"Healing After Birth: The Best Herbs to Support Your Postpartum Recovery"

When it comes to recovering after postpartum, there is no one-size-fits-all all- If you’re looking for some simple ways to help boost and support you during this time that does not require a prescription or extra work on your part, here are some natural remedies that Mother Earth offers to do just that after such a transformational moment in life:

The easiest way to use these are in teas and bath soaks. However, you can also find products such as lotions, sprays & capsules that use and apply these ingredients.

Soft Tissue Support and Healing

Plantain Leaf (Plantago major)

We’re not talking about the banana! Plantain leaf is a common herb that grows like a weed in North America, and aids soft tissue healing. Plantain is gentle and safe to use topically during postpartum, and can be applied in a sitz bath or in a balm to promote healing and soothe damaged tissues. Especially helpful if you have any degree of a tear you’re working through.

We love Free Spirit Farm’s Healing Salve with Plantain and Calendula, and Earth Mama’s Sitz Bath and Perineal Balm.

We love this in a sitz bath! We carry Earth Mama’s organic line, which carries this herb in just this form.

Female Reproductive Health

Raspberry Leaf - Rubus idaeus

Commonly referred to as the Mother Herb, Raspberry leaf lends gentle support to the female reproductive system, is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, and can help to increase milk supply. It is a wonderful and light-tasting herb that makes a fantastic base for a postpartum tea formula. 

We love the Womb Wellness Tea by Euphoric Herbals as a nourishing source of Raspberry leaf.

Milk Production and Lactation

Fenugreek Seed (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

Fenugreek has been used worldwide for centuries to increase milk production. Make a tea with the seeds, or use them as an ingredient in your cooking (you can even make Fenugreek seed cookies!) to support lactation, aid digestion, and receive anti-inflammatory benefits.

We love Earth Mama Organic Milkmaid® Tea or their Raspberry Leaf tea, which is the only ingredient.

Please note: Fenugreek is a legume; do not consume if you have a nut allergy.

Mood Support

Tulsi (Holy Basil) - Ocimum tenuiflorum

Used in Ayurvedic medicine for centuries, Holy Basil is a gentle adaptogen that helps to balance mood, support the nervous system, nourish the adrenal glands, support the immune system, and help to balance healthy blood sugar levels. Holy Basil is safe to consume postpartum and can be taken as a tea, capsule, or tincture. Holy Basil tea makes a lovely substitute for caffeinated beverages and helps alleviate the stress of those moments.

We enjoy taking this in tea form or in Himalaya’s capsule form

System Support and Fortification

Nettle Leaf - Urtica dioica-

Pregnancy and birth take a lot out of us - to put it mildly. Our bodies can become deficient in vital vitamins and minerals due to the demands of gestation, birth, nursing, and other similar activities. Nettle leaf, taken as a tea or capsule, can help to fortify the immune system and provide essential nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and K, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium. Nettle leaves are also high in protein and contain essential amino acids - it is an absolute powerhouse of an herb! Nettle also has anti-inflammatory properties and supports bone health and hair and nail growth. With a light, verdant flavor that falls somewhere between tea and broth, Nettle leaf is a versatile herb that makes an excellent addition to just about any herbal tea blend or soup broth. Fresh nettle is a springtime treat if you’re brave enough to harvest it! The “sting” comes from a chemical compound in the leaves, and can be neutralized when exposed to heat or dried. 

We really love the Womb Wellness Tea by Euphoric Herbals, which also has Nettle leaf. You can find this herb in many teas, however. It’s a very common herb found in digestive teas.