144 The Complete Home Guide to Herbs, Natural Healing, and Nutrition
unbalance the body’s own carefully balanced hormones. Do not take
stimulants like tea, coffee, and alcohol, and do not smoke: these will all
disrupt, among other things, the baby’s nervous system, sugar balances,
and circulatory system. See “Anemia,” in chapter 10, for information on
iron and folic acid.
daily herbs for pregnancy
You may need to take herbs to help the colon, but seek a practitioner’s
advice, as some colon herbs will be too forceful. Constipation is more
likely to manifest or get worse during pregnancy and must be treated.
Increase your water intake, drink fresh fruit juices, and eat fl axseed and
psyllium husks.
Liver herbs are important — a simple daily choice is dandelion root,
brewed as a “coffee,” for liver and kidney function. Ten drops of milk thistle
tincture is safe and a little stronger, useful for practitioner-indicated
situations.
Many herbs are contraindicated in pregnancy, so seek professional
advice on which ones to avoid. Nettles and chickweed are ideal choices to
use. Any pregnant woman who feels she ought to rush to the vitamin and
mineral counter at the pharmacy in order to do the best for the
development of her baby should stop to consider that, if she has the time,
her best source for these nutrients is essentially nature and her plants.
The body fi nds natural sources easiest to assimilate, and these should
come fi rst, and the synthetic versions second.
Iron, calcium, and magnesium levels should be boosted by eating lots
of seaweed or by taking kelp tablets and drinking three cups of strong
nettle tea daily (for extra calcium sources, see chapter 4). Folic acid and
iron are often given to women at the onset of pregnancy or after the fi rst
three months. You will fi nd excellent folic acid and iron sources in
chlorella and other algae. Folic acid in particular is vital in the fi rst
trimester as it is important for healthy bone formation in the fetus.
For calming and feeding the nerves, and for relaxing after a tiring day,
drink weak chamomile tea each evening.
Pregnant women can use a range of safe hormone-balancing herbs
during pregnancy to alleviate morning sickness, but only after
consultation with a herbalist. There are many herbs that should be
avoided in pregnancy, especially during the fi rst three months. This is the
time that the fetus is most vulnerable as, having no placenta, the baby is
defenseless against anything toxic. Herbs that are rich in alkaloids, or
those used to induce menstruation, are among those to avoid. They
include barberry root bark, pokeweed root, blue and black cohosh root,
life stages 144