Excerpt from The Herbal Doula: Plant Medicine for Fertility, Community Care, and Birthwork. 
Postpartum Herbs
Ashwagandha can be used after birth and into the postpartum period as an adaptogen and mood-balancer. It is anti-anxiety and soothes mood swings and stress. It can be a welcome addition to an herbal protocol for postpartum depression for those reasons. As a general tonic, ashwagandha is safe and helps replenish the body post-birth. Many folks find
that their sleep patterns are disrupted during the postpartum period. Ashwagandha helps reestablish a healthy sleep-wake cycle and can do wonders for your sleep.
A 2020 study observed the effects of ashwagandha on sleep quality. The eighty participants included folks with good sleep and folks with insomnia, both of which were split into two groups each. One group received ashwagandha and one group received a placebo for a duration of eight weeks. The results of the study demonstrated that ashwagandha supplementation is beneficial for both healthy folks with good sleep as well as those who suffer from insomnia. People who had insomnia benefited the most from ashwagandha, with effects like better mental alertness and deeper sleep quality.
Ashwagandha pairs well with shatavari, another adaptogen useful during postpartum, both of which I recommend taking in powder form. Take ashwagandha as a powder mixed with nut butter and honey as a food-based medicinal snack. Enjoy ashwagandha at a dosage of 2–5 mL of tincture or 2–5 g of powder per day.
Calendula works mainly as a topical remedy during postpartum, which means you’ll apply calendula remedies over the skin or over the body. Calendula is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, wound-healing, and deeply soothing and protective. You’ll want calendula on hand as a C-section salve to speed healing, to apply around the vagina and over the perineum following vaginal tearing from vaginal birth, or as a general restorative remedy to apply anywhere over the vulva, perineum, anal area, and lower pelvis for any inflammation or pain and to prevent infection.
Calendula balm can be used as a nipple salve during postpartum to prevent itching and irritation from breastfeeding or chestfeeding. Use calendula as a salve or balm. It can also be used as an herbal tea, infused in water and used as a compress, spray, or sitz bath. Calendula infusion can also be used in the making of a sitz bath or spray, blended with other herbs like comfrey and raspberry leaf for targeted results.
Cleavers helps clear fluid retention and assists with the urogenital system. As a lymphatic tonic, cleavers alleviates symptoms of water retention and fluid retention associated with the postpartum period. It accomplishes this by acting as a gentle diuretic as well as a lymphatic herb. Take cleavers as an infusion, about 1–2 teaspoons of dried cleavers per cup of water, blended with dandelion leaf and corn silk.
Cleavers can also be taken as fresh juice; harvest the aerial parts during the summer months and press through a juicer with a bit of water added as necessary. You can freeze the juice into ice cube trays for enjoying later in the year. Use one or two iced cleavers juice cubes per day, melted and mixed with fruit juice to taste.
Comfrey is used as a topical remedy during the postpartum period. It’s an unparalleled herbal remedy for wound healing and is highly rec-ommended for C-section wounds, perineal tearing, hemorrhoids, and any other tear or wound. Comfrey speeds the healing process and helps you recover faster. Both comfrey leaf and comfrey root can be used for that purpose. Note that comfrey isn’t antibacterial, so it should always be paired with an antibacterial herb like calendula or St. John’s wort when it is used for postpartum wound healing. Use comfrey as a salve or balm for external use. Comfrey infusion or herbal tea can also be used in the making of a sitz bath or spray, blended with calendula and raspberry leaf. Paired with plantain, comfrey offers cooling relief.
Holy basil is an adaptogen and mood-balancer during the postpar-tum window. It is also a good digestive herb, which means it supports and enhances digestion and the processing of nutrients. Holy basil is a galactagogue herb, so you’ll benefit from it while you breastfeed.
As an adaptogen, holy basil helps bring post-birth hormones back into balance and calms your nervous system. Add it to your herbal reg-imen if you’re experiencing mood swings, tearfulness, and other symp-toms of postpartum depression, such as anxiety and low mood. A 2022 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial observed the effects of holy basil on stress and mood.10 One hundred volunteers ages eigh-teen to sixty-five received either 125 mg of holy basil twice daily or a placebo. After eight weeks of daily herbal intake, the holy basil group had a 37 percent reduction in perceived stress compared with placebo. The stronger effect of holy basil for lowering stress was significant com-pared with placebo: about double. The anti-stress benefits of holy basil measured in this study include lowered cortisol and blood pressure.
