Midwives often recommend herbal remedies for pregnant women in place of conventional medication, but many herbs are not well understood and haven't been tested on pregnant women to evaluate their effectiveness and safety. Pregnant women should avoid certain herbs during pregnancy to avoid complications. Always consult a health care professional knowledgeable of herbal remedies prior to taking any during pregnancy.
Contraction Risk
Certain herbs can cause the uterus to begin contracting, possibly before it is time for labor to begin. These herbs include dong quai, black and blue cohosh, angelica, lovage, mistletoe, tansy, wild ginger and wormwood. Some herbs, such as those in the cohosh family, might be recommended by some midwives to help induce labor once the baby is full term. The safety of these herbs for labor induction has not been proven and they should be used only under the care and direction of a midwife or other health care professional.
Miscarriage Risk
Some herbs have the ability to cross the placenta and might have an adverse affect on the baby, causing a miscarriage. These herbs include ephedra, mugwort, pennyroyal, rue and yarrow. These herbs should be avoided completely during pregnancy to prevent possible loss of the fetus.
Negative Effects on Mom
While some herbs might cause preterm labor, or miscarriage, others are deemed unsafe during pregnancy because of their effect on the mother. Eucalyptus oil can be difficult for the kidneys to excrete and juniper can cause the blood vessels to dilate excessively, which also can cause problems with the pregnancy. Poke root can cause severe vomiting. Coca is an herb that contains trace amounts of cocaine. Other herbs might be toxic to your liver, including comfrey, kava root and valerian. Lobelia is an herb that contains nicotine.
Questionable Safety
There are herbs that are safe and even effective when not pregnant that are questionable during pregnancy. Herbs such as St. John's wort, saw palmetto, goldenseal, passion flower, Roman chamomile, shepherds purse, male fern and yerba mate are all herbs that are considered likely unsafe during pregnancy. Your health care provider might recommend one of these questionable herbs for you during pregnancy if he feels like the benefit outweighs the risk.
