called sesquiterpene lactones which, in those allergic, can cause inflammation, skin irritation and sensitisation. This same metabolite has been shown beneficial in treating cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as a host of other disorders from diarrhea to influenza,,. It is important to know the information, so I recommend reading these articles in order to get the full picture regarding this metabolite.

Beware the Asteraceae allergy:

The Asteraceae representatives consist of diverse secondary metabolites, which exhibit various advantageous effects in humans. In particular, sesquiterpene lactones (SLs) may cause sensitization resulting in skin irritation and inflammation. In this study, we tried to reveal the allergenic potential of several Asteraceae species. The Asteraceae-related allergy symptoms involve eczema, hay fever, asthma, or even anaphylaxis. Furthermore, the evidence of severe cross-reactivity with food and pollen allergens (PFS) in patients sensitive to Asteraceae allergens have been announced.

https://rdcu.be/cjoRt

Asteraceae for the win:

Studies of folk medicines implicate sesquiterpene lactones as the active ingredient in many treatments for other ailments such as diarrhea, burns, influenza, and neurodegradation. In addition to the anti-inflammatory response, sesquiterpene lactones have been found to sensitize tumor cells to conventional drug treatments.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3709812/
Photo of bee on sunflower by Karolina Grabowska on Pexels.com
Photo of artichoke flower by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Poisonous Plants: Tansy

Tansy is beautiful. But I have a love/hate relationship with tansy. The flowers are beautiful, aromatic and the plant is a breeding place for ladybugs.

The ladybugs have taken up residence in my tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) plants.

I love seeing the whole life cycle of ladybugs in my tansy plants. But be warned, the tansies will take over your garden, are near impossible to get rid of and can be dangerous. Containing thujones (the same component that gives Absinthe its bad name), as well as other volatile oils, which can cause convulsions, liver and brain damage and can be lethal in the right amount. It is used in herbal medicine, but should only be used by an expert.

And tansy’s dark side is darker than most – it’s literally a killer. Despite historically being commonly used as a flavouring, bitter-tasting tansy contains a toxic essential oil that can cause liver and brain damage and even kill humans and other animals. On a less lethal level, it can also prompt an allergic reaction in some individuals when touching the leaves.

https://www.growveg.co.uk/guides/why-you-should-and-shouldnt-grow-tansy/

History of uses:

Tansy has a long history of use. It was first recorded as being cultivated by the ancient Greeks for medicinal purposes. In the 8th century AD it was grown in the herb gardens of Charlemagne and by Benedictine monks of the Swiss monastery of Saint Gall. Tansy was used to treat intestinal worms, rheumatism, digestive problems, fevers, sores, and to bring out measles.

During the Middle Ages and later, high doses were used to induce abortions. Contradictorily, tansy was also used to help women conceive and to prevent miscarriages. In the 15th century, Christians began serving tansy with Lenten meals to commemorate the bitter herbs eaten by the Israelites. Tansy was thought to have the added Lenten benefits of controlling flatulence brought on by days of eating fish and pulses and of preventing the intestinal worms believed to be caused by eating fish during Lent.

Tansy was used as a face wash and was reported to lighten and purify the skin. In the 19th century, Irish folklore suggested that bathing in a solution of tansy and salts would cure joint pain.

Wikipedia

Tansy is used as an excellent insecticide and anti-parasitic, but must be used with caution. Please do your research and rather use wormwood and black walnut as your antiparasitic.

Enjoy this mildly obscene video…

Ladybugs goin’ at it in the tansy…

Articles about tansy:

Asteraceae plant family resources:

Identifying a new plant

Using these resources, one is easily able to identify its genus and species:

Herbalism 101: Lesson 3

The art of healing comes from nature, not from the physician. Therefore the physician must start from nature, with an open mind.

