Herbal
Remedies.
By Kristina G.
Diyaljee.
THRUSH: (for mom and
baby)
- After every nursing wash your nipples
in a solution of a 1/2 cup to a cup warm water and a tsp. of
baking soda. Baking soda kills yeast (candida) which is
thrush. After washing, rinse lightly and air dry. Apply
Lansinoh, a lanolin creme approved by La Leche League (which
does not need to be removed before nursing again), to your
nipples after drying thoroughly, this will help the soreness
ALOT! You can also coat the inside of your baby's mouth with
the same solution of baking soda and water or use yoghurt.
- You can also try a solution made of
water like above, except with a Tablespoon Vinegar instead.
I have used the baking soda and it works wonders. This is
the method I know works best. Nystatin is actually not that
great since its base is sugar and yeast loves to grow in
sugar!
- Oh I almost forgot! A very important
thing! Take a L. Acidophilus capsule every day. This helps
to re-establish balance in your system and keep yeast at
bay. It will help rid your entire system of it.
* All these things I have listed you need
to do for at least 3 weeks. You will see improvement
immediately, but to make sure it does not come back you need
to continue treatment longer.
DIAPER RASH
Whenever you start to notice a rash
brewing you can do the following:
- Apply a calendula creme to the rash
itself and in surrounding areas and creases. Do this after
cleansing with each diaper change. We use Weleda's Diaper
Care Cream.
- You can treat the rash with a paste
made up of Slippery Elm Bark & honey.
- Give your baby as much time as possible
to roam without a diaper on, to allow fresh air to come into
contact with the baby's skin & rash. Change diapers
frequently.
COLIC
- Use aromatic seeds such as Fennel,
Dill, Caraway, Anise, Cumin, or Coriander to prevent and
relieve colic. Drink a cup of seed tea as you settle down
to nurse; the antispasmodic and carminative effects pass
readily into your breast milk.
- Or give your baby a bottle of seed tea
to suck on. Prepare the seed tea by pouring one cup of
boiling water over a scant tsp. of any one of the seeds.
Steep for no more than 15 mins. Strain very thoroughly
before filling baby's bottle. Try it warmed or chilled.
- Appalachian midwives swear by Catnip
tea for colicky babies. It relieves spasms in the
intestines and encourages sleep. One of my friends uses it
to put her baby to sleep when he is especially cranky and
reports that it works very well indeed.
- Put cold wet wool socks on your baby's
feet when he has colic. Pull dry cotton socks on over the
wool ones. Your infant should relax and fall asleep quickly.
I do not understand how it works; it sounds strange, but
sleepless mothers acclaim to it.
* Below are also some suggestions for
preventing colic…
Preventing Colic,
General:
- Feed baby often. Small frequent
feedings are less likely to produce colic than a few
large ones.
- Soothe your infant with skin to skin
contact during feedings. This is reassuring to your
child and promotes good digestion.
- Try the 'colic hold' recommended by
the La Leche League. Hold your baby astraddle your arm
with the head resting in the crook of your elbow and the
top of the legs in your hand. Be sure the head stays
higher than the feet when the baby nurses.
Preventing Colic; Breast-fed
Babies
- Do not eat cabbage family plants
(broccoli, brussel sprouts, radishes, kale, collards,
cauliflower, and all types of cabbage), onions or garlic
during the first six months of your lactation. All these
foods are rich in sulfur which promotes intestinal gas
in you and your baby.
- Avoid more than one small glass of
prune juice daily. Any laxatives as they may distress
your infant's intestines.
- Avoid chocolate, peanuts, peanut
butter, sugar, and white flour. All of these foods
disrupt and slow intestinal activity in you and your
baby.
- Eliminate possible allergens from
your diet. Allergies to soy, wheat, corn, dairy, pectin
(in most fruit) can cause colic.
- Nurse in a serene, secure
environment. If you cannot possibly provide it
physically, create it mentally.
Preventing Colic; Bottle-fed
Babies
- Use goat milk, if available, for your
bottle fed baby.
- Add acidophilus to cow milk if you
cannot get fresh goat milk. Use a TBSP. of acidophilus
liquid or a capsule of powder (open capsule and pour the
powder directly into the formula) in every 8 ounce
bottle to make the cow milk more digestible. If
acidophilus is unavailable, substitute with 1 TBSP. Fresh
yoghurt.
