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Better Than Zoloft – 9 Herbal Remedies

Better Than Zoloft – 9 Herbal Remedies

by | Apr 15, 2021 | Anxiety Remedies, Postpartum Anxiety

Are you considering Zoloft for anxiety after childbirth?

In this post, you’ll discover 9 herbal alternatives to Zoloft, to ease your stress AND some are safe to take while breastfeeding.

Here’s how I overcame anxiety without medication.

Keep in mind… In order for botanicals to be successful if you have postpartum anxiety or depression, you’ll want to take into account your full health.

Along with botanicals, consider addressing these five factors.

  • #1 Herbs for Adrenal health
  • #2 Are your vitamin levels low?
  • #3 How is your gut health?
  • #4 Are you sleep-deprived?
  • #5 Are you Stressed??
Grab this freebie to take the Edge off naturally

9 Herbs for anxiety/stress while Breastfeeding

#1 Passionflower

  • Use as a tincture or a tea for difficulty with sleep

  • Matthew Wood states that it actually increases concentration during wakefulness by “cutting out internal chatter”

  • Making it an excellent herb to use when you need quality sleep, but you need to get things done!

#2 Skullcap

  • Use as a tincture or a tea for insomnia, irritability and to soothe the nerves without slowing you down; like Chamomile tea may

#3 Stinging Nettles

  • Use as a nourishing daily tea
  • or add a tincture to your tea or water if you have irritability and weepiness

#4 Chamomile

  • take at night for sleep difficulty as it can be slightly sedating

#5 Lavender

  • Take for sleep difficulty especially if you’ve had too much coffee!

#6 St. Johns Wort

  • Considered an L2/L3 safety botanical while nursing
  • Take for depression, anxiety, and estrogen clearance
  • Talk to an herbalist if you are taking SSRIs. St. John’s Wort & alcohol have the greatest interference with your medicine.

#7 Motherwort

  • My favorite!
  • Great for heart palpitations, anxiety, irritability and overwhelm.
  • And, it’s safe while breastfeeding.
  • Use as a tincture because it is very bitter as a tea or supplement.

#8 Blue vervain

  • Use if you are irritable, weepy, and depressed
  • As a tincture or tea
  • Mathew Wood states: Blue vervains” have very talkative minds, and may even talk out loud to themselves (best combine with agrimony); they are control-freaks, extremely self-critical, responsible, reliable, and loyal.

#9 Milky Oat Tops

  • Take daily as a nourishing tea to soothe anxiety

Keep in mind, there are side effects to ALL medications. Here are some that women mention they experience when taking Zoloft.

Zoloft Side Effects

  • insomnia
  • unable to have an orgasm!!
  • head feels heavy, jittery in their skin
  • Moms complain it works well for a while then out of nowhere symptoms return
  • And, it may take years to taper off

I understand, it’s stressful to be raising children especially now during Covid-19, but I want you to know there are alternatives to medications you can take whether you are breastfeeding or not.

Also, consider checking these four things as well:

#1 Your Adrenal health

  • The adrenals are two small glands that sit on top of the kidneys and produce several hormones, among them, cortisol.
  • When under stress, we produce and release short bursts of cortisol into the bloodstream.
  • The adrenal fatigue theory suggests that prolonged exposure to stress could drain the adrenals leading to a low cortisol state.
  • The adrenal depletion would cause brain fog, low energy, depressive mood, salt, and sweet cravings, lightheadedness, and other vague symptoms.

Take action>>One thing you can do is integrate an adaptogen into your diet to soothe your adrenal health

#2 Check your Vitamin Levels

  • Women struggling with anxiety and depression are often low in Vitamin d., Magnesium, and B vitamins; especially after childbirth or long periods of stress!

#3 Check your Gut health

  • There is a connection between your gut health & anxiety
  • Consider healing your gut if you’re struggling with “digestive issues”

#4 Are you Sleep deprived?

Sleep is the #1 thing to restore to improve your health.