Paracelsus

Activity 1: Seeing
Plant Families: Apiaceae
  • Read this article on the Apiaceae family.
  • List all the plants in the Apiaceae family that you use regularly and why.
  • Choose three plants from the Apiaceae family that interest you. Read their monographs online.
  • Make three monographs, one for each of your herbs, draw a colour picture of each of your herbs to add into the monograph; include seed, flower and root if possible.
  • Answer these questions: Which medicinal actions would you benefit from in these plants? How could you use them to aid in your health (e.g. as a tea, in food)?
  • Pick 5 more medicinal actions to familiarise yourself with.
Activity 2: Touching, Smelling, Tasting, Hearing
  • Getting to know plants in the Apiaceae family.
  • We will use cilantro (plant and seed), fennel (plant and seed) and parsley. If possible, find them fresh outside or in shops.
  • Note the shape of their stems, the shape of their leaves. Note the similarities and differences.
  • Rub their leaves between your fingers and inhale deeply. Note the aromatic similarities and differences. (Have coffee or coffee beans nearby to inhale inbetween to cleanse your olfactory system)
  • Taste each one and note their similarities and differences. (You can use lemon or ginger to cleanse your palate)
  • Make teas with the fennel seed and coriander seed. List their medicinal actions.
  • Note: How each makes you feel when you inhale their aromas and their energetics as you taste them.
Activity 3: Practice-Making an Herbal Salve
  • Gather ingredients for the Herbal Salve recipe.
  • Watch this video before making the salve.
  • Make the salve.
  • Write the medicinal actions of your chosen herbs for the salve. How will you use this salve for healing?
  • If desired, make labels for your salve.
Poisonous Plants: Poison Hemlock
  • Read this article on Poison Hemlock.
  • List the differences between wild carrot and poison hemlock.
  • Read the effects of poison hemlock.

Plant Families: Apiaceae

Apiaceae-Parsley/Carrot Family

Key Words: Compound umbels. Usually hollow flower stalks. Often aromatic.

Some of the most common plants, most loved and most eaten are in this beautiful Apiaceae family, as well as some of the world’s deadliest.

Mostly grown as vegetables or for food, whilst some are used as folk medicine, one must be sure of plant identification as many members of the Apiaceae family are poisonous. For this reason, it is important to get to know this plant family as one of the first families you study.

One can usually identify a member of the Apiaceae family by its distinctive umbel.

What’s an umbel?

Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay
Image by Thomas B. from Pixabay

A word from Wikipedia about umbels:

In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) which spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin umbella “parasol, sunshade”. The arrangement can vary from being flat-topped to almost spherical. Umbels can be simple or compound.

The secondary umbels of compound umbels are known as umbelules or umbellets. A small umbel is called an umbellule. 

The arrangement of the inflorescence in umbels is referred to as umbellate, or occasionally subumbellate (almost umbellate).Umbels are a characteristic of plants such as carrot, parsley, dill, and fennel in the family Apiaceae;  ivy, Aralia and Fatsia in the family Araliaceae; onion (Allium) in the family Alliaceae.

Wikipedia

Getting to know the Apiaceae family

Who hasn’t eaten a carrot? Or put celery in their soup base? Cut up some parsnip for a Sunday roast or used fennel or dill as a spice in a recipe? The Apiaceae family hosts some of our most common and well-loved ingredients. Cilantro for salsa, caraway seed in a curry or parsley in some sausage mix, this family has it all.

It’s a wonder we all are alive today. If foraging was necessary, many of us lack the skill to properly identify a Wild Carrot from its deadly cousin, Poison Hemlock. We must thank those that have gone before us, that have told the stories and drawn the illustrations, those that have paved the way in helping us to know the beauty and danger of this abundant plant family.

Courtesy of Thomas J. Elpel

When you recognize the compound umbels of the Parsley family then you know you have to be careful. You must be 100% certain of what these plants are before you harvest them for food or medicine. More than that, you must be right! People die just about every year thinking they have discovered some kind of wild carrot.

wildflowersandweeds.com

This article by wildflowersandweeds.com is a great resource for the Apiaceae family.

