The Nursing Mother's Herbal (The Human Body Library) [Paperback]

Sheila Humphrey (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Human Body Library | Publication Date: November 6, 2003

Many women take St.John's wort for post-partum depression, but is it safe for their nursing infants? Whcih herbs can a new mother take to increase or inhibit milk production? Are there natural remedies for mastitis or chronic yeast infections? This integrative guide answers these and other questions about the effects of herbs, dietary supplements, and other natural products on nursing women and their babies.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A comprehensive and thorough manual about breastfeeding in general and herbal remedies in particular. -- Andrew Weil, MD

About the Author

Sheila Humphrey is an RN and Lactation Consultant in a hospital-based practice, and is a La Leche League Leader. She lives near Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 355 pages
• Publisher: Fairview Press; 1 edition (November 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577491181
• ISBN-13: 978-1577491187
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Herbal Remedies & Excellent Advice on Breastfeeding, June 5, 2004

By 

Rebecca Johnson "The Rebecca Review" (Washington State) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nursing Mother's Herbal (The Human Body Library) (Paperback)

The main focus of "The Nursing Mother's Herbal" is Breastfeeding. Herbal remedies are also included.

Sheila Humphrey has included just about everything you would want to know about this subject. She has also included information on specific herbal remedies for various situations.

If you are trying to decide between breastfeeding and feeding your baby "formula" you will want to read the benefits and risks section in chapter one. There is also information on donated milk and other fascinating facts.

This book is divided into 11 main sections:

The Health Benefits of Breastfeeding & Health Risks of Baby Formulas

Successful Breastfeeding - Everything from finding a lactation specialist to organizing your day.

How Milk is Made and Why This Matters

Herbs and Herbal Products

Healthcare Options - A discussion about Western and Conventional Medicine.

Postpartum Recovery - What to eat and what to expect after delivery.

Solutions for Regulating Your Milk Supply - herbal help

Breast Problems

Common Illnesses and Health Problems

Common Signs to look for when Your Child is Ill

Weaning and the Return to Fertility

The Nursing Mother's Herbal is one of the books I'd recommend to every woman who is considering becoming a mother or who is already pregnant. This book gives you a wealth of information and I think it is one of the most interesting books I've ever read on breastfeeding and postpartum issues.

Sheila also encourages you to find the support you need. She gives excellent advice on how to deal with every aspect of breastfeeding and also focuses on the most intricate details of every positive and negative situation that could occur. There are recipes for various "galactogogue teas" to encourage a good milk supply. By reading this book you can also find out interesting things about why you should not use aloe vera gel and why you might want to use tea rinses or poultices made from herbs for their skin healing properties.

Other features include:

An extensive list of organizations and websites
A Plant Safety Table (they also include information on herbs that will help or decrease milk production)
Detailed Information about Herbs like fennel, fenugreek, hops and milk thistle.

"The Nursing Mother's Herbal" is simply fascinating and I can highly recommend it to mothers who are preparing for breastfeeding or who are considering their options.

~The Rebecca Review

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for herbal remedies for breastfeeding mothers, December 15, 2003

By 

Cheryl J Renfree RN, PhD, IBCLC (Sutter Creek, Ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nursing Mother's Herbal (The Human Body Library) (Paperback)

