herbal infusion recipes for children?

[nycmom18]

i am wanting to start herbal infusions for myself, and would love to be able to give the same infusion to my 2.5 yr old. we are wanting to make another baby in the next couple of months, so i am looking for an all around nourisher and tonic. i've heard of the following herbs and they seem promising:)

-nettle

-red raspberry

-red clover

-oatstraw

-alfafa

-rosehips

-hibiscus

thoughts?

anything unsafe for children?  

anything im missing that might be useful for either of us?

can i combine all of these or is it not as nourishing?

i tried my one and only nettle infusion a couple of months ago, and just could not get it down.  i added mint, juice, lemon, honey, etc, wasnt workin':) please help!  i am turning in circles daily on the internet trying to figure out how to do this thing so many people have been doing for centuries!!:)

and i did just order wise woman childbearing...so im sure it will help some.  

[nycmom18]

oh please, i know someone has some answers for me:)

[moonlight mom]

I probably wouldn't do too much red clover for children.  My children mostly drink chamomile, lemon balm,  and honeybush teas.  I also buy the quiet child and fairytale blends from mountain rose herbs.

[nycmom18]

thank you for your input!  i was looking at the quiet child tea as well, looked yummy:)

do a lot of moms here give their children regular infusions of nettle and red raspberry and such for added nutrition?  i heard infusions are much more nutrient dense than teas, is that right?

[mbravebird]

I give my kids nettle infusion, because that's mostly what I drink, so I have it around. It does taste very "green", but you will get used to it. For the kids, though, I just add it to a smoothie. Could you do that for yourself? Make a "TTC smoothie" with good fats, kefir or yogurt, any other superfoods you want to add, and nettle infusion.

I'd look more into Red Clover before giving to it a child -- it might be fine, but I'd check to be sure.

If you do RRL and Red Clover for yourself, be aware that they will taste really bitter as an infusion (as opposed to a tea, where they taste great.) You can avoid the bitterness by infusing for 2-4 hours instead of 4-8. I did that with RRL and still got all the benefits during my second pregnancy -- I had no palpable early labor and a 27 minute delivery. And a beautiful placenta! I did no prenatals, just herbal infusions,  superfoods, and good nutrition that included lots of fats and organ meats.

You'll get a lot of guidance from the Wise Woman Herbal you ordered -- enjoy.

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by nycmom18  i heard infusions are much more nutrient dense than teas, is that right?

Yes, that's right. They provide nourishment on multiple levels -- nutritional as well as medicinal. Many herbs have medicinal value in many forms, but with infusions you get the nourishment/nutrition aspect as well. And in addition to all that, I have found that infusions put you in a strong relationship with the herb, which has many benefits. Sort of a third dimension :)
 

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by nycmom18 can i combine all of these or is it not as nourishing?

Susun Weed's approach is to do "simples" of herbs, meaning one infusion at a time. You could alternate throughout the week if you wanted benefits of multiple ones. Other people do combinations, and find it works fine for them. I tend to agree with Susun, just because of the relationship aspect that I mentioned already.

That said, when I was pregnant I would make separate infusions of RRL and Nettle -- and then if I got pressed for time, I'd dump them in a jar together and drink them at work throughout the day. I think you'll find whatever works for you; just pay attention and be flexible and enjoy your discoveries...

[nycmom18]

thank you! i see what you mean on relationship with the herb, just planning to do an infusion feels so much deeper and beneficial, maybe im just gullible with what i read:) and im very much anticipating the arrival of wise woman!

[springmum]

I would love to know more, but I have limited knowledge on herbs.

I do give my DS (almost 3) nettle infusions fairly regularly. He'll drink it plain like I do, I guess we like the earthy flavour! I have given him sips of my RRL, but realized I don't know enough so haven't given him more. 

I have a "immunity booster" herb mix that I'm giving him a little bit of before we go on holiday too (I can look up the herbs that are in it)

I call it "tea" and put in a tea cup and we have a tea party to make it fun.

I have Susun Weeds books, just haven't had the time to go through more than the fertility stuff right now so I don't know more.

[deditus]

Originally Posted by nycmom18 

-nettle

-red raspberry

-red clover

-oatstraw

-alfafa

-rosehips

-hibiscus

I would (and do!) use any of those except red clover for my child! We are dairy free and we really see and feel a lot of benefit from the minerals. I alternate between simples ala Susun Weed and mixes. I believe in the philosophy of simples but sometimes I get bored and want to throw stuff together, lol.

[hippiemom]

Susun Weed's Herbal for the Childbearing Year is THE BEST...  I raised 3 kids on it {all the way to college!} and the info in that book never failed me.  Great great recipes and how to use them with children..  

