But more and more women are waiting until their late
thirties, early forties, even late forties, to have children. Is this too
late? Are these destined to have high-risk pregnancies? Will these children
have more birth defects?
The answer to these questions - and others like them - is
"no!" for wise women who enlist the help of green allies to increase fertility,
ensure conception, prevent birth defects, and promote a healthy pregnancy and an
easy delivery.
INCREASING FERTILITY; ENSURING CONCEPTION
Increase your chances of conception by meditating.
Cultivating a calm attitude, not surprisingly, enhances fertility. Even taking a
quiet five minutes alone just for you, free of all responsibilities, can bring
big results if done frequently enough.
Use lunaception to time your ovulation so you have the
best odds of conceiving. It's fine to have sex in the weeks before ovulation,
especially if the sex is focused on the woman and her orgasm, but do save your
best efforts for those three nights when your "moon" is full and bright and
ready to frolic.
Orgasm on the part of the male is necessary for
fertilization. The woman's orgasm does increase the possibility of conception.
Women who experience orgasm after their partner (up to 40 minutes after
his ejaculation) have the very best chance of becoming pregnant.
Red clover is the single best remedy for women over
forty who want to conceive but can't - even if there are medical reasons for not
conceiving such as blocked tubes, diabetes, ovarian cysts, internal scarring, or
endometriosis. There are many heart-warming success stories I could share about
red clover! But suffice to say, drinking 2-4 cups of the infusion of the
dried blossoms (neither tincture nor tea nor pills will work for this
application) seems to do wonders for fertility, no matter what your age.
PREVENTING BIRTH DEFECTS
Boosting your nutritional status makes birth defects less of
a worry. Women who drink 2-4 cups of stinging nettle infusion daily and
eat cooked leafy greens as well as lettuce salads are getting the abundant folic
acid, calcium, magnesium, and other minerals needed to create a healthy baby.
(Tinctures, pills, and teas contain little or none of these important
nutrients.)
Vitamin E is an especially critical nutrient for
fertility after forty and freedom from birth defects. Freshly-ground wheat
flour, cold-pressed oils, and nut butters are all good sources of vitamin E, as
are stinging nettle infusion and most cooked seaweed, such as kelp. The man's
vitamin E level has as much, if not more, bearing on freedom from birth defects
as does the woman's vitamin E level.
Avoid heat, both of you. Hot tubs, even prolonged
soaking in a hot bath, can cause temporary (up to several months) sterility in
some men. In women, it can endanger the early embryo and trigger a miscarriage
or birth defects.
Avoid drugs, both of you, including alcohol, tobacco,
coffee, as well as over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs (except those
you absolutely need). Your liver needs to be strong and so do your kidneys, so
you can conceive and gestate a child. Instead of alcohol, which damages the
liver, drink herbal infusions or alcohol-free wine or beer. Instead of tobacco,
which may contribute to birth defects and low birth weight, try smoking a little
dried peppermint, or, better yet, go for a walk. Instead of coffee, which
challenges the kidneys, you may wish to drink green tea or black tea, or try
coffee substitutes, especially the one made with dandelion roots. Instead of
drugs to ease everyday aches and pains, use the gentle herbal remedies in this
book instead.
EMOTIONAL ISSUES
Ambivalence about pregnancy and parenthood is normal and
natural. But the older a woman gets, the more complicated her emotions about it
may be. Add to her emotional soup pot strong opinions from family and friends,
confusing information spread by the popular media, and fear-inducing
pronouncements from "helpful" medical professionals, and that pot will be in
danger of boiling over. Herewith then, some wise woman hints for keeping your
cool in the midst of overt and covert confusion.
Contrary to current opinion, having children in your forties
is ordinary and common worldwide. The Bible mentions several women having
children in their fifties. What is unusual and unique to our time is having a
first child in one's forties. Our mother’s, mother’s, mothers were having their
fifth or eighth or tenth child when they were in their forties, not their first.
If people tell you it just isn't done, close your eyes and call upon the spirit
of your great-great-great-great grandmother, then smile and tell them it seems
utterly ordinary to you.
Feeling tense and distressed about choosing or refusing
motherhood? Motherwort tincture is my favorite calmative. A dose of 10-20
drops helps clear your mind, eases your tension, and assists you in discerning
the best path to follow.
