When thinking about herbs for women, there are a few questions that come to mind. I wonder, is this herb easily accessible and not endangered? Is this herb ever contraindicated, meaning not recommended? Is it safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding? Is this for women that are cis-gendered, meaning identify with the gender they were assigned at birth? With all of these questions in mind and more, I formulated a list of herbs! These herbs are generally safe, easy to find, and are optimal for people born with a uterus. And it turns out, choosing just five was very hard!
Red Raspberry Leaf is the creme de la creme of womens herbs! It is commonly used during pregnancy to help tone and strengthen the uterus in preparation for birth and is safe to begin drinking daily once you’re past the first trimester and well into the second trimester. If you have a history of miscarriage or preterm labor, avoid red rapberry leaf until 37 weeks pregnant. Along with toning your uterus, red raspberry leaf also provides essential minerals magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Outside of birth, red raspberry leaf can be used to regulate an irregular menstrual cycle. And after birth, you can drink red raspberry leaf tea regularly to help tone your uterus and boost vitamins and minerals postpartum.
Dandelion is a common “weed” that is so much more than a weed! You can eat the greens in spring, as well as the flower and the root. Dandelion is best known for its detoxifying properties on the liver, and it keeps our kidneys cleansed and healthy. Keeping your liver healthy helps aid all other areas of your body, and is very important when trying to conceive because it moves toxins out of your body. During pregnancy, if you are craving coffee, dandelion root can be a delicious and nourishing substitute. I recommend giving Dandy Blend a try! It’s also great to have on hand postpartum and can move through your breastmilk, helping your baby if jaundice is an issue in the immediate postpartum. Dandelion is also beneficial for balancing your hormones during menstruation and menopause- a true overall star!
Nettle is a true all star of herbs! Beneficial for any gender, it is especially wonderful for people that are growing a baby, have given birth, or are on their menstrual cycle. Nettle is incredibly rich in iron, making it an important daily ally during pregnancy while you are building new blood. After birth, it helps regulate your hormones, supports breast milk production, and is incredibly useful after a cesarean where there is often more blood loss. During menstruation, you can support your cycle and increase your energy with a daily nettle infusion. This is truly an all time favorite and one that I think everyone should have a big jar of on their shelf.
Oats are a wonderful tonic in all of its forms. Remember taking a bath in oatmeal when you had the chickenpox as a kid? That’s because oats have an incredibly soothing and smoothing property. Oats come in many forms- oatstraw, milky oats, and the common oat. All forms are wonderful, but my personal favorite is milky oats. Milky oats are often made into a tincture when the oat seed pods create a milky substance. I like to imagine the milk of the oat plant moving through my body and smoothing out all of my frazzled nerves. And who doesn’t need that?! Oats are also beneficial in breastmilk production and soothing your nervous system in the postpartum time, and are great for helping with sleep and feeling frazzled during pregnancy- or in life in general!
Yarrow Flower Essence is not an “herb” necessarily, but a flower essence is another way to enhance your system with the power of plants. Yarrow flower essence is for setting and holding boundaries. If we do not have strong boundaries, it is very challenging to heal our body. Especially people that are socialized as women in our society, we are constantly expected to give with very little consideration of ourselves. Yarrow flower essence helps you create clear intentions, brings clarity to your words. Yarrow itself is not always safe internally- but flower essences and homeopaths are always safe! So be sure that you’re taking it in the intended form.
Resources
Other favorite herbs that I recommend checking out are chamomile, calendula, passionflower, lavender, vitex, shatavari, rose, and more! If you want to learn more about herbs for women’s health, check out the book Woman’s Handbook of Healing Herbs by Deb Soule and Conceiving Healthy Babies by Dawn Combs. Aviva Romm and Rosemary Gladstar are also both wonderful resources. If you’re interested in buying herbs in bulk, Mountain Rose Herbs is a great resource, and if you live locally in Asheville check out Lady Luck Gardens for bulk herbs! The closer they are sourced from where you live, the more potent and fresh.
