Anyemi Mohee (Welcome brother/sister)
As a new parent there is soooo much you need to consider and often you forget yourself looking after everyone else. I understand this, but taking care of yourself is also an important part of taking care of your baby/Child/Family. So on your new journey as a mother, what two herbs do I think will be of use? Well here we go!
Stinging Nettle – Urtica dioica
Stinging Nettle, most of us know this plant because of its nasty sting. My sister fell in a bush of nettles years ago, and even though I shouldn’t, it still makes me laugh thinking about it – it was a classic kodak moment. But this plant is amazing! You can literally use every part of it for something. But today we are focusing on the young leaves. When you give birth it takes so much out of you, and then looking after a newborn, disrupted sleep patterns and for those who are breast feeding thats an extra energy requirement right there.
So one of the most important things you need during this time is nourishment. Without it your body won’t have the tools and fuel to heal you and keep you well. Now Stinging nettle leaf has got bare (a lot) vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, and magnesium, these are vital during post-birth recovery. To benefit from Nettle leaf as a food, it should be eaten. But make sure you either cook, steam, dry, or thoroughly grind in a Pestle and mortar to remove the plant’s sting. Also make sure you get the younger nettle leaves as the plant gets more fibrous the older it gets. So maybe add it to a soup or a stew where you would usually use spinach, because nettle is better and free – if you can get someone to collect it.
Calendula officinalis
Now this plant I give serious ratings to. Because of this plant one of my sisters began to rate me as a herbalist lol. So what did I do? My sister’s son (under 1 at the time) had a rash that wasn’t going no matter what she put on it, so I creamed him with calendula oil and within a couple of days that rash was gone!
Now how come? Well calendula is a G at soothing skin irritations, from relieving sore nipples to treating yeast infections and even Athlete’s foot, Calendula’s healing and antimicrobial properties work wonders. On children like my nephew you can use it in a cooled tea form, oil or cream for eczema or nappy rash. It’s the most requested plant in my family, I’m even told it’s a great beard oil – don’t ask me how that came about.
So, don’t play with Calendula, that’s why it’s got ‘officinalis’ in its latin name, it’s been officially recognised as medicine from time.
Precautions
It’s important to work with a herbalist to ensure you are taking the right plant (For example, Calendula is also known by another name ‘pot marigold’ and many other plants – without the medicinal properties – share this name). So working with a herbalist that knows what they are doing (i.e did not learn from youtube university) can help you get the right form, at the right dose, in the right preparation for you.
Also be aware that some herbs can interact with other medications/ supplements you may be taking and if you are allergic to members of the daisy family, calendula is from the same plant family so I would be careful. Also your child has a rash you need to check with your doctors to make sure it’s not something more serious like meningitis or find out what the underlying cause is because as amazing as these herbs are – they wont cure everything.
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