Growing useful and lovely herbs during and after pregnancy is a wonderful way to connect the divine and creative forces within one's growing womb to those in nature. While the cycle of new life grows within the expectant mother, she can also nurture herbs and flowers like fragrant lavender, sunny calendula, relaxing chamomile and catnip that will, in turn, nurture her and her new arrival as well.
"Chamomile is so easy to grow and great for a baby," says Emma Ricci, an herbalist and midwife apprentice in the Rochester area. Ricci recommends making a bath bag with fresh chamomile, calendula, lavender and oats for washing baby and as a relaxing bath for mom. Ricci also likes to make a post partum Sitz bath tea for her clients out of chamomile, calendula, comfrey, St. John's Wort and yarrow mixed with witch hazel and a handful of salt. "It's a nice combination of soothing and astringent herbs to help speed healing," she says.
All of the plants and herbs listed here are easy to grow and do well in full sun to partial shade. Being herbs, they require few, if any, fertilizers. Be sure not to use any pesticides or chemical fertilizers on plants intended for use. Insect problems can usually be handled by washing leaves with mild, soapy water. Of course, the use of any plant or herb, especially during pregnancy or with a newborn, should be discussed with a midwife or healthcare provider prior to use.
For those who would prefer to simply admire their gardens and not delve into making their own herbal products, many garden and health stores, including Lavender Moon Herb Garden in Honeoye Falls, sell pre-made all-natural herbal products like Blooming Belly Butter, Sitz Baths, and gentle products for baby as well as a nourishing Baby and Me Tea that includes tonic and nutritive herbs like red raspberry, alfalfa, and nettles.
Regardless of how much is harvested, having a lovely herb garden to spend time in with a new baby is healing and healthy in itself; sitting beside a lush catnip plant with a colicky baby can be calming for both mother and child. Enjoying a connection to what blooms in our bodies and our yards is rewarding for the whole family.
Below is a list of specific herbs you may want to consider planting. Don't forget that any cut flowers are a wonderful addition as well.
Borage (Borago officinalis) – The blue star-like flowers of borage ease depression and increase milk flow. Flowers can be used as a tea and are edible and lovely on any salad, dessert, or side dish.
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) – Calendula flowers provide a skin-soothing gentle antiseptic bath when used in bath bags for baby washes. Flowers can be infused in olive, apricot or almond oil over a period of 1-6 weeks, strained through cheesecloth, and kept in a sealed jar for diaper rash and cradle cap treatment.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) – A relaxing and safe herb in the mint family that's great for colicky babies as a calming digestive aid. (You can make a light tea and offer a few drops or drink it yourself if you are nursing.) Catnip can also be added to a bath bag in the bath water. For teething, freeze catnip tea on the corner of a washcloth and offer the frozen pop for baby to gum away on.
Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis and Matricaria recutita) – Calming and soothing in a wash, it is also often added to diaper ointments and salves. Lovely yellow and white chamomile is also a gentle aid to digestion when taken as a tea.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) – Comfrey is recommended for topical use in healing ointments, salves, and poultices.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) – A tea made with licorice scented fennel is helpful for constipation, indigestion and heartburn that often accompany pregnancy. The seeds can be nibbled on for the same digestive issues as well as for morning sickness. Seeds, leaves and flowers drunk in a tasty tea increase milk production and are useful for digestion and colic issues as well as relieving gas.
Lavender (Lavendula sp.) – The fragrant flowering wands are relaxing and calming in bath bags for both mother and baby.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis ) – A great tea or tincture for nervous system distress and stomach upset, it is also useful in salves and oils.
Oats (Avena sativa and fatua) – These tall, lovely blue-green waving grasses produce traditional oat seeds whose green, milky tops are most beneficial. Oats are one of the most powerful nerve tonics and are also beneficial for soothing irritated or itchy skin in a bath. Oats can be eaten as a nutritious and restorative meal. Oats can also be grown as a ornamental garden accent.
Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) – A nourishing reproductive tonic high in iron, niacin, and manganese, red raspberry is useful during pregnancy and childbirth and throughout the reproductive years.
For more information on herbs for pregnancy and mothering, check out Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health or The Family Herbal.
Angela Cannon-Crothers is a contributing writer to Rochester Area & Genesee Valley Parent Magazine. She is an educator at Herb Haven in Crystal Beach as well as a writer and author. You can visit her website at angelacannoncrothers.webs.com
