Gentle Birth formula?

[Hippiemommie]

x-posted in my DDC

My midwives suggested I take this tonic. It's called Gentle Birth and they tell me that it won't make the baby come before he's ready but will make your labor go quicker and be easier. HOWEVER I was looking at the herbs used and I'm not so sure about that. Seems like quite a few of these herbs are to start contractions. Tell me what you think:

Contains: Blessed Thistle, Blue Cohosh, Flase Unicorn, Red Raspberr, Squawvine, Bayberry, Ginger, Scullcap, Motherwort, Wild Yam extract.

Those are in order listed so you know what is in there the most.

BTW I don't want to make this baby come before he's ready at ALL! I want nothing to do with any kind of induction "natural" or otherwise. I wouldn't mind a "gentler" birth though.

[JamieCatheryn]

I'd say to just take red raspberry leaf and nettle, in a tea. No cohash.

[cheery]

My midwives recommended something similar but I didnt know where to get all those and didnt take it.
Later I found an herb store and was inquiring about cohosh etc and they said only under supervision. These are very friendly folks who dont hesistate to give herbal advice, so I dont think they were just overly cautious. But I should have asked them why they said that.

What happens if you take cohosh w/o supervision? Does baby actually come too early?

About ROSEMARY I read (in Rodale, I think) that taking a LOT of it when labor starts can be helpful. I have to go back and read whether this means high concentration or just large quantity. (or both)
Any insight on this?

[MsBlack]

In my opinion, Gentle Birth Formula is at best, a bunch of hooey that makes promises it really can't keep, and at worst, something no pregnant woman should be taking because of problems it causes including disappointment and impatience. Blue cohosh is strong medicine to use for particular purposes, not a 'tonic'. I could go on and on about each herb (some of which are fine, btw), but I won't...I will say that I had one woman have 2 long pregnancies without GBF, and then for #3 she took and had only a 41 wk pregnancy. So when I worked w/her on baby #4, she wanted to take it again...I told her my opinion, but she took it anyway--and had her longest pregnancy to date, 43wks 1dy. Another client took it and merely called me 3 or 4 times for false alarms before 'real' labor had really started--I believe that the GBF was just making her uterus irritable in those last weeks. Still another took it with first baby and labored for more than 2 days before birthing (luckily, more than 1/2 of that was prodromal, but she still had 18hrs of hard active labor). In other words, GBF does NOT do what it says it will.

I will never understand why women think they need chemical aids--even herbal ones--to birth normally. Don't we (women and midwives alike) believe that women and birth WORK? Don't we trust women and birth? Eat right, get enough rest and fluids and surround yourself with love--you will birth just fine! Save the 'medicine' for when you're 'sick' or dysfunctional!!!

Do want to add that certain herbs, including some in GBF, are more 'nutritional' than medicinal--they have concentrations of minerals, etc, and are good for women the way good food is. But it is best to know which herbs are 'food', and which are medicine--and use them accordingly.

[Hippiemommie]

Originally Posted by MsBlack

I will never understand why women think they need chemical aids--even herbal ones--to birth normally. Don't we (women and midwives alike) believe that women and birth WORK? Don't we trust women and birth? Eat right, get enough rest and fluids and surround yourself with love--you will birth just fine! Save the 'medicine' for when you're 'sick' or dysfunctional!!!

Do want to add that certain herbs, including some in GBF, are more 'nutritional' than medicinal--they have concentrations of minerals, etc, and are good for women the way good food is. But it is best to know which herbs are 'food', and which are medicine--and use them accordingly.

Thank you for your post. This is pretty much how I feel. I'm in no hurry for this guy to be here and I don't want him to come before he's ready. I also don't know if these herbs are causing him stress. I'm not going to take it anymore. I would like to know what herbs I should look into for toning the uterus and supplementing my diet to make my body stronger for birth. If you have any tips on that please send my way.

[MsBlack]

Eat good sources of protein, whatever ones work for you. Get plenty of fruit/veg in the course of a day; don't avoid fats but don't overdo 'em, either--know how much you are getting and where they come from. Drink plenty of water/clear fluids; get enough rest (listen to your body about this); eat sweets in moderation and look toward healthy sources of sweets if you have a sweet tooth; take walks at least 4x a week, or do some other kind of exercise that feels good--swim, bike, yoga, whatever gets your heartrate up a bit, your breathing deepened, your muscles flexing and stretching for 20 or more minutes at a time. In general, housework is not exercise--not the kind you need.

Red Raspberry is the most time tested gentle uterine toner. Nettles, Oatstraw, a few other herbs are good to drink w/RRL for nutritional purposes--find a copy of Susun Weed's Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year for more complete herbal info.

Think happy thoughts, be ever so grateful for the good things in life, work positively on the not-such-good things where you can, sing, hug your mate and other kids/friends, etc, talk to your baby, cry when you must...let the love flow and pay attention to what you really need. Trust yourself, talk about what bugs you and listen to what you say and what you think...figure out what you need to trust yourself and birth more and more.

there--that is my Basic Recipe for a Healthy Pregnancy

If you feel good, then things probably ARE good. If you don't feel so good in any way, then explore that toward resolution...with food, drink, friends, exercise, etc, the Basics of Healthy Living.