a garden for pregnancy, labor and postpartum care

[mari]

I found my notes from a workshop I did in 1986. These are my notes on planting a garden for pregnancy, labor and postpartum care:

Prenatal bed
squaw vine
blessed thistle
black cohosh
penny royal
false unicorn
red raspberry
scullcap

Calcium bed
comfrey
horsetail
oatstraw
scullcap

Labor bed
red raspberry
peppermint
blue cohosh
spiknard

Birthing, bleeding bed
red raspberry
st john's wort
shepards puse
cayenne

After birth pains
wild lettuce
valerian
cayenne

This would be quite a garden if you had the space!

Mari

[AussieDoula]

Thanks so much for this awesome list! I have a cutting garden for craft stuff, but a "Birth Garden" will be on my to-do list after I relocate.

[Marisa]

That would be the coolest thing ever!!

I think horsetail is contraindicated during pregnancy - it contains nicotine. Thoughts?

[AmandaB]

I am totally doing this!
Where would you find the seeds or plants to plant?
How much room do you venture it would take?
What are the "rules" of harvest?

[doula Michele]

I love to garden and have about 1/4 acre devoted to my passion...
I will have to look some of these plants up, unfortunatly alot of perennial herbs do winter kill in the zone that I live in, its just to darn cold.

[mari]

Marissa pointed out that horsetail is contraindicated for pregnancy. I looked it up in Susan Weed's "Wise Woman Herbal Childbearing Year" and on page 13

"Before and during pregnancy, completely avoid:.....
Diuretics, including buchu, horsetail, juniper berries"

So I wonder why horsetail was included in the calcium bed, there are certainly plenty of other good sources for calcium!

Thanks for pointing that out!

Mari

[AmandaB]

I want to Thank Mari for this post. The toronto DoulaCARE group just had a meeting with a naturopath who came in and spoke about building a healing garden, harvesting and where to find these herbs. I think it is a fabulous idea and that you may not use the herbs in your garden on your clients, but at least it can be some sort of positive focal point.

[zora]

Wow, this is great. I've always wanted to implement a container gardening program for first time mothers. This gives me some great ideas.

[b'earth angel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mari Marissa pointed out that horsetail is contraindicated for pregnancy. I looked it up in Susan Weed's "Wise Woman Herbal Childbearing Year" and on page 13 "Before and during pregnancy, completely avoid:..... Diuretics, including buchu, horsetail, juniper berries" So I wonder why horsetail was included in the calcium bed, there are certainly plenty of other good sources for calcium! Thanks for pointing that out! Mari

I have a book that also suggest horsetail. It's very high in silica I guess. My midwife wouldn't let me take it either. I couldn't find it any way...

I think that Red Raspberry Leaf should also be under the calcium garden heading.

[demetria]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mari Marissa pointed out that horsetail is contraindicated for pregnancy. I looked it up in Susan Weed's "Wise Woman Herbal Childbearing Year" and on page 13 "Before and during pregnancy, completely avoid:..... Diuretics, including buchu, horsetail, juniper berries" So I wonder why horsetail was included in the calcium bed, there are certainly plenty of other good sources for calcium! Thanks for pointing that out! Mari

Mari,
It contains constituents that help to bind calcium.

[1stimestar]

Sooo, you aren't going to be giving these to clients without being a trained herbalist are you?


*ducking*

[fairytalescbs]

This is interesting. I should create a garden like this.

Georganne, I would not give any of it out to clients. I don't have enough information on herbs to even recommend them to check with their healthcare providers. However, as a student midwife, sooner or later I'll learn all about hearbs. But I plan to create one more for appearance and maybe personal use.

[AussieDoula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1stimestar Sooo, you aren't going to be giving these to clients without being a trained herbalist are you? *ducking*

LMAO!

Quote:

Originally Posted by fairytalescbs I plan to create one more for appearance and maybe personal use.

Ditto.

[1stimestar]

I loved having an herb garden. It was seperate from my flower gardens and lavander beds and was such a lot of fun. Someday I'll be able to get my own house again and grow more then a few tomato plants...

[b'earth angel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1stimestar I loved having an herb garden. It was seperate from my flower gardens and lavander beds and was such a lot of fun. Someday I'll be able to get my own house again and grow more then a few tomato plants...

You can grow tomato plants up there??