Herb Companion 2000

Pregnancy is the miracle of creation, and a time of lifestyle changes for many. A time when women eat nutritious, pesticide-free food to support and nurture themselves and their growing baby. It is a time when they seek cruelty-free, natural body care products made with cold pressed oils and free of preservatives or synthetic fragrances. Many of these body care products are enhanced with herbs and essential oils. There are herbs, safely used for generations, which help relieve the simple bodily discomforts often felt during pregnancy. These discomforts include the itch of a growing belly, along with the accompanying stretch marks, painful hemorrhoids, and an aching back and legs from carrying the increased weight load.

The following recipes are a few that I made for myself to alleviate these common discomforts during my three pregnancies. The herbs and other ingredients are available in most natural health food stores.

Growing Belly Oil

No woman wants to remember pregnancy by her stretch marks! This herb infused oil will keep the skin supple and soft, as it prevents stretch marks from appearing. It also relieves the itch of a growing belly. Use this oil for perineal massage, as well.

2 C olive oil (olive oil feeds the skin with nutrients)
½ oz. chamomile flowers
¼ oz. calendula flowers
¼ oz. comfrey leaf

Put the herbs covered with olive oil in a crockpot or double boiler. Turn heat to the lowest setting and cook for 6 hours. Do not let the oil get too hot or it will turn rancid. (Ideally the heat should not get above 150 and just be warm to the touch.) Cool and strain the oil and herbs through a white, cotton cloth. Add 1 T. Vitamin E oil and any essential oil of your choice. (Neroli essential oil is said to help prevent stretch marks.)

Flower Massage Oil

2 C. almond oil (almond oil is very gentle and its delicate smell won't cover up the beautiful smell of these herbs)
¼ oz. calendula flowers
¼ oz. chamomile flowers
¼ oz. elder flowers
¼ oz. lavender flowers

If you have access to unsprayed rose bushes, rose petals make a wonderful addition to this oil. The commercially harvested roses available in stores have been sprayed.

Follow the directions for the "Growing Belly Oil". Use this wonderful oil in a relaxing massage during pregnancy, as well as on infant's tender skin.

Hemorrhoid Salve

2 C. olive oil
¼ oz. comfrey leaf
¼ oz. plantain leaf
¼ oz. yarrow herb

Make an herb infused oil following the above recipes. After the herb oil is strained, add 1 oz. grated beeswax for every cup of oil. Return to low heat and stir until the beeswax melts. Pour into a jar. It thickens when cool. Use to quickly heal hemorrhoids, relieve itching, and stop any bleeding.

Tea for Two

¾ oz. raspberry leaf
½ oz. nettle leaf
½ oz. alfalfa leaf
¼ oz. spearmint (add more or less mint for your taste)

Blend herbs and measure 4 T. into a quart jar. Fill the jar with boiling water and steep ½ hour. Drink a cup of tea warm or refrigerate it for a refreshing drink throughout the day.

Sitz Bath

1 oz. comfrey leaf
½ oz. yarrow
½ oz. uva ursi
6 T. sea salt

These herbs heal tears, slow bleeding, and shrink the swollen membranes and bring immediate comfort to the perineum after birth.

This recipe will make 3 baths. Mix the herbs and sea salt together and place 1/3 of the mixture into a glass jar or pan. Pour 2 qt. boiling water over the herbs. Steep 20-30 minutes. Strain liquid into a sitz bath pan or shallow water filled tub and soak. Sitz bath pans are available in most drug stores.

Oatmeal Bath

Chop rolled oats in blender. Fill a muslin bag with the blended oats plus 1 t. lavender flowers (add 3 drops of essential oil for a stronger smell). Squeeze the milky oat liquid into a warm bath, and use the muslin bag for a silky, smooth washcloth on stretching skin. This also makes an excellent bath for baby's tender skin.

Kathryn Higgins is founder of Motherlove Herbal Company, which manufactures herbal products for pregnancy and breastfeeding. She is the author of the "Pocket Guide to Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants". Kathryn has taught plant identification and herbal use for 15 years and currently offers a seminar entitled "Awakening Ourselves Through Our Bond With Nature".

Printed in Herb Companion April 2000