Bach flower remedies excel as helpers when you are
feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Try:
-
Aspen when you feel anxious, apprehensive, or afraid
of the unknown.
-
Mimulus when you are dwelling on a specific fear.
-
Elm when you feel overwhelmed or inadequate.
-
Red Chestnut when you are afraid for or worried
about your baby to be.
-
Rock Rose when you are trembling, shaking, or
weeping from anxiety or fear.
Regular gentle massage or Reiki treatments not
only help you calm your distress, they also guide you in creating a strong
center that's resistant to being pushed around by other people's opinions.
Massage and/or Reiki also help prepare your mind/body for a healthy pregnancy
and a safe birth.
SPECIAL ALLIES FOR PREGNANT WOMEN OVER FORTY
The single most important herb for pregnant women over forty
is comfrey (Symphytum uplandica hybrids). The leaves of the
mature plant contain an abundance of constituents beneficial to mother and babe,
including generous amounts of minerals, alantoin, proteins, and many vitamins.
The minerals in comfrey help ensure healthy nervous system growth; the fetus’s
developing brain uses the proteins. And the alantoin helps the mother's tissues
become stretchy and elastic.
Aging can lead to increased stiffness and brittleness in
bones and muscles, making pregnancy more arduous and painful, labor slower and
more difficult, and injury more likely during birth. The hormones of pregnancy,
which help soften and relax the pelvic tissues, may not be produced in adequate
amounts. Comfrey comes to the rescue! Comfrey creates flexible and strong
tissues throughout the body especially mucus surfaces (including intestines,
uterus, bladder and vagina), the bones, the ligaments and tendons, and the skin.
Regular use of the leaf infusion, at least a quart a week,
promotes a safe delivery by:
-
strengthening uterine muscles and preparing them to work
easily and well
-
strengthening perineal tissues so they become resistant to
tearing
-
strengthening uterine ligaments so the uterus does not
prolapse
-
strengthening the bladder and increasing resistance to
bacterial infection
-
strengthening the vagina and helping to promote an
environment hostile to infection
-
providing easily assimilated minerals to prevent eclampsia
and other complications
-
helping the bones of the pelvis flex and open during birth
-
increasing iron in the blood and thus forestalling
post-partum hemorrhage.
I harvest the flowering stalks when they are fully formed;
and I am careful to use the cultivated garden comfrey, which grows very tall and
has purplish, pinkish, bluish flowers. I avoid wild comfrey, which stays rather
small even when flowering, and has cream-colored, white, or yellowish flowers.
Some people feel that comfrey is not safe to use during
pregnancy. Some people feel comfrey is not safe to use internally at all. I
disagree. The roots of comfrey do contain compounds that are best avoided during
pregnancy (as do all parts of the wild plant). In fact, I rarely use comfrey
root because of the possibility of liver congestion, and I strongly caution
those who have had hepatitis, chemotherapy, or alcohol problems to strictly
avoid comfrey root. Yet even these people can benefit from use of comfrey
leaf infusions.
Another important herbal ally for women over forty who desire
a child is chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castii). It has been used in
Africa and parts of Europe for several thousand years to discourage the male
libido. In women, the effects seem to be the opposite! It may also be a
fertility enhancer. Most importantly, chaste tree is a strengthening tonic for
the pituitary gland, the master control gland for the endocrine system. Daily
use of the tincture of the berries (1 dropperful/1 ml 2-3 times daily) had been
shown to increase progesterone - the hormone of pregnancy - and luteinizing
hormone - which promotes conception. Because it can lower prolactin levels,
chaste tree is best discontinued during the last trimester of pregnancy.
Dong quai (Angelica sinensis) is not
recommended for women over forty. In general, this herb promotes blood flow to
the uterus and surrounding tissues. This can promote the growth of fibroids and
increase the risk of post-partum hemorrhage. Ginger is a better warming tonic;
motherwort is better at relieving pain; and raspberry is better at preparing the
uterus for birth.
Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional
medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to
diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal
directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified
healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material
contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should
not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare
practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by
seeking a second opinion.
Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Fax: 1-845-246-8081
Articles source :
www.womanhealthissues.com
Vibrant, passionate,
and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her
groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition.
She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her
vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her
animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly
provocative.Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal
medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling
books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are
used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at
http://www.susunweed.com