IDEAS FOR LABOUR INDUCTION
NATURALLY PAST 36 WEEKS GESTATION
- Take Evening Primrose Oil capsules
three time daily for up to a week. You can take more if you
like. Its hard to overdose on this. I took tons and it
helped my cervix dilate. You can also put some capsules up
near the cervix before bed. This helps a lot!
- Nipple stimulation can be very
effective in getting the uterus to contract. Sex is also
really good, if you feel comfortable enough to do this.
There is something in the semen that helps the cervix get
soft and efface.
- Use a Black Cohosh tincture, 10 drops
under the tongue hourly and you should see a ripening
cervix and it may possibly start to efface and or dilate.
- You can try a homeopathic remedy
called Caulophyllum 200x to initiate labour. Repeat the
dose recommended on the bottle every half an hour for two
hours.
- Blue Cohosh Tincture, 3-8 drops in a
glass of warm water or tea. Repeat every half an hour for
several hours until contractions are regular.
- Most importantly visualize your labour
starting and try to relax. Tension keeps labour at bay.
* I do not recommend Castor Oil. It has
been found to cause stress for the baby in utter, due to
the fast way the contractions pick up, instead of the slow
natural way. It can cause the baby to pass meconium and can
produce major complications after the birth of your
child.
FERTILITY
PROMOTERS
Herbs used to encourage a pregnancy are
characterised by their ability to 1) nourish and tonify the
uterus 2) nourish the entire body, 3) relax the nervous
system, 4) establish and balance normal functioning of the
hormonal system, and 5) balance sexual desire.
- Red Clove Flowers
This herb has a high vitamin content and
is especially useful for the uterus; its high protein aids
the entire body; its profuse and exceedingly absorbable
calcium & magnesium relax the nervous system and promote
fertility; its high mineral content, including virtually
every trace of mineral needed by the glands, helps restore
and balance hormonal functions. In addition, Red Clover may
balance the acid/alkaline level of the vagina and uterus in
favour of conception.
Red Clover is often combined with
Peppermint in fertility brews since Mints are safe and
pleasant tasting sexual stimulants. Infuse one ounce of Red
Clover blossoms and a teaspoon of Peppermint (or any other
mint) in a quart of water for four hours. You can drink this
infusion freely throughout the day and for several months
continuously. Alfalfa is regarded as a substitute for Red
Clover, but is not found to be effective.
- Nettle Leaves
Nettle is a uterine tonic and general
nourisher with a special ability to strengthen the kidneys
and adrenals. Drink an infusion of this tonic once or more
times daily over a period of several months.
- Red Raspberry Leaves
This herb is most effective as a
fertility promoter when combined with Red Clover. One or
more cups of this infusion (prepared by steeping one half
ounce Red Clover blossoms and one half ounce Raspberry
leaves in a quart of water for four hours) can be taken
daily and continued for months. Another way to increase the
fertility promoting is by adding 5-15 drops of either Dong
Quai root tincture or False Unicorn root tincture to each
cup of this infusion.
- Ovulation is controlled by
light. You can leave a light on in your bedroom for three
nights midway through your menstrual cycle; all other nights
keep the room in total darkness. You will ovulate when the
light is on. Make love during the three "light" nights if
you want to conceive. This particular method is called
lunaception, and combines well with the herbs that promote
fertility.
BREAST MILK - A REMEDY FOR
MANY THINGS
(listed below are many of its uses)
- Eye Infections: Squirt in an
open or closed eye. If the eye is closed have the person lie
back, squirt it, the open his or her eye. Four times or more
a day.
- Plugged eye ducts: Squirt into
the eye crease at the nose. Do this four times one day and
two times the next.
- Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye): Same
as plugged eye ducts, but continue four times daily until
the crust is gone.
- Sties: Same as conjunctivitis.
- Sore/cracked nipples: Rub into
nipples and let air dry.
- Scratches: Squirt and air dry,
bandage or leave as normal.
- Scrapes, Burns, Gouges, Poison
Ivy: Same as scratches.
- Diaper Rash: Squirt & Air
dry.
- Burns: Dribble breastmilk on the
burned skin as often as possible.
- Mosquito Bites: Squirt on bite
and rub in. Stops the itching.
- Ant bites: Same as Mosquito
Bites.
- Ear Infections: Squirt or pour
into sore ear. Can follow with warm (not hot) olive oil and
garlic.
- Acne: Wash face with water, then
follow with breastmilk squirted onto a cotton (be sure it
is cotton, that synthetic stuff can scratch the surface of
your skin and cause problems) puff and apply all over face.
- Sore throats: Anyone who will
let you can be helped by a squirt of breastmilk. Either by
direct squirt or if applied from a sterile plastic cup.