Use holy basil in the form of tincture or capsules. Take 1–5 mL of tincture per day. It also makes a delicious herbal infusion, paired with nettle and raspberry leaf. Use 1 tablespoon of dried holy basil per cup of water. If you have access to fresh holy basil, you can use it in recipes in the place of regular culinary basil.
Maca is a nutritive tonic and adaptogen. It’s an excellent postpartum herb to nourish new mamas and parents, especially in recovery from birth and for folks who are breastfeeding. Maca provides important vitamins and minerals and fatty acids. Aside from being nutritive, maca is also a tonifying adaptogenic herb that supports healthy immune function, a well-regulated nervous system, and balanced hormones. It acts as a galactagogue.
During postpartum, take maca in the form of powder for best results, added to yummy foods like smoothies and bliss balls. Enjoy 1–5 g of maca powder up to twice a day. Maca powder is delicious mixed with the milk or nut milk of your choice along with cacao powder and a touch of sweetener. Blend and enjoy.
Passionflower is a nervine herb to support healthy, balanced moods. It helps to lessen feelings of anxiety, stress, sadness, and other hormone-related mood changes. The postpartum window is intense and can be filled with strong emotions. Passionflower has an affinity with the heart and emotional wellness. Take passionflower in the form of tincture or infusion. Recommended dosage for passionflower tincture is 1–3 mL up to three times per day. Passionflower infusion or herbal tea is yummy and helps support restful sleep. Use 1 teaspoon per cup of water.
Plantain is most commonly used as a topical remedy during the postpartum period. It is an anti-inflammatory herb that offers relief from swelling and pain in the vaginal and anal regions as well as relief from itch and inflammation on the breasts and nipples. While plantain doesn’t speed healing as fast as calendula and comfrey do, it’s a superior remedy for swelling and burning-hot inflamed tissues. Use plantain as an herbal salve or balm; apply liberally as needed. Plantain can also be used as an infusion or herbal tea and combined into a sitz bath, soak, or perineal spray. For irritated nipples, apply a compress of plantain tea and calendula tea over the breasts or chest.
Raspberry leaf can be used both as an internal and an external remedy. As an internal remedy that you ingest, raspberry leaf acts as a uterine tonic and supports the uterus toning back into shape post-birth. It’s also a potent nutritive and restorative herb that offers important nutrition. Pair with nettle and enjoy as an infusion for that purpose. As for external remedies, raspberry leaf is an astringent herb—it tightens loose tissues, such as what you experience with hemorrhoids or slight uterine prolapse. To use raspberry leaf as a topical remedy, extract raspberry leaf in witch hazel water. Let it infuse for two to four weeks, strain, and use it as a spray or compress. Raspberry leaf infusion can also be used as a sitz bath. It pairs well with yarrow and calendula for that purpose.
Schisandra is an adaptogen herb that can be useful in the postpar-tum period as a restorative tonic. It supports liver health and hormonal balance and lifts mood. Schisandra is especially beneficial for folks who experience postpartum headaches. As an adaptogenic herb, schisandra supports your health as a whole and enhances postpartum recovery. It sometimes has an effect as a gentle aphrodisiac and can be helpful when you’re ready to have sex again after birth.
Take schisandra as a tincture, infusion or decoction, or powder. Recommended dosage for schisandra tincture is 5–10 mL per day, split between 2–4 doses. For infusion or decoction, use 2 teaspoons of dried schisandra berry per cup of water. If opting for the powder form, you can take 250 mg up to three times per day, preferably blended with a milk or juice of your choice, and sweetened to taste.
Shatavari is an adaptogen that supports the body as a whole. Gen-eral tonics like shatavari are helpful during the postpartum period as your body adjusts to the effort of birth and caring for your newborn baby. Shatavari supports mood regulation, good sleep, stable energy levels throughout the day, and offers nutrition that your body needs. It is also a galactagogue herb. Shatavari pairs well with ashwagandha and maca. Enjoy it as a tincture or powder in the form of food-based reme-dies like smoothies or bliss balls. Recommended dosage for shatavari is 1–3 mL of tincture up to three times daily, or 5 g of powder split between separate doses throughout the day if required.
St. John’s wort is most commonly used as a topical remedy during the postpartum period. It’s an antibacterial herb that provides wound healing and a speedier recovery from C-section or perineal tearing. As an herbal oil, St. John’s wort offers pain relief and a soothing action on strained muscles and joints. It makes a great all-over body oil after birth and during the whole postpartum window. It’s especially effective for wounds and tears. St. John’s wort can be blended with comfrey for that purpose.