Herbal Supplements

Most of the ancient physicians were men who regarded women purely in the role of child bearers and wet nurses. Midwives and wise women were far kinder to their suffering sisters, prescribing such soothing lotions and potions as belladonna fomentations, violet salve and herbal teas, whilst the best or worst that their male counter parts could conjure up were baked turnip or goose dung mixed with celandine. Conditions which affect the breast however are not particularly amusing. Mastitis or hard breast is excruciatingly painful , causing pain in the area of arm and neck as well as inflaming and hardening the breast, and it inevitably creates anxiety in the mind that something worse may be indicated. Any lump or bump in the breast should always be a sign to take immediate professional advice.

Sore, cracked nipples are usually a result of breast feeding, either because of the baby drgging at the nipple or because thecorrect care is not being taken in washing and drying the breasts before and after feeding. It does cast a pall over what should be a satisfactory maternal experience. 

Soothing Lotions and Potions

Mallows were believed to increase the supply and flow of milk as were borage, watercress, parsley, fennel, anise, hop, caraway, cumin, dill, carrots, lentils, milk thistle (recognized in the doctrine of signatures as a milk bearing plant), love-in-a mist and fenugreek which had the added benefit of giving the breasts an alluring roundness. Many of these herbs have the added benefit of counteracting post-natal depression. Vervain tea, 1 teaspoon infused in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, will also alleviate those dispirited feelings if taken three times a day. Half a teaspoon o sage infused in 1 cup of boiling water and drunk three times a day has the reverse effect of drying up the flow of milk.

To prevent sore and cracked nipples which can make feeding your baby an unhappy experience rub the nipples with a mixture of pure lemon juice and olive oil throughout your pregnancy and whilst you are nursing add a few drops o essential oil of geranium to a pot of cold cream and soothe the nipples with this. Calendula ointment may also help.

• Marsh mallow and common mallow Both of these are mentioned frequently in time – honored herbal remedies and in the chauvinistic words of one Dr William Coles, a 17th century physician,  for the Breasts and Paps of women – to procure a great flow of milk and to assuage the hardening thereof take mallows boiled and buttered. Whether he meant as food or poultice I do not know. However a salve made from 50g (2oz) of the leaves and flowers of the common mallow simmered in  tablespoons of lard on white petroleum jelly (Vaseline) is soothing and harmless.

Healing Massage oil for the Breast
 
4 tablespoons apricot oil
4 tablespoons wheat germ oil

Shake together and use warm to massage painful breasts. If used warm it is even more soothing. Apricot oil smoothes wrinkles out and is used for this purpose in cosmetics.

Other Soothing Suggestions

• Camphor A few drops of oil of camphor in 2 tablespoons of olive oil may be used to massage hard breasts but not when nursing.

• Honey and olive oil or lanolin Use honey and olive oil t anoint cracked nipples. Lanolin rubbed into the nipples also soothes and softens but do first make sure that you are not allergic to it.

• Warm poultices These are a standard and comforting remedy for mastitis hence the varied suggestions rnging from baked potatoes, turnips, fresh cooked – not baked – beans pounded with olive oil, ho plasters and  warm fomentations to the unlikely and delightful thought of keeping one’s breast in a sling. A god, properly fitted, supporting bra will do however.

A Soothing Tea to Improve the Flow of Milk

1 teaspoon each dried aniseed, dill and marjoram
½ teaspoon dried fenugreek
600 ml (1 pint) boiling water honey

Infuse the herbs in the water for 10 minutes and sweeten with honey to taste if necessary. A poor flow of milk was always considered to be one of the causes of mastitis in nursing mothers. 

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