Ready to learn more? Grab this FREE Checklist to restore your health and take the edge off of anxiety.


References:

  • https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection

 

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9 Postpartum Sins & How to Rectify Them

9 Postpartum Sins & How to Rectify Them

by | Nov 19, 2020 | Postpartum Anxiety, Postpartum Depression

Wouldn’t it be great, if our postpartum care was as wonderful as prenatal care?

Think about it.

You get a bajillion prenatal appointments and ONE postnatal.

I’m on a mission to help moms recover from pregnancy faster.

Here is how you can heal quicker.

Postpartum Recovery

#1 Ask for Help

The transition into motherhood is not easy. Ask for help.

#2 Take supplements

Your body just went through the most miraculous event in your life.

You need to nourish your body.

Postpartum women need iron, vitamins, digestive enzymes, EFA’s, and probiotics to restore their gastrointestinal flora.

Watch this video to see the must-have supplements after birth.

Essential fatty acid supplementation (1-3 g/day combined EPA and DHA) and adequate cold water fish consumption during pregnancy and during the postpartum period may prevent or alleviate postpartum depression. Âą

#3 Improve your diet

Coffee in the morning and lunch and wine to wind down later {after breastfeeding of course!}. Your body is on a sugar roller coaster ride. I know this because this was me!

Try eating a little fat and protein at each meal and increasing your fruits and vegetables as much as you can to flush out the toxins.

#4 Skip the wine & beer

  • Do you believe beer is going to help you increase your milk supply?
  • Or.. that wine will help you relax?
  • It may be true, but the side effects are many. Including, a disrupted sleep six hours after your glass of wine. And, anxiety!!
  • Skip the alcohol and drink herbal teas of chamomile, lavender, and stinging nettles to soothe your stress and recover faster.

 

#5 Take Adaptogens

  • Adaptogens are a category of herbs that help you adapt to stress.
  • These herbs help the body modulate stress, reduce anxiety, and ease insomnia.
  • Grab this free roadmap to see how to heal after birth with natural remedies 👇

 

#6 Meet with a pelvic floor physical therapist

  • Have you been checked for diastasis recti?
  • Is your pelvic floor functioning correctly?
  • Unfortunately, most doctors don’t know how to check for this.

Watch this video to see if you have diastasis recti

#7 Have your thyroid checked

  • Your thyroid can become hyperthyroid two to four months after birth and then hypothyroid for two to eight weeks.
  • Isn’t that crazy?
  • I treated my self for hyperthyroid with botanicals, but I would have loved to have a proper diagnosis. Dr. Aviva Romm discusses your postpartum thyroid here.

#8 Wait to go back to work

  • If you can!
  • In most cultures, the new mom is encouraged to rest for forty days. The family helps with food and caring for the newborn. The mom is invited to sleep and relax.
  • Again, this was not my experience.
  • The worries of the new business, the stress of not sleeping, and the never-ending crying of babies were exhausting.
  • If I were to do it again, I would have planned better to be able to step away from my business and ask for help.

#9 Hire a postpartum doula

  • Postpartum doulas are known as the “must-have” accessory for new moms.
  • They help new moms with the caring of the child so that would we can trust our inner momma instincts.
  • They also may help with light housekeeping and meal preparation.

I breastfed both of my kids for three weeks, and then I looked in the mirror and thought, I am never going to get out of the house if this doesn’t change.

That night at 3:00 am I ordered formula and The Baby Whisperer on my phone. The next day Mario ate 5oz. of formula and slept seven hours! I would have loved for someone to tell me it’s ok to give your kids formula!

  • Katherine Whiteside runs a free infant support group at the local libraries, in Garrison, NY area.
  • Sign up for Linda’s Ladies breastfeeding support group for postpartum questions and support.

Conclusion

If you’re still struggling after birth, know that you are not alone. It can take years for your body to recover. The fastest way to recover would be to address your health now.

Can you change your diet? Add in supplements? Ask for help? When you feel good, your whole family will feel the difference.

