The move occurred on Friday the 13th (my lucky day). Actually, all went fairly smoothly except that I am lagging behind on my replies to email inquiries and this newsletter is being sent later than usual. Let me take this opportunity to say "thank you" to those of you who are patiently waiting to hear from me. We appreciate your patience and understanding. We have only had one disgruntled respondent and I apologize for any unhappiness I caused. We are doing all we can to provide the best possible service under the pressure of rapid growth.

HERBS DURING PREGNANCY PART I

Due to the number of requests for info on this topic, we are beginning this series to expound on the info we published a while back.

During the first three months of pregnancy all herbal remedies should be avoided, including essential oils and aromatherapy, unless under the supervision of a professional. There are a few exceptions to this rule, which include the following herbal remedies for morning sickness that can be taken anytime during pregnancy.

MORNING SICKNESS

German chamomile (Chamomilla recutita syn. Matricaria recutita) -- Among its many benefits this herb is valuable for morning sickness, indigestion, acidity, gastritis, bloating, and infantile colic (we will discuss the subject of herbs for infants more fully in a later newsletter). It is one of the safest herbs for use by anyone at any age. Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile syn. Anthemis nobilis) is a close relative, used in a similar way. Make an infusion and sip throughout the day. Do not exceed 5 cups per day.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is also safe to use at any age. It is excellent for many digestive complaints including morning sickness, colic, and motion sickness. Make an infusion with 1 tsp of grated fresh ginger per cup of water. Sip small amounts throughout the day. Take a maximum of 3 cups per day.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) again, is safe for use at any age, but we are cautioned not to exceed the recommended dose. It is useful for morning sickness, bloating, and indigestion with the added benefit of increasing breast milk production. Make an infusion with 1/2 tsp of seeds per cup of water and drink up to 3 cups a day.

SEEK PROFESSIONAL CARE

If any of the following symptoms occur during pregnancy, see your doctor immediately.

• Prolonged nausea causing an inability to eat properly and frequent vomiting leading to dehydration.
  
• Frequent urination lasting for more than three days or urination accompanied with pain.
  
• Breast pain with swollen glands under the arms or fever.
  
• Fluid retention that has not decreased after three days.
  

NO NOs

The herbs in this list are to be avoided during pregnancy. Keep in mind that some professional herbalists may prescribe one or two of these in specific cases, but I'm listing them here because serious problems could arise if these are used by a novice especially during the first three months.

And, the no nos are:

• alcoholic tinctures of any herb
• arbor vitae (Thuja occidentalis)
• black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa)
• buchu (Barosma betulina)
• Chinese angelica (Angelica sinensis)
• Chinese rhubarb (Rheum palmatum)
• dan shen (Salvia miltiorrhiza)
• devil's claw (Harpagophytum procumbens)
• elecampane (Inula helenium)
• feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)
• ginseng (Panax ginseng)
• juniper (Juniperus communis)
• licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
• motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
• myrrh (Commiphora molmol)
• pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)
• prickly ash (Zanthoxylum americanum)
• senna (Cassia senna)
• shepherd's purse, (Capsella bursa-pastoris)
• vervain (Verbena officinalis)
• white peony (Paeonia lactiflora)
• wild yam (Dioscorea villosa)
• wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
• yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
• yellow dock (Rumex crispus)

RELATED AILMENTS

A woman's body goes through a vast change during pregnancy. Many ailments can be attributed to these changes and simple homemade herbal remedies can be a blessed relief. Some of these related ailments might be constipation, heartburn, headache, nervous tension, insomnia, hemorrhoids, backache, leg cramps, stretch marks, and varicose veins just to mention a few. We will be discussing these in the next few weeks and plan to then get onto the topic of herbs for infants and children.

FOR THE SAKE OF TIME

It is now 11 p.m. central time and I will close for now even though this is probably the shortest newsletter we ever published. Let me close by expressing appreciation from all of us here at Abby's. I confidently speak for all of us when I say that your satisfaction is our greatest concern. Many of us find ourselves working long into the night to serve you and you will find a big smile on all of our faces even at the midnight hour.

Our goal is to bring collective knowledge together to provide accurate herbal information, giving references whenever possible, for the purpose of being informed when choosing self-help and alternative approaches to health and lifestyle. At no time should this publication be considered prescription or treatment, nor should any information published herein be misinterpreted as such. The publishers can not be held responsible for the mishandling of information by its readers.

Please do not take herbal information lightly.
Remember our motto is ... When in doubt, don't!
Until next Monday I remain,

Herbally yours, Abby

Lynda "Abby" Trahan
Abby's Herb Company
P.O. Box 213
Round Top, TX 78954

lynda@abbysherbshop.com
www.abbysherbshop.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. In other words, we'd appreciate it if you wouldn't try to sell these publications, but please feel free to pass them on giving the source.