Members of this family include:

Apiaceae Medicinal Actions

Members of this family can have these medicinal actions:

Anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, antibacterial, diuretic, emmenagogue, stimulating, antimicrobial, antioxidant. These constituents can help with bronchitis, hepatitis, gastrointeritis.

Poisonous Plants: Poison Hemlock

For him who fain would teach the world The world holds hate in fee— For Socrates, the hemlock cup; For Christ, Gethsemane.

-Don Marquis

About Poison Hemlock

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is in the Apiaceae family, which also includes carrots, parsnips, parsley, fennel, and their wild counterparts.

It is an herbaceous biennial plant that can grow 5 to 10 feet (2-3 meters) tall or even taller.

It should not be confused with hemlock the coniferous tree which is completely harmless (and edible).

All parts of the plant are poisonous, including the flowers, leaves, stems, roots, and seeds.

Poison hemlock contains potent toxic alkaloids that affect the nervous system, and even small internal doses can cause respiratory collapse and death.

It can also cause a severe skin reaction similar to a burn when touched externally. Definitely not a plant to mess around with!

Historically poison hemlock was used in ancient Greece to poison condemned prisoners, and it was what killed Socrates after he drank a potent hemlock infusion.

growforagecookferment.com

How to properly identify poisonous members of the Apiaceae family

Image courtesy King County Noxious Weeds

Eating even a small amount of any part of this plant can kill people, livestock, and wildlife!

Poison-hemlock stems have reddish or purple spots and streaks, are not hairy, and are hollow. Leaves are bright green, fern-like, finely divided, toothed on edges and have a strong musty odor when crushed. Flowers are tiny, white and arranged in small, umbrella-shaped clusters on ends of branched stems.

King County

Poison Hemlock Look-Alikes

Flowering poison-hemlock may be confused with wild carrot (Daucus carota, or Queen Anne’s Lace). In contrast with poison-hemlock, wild carrot has one densely packed umbrella-shaped flower cluster on a narrow, hairy stem, usually with one purple flower in the center of the flower cluster, and is usually 3 feet tall or less. Wild carrot also flowers later in the summer.

King County

If you are not sure, don’t touch the plant. Even touching the wrong Apiaceae can lead to photosensitivity rashes.

Look for red or purple spots to help you identify poison hemlock.

Apiaceae plant family resources:

Identifying a new plant

Using these resources, one is easily able to identify its genus and species:

Plant families: Lamiaceae

Lamiaceae-Mint Family

Key Words: Square stalks and opposite leaves, often aromatic.

Members of this family include:

  • Basil
  • Mint
  • Sage
  • Oregano
  • Rosemary
  • Motherwort
  • Horehound
  • Catnip
  • Thyme
  • Lavender
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Lamiaceae Medicinal Actions:

Medicinal constituents include the strong aromatic essential oil, tannins, saponins and organic acids. The oil is obtained by steam distillation. In aromatherapy, the oil is used for its soothing effects. The plant has sedative, diuretic, tonic, antispasmodic and antiseptic properties.

scialert.net
Illustration courtesy of Botany In A Day -Thomas J. Elpel

Once you are familiar with the family characteristics, it is much easier to identify a plant within that family. You will recognise its basic shape and often know its medicinal properties.

Identifying a completely unfamiliar plant:

A few years ago, when we lived in Hluboka, a plant which I had never seen before started to grow in my yard.

My husband used to mow a smiley into our lawn. This is where the new purple-flowered plant started to grow.

Starting with flower shape, I began the process of identifying its family, genus and species.

This plant has:

  • united petals
  • 4 stamen of two lengths
  • a square stem
  • opposite leaves
  • strong aroma

Given these characteristics, I can safely put this plant in the Lamiaceae family.

Using these resources, I am easily able to identify its genus and species:

Self Heal 
Prunella vulgaris 
Lamiaceae

Self-heal is used for inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), diarrhea, colic, and stomach upset and irritation (gastroenteritis). It is also used for mouth and throat ulcers, sore throat, and internal bleeding.

