6 DIY Recipes For Gentle Herbal Support for New Moms

The transition into motherhood is a profound time in a woman’s life. Whether she is welcoming her first baby or her fourth, every mom deserves the best care and love! Gentle herbal support for new moms can be found in herbal allies that include a wide array of botanicals.

Chock full of vitamins and minerals, nourishing herbs such as nettle, raspberry, alfalfa, and oatstraw provide nutrition that helps mom to make a rich supply of breast milk while giving her the essential nutrition she needs to be healthy. At the same time, relaxing nervine herbs, like chamomile and lemon balm, help to nourish the nervous system—calming and relaxing both mom and baby as they transition into their new life together. Raspberry, nettle, and lady’s mantle are a few of the herbs that also offer the benefit of astringency—helping to tighten up tissues such as the uterus following birth.

Find recipes for incorporating the benefits of these herbs and more into your own postpartum care below!

Helpful Herbal Tea Blends For Gentle Herbal Support

Herbal teas are simply wonderful for new mothers! Made with nutritive and calming botanicals, teas provide gentle herbal support for new moms by offering helpful herbal constituents along with hydration, which is so important for healing after birth and milk production.

A favorite way for moms to ensure their own care and hydration is to sip a cup of tea while feeding baby. Sit down somewhere comfortable and enjoy some quiet bonding time for both you and your baby. Let your tea cool before settling down to nurse so as to not spill hot tea on baby.

#1 New Mama Nourishing Blend

The herbs in this recipe are filled with nourishing vitamins and minerals to support mom with essential nutrition and help to promote a rich supply of breastmilk. These herbs are also astringent, which can help tighten and firm tissues such as the uterus following childbirth (Gladstar, 1993). Brew this recipe as an infusion to extract the most nutrients into your cup! Learn more about infusions here.

#2 Keep Calm Momma

Giving birth and caring for a new baby can be an emotional rollercoaster. Combined with plenty of sleepless nights, any new mom (and dad!) may find themselves overwrought and exhausted. Happily, there are many gentle, tasty herbs that lend a helping hand during this time, encouraging calmness, relaxation, and sleep (Weed, 1986).

Brew up a simple tea with relaxing nervine herbs such as chamomile, lemon balm, linden, passionflower, and skullcap, and sip a cup of soothing herbal goodness or try the following recipe! For a bit of extra soothing bliss, drizzle a spoonful of rose petal honey into your warm, steamy cup of tea.

Herbal Baths For Gentle Herbal Support for New Moms

Postpartum baths offer mom a welcome respite and well-deserved bit of self-care. Baths chockful of herbs can help to encourage restoration of the perineum while easing discomfort. A soak in a bath also offers mom a chance to relax and breathe deeply. Bringing baby into the tub gives mom and baby a lovely opportunity to bond while the fragrant herbal waters comfort them both.

Finish up your bath with a simple massage for both momma and baby. A nice oil infused with lavender blossoms is the perfect accompaniment to a massage!

#3 Herbal Sitz Bath for Soothing Relief

Blended with botanicals traditionally used by herbalists for soothing the perineum following birth, this bath blend is a welcome treat for new moms (McIntyre, 1994; Romm, 2014)! This recipe makes enough herbal bath blend for 2 baths.

#4 Relax Momma!

This blend is created with beloved nervines that offer soothing comfort for both mom and baby right in the tub, perfect for calming frayed nerves (McIntyre, 1994). Brew up this bath, climb into the tub, bring baby into the tub too if you wish, and let yourself relax. You deserve it!

Please note that herbalist, midwife, and doctor Aviva Romm explains baths can be used after vaginal birth “as long as mom is healthy and there are no signs of infection” (Romm, 2014, para. 2). If in doubt, be sure to check with your midwife or doctor before bathing.

Breastfeeding Support For New Moms

Breastfeeding can be a wonderful part of the mother and child relationship. Offering your baby the best nourishment available while snuggling close together is truly an amazing experience.

Yet even with this wondrous experience, there can be problems. Sore nipples are uncomfortable to endure, and you may worry that baby isn’t getting enough nutrition. The following recipes can help to provide a bit of comfort for you and baby.

However, sometimes outside help is needed. For example, sore nipples can be caused from positioning problems, and finding the right position for nursing will help you more than any nipple salve. So, if you are experiencing issues with breastfeeding or have concerns it is important to get support from your midwife, doctor, or a lactation specialist who can help you to sort out the issue (Humphrey, 2003)!

#5 Nipple Salve  

New moms often find that their nipples become sore as breastfeeding commences (McIntyre, 1994; Humphrey, 2003). A simple calendula salve is a wonderful option for soothing sore nipples. The following recipe is also a great option. Apply right after nursing and wipe off any excess before feeding your baby. (Please be sure to check in with your doctor, midwife, or lactation specialist if you are experiencing severely inflamed, infected, or cracked nipples.)  

#6 Rich Milk Brew

Galactogogues help to encourage production of breast milk while providing plenty of vitamins and minerals to mom (Weed, 1986; Humphrey, 2003). This brew will help both mother and baby get the nourishment they need!

Crafted into tea blends, herbal baths, and salves—these recipes offer gentle herbal support for new moms. If you can, create your herbal blends before baby comes so you will easily have these items on hand when you need them. If your loved one has recently given birth, take some time to honor them for the miracle they have brought forth and this new journey they have embarked upon. Brew up a cup of delicious tea or draw a fragrant soothing bath for the new mom to enjoy!

Find more support for new moms and family in The Herbarium where we have in-depth articles discussing breastfeeding and family life!

REFERENCES

Gladstar, R. (1993). Herbal healing for women. New York, NY: Fireside.

Humphrey, S. (2003). The nursing mother’s herbal. Minneapolis, MN: Fairview Press.

McIntyre, A. (1994). The complete woman’s herbal. New York, NY: Henry Holt.  

Romm, A. (2014). Healing Herbal Baths for New Mamas. Retrieved on 08/05/2017 from https://avivaromm.com/postpartum-herb-baths/

Weed, S. (1986). Wise woman herbal for the childbearing year. Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree Publishing.