Herbs have been used to control fertility for as long as there have been women who desired to do so. Our desire is as great as ever, but our knowledge base is far from large or strong. This article is both a sharing of what I know, and an open ear to hear what you know. May we reweave the healing cloak of the Ancients. Further discussions on herbal birth control can be found in my book Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year (Ash Tree Publishing, 1986) and in Contraception and Abortion from the Ancient World to the Renaissance, John M. Riddle (Harvard University Press, 1992)
FOR HIM:
Hot balls make no babies. If he sits in hot water for 20-30 minutes every night for at least a month, he will shoot duds for the next 8-10 weeks. Don't laugh. This is effective and inexpensive.
FOR HER:
Ovulation Prevention
* Reduce fat intake
* Increase exercise
* Bring down body weight
* Caution: A fertile woman who is too thin to ovulate can lose as much bone mass in one month as she would in one year post menopause.
* Consider: The many health benefits of birth control pills
Fertility Signs
* Basal body temperature
* Cervical mucus
Timing is Important
* Hormone cycles and herbal birth control
* Fertilization, implantation, early pregnancy, and more hormones
Implantation Prevention
* Wild carrot seed (Daucus carota)
* Morning after birth control pills
* Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
* Rutin (good sources include buckwheat greens, elder leaves, and rue)
* Smartweed (Polygonum hydropiper); drink infusion of dried leaves freely.
Spirit-life Poisons
* Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)
* Rue (Ruta graveolens)
* Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
* Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
* Pennyroyal (Hedeoma pulegioides); and a word about essential oil dangers.
* Saffron (Crocus autumalis); one half gram daily for four days; ten grams is fatal.
* Vitamin C; take 500mg as often as every 30 minutes, up to 10 grams daily
Uterine Contractors (oxytocin)
* Birth root (Trillium pendulum); caution, do not use Aristolochia (birthwort)
* Blue cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)
* Cotton root bark (Gossypium)
* Dosages, cautions
For YOU BOTH:
Sterility promoters include stoneseed root (Lithospermum ruderale), Jack-in-the-pulpit root (Arisema triphyllum), and thistles (Cnicus and Cirsium species).
Green Blessings
Legal Disclaimer: This content is not intended to replace conventional medical treatment. Any suggestions made and all herbs listed are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, condition or symptom. Personal directions and use should be provided by a clinical herbalist or other qualified healthcare practitioner with a specific formula for you. All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care. Exercise self-empowerment by seeking a second opinion.
Susun Weed
PO Box 64
Woodstock, NY 12498
Vibrant, passionate, and involved, Susun Weed has garnered an international reputation for her groundbreaking lectures, teachings, and writings on health and nutrition. She challenges conventional medical approaches with humor, insight, and her vast encyclopedic knowledge of herbal medicine. Unabashedly pro-woman, her animated and enthusiastic lectures are engaging and often profoundly provocative.
Susun is one of America's best-known authorities on herbal medicine and natural approaches to women's health. Her four best-selling books are recommended by expert herbalists and well-known physicians and are used and cherished by millions of women around the world. Learn more at
http://www.susunweed.com