Botanical illustrations are really helpful

Lactation Tea

Ah, the joy of suckling! She lovingly watched the fish-like motions of the toothless mouth and she imagined that with her milk there flowed into her little son her deepest thoughts, concepts, and dreams.

Milan Kundera, Life is Elsewhere

My clients come to me with a wide variety of issues and I am so happy to help in any way that I can. Often, I must do extensive research for clients, especially when the problem is quite challenging or one that I am unfamiliar with.

Motherhood presents a myriad of issues from fertility to delivery and well beyond. I would include in there hormone issues as well as mental health issues, as raising children can drain us in so many different ways.

Lactation is an issue that has recently come up in my herbal practice and I was prepared to help this mum with delicate, yet effective herbs.

Herbs are only one facet of the support system for new mums, especially when facing the challenges of breastfeeding. What is often conceptualised about breastfeeding is that it is a completely natural process. Though natural and instinctual, it is a learned process and that path to successful acquisition is different for everyone.

When breastfeeding is hard

This article from KellyMom.com is beautifully written to describe the challenges of breastfeeding. There are unrealistic expectations on new mums and what they should be able to do and what they are supposed to do.

There is no other skill where we expect we should have a sudden knowledge and ability, in the way that we do about breastfeeding. No one expects that they will buy a piano (with no prior knowledge) and be able to play a concerto a week later. They don’t feel they have failed when they can’t do it. No one expects that they will be fluent in another language in a day or 2, even though language is natural. No one even expects they could run a 5k without a couch to 5k program. Why on earth do we feel that we are failing if we have problems doing something that we have never done before, rarely see done around us, and haven’t really any knowledge of?

kellymom.com

Krista’s Herbs Lactation Tea

Drinking this tea can be an effective part of a lactation support plan. This tea is healthy, nutrient-rich and safe for baby.

  • 2 parts Red Raspberry Leaf
  • 1 part Milky Oats
  • 1 part Stinging Nettle
  • 1/2 part Fenugreek Seeds
  • 1/2 part Fennel Seeds
  • 2 parts Chamomile

Herbs that increase breast milk production are called “galactagogues.”  (“Galacta” = milk, “-gogue” = producer or supplier).

There is no need to supplement with galactagogues if breastmilk supply is normal.

It is incredibly important to address the underlying cause of insufficient breastmilk supply first! Most mothers do not need herbs to stimulate milk production – instead they need rest, relaxation, hydration, nutrition, and a baby who has an excellent latch and sucking reflex. Especially focus on hydration – remember that it is impossible to make sufficient milk if you are dehydrated.

mtwholehealth.com

Medicinal Actions:

Red Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus): galactagogue, nutrient-rich, may decrease post-partum depression, helps the uterus to contract/shrink back to size

Milky Oats (Avena sativa): galactagogue, nervine (reduces stress reaction), nutrient-rich, nourishes the nervous system

Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica): nutritive tonic, stimulates milk production due to its nutrients

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): a powerful galactagogue, carminative (it eases intestinal cramping and gas), may help to ease colic 

Fennel Seeds (Foeniculum vulgare): galactagogue, antispasmodic, great for colic, may help to balance menstrual cycle

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita): nervine, carminative, high in calcium and magnesium, reduces physical stress, great for aiding with sleep issues

Dosage:

  • 1T per cup of tea
  • 2-3 cups per day

Allow the water to just boil. Let it rest for 1 minute. Pour the water over the herbs and cover. Allow to steep for 5-10 minutes.

Reflections

Remember, everything you drink (and eat) is transferred to baby. These herbs also have benefits for your newborn: relieving colic, supporting the developing nervous system, aiding with the sleep cycle, and rounding out nutrients.

This article about what to eat and drink while breastfeeding is a good resource for new mums who have questions or concerns about how to properly manage their diet during breastfeeding.