Sheila Humphrey has writeen a book that incoroporates sound breastfeeding advice along with reliable herbal information. Breastfeeding mothers and their health care providers will find the Nursing Mother's Herbal to be easy to understand, reliable information. Humphrey is able to translate technical lactation management issues as well as botanical medicine into an easy to understand lay-woman's language. She speakss in a non-judgemental, objective approach to all traditions of health care management. Sheila successfully normalizes the Lactation Specialists role in the health care team. The Nursing Mother's Herbal provides excellent, sound breastfeeding information.
I found the Plant Safety section (Appendix C) at the back of the book to be an easy to use chart for practically every herb under the sun. The Plant Safety Appendix is an excellent resource for health care workers who need to know herbal safety for mother and baby. The table rates herbs according to their toxicity, interactions, contraindications and adverse effects. The Safety ratings range from "A" which is an herb that is relatively safe to "E" an herb that is highly toxic. The Plant Safety section is based upon evidenced based information obtained from scientifically sound resources.
The majority of the herbs and herbal products information clearly dispels common myths and misconceptions often associated with dietary and herbal supplement use for breastfeeding mothers. I have found Humphrey to be evidenced based in topics of plant safety, interactions, etc. Sections pertaining to suggested dosages fall back onto the time honored recipes that women and midwives have found to be effective over the millenia.
There is a nice section on choline, essential fatty acids, and food allergies. I would have liked more information on flax and lecithin and the health benefits they provide for breastfeeding mothers and infants. I found the directions to make herbal teas and infusions to be easy to understand and helpful for mothers. Humphrey also offers many practical holistic methods for breast milk production and breastfeeding management such as breast massage, breast compression and diet.
I found myself wishing there were more BOLDED sections for easier to find topics, herbs, etc. for easier referencing.
As an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant I encounter mothers on a daily basis who struggle with low milk supply and other breastfeeding problems such as sore nipples, thrush and mastitis. Many women seek home remedies that have been passed on from generation to generation. I find this book will help the lactation consultant and other health care professionals to obtain sound herbal information.
I think it will prove to be a "must read" book for all breastfeeding mothers and their health care providers who seek to know RELIABLE herbal information.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful resource for moms on natural remedies!, June 1, 2004

By 

Melanie Wilson "mongoliamel" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Nursing Mother's Herbal (The Human Body Library) (Paperback)

Taking prescription drugs or herbs while breastfeeding can be risky unless moms have good information about how it may affect her breastmilk and her baby.

Fortunately, books like Thomas Hale's Medications and Mothers Milk (2004 edition now available), and The Nursing Mother's Herbal by Sheila Humphrey can help nursing moms navigate pharmaceutical and natural remedies while breastfeeding. Moms who don't know anything about herbs as well as moms who have used them to treat common ailments will find The Nursing Mother's Herbal helpful.

Unlike the technical Hale book, which deals with prescription drugs (most La Leche League chapters own and can offer information from this book to share with your health care provider), The Nursing Mother's Herbal is an easy-to-read book about breastfeeding, herbs and dietary supplements.

The book's conversational style is backed up by serious, solid research. Humphrey, an IBCLC-certified lactation consultant, has studied botany at the college level. She is also an ob-gyn nurse and La Leche League leader. Her information sources for the book include her husband, a PhD botanist specializing in the study of medicinal plant pharmacology and ethnobotany; a long list of herb experts, including Andrew Weil; and breastfeeding experts, including Dr. Jack Newman and members of La Leche League.

For new moms, The Nursing Mother's Herbal devotes the first three chapters entirely to breastfeeding. It is an excellent explanation of all the factors that play into a positive nursing experience for moms and babies. Humphrey explains why breastmilk is the superior infant food, then she explores where to find breastfeeding information and support. Finally, she offers a peek into the amazing nursing mother-baby dyad.

For moms new to herbs, the following chapter is dedicated to explaining herbs and herbal medicines: What's a tincture? What is the difference between a decoction and a liquid extract? How do I know I am getting a quality herbal product?

Humphrey inserts many warnings throughout the initial chapter on herbs, including why it's important to make sure you have the right plant if gathering herbs from a garden or from the wild (some toxic plants look very similar to herbs), so this chapter is a critical read before moving onto the rest of the book. Many herbs interact with prescription drugs, so it is important to tell your health care provider about any herbs or nutritional supplements you take. Humphrey offers extra safety measures to apply when using herbs while breastfeeding, including: "When breastfeeding, it may be best to avoid those herbs that can cause side effects even in small doses; instead find herbs with a wider margin of safety."

Even so, she writes: "Despite all the concerns I've brought up here, please do not get the impression that herbs are dangerous. As a group, herbs are probably safer than most types of other medications."

The following chapters offer specific herbal remedies to various ailments or situations breastfeeding mothers may encounter, such as herbs related to weaning. Information-packed appendices at the end of the book provide further resources to explore as well as plant safety charts.

As with any book related to health, it is not a substitute for professional medical advice. However, The Nursing Mother's Herbal is a wonderful resource for moms to inform themselves about natural remedies and to gather information to share with their physicians about alternative treatments to common health problems. --Dana Anderson-Villamagna