Welcoming a newborn into the world is a beautiful journey, but it can also be physically and emotionally demanding for new moms. While you’re experiencing sleepless nights contrasted with the joys of bonding with your baby, you should prioritize self-care. Herbal medicine offers a natural way for postpartum women to support their bodies and minds during this period.
No matter what you need, there are herbs known for their effectiveness in addressing common concerns during the postpartum period, from mood swings to milk production and healing after childbirth.
Managing Post-Birth Blues with Herbal Remedies
Gentle herbal properties can help you tackle the emotional challenges many postpartum women face, which is why we feature these in our Feel Good Mama Uplifting Postpartum Tea Blend. This aromatic and floral tea is a wonderful daily calibration of the heart, nervous system and spirit. Great for alleviating those “down in the dumps” feelings so common after giving birth.
As you adjust to motherhood, find support in these natural solutions so you feel balanced and peaceful while adjusting to this new phase of life.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Chamomile offers calming effects and health benefits for new mothers. It’s rich in flavonoids to offer tranquility to combat postpartum depression. It has mild sedative properties that soothe anxiety, aid sleep, stabilize mood, and indirectly support breastfeeding. As an added bonus, chamomile aids digestion, which can help with postpartum bloating and constipation.
Chamomile is available in many forms; tea is the most common, but we also sell dried chamomile powder, and liquid extract.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
Hawthorn offers a natural and gentle way to soothe frazzled nerves and promote a greater sense of emotional resilience. Thanks to its ability to modulate neurotransmitter activity and release feel-good hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, it can soothe frazzled nerves and promote restful sleep. Rich in bioactive compounds, it strengthens the heart, stabilizes mood, supports stress resilience, and promotes restful sleep.
Integrate hawthorn into your postpartum routine to foster vitality and emotional balance during early motherhood.
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon balm is a powerful herb for women’s health because of how its calming effects help reduce anxiety, promote restful sleep, soothe digestive disorders, uplift mood, and support cognitive function during the postpartum period.
Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Nettle is rich in vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. It can replenish energy levels while balancing hormones, promoting milk production, boosting red blood cell production, and promoting postpartum tissue repair.
Herbal Options for Milk Production
Some herbs support lactation in breastfeeding mothers by naturally enhancing milk production. Whether you’re a new mom struggling with low milk supply or simply looking to optimize your breastfeeding experience, these medicinal plants can boost your baby’s nutrition.
Miss Anne’s Mother’s Milk Tea Blend combines all of the following ingredients into a slightly bitter, aromatic blend designed to boost and nourish breast milk production in nursing mamas. It has the added benefit of being mildly relaxing to the nervous system and greatly soothing to the gut as well!
Anise (Pimpinella anisum)
Anise’s galactagogue properties support milk production, resulting in an ample supply of nutrient-rich breast milk. Anise also has antispasmodic properties that help relieve postpartum pain and cramping by relaxing uterine muscles.
Its aromatic licorice fragrance and medicinal properties soothe nerves, promoting relaxation and emotional resilience in early motherhood.
Blessed Thistle (Cnicus benedictus)
Blessed thistle contains compounds like cnicin and lignans that increase prolactin levels, the hormone responsible for milk synthesis.
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Fennel stimulates breast milk production due to compounds like phytoestrogens and anethole, which promote milk supply and flow. It can also balance your hormones to help you feel at peace while your body heals from giving birth—especially since it relieves cramps by relaxing your uterine muscles.
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Fenugreek is a gentle herb often used in traditional medicine. Its diosgenin and phytoestrogens can stimulate milk production. Fenugreek also improves insulin sensitivity and regulates blood sugar levels, so if you have gestational diabetes or are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes after giving birth, add some fenugreek to your routine.
Hops (Humulus lupulus)
You probably know hops are a key ingredient in beer, but it’s also a galactagogue that stimulates prolactin levels to increase milk supply. While you could drink non-alcoholic beer and safely ingest some hops, it’s better to use the herb itself.
Oatstraw (Avena sativa)
Oatstraw is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so consuming this for postpartum care will have many benefits. While it’s not a galactagogue like some other herbs on this list, it promotes relaxation and reduces stress, which can increase milk production and promote nursing success.
By creating an environment that encourages milk letdown, you’ll be more likely to successfully breastfeed your baby instead of getting stressed out by the struggle.
Healing the Herbal Way
Herbal remedies can naturally support your body’s healing processes during postpartum recovery, particularly in the perineum area, which can be incredibly sore and painful following childbirth.
We recommend adding Miss Anne’s T’aint Sore No More bath blend to a sitz bath to help relax the muscles and relieve inflammation, or you can request a custom herbal blend that includes some of these ingredients:
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Calendula contains pain-relieving properties that speed up the healing process. You can apply it topically as a salve or add it to an herbal bath to soothe and heal tears, episiotomies, or cesarean incisions. It has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties so you can directly apply it to your inflamed perineal area for relief and use it as a diaper rash cream for your newborn!
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Comfrey aids in tissue repair and reduces inflammation, making it an herb you want to keep on hand as a new mother. It contains allantoin, which you can apply topically or use in a sitz bath. You can also crush fresh comfrey leaves to create a poultice for wound healing or infuse the leaves in oil.
Raspberry Leaf (Rubus idaeus)
Raspberry leaf is an unsung hero herb for postpartum healing. This amazing herb tones and strengthens the uterus and pelvic muscles to promote fast recovery. Its healing properties also reduce the risk of complications like uterine prolapse. You can find raspberry leaf in our Blooming Belly and Mother’s Milk Teas.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, yarrow aids tissue regeneration, boosts the immune system, and eases postpartum pain. You can apply it directly to sore or swollen areas for relief, use it in herbal baths, or prepare a yarrow tea sweetened with honey or lemon.
Integrate Herbs into Your Healing
New mothers experience profound physical and emotional adjustment during the postpartum period. Whether you grow your own herbs or get them directly from us, incorporating herbal medicine into your postpartum experience provides effective support for your body and mind.
Being a new mother has a learning curve and ups and downs, so choose natural remedies to streamline postpartum healing as you navigate the joys and challenges of early motherhood with the help of Miss Anne’s Maypop Herb Shop.
