Herbal Remedies for Women by Amanda McQuade Crawford

Author:Amanda McQuade Crawford [Crawford, Amanda McQuade]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-77866-6
Publisher: Harmony/Rodale
Published: 2011-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Herbal Treatment

The holistic objective is to promote health, including optimum weight and reproductive function in both partners. Natural fertility treatment for one adult partner takes the other’s support and participation into account whenever that would be helpful to their shared goal of having a healthy baby. It doesn’t hurt for a man to make a woman’s daily tea or to drink a cup of raspberry leaf tea with her. And I provide an herbal formula in this section for men to use when tests indicate their health can be improved in an integrated approach to fertility.

Knowing the cause of infertility in each couple’s case is necessary for treatment. Yet, no matter what the cause, treatment is more likely to succeed if the couple agrees to avoid polarizing on “her flaw,” “his problem,” “my genes,” “your job.”

In some cases of infertility, a woman’s immune-system cells consider the sperm cells foreign protein to be attacked; medicinal plants to normalize immune-system function can then be used.

Both partners might also spend a few months before conception taking alterative immunomodulators such as Lentinus edodes (shiitake mushrooms), Ganoderma spp. (reishi mushrooms), or Smilax ornata (sarsaparilla root). Some women with chronic health problems—for instance, sinusitis—respond to formulas that include anticatarrhals such as Solidago odorata (goldenrod herb) or anti-inflammatories such as Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice root).

The herbs that are most useful to enhance natural fertility are the reproductive and nervine relaxants, particularly Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort herb), Scutellaria lateriflora (skullcap herb), and Anemone pulsatilla (pasque flower herb).

Twisted fallopian tubes or an unhealthy uterine lining can be improved with antispasmodics, uterine tissue tonics, and abdominal exercises. A combination of Caulophyllum thalictroides (blue cohosh root) and Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh root) may be the best and simplest herbal way to stimulate tissue health of scarred structures when taken internally. This healing from within may be helped by any one of the many uterine tissue tonics, circulatory tonics, or herbs with an affinity for healthy connective tissue. Choose among them according to their main actions and secondary benefits as described in Chapter 1: Herbal Glossary. It may be helpful to consider Echinacea spp. (echinacea root or seed), Crataegus spp. (hawthorn leaf, flower, berry) and Equisetum arvense (horsetail herb).

Infertility with a hormonal origin responds to herbs that balance the hormone signals, such as Vitex agnus-castus (chasteberry seeds), Angelica sinensis (dong quai root), and Trifolium pratense (red clover blossoms). Other herbs that help would be the nourishing tonics such as Rubus idaeus (raspberry leaf) or Medicago sativa (alfalfa herb or seed). Herbs with an affinity for the reproductive tract that also have an antimicrobial property to clear infection include Achillea millefolium (yarrow). The bitter action of yarrow stimulates the liver to improve general health while metabolizing hormones that are out of balance.

In normal doses, as described in Chapter 2: Herbal Preparation and with each formula below, these herbs pose no health risk during the first few weeks of pregnancy. However, caution is always good practice in pregnancy. As soon as you know you are pregnant, stop taking all herbs that are not specifically recommended or needed during the first three months.

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