The power of nature in pregnancy
It is generally known that during pregnancy it is not recommended to use commonly available medicines. But what about natural substances, herbs? Many pregnant women believe that natural medicines are always safe and so they often replace classic pharmacotherapy with them.
Don't be fooled. Even among the herbs we can find those that can be used without fear, that you can use with caution and only in certain periods of pregnancy, and those that should be avoided completely. Even among natural medicines, there are substances that in extreme cases could endanger the baby or negatively affect the course of pregnancy.
So which herbs can a pregnant woman use without fear of harming her or the baby? In general, it can be said that herbal teas can be used during pregnancy only for a short time and in small quantities (this also applies to those with the "safe" label). During pregnancy, water, fruit teas or rooibos tea are the most recommended for daily hydration. Nevertheless, there are herbs that can help you with difficulties in the short term. These are for example:
Chamomile ( Matricaria chamomilla ) is an excellent helper for digestive problems, relieves flatulence and also has anti-inflammatory effects.
Lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) calms, acts against insomnia and relieves headaches.
Ginger ( Zingiber officinalis ) helps relieve morning sickness and indigestion.
In the third trimester, or rather in the last month of pregnancy, it is recommended to use raspberry. Raspberry leaves ( Rubus idaeus ) facilitate childbirth and strengthen uterine muscles after childbirth.
Linseed ( Linum usitatissimum ), whose mucilaginous substances help the ligaments of the pelvis to be flexible and contribute to the initiation of lactation after childbirth, is among the substances of plant origin that are included in the support tools for inducing childbirth. After childbirth, we can also recommend a contraheli, which will help to wrap the uterus.
Always use herbal teas only for a short time (max. 14 days) in case of difficulties and do not replace the drinking regime with it.
Now we would like to focus on those that belong to risk groups and should be avoided by pregnant women.
These include, for example:
Aloe vera ( Aloe vera ). Better to give up your favorite drinks with this herb. Aloe stimulates the contractions of the uterus, which could lead to miscarriage or premature birth.
Common fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) is one of the herbs that is widely used during breastfeeding, but don't be mistaken. During pregnancy, fennel can cause uterine contractions and cause miscarriage or premature birth.
And others (Medical horsetail, Passion flower, Wormwood, White mistletoe, Medicinal sage)
PharmDr. Michaela House