5 Great Herbs for New/Expectant Mothers & Baby

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Herbs For Pregnancy

I’ve recently been doing a lot of research on herbs and essential oils that are safe for women during pregnancy, and gentle enough for new babies.

Why? Sound the trumpetsMatt and I are expecting our first little one! This is a thrilling time for us as we prepare for the enormous blessing of a new squishy baby in the household.

Along with all the excitement has come some frustration – I have had to avoid many of the herbs and essential oils I normally include in my daily routines. I don’t want to take any chances using the wrong thing, so I’ve left herbs and oils out of things while I took the time to research which are safe.

Thank goodness for a surprise gift I just received. Our friend and fabulously talented staff writer, Nina Nelson, recently completed writing an e-book called DIY Natural Remedies. She sent us a copy to take a peek at, and I’m sure she had no idea what a valued collection of information this ebook would be for me!

Nina has four kids of her own and has a passion for learning about herbs and essential oils. The ebook covers recipes for the entire family, but I was especially excited to see that her book included a section of recipes for babies AND a section dedicated to women’s health recipes (with an emphasis on pregnancy/postpartum recipes). Along with recipes, she shares her years of research on which herbs are the safest and most beneficial for babies and mothers.

I’ll share five of the herbs highlighted in this ebook that I’ll now begin including in things I make for myself or our new baby when he/she arrives.

Herbs For Pregnancy Calendula

5 Safe & Useful Herbs for Mothers and Babies

Calendula

This multi-purpose herb is perfect in healing ointments due to its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to speed healing. It soothes irritated skin and is often used in natural first aid remedies.

It is wise to include calendula in things like homemade Diaper Salve, Healing Balm (for mama or baby), Postpartum Bath Herbs for mama, Nipple Salve for breastfeeding, Herbal Bar Soap, and Healing Lip Balm. Each of these recipes can be found in Nina’s new ebook.

(Find calendula flowers here.)

Chamomile

Chamomile is a mild herb that’s safe even for babies. Its ability to soothe and promote sleep makes it ideal in teas. Nina also states in her book, “It has the ability to penetrate deeply and ease the pain of inflammation.”

This herb is used for its soothing properties in many of Nina’s recipes, including Earache Oil, Soothing Bath Herbs (for mama/baby), Teething Tea, and can also be included in the Diaper Salve recipe.

(Find chamomile flowers here.)

Lavender

Lavender is one of those gentle herbs that helps promote relaxation and healing. It’s one of the few herbs mild enough for use with babies. Mothers love it too for its fragrance and function.

Dried lavender buds can be used in combination with other herbs to help baby deal with the pain of teething, and also provide relaxing/soothing properties to bath herbs that can be used for mama or baby.

(Find dried lavender flowers here.)

Red Raspberry Leaf

This herb is commonly known as a great pre-natal herb, used to gently tone the uterus and provide some much needed minerals during pregnancy. Not only does it contain lots of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, but also iron and calcium. It has also been known to reduce irritations and promote hydration.

Red raspberry leaf can be used in teas during pregnancy and even postpartum for uterine health. Nina includes it in her recipe for Mama’s Monthly Tea, and also in Sleep EZ Tea which can be used by mama AND baby.

(Find red raspberry leaf here.)

Marshmallow Root

This mucilaginous root gives products a “slip” which lubricates and soothes skin. It’s a very moisturizing herb, perfect for use on delicate or irritated skin. It helps alleviate pain when used in herbal remedies.

Marshmallow root is a helpful ingredient in Nina’s Healing Balm – perfect for use on diaper rash and/or postpartum bottom care. It is also a moisturizing, soothing ingredient to use in the herbal bar soap recipe found in this new ebook.

(Find marshmallow root here.)

Make Your Own Natural Remedies for New/Expectant Mothers and Babies

Are you expecting a new baby soon? Have you just had one? Or do you have girlfriends or family members who will soon be having their own babies?

It would be awesome to pamper new mothers and babies in your life with fabulous herbal treats you’ve made yourself, right? Baby shower gifts are always a little more personal when a handmade item or two are thrown in the mix. In the past when I brought gifts to families for their newly born babies, I always tried to include a little something for the new mother. After all, she IS the one who did all the hard work.