- Sexual Lubricant: (males)squirt
directly onto penis; (females) hand express breast milk
into a sterile cup… use as you would KY jelly,
vaseline, or Astro Glide.
- Contact Lenses: If you have an
irritant under your lens and forgot your eye drops, take it
out, hand express to get a nice little stream going to rinse
the contact off.
- Eye puffiness & Redness:
Express breastmilk and pour over eyes. Does as good a job if
not better than black tea bags.
- Breast Cancer: The simple
natural act of breastfeeding can benefit mom as well as
baby, by providing protection against breast cancer, ovarian
cancer, osteoporosis, and obesity.
- Tooth decay: Scientists tried to
grow bacteria in breastmilk and it cannot be
done.
CRADLE CAP
- Apply any type of food oil to your
baby's scalp and leave it overnight. In the morning you can
gently remove the crust. Follow each oil treatment with a
good washing of the hair.
- Apply a witch hazel infusion or black
tea to the baby's scalp several times throughout the day,
massaging well each time. This helps reduce the production
of oil.
- Wash your baby's scalp with Amino-pon
soap(*Editor &endash; I think this is an American brand). It
will help loosen the crust and help you remove it
gently.
- Relieve cradle cap problems quickly by
giving your baby 2-5 drops of Wild Pansy leaf and flower
tincture daily, for up to a week.
UMBILICAL CORD
CARE
- Apply a coat of honey to the
stump.
- Apply Witch Hazel with a soft cloth to
the stump instead of alcohol. It will help it dry
quickly.
- Apply a few drops of Echinacea tincture
to the stump several times a day to encourage quick
healing.
- I myself, let my sons stump just "be".
I bathed him daily, and made sure it was cleaned with water
thoroughly. It came off on its own at 3 weeks. (*Editor
&endash; so did I, I think most people do
nowadays).
ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE IN
LABOUR
- Take 10 drops of Skullcap, Valerian, or
Passionflower tincture.
- Fresh garlic or garlic capsules help
lower the blood pressure. 15 capsules a day or several
large raw cloves.
- Steep a handful of dried Hops, Skullcap
and Valerian in a quart of water for at least 2 hours. Then
drink a cupful. The effect lasts for about two hours.
Repeat as needed.
PRE-ECLAMPSIA
- Drink up to four ounces of beet juice
daily.
- Take 100 mg of vitamin B in conjunction
with a high potency Vitamin B complex
supplement.
- Add up to three tablespoons of powdered
spirulina or Chorella seaweed to your daily
diet.
- Eat several ounces of fresh or cooked
Dandelion leaves regularly.
BALANCE OF MOOD IN
PREGNANCY
- 5 drops of Motherwort tincture in a
glass of water to restore balance.
- Up to 30 drops of commercial Skullcap
tincture, or 5-15 drops of fresh plant tincture, half an
hour before bed for a nourishing sleep.
- Take Alfalfa tablets 4 times a day (1
capsule each time) or as directed on bottle. Alfalfa is very
good for keeping moods balanced, as well as building your
systems immunity. It is safe for both lactating and pregnant
women (as well as any one else!) I TAKE THIS! AND IT
WORKS!
- Enhance your moods, ease morning
sickness with some aromatherapy.
- Diffuse pure essential oils of lemon or
peppermint in the morning, or whenever morning sickness hits
you.
- Bath and diffuse pure lavender to calm
and nourish.
- Feeling emotional? Try diffusing pure
scents of rose, sandlewood, neroli or (of course)
lavender.
SOME PREGNANCY
HINTS:
- Feeling like you are coming down with
something? Start taking Echinacea immediately. This herb
taken 3 times a day will boost your immune system and ward
off a cold or flu. It is very safe for nursing and pregnant
women.
- Drink Red Raspberry leaf tea. Drink it
fresh, made from organic dried leaves and water. This helps
to tone your uterus, and balance your hormones. It will not
cause a miscarriage, as rumour says. It is said to help your
labour as well if taken throughout your
pregnancy.
- Having leg cramps? Haemorrhoids or
spasms? Drink a nettle infusion. It will also nourish your
baby and you, as well as aid your kidneys and help build a
plentiful milk supply. Also can prevent excessive
haemorrhaging after birthing.
- Practice yoga appropriate for pregnancy
for back ache and muscle cramps.
- Get massages with peppermint oils for
pain. Peppermint is wonderful for that!
- Have heartburn? Chew on some raw
almonds or sip liquid yoghurt.
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