That said, if you or yours do not like the green taste of Nettles {it is an acquired taste} you can make it into syrup or tincture..  I use the tincture in spring/summer months and give the syrup to kids.  I make a weaker tea strain of the infusion and steep it with lemon grass and put honey in it; this is still a good tonic.  

Don't forget your roots in tonics!  Burdock, yellow dock, dandelion root..  sassafrass will make it taste of root beer :)  They have an earthy taste, so mix them with mints, cinnamon bark..  

Ginger root is great for flavor and digestion

Slippery elm is soothing and sweet!

Oatstraw is one of my very faves for kids, calming and adds a mellow taste..  Calendula flower too.  

Red rasp is a good tonic for all, with a lighter taste than nettle.  Alfalfa herb too, has many of the same properties of Nettle with a less "green" taste.  I am with the rest however, the more you use Nettle the more you like it!

Enjoy the book.  My 3 kids all healthier and with an appreciation for the Earth's healing gifts because of Susun Weed's wise words and how joyful it was to incorporate that into our lives.  I was given her Childbearing Year book when I was pg with my 18 year old :)  Still my cherished favorite!

[nycmom18]

springmum:  could you please share your immunity blend?:)

[springmum]

The immunity blend was put together by a local herb farm in our area (SweetDoveHerbs) so it is not something I put together.

It contains

-echinacea leaves & petals

-rosehips

-red clover

(Note: after making it tea strength only and giving my toddler a few sips, I saw that red clover was not a good idea for him? Can I ask why?...as I've read some things online mentioning it being useful for children (but of course I don't know how accurate the sources always are)..so he didn't have any more. I did drink some as the herb lady said it was fine for breastfeeding mama's)

Thank you to the more experienced mama's for sharing what you know! :)

[nycmom18]

i am no so experienced with herbs either, but in the herb encyclopedia by jack ritchason, it says red clover is useful with whooping cough and cancer.  so it is my opinion, that it may not be "dangerous" but possibly a stronger herb that is set aside for when it is necessary?  possibly very astringent as well?  and it is also not listed as an herb to avoid with children.  maybe some more mamas will chime in...

[SunLily]

Red Clover is safe for babes and kids, but yes saved mainly for illnesses.  Our naturopath recommended a tea blend for my DS's whooping cough that included red clover.  It was kind of helpful, but I found that some other herbs were more effective like thyme and slippery elm...

[VBA2CHopeful]

Hello everyone,

I just read something about 2 - 4 hrz infusion for Raspberry leaf tea. I have been havin this tea since my 29th week and I have been infusing one tsp of this herb in one cup of hot water for 10 mts before having it. Am I doing it wrong??

Thanks.

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by VBA2CHopeful 

Hello everyone,

I just read something about 2 - 4 hrz infusion for Raspberry leaf tea. I have been havin this tea since my 29th week and I have been infusing one tsp of this herb in one cup of hot water for 10 mts before having it. Am I doing it wrong??

Thanks.

What you are doing is the tea form, which is not as potent as the infusion form. Infusions use  a higher proportion of herb to water, and steep for hours instead of minutes. Infusions offer more medicinal and nutritional benefits.

Usually the proportion is about a cup of herb to about a quart of water. I use quart canning jars, which already have a one cup line on them. Cover with just-boiled water, cover with the lid and let sit overnight, usually. Strain, drink, and refrigerate what you don't drink. Shoot for drinking about two cups per day.

With RRL, the tannins are really strong, so I find I can't infuse as long. A 2-4 hour infusion was about all I could take, tannin-wise, with RRL.

[VBA2CHopeful]

Thank you! I will make this infusion henceforth for the remaining of my pregnancy. I thought we were supposed to "sip it hot" as I read somewhere. But if you have good experience with it this way, then I guess it should be ok.

[Stephbunny]

I really want to try these herbal infusions, but my problem is I don't know where to start to get the herbs!

I have an organic grocery store somewhat close to us, but they are pretty expensive. I live in an urban area, so I can't just wander through a field to pick some flowers!

Where does everyone else purchase their herbs? And how expensive do you find it?

[mbravebird]

Mountain Rose Herbs is a wonderful herb source, and if you go through the mothering link, part of your purchase will go to Mothering. But really, they're one of the best companies to buy bulk herbs from, regardless of the Mothering connection.

You can also buy bulk dried herbs from Frontier Co-op, or from any number of small producers online.

Also, if you want to avoid shipping (that's where the expense comes, imo), you can go to your local health food store that sells bulk spices. They most likely get their bulk spices from Frontier, and they can add on an order of a pound of whatever herb you want to their next order, and you can pick it up there and pay them.