Poop, Raccoons, and Milky Oats: Herbs for Postpartum & Nursing Mothers

I woke up thinking I was going to have a slow morning.

You know the kind — soft light, warm coffee, maybe a quiet moment before the world remembered I existed.

Instead, I walked outside to find $100 worth of chicken feed delivered after dark, ripped open by raccoons, and lovingly marinated by the rain. Perfect. I love to see it!

Inside, the cats chose violence. The dog pretended not to know her own name. Caspian began screaming a scream that felt ancient, like he was summoning every mother who has ever lived.

I was running late. I was already overstimulated. Then Caspian pooped.

And somehow, that poop found his entire body AND me.

So there I was — teary, caffeinated, covered in baby poop, standing at the edge of my nervous system capacity — when I did the only reasonable thing:

I made another cup of coffee.
Added two droppers of milky oats.
And decided to solve problems one at a time.

And honestly? This is postpartum in a nutshell.

Not the perfectly curated IG version.
Definitely not the glowing mother archetype.
The real version. The chaos that you wouldn't trade for the world.

Postpartum Is a Nervous System Initiation

Postpartum is not just recovery. It is a rewiring.

Your body is learning how to hold another nervous system.
Your heart has expanded beyond comprehension.
Your minerals have been borrowed.
Your blood has been shared.
Your sleep has been fragmented into devotion.

And your identity is quietly rearranging itself while you aren’t looking. Your body is learning how to hold two realities at once.

Herbs don’t fix this or make this pretty.

They DO, however, make it supported. After the morning I've had, I am inspired to write this blog to help other moms, new and seasoned, build confidence in their plant relatives for support. Here we go.

The Deep Nourishers

Moringa is one of the most beautiful postpartum plants I know. It is mineral-rich, protein-dense, and gently supportive to milk supply. It doesn’t stimulate — it replenishes. Moringa reminds the body that nourishment is not a luxury, it is a biological necessity.

Nettle works in a similar way, but with an earthier, grounding intelligence. Nettle is iron, calcium, magnesium, silica — the bones, blood, hair, and nerves all whisper thank you. It is for rebuilding after loss, whether that loss was blood, energy, or pieces of yourself you are still finding again. 

(Find both of these powerhouses in my Everflow Lactation Support Tea!)

Red raspberry leaf holds the memory of the uterus. It tones without tightening, supports without forcing. It reminds the womb that it is safe to return to itself in its own time.

The Nervous System Allies

Milky oats is what I reached for this morning because it doesn’t sedate — it nourishes the nervous system. It feeds what has been frayed. It is for the mother who is tired in her bones, not just her thoughts. It's for transforming frazzle and fright into dazzle and delight.

Lemon balm brings light back into the mind. It softens anxiety without flattening emotion. It reminds the nervous system that joy is still accessible.

Skullcap is for the edges. For the electrical feeling under the skin. For the moments when your body feels like it has too many open tabs.

Passionflower is for the mind that won’t turn off even when the body is begging to rest. It gently unhooks the loop and lets the racing thoughts unravel.

The Heart Herbs

Postpartum opens the heart in a way nothing else can. And sometimes that opening hurts.

Motherwort is for the overwhelmed maternal heart. The heart that loves fiercely and fears quietly. It steadies without hardening.

Rose keeps the heart soft. It allows grief and love to coexist. It reminds the body that tenderness is not weakness.

Hawthorn strengthens the heart both physically and emotionally. It supports circulation, resilience, and the quiet courage it takes to keep showing up.

These herbs don’t protect you from feeling.

They help you survive feeling.

The Digestive & Grounding Allies

Because postpartum digestion is often tender, slow, or unpredictable.

Ginger brings warmth and circulation back into the core.
Chamomile (also has nervine action) soothes both belly and spirit.
Dandelion root gently supports the liver, which is deeply involved in hormone metabolism and emotional processing.

These herbs help the body remember how to move again.

The Milk & Bitters

Blessed thistle carries old-world wisdom for milk production and digestive tone. It is both bitter and nourishing — a reminder that medicine does not have to be sweet to be loving.

And if you work with herbs like fennel (great for digestion, milk flow, and gas (yours and baby’s)), alfalfa, fenugreek (not for everyone but beloved by many), or oatstraw in your rituals, they too belong in this constellation of gentle postpartum milk supporting kin.

What Herbs Really Do

Herbs don’t fix postpartum. They don’t optimize it. They don’t make you bounce back.

They make you feel accompanied. They make the body feel less alone while it remembers itself.

That morning, milky oats didn’t solve the raccoons.  It didn’t erase the poop. It didn’t quiet the chaos. But it gave me just enough space to meet my life with tenderness instead of collapse.

And sometimes… That is the medicine. 

The truth is... Postpartum is not a glow. It is sacred chaos. It is exhaustion and devotion and humor and grief and awe, all living in the same breath. And herbs don’t exist to make you superhuman. They exist to help you remain human.

Soft.
Supported.
Held.
Trusting that your body knows exactly what it is doing, even on the days when it doesn’t feel like it. Even on days when YOU feel like the raccoon ripping into chicken feed on a stranger's front porch.

>>> New here and don't know where to start? Click here for a beginner's guide.<<<

Herbs to Avoid (or Use With Caution) in Postpartum & While Nursing

Postpartum is not the time for aggressive cleansing, forced detox, or hormonal manipulation. It is a time for rebuilding, softening, and remembering.

Some herbs are powerful, and power is not always appropriate for a tender system. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but a starting guide. 

Strong Detox & Liver Purgatives

These can pull too much too fast, stress the body, and/or alter milk supply:

• Cascara sagrada
• Senna
• Buckthorn
• Chaparral
• Poke root
• Oregon grape root (internal use postpartum)

Strong Hormonal or Uterine Stimulants

These may disrupt delicate postpartum hormonal recalibration:

• Dong quai (early postpartum)
• Vitex (early postpartum)
• Mugwort
• Pennyroyal

Strongly Drying or Cooling Herbs

These can and often do reduce milk supply:

• Sage (culinary doses ok)
• Peppermint and spearmint (the amount of menthol present is a definite no for milk)
• Parsley (culinary doses ok)
• Thyme (culinary doses ok)

Strong Antimicrobials & Bitters

These are wonderful plants, just not postpartum plants:

• Goldenseal
• Barberry
• Wormwood
• Tansy

A Few Final Words on Herbal Support During Postpartum

Postpartum Is an Energetic Season, Not a Diagnosis

Postpartum is not a condition to treat. It is a season to be honored. Herbs in postpartum are less about what they do and more about how they hold.

Ask not only:
“Is this herb safe?”

But also:
“Does this herb feel like a hand on my back or a hand pushing me forward?”

Forms Matter

The same herb behaves differently depending on how you take it.

Teas feel like nourishment.
Tinctures feel like medicine.

Postpartum bodies often prefer:

• Warm
• Liquid
• Slow
• Simple

Cold pills and complicated stacks often feel like more work than care.

Milk Is a Nervous System Product

Milk is not just produced by breasts and blood.
It is produced by safety.

Stress inhibits letdown.
Touch supports it.
Warmth supports it.
Herbs support it.

But regulation sustains it. A calm mother makes different milk than a terrified one.

This is not blame. This is biology.

And it is why herbs that support the heart and nervous system often support milk more than galactagogues ever will.

You Do Not Need to Be Consistent

Postpartum is not linear.

You will forget your tea.
You will miss your tincture.
You will remember again.

Herbs are patient. They are not offended by inconsistency. They are relational, not contractual.

Partners, Friends, and Community Are Part of the Protocol

If someone wants to support a postpartum mother:

Make her tea.
Refill her water.
Wash her cup.
Ask what herb she wants today.

This is medicine too. Herbs work better when love delivers them.

When Herbs Feel Like Too Much

Sometimes the most honest herbal choice is:

Nothing.

Sometimes rest is the herb.
Sometimes soup is the herb.
Sometimes sleep is the herb.

And the plants will still be there when you return.

Postpartum Has No Expiration Date

If you are:

Six months postpartum.
Two years postpartum.
Ten years postpartum.

And you still feel changed…

You are not late. You are still integrating a threshold.

Herbs are not for timelines. They are for transitions.

And, Finally...

Herbs do not restore who you were.

They help you meet who you are becoming.

Ready to Begin?

If this post resonated, you may enjoy:

• Flicker Fire Cider — for when seasonal shifts leave you feeling low energy or off rhythm
• Talisman Elderberry Syrup — brewed to support your immunity ritual through the season
• Dewdrop — gentle support for dry lungs and breath comfort

👉 Explore the Full Apothecary