Here are some of the items from the new ebook, DIY Natural Remedies, that might be perfect for a new/expectant mama or baby:

  • Postpartum Bath Herbs
  • Belly Butter
  • Diaper Salve
  • Teething Tea
  • Pregnancy Tea
  • Nipple Salve (yeah, this might conjure some laughs, but a breastfeeding mama will appreciate this one)

Click here to get your copy of DIY Natural Remedies so you can get started making some of these simple recipes right now. (Don’t miss the 20% coupon code below!)

DIY Natural Remedies For Pregnancy

What else can you find in the ebook?

Babies and new mothers aren’t the only ones who can benefit from the remedies found in Nina’s ebook. She also includes recipes for:

  • Aches & pains
  • Allergy relief
  • Cold & flu
  • Immune system
  • Skin

This book is a great one for every member of the family. (I just happen to be partial to the mother/baby recipes right now!) The best part is that the remedies are SIMPLE to make. If you’ve read any of Nina’s articles on our website, you know she’s no-nonsense when it comes to her recipes.

Want to SAVE 20% on this new ebook?

Yeah, we’re into deals too. So if you’re interested in learning more about natural remedies to use with your family, click here to purchase the DIY Natural Remedies ebook and enter coupon code DIY20 at checkout for your 20% discount!

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About Betsy Jabs

Betsy holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Counseling, and for nearly a decade worked as an elementary counselor. In 2011 she left her counseling career to pursue healthy living. She loves using DIY Natural as a way to educate people to depend on themselves to nourish their bodies and live happier healthier lives. Connect with Betsy on Facebookand Twitter.

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DISCLAIMER: Information on DIY Natural™ is not reviewed or endorsed by the FDA and is NOT intended to be substituted for the advice of your health care professional. If you rely solely upon this advice you do so at your own risk. Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure statements here.

Comments

  1. Avatar photoJoan says

    I am Labor and Delivery nurse and Massage Therapist and have taken several Aroma Therapy classes. The recommendation to drink red Raspberry Leaf Tea is contraindicated during pregnancy. It is however used up to 8 weeks prior to delivery, during labor and postpartum. Early pregnant women
    (first and second trimester)should avoid as it is a uterine stimulant to increase tone. RN/LMT

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Hi Joan,

      Thanks for visiting and leaving your thoughts! I have done TONS of reading about red Raspberry Leaf Tea and have found some conflicting things on it. However, I’ve read many things from midwives and naturopaths stating that one cup a day in the first & second trimesters is fine (and encouraged in many cases). I have also found a few sources that say it has actually been used as a gentle uterine toner to *prevent* miscarriage in the early months. I suppose this is one of those areas a pregnant woman just needs to do her research and talk lots with her own health care practitioner about.

  2. Avatar photoRhoda Edwards says

    Congratulations Matt and Betsy! I bought the e-book about two weeks ago. It is so very informative. Nina is truly talented>

  3. Avatar photoRandall Rodriguez says

    It is important to say that chamomille could interrupt pregnancies making the new mom enter in labor. Please new moms ask about it to your doctor. The chamomille is great during menstruation and for babies… ine had a bottle of it las night for ease a fever 🙂

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Hi Randall,

      I agree, all pregnant women should check with their own health care practitioners on these issues. We’re not medical professionals. Keep in mind our article is only suggesting topical uses of chamomile for pregnant women, in which small amounts of the herb are used. (Even if used as a tea, huge amounts would need to be used before problems arose during pregnancy.)

      Thanks for visiting and leaving your thoughts!

  4. Avatar photoBarb says

    There are conflicting opinions on whether lavender is estrogenic or not, so I am not sure which study to believe. What are your thoughts or findings? BTW, I am very excited for you both on the news of your pregnancy! God bless all three of you!

  5. Avatar photoElizabeth says

    Congratulations! I am expecting, too, in July…curious if you are still using and plan to use your homemade laundry detergent? Just wondering about the borax…read things here and there…we began using the recipe last week in hopes it will help our allergy ridden dog, but also in preparation for our baby’s delicate skin. I look forward to more posts geared toward baby care 🙂 Best of luck to you!!!

    • Avatar photoBetsy Jabs says

      Hi Elizabeth,

      Congratulations to you as well!!! What an exciting time! We do plan to use our homemade laundry detergent, but we’ve considered substituting baking soda instead of borax just in case it bothers baby’s delicate skin. Baking soda is also cheaper than borax. It doesn’t have exactly the same cleaning properties, but we know it works well.

      Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy!