A Case Study: Herbs Healing a Pregnancy Induced Liver Condition
A couple of weeks ago, one of my Springfield clients started getting unusually itchy feet and hands, a sign of a liver condition that can develop in pregnancy. It is relatively rare but when it occurs, the condition carries certain risks for the developing fetus, especially as it nears the due date and beyond. I asked my client to obtain blood work to confirm our suspicion and the results came back that she did have a mild version of cholestasis.
Initially, my client was teary and disappointed. She had been planning for a homebirth and was upset that it might not be possible. She and I talked through every part of the situation: what the condition was, what the risks of it were, what the hospital protocols were, and what I, as a homebirth midwife, would suggest for treatment.
The hospital staff encouraged my client to schedule an induction date for 37 weeks. She informed them that her homebirth midwives had a herbal protocol that she would try to see if she could lessen the readings and, given that she was a mild case, allow her to carry the pregnancy until labor started on its own. The midwives and the doctors warned my client that the liver panel readings would not change. Fortunately, she was 35 weeks pregnant and that gave us a little time to integrate a liver cleansing plan without any conflict with the hospital protocols.
Over the following week, she integrated a carefully researched liver cleansing protocol, designed specifically by homebirth midwives for this condition. It included a variety of herbs - dandelion, milk thistle, sarsaparilla root, and burdock root - along with mineral supplements, most notably magnesium. Within several days, her itchiness subsided completely. Within 5 days of starting the treatment, she did a follow-up blood sample, and her out-of-range levels dropped by half. Several days later, her waters spontaneously broke and she gave birth to her baby in the comfort of her own home, surrounded by her loving family.
Not all conditions that spring up in pregnancy - hypertension, diabetes - can be so easily changed by dietary changes or integration of herbal medicine. But, in certain cases they can and it is so important to explore this option for your body and baby before jumping to medical interventions or stronger pharmaceuticals. As her homebirth midwives, we were not sure whether our client would respond so quickly or so well to our protocol, but we wanted to give it a try before we gave in to other methods. In this case, her body simply needed a little more nutrient intake and liver support and it began to normalize and come toward homeostasis.
To pregnant people out there that are facing gestational hypertension or gestational diabetes or other pregnancy conditions, there are alternatives to try before opting for either pharmaceuticals or induction. Find a naturopath or herbalist, who specializes in pregnancy (we have our own Naturopath here in Springfield, MA at the Integrative Health Group on Allen Street), or a naturally minded midwife or doula.. Look up the book Real Food for Pregnancy by Lucy Nichols, an amazing resource for preventing health issues from arising or for treating mild issues. Most importantly, don’t forget the wealth of knowledge that may be right around you: mothers, grandmothers, and other community members who may have retained or acquired some wisdom about natural healing.