I hope some of these tips help you survive the chaos of raising little ones.

Warmly~

Tara

P.S. Are you struggling with postpartum? Grab this FREE roadmap to help you overcome PPD & PPA naturally.

References:

  • ÂąRomm, Aiva; Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health
  • ²Hale, Thomas; Medications and mothers milk 2017
11 Postpartum Vitamin & Supplements Every New Mom Should Have

11 Postpartum Vitamin & Supplements Every New Mom Should Have

by | Oct 8, 2020 | Breastfeeding remedies, Postpartum Anxiety

Imagine recovering from pregnancy faster.

…More energy

….Better sleep

….And no constipation!

Sounds like a dream, right?

But, wait.

Consider getting tested for Vitamin levels before adding in anything new. And, of course, always consult your doctor before taking anything new.

By the end of this post, you’ll have my favorite vitamins & supplements to optimize hormone balance, energy, sleep, and thyroid health.

So, why do we need more supplements?

I know, I felt the same way. I didn’t think my body needed anything else.

You eat “healthy”, you exercise, you take some adaptogens. So why do you need more pills?

Let’s dive in.

A pregnancy, any pregnancy, can leave the body depleted. And after multiple pregnancies, your body needs deep nourishment. Click To Tweet

Consider why so many women end up with Thyroid problems, Crohn’s disease, or other Autoimmune disorders after pregnancy.

They are lacking, valuable nutrients.

Most of these vitamins are found in your daily multi-vitamin, but personally, I find using higher quality, liquid vitamins to transform your body faster.

Postnatal Vitamins

Here are my favorite nutrients for women after birth.

#1 B-Vitamins

Look for a multi-vitamin that contains a B-complex with methyl-B to support a healthy nervous system and liver detoxification or consider adding in the specific Vitamin B you need.

  • B12
    • Improves the quality of your sleep by resetting circadian rhythms.
    • Dosing: 1,000 mcg under your tongue
  • B9
    • B9 is also called folate or folic acid, is one of 8 B vitamins
  • B6-
    • Have you noticed you wake up startled in the middle of the night? This may be due to cortisol spikes.
    • Dose: Take 50-100 mg before bed to relieve night waking.

#2 Vitamin D3

The sunshine vitamin! Known to support immunity, boost mind and mood, especially for slight depression. It’s also essential for optimizing blood sugar when elevated.

Dose: 2,000 units/day up to 4,000 units/day for 3 months.

Want to know how to PREVENT postpartum depression? Grab this roadmap
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#3 Zinc

Zinc is a valuable vitamin for gut health repair and is also proven to shorten symptoms of cold symptoms by a few days. It also is a cofactor for collagen building and repair.

Pro tip: If you take a Zinc supplement on it’s own, make sure you eat something first as it can cause nausea.

Zinc Food Sources:

  • red meats (especially organ meats)
  • pumpkin seeds
  • sesame tahini
  • lentils
  • garbanzo beans
  • cashews
  • quinoa
  • seafood
  • leafy vegetables
  • root vegetables

Dosing: Zinc Citrate 30mg/day or Zinc carnosine to heal gastric inflammation 30 mg/day

#4 Vitamin C

Not only can it reduce the number of colds you have, Vitamin C is a cofactor for Collagen building and repairing; which you need for your pelvic floor and abdominal region rehab after a pregnancy.

Vitamin C Food sources:

  • citrus fruits
  • strawberries
  • rose hips
  • dark leafy greens

#5 Magnesium

Known as the calming mineral and one of the most depleted minerals most people have, Magnesium can help reduce constipation, detox the liver, and helps with muscle relaxation; especially during a stressful time like raising small children.

Pro tip>> Take Magnesium citrate at night to produce a soft bowel movement in the morning. If you get diarrhea, back off on the dosing and add in Mg Glycinate to total the daily amount.

Magnesium Glycinate is the preferred daily dose form. If you do not struggle with constipation, take Magnesium Citrate at night.

Daily Dose: 300-1200 mg/day

#6 Selenium

If you’ve had positive thyroids antibodies prior to pregnancy, you can reduce your risk of postpartum hypothyroidism by 50% by adding in 200 mg of selenium to your diet.

Food Sources of Selenium

  • brazil nuts – Just 1-3 nuts can provide enough nutrients to support your thyroid health.
  • oysters
  • mushrooms
  • fish
  • sunflower seeds
  • beef
  • lamb and chicken

Postpartum Supplements

#1 Collagen

Your pregnancy and birth have probably been one of the most transformative experiences you’ll ever have in your lifetime. Collagen is essentials for rebuilding bones, teeth, skin, join surfaces, and healing the unique injured you’ve incurred due to pregnancy.

After birth, your pelvic floor muscles and your abdominal area and have sustained an injury and need to heal. Eating foods high in collagen can speed healing.

A C-section is the only abdominal surgery where the patient is given no rehabilitation and is sent home with a new baby to care for.- Burrell Education Click To Tweet

Collagen Food Sources

  • Bone broth
  • chopped organ meats like liver
  • Bulletproof Collagen protein powder

#2 Essential Amino Acids

Amino acids are one of the many building blocks to aid collagen repair.

Look for foods with Lysine and Proline that are found in:

  • meat
  • egg whites
  • Vegetarians can seek sources of wheat germ and peanuts

#3 Probiotics

The gut-brain axis is the specific pathway that involves the neural, endocrine, and immune system. It has been hypothesized that restoring your gut flora can relieve anxiety, alleviate depression, reduce inflammatory cytokines, and reduces HPA axis overstimulation.

Basically; you heal your gut, you’ll heal your mood.

Look for probiotics that contain Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species; to reduce the stress response.

Struggling with anxiety and depression?

  • Bifidobacterium infants and B. long are found to be beneficial in reducing depression, irritability, and anxiety.

Dosing: 1-2 capsules a day with a minimum of 10 billion CFUs daily

#4 Omega 3’s

Omega–3 fatty acids are EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), these are found in fatty fish and have been shown to reduce inflammation, protect the nervous system, boost your mind and mood.

Dose: 850 EPA/200 DHA 1-2 x day

Omega 3 Food sources:

  • Fish {wild salmon and sardines}
  • Walnuts
  • Flaxseeds
  • grass-fed beef
  • pasture-raised eggs

If you don’t eat fish, algae-based vegetarian Omega 3 sources are available.

#5 Adaptogens

Are you taking adaptogens yet? These are the life-changing group of botanicals that help us “Adapt around stress.”

If you’re breastfeeding considering starting with these three herbs:

#1 Tulsi

Tulsi is the Sanskrit name for the Holy Basil plant and is known today as an adaptogen. It has been used to support a healthy response to stress, maintain blood sugar levels, and nourish the mind and spirit.

#2 Ashwagandha

Referred to as winter cherry, Ashwagandha is considered a Level 1 safe herb to take while breastfeeding. The translation is roughly, “the smell and strength of a horse” suggesting it’s aphrodisiac properties, but I feel your sleep improves immensely allowing you to withstand the whole day with stamina.

#3 Stinging nettle tea

Known as one of the most nutritious herbs for expecting and nursing mothers, Stinging nettles can help boost your nutritional content after birth.

The sting of the nettle disappears when you cook stinging nettles or drink as a tea. Personally, I love the kiss of the nettles each year, signaling the beginning of Spring.

Dose: Make a cup of stinging nettle tea at night with milky oat tops. Let it steep all night long. In the morning, strain and drink all day.

Conclusion

Optimizing adrenal and thyroid health is essential to restoring your body after birth.

Improving elimination will reduce the number of hormones floating around in your body and gently support liver function so you sleep better and have fewer episodes of PMS and PMDD going forward.

Along with a great nighttime routine, {and sleep routine for the kids}, you can easily return to pre-conception levels of energy and healing.

P.S. >>Want to know how to PREVENT postpartum depression? Grab this roadmap

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References:

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