Valerian Root | 5 Benefits For Pregnancy And Labor

You might have heard about all of the benefits of valerian root (valeriana officinalis). Now you’re reading this I presume congratulations are in order and you’re wondering whether you can drink valerian tea while pregnant and what benefits it might have for you during this time.

Let’s look at this herbal medicine and its uses during pregnancy and labor.

Can you drink herbal tea while pregnant?

Herbal remedies have been around for thousands of years; their use, however, has greatly increased in the last couple of decades. Herbal medicine is a powerful healing resource. So powerful, in fact, that some herbal remedies might be contraindicated during pregnancy as their effects on the unborn baby could be dangerous or unknown.

Let’s dig into all there is to know about valerian root and its safety during pregnancy.

Is valerian root safe during pregnancy?

Most research done on pregnant women is very inconclusive. For decades, research on pregnant women has been taboo, to the point that most remedies have not been safely tested on pregnant women.

Valerian root is no different and more research is needed.

When it comes to herbal remedies and pregnancy, the best way is to take each case individually.

Valerian root tea is known for its calming properties, and it’s mainly used to treat sleep disorders.

Valerian root might be the most beneficial medicine to treat insomnia during pregnancy.

When you’re pregnant and are considering herbal medicines as treatment for your ailment, the best advice is to proceed with caution and consult a naturopath or your healthcare provider.

Can valerian root cause miscarriage?

It is very unlikely that valerian root can cause miscarriage. Research done on the effects of valerian root on the contractibility of the uterus shows that valerian roots have a direct effect on uterine intractability. The valerian plant stops the uterus from contracting; therefore, it won’t make you go into labor sooner than expected. Because valerian root stops the uterus from contracting, this herbal remedy cannot cause miscarriage on its own.

Consuming valerian root can be very beneficial, especially if you suffer from any sleep disorders.

Fear usually takes us away from danger. However, the amount of fear we experience can be detrimental to our health. Finding the right balance between healthy and unhealthy fear is the key to balanced lifestyle habits. What I’m saying is that common sense goes a long way, especially when managing fear.

It’s normal for a pregnant woman to care deeply about what she ingests. When a new ailment arises and you look for different solutions you have concerns about their safety, which is good and normal. However, your state of mind can influence the pregnancy much more than you might think.

The valerian tea you’re taking will do more good if you take it trusting it’s going to do you good than if you take it full of fear, thinking it might harm you.

Taking ownership of our decisions is where healing starts.

If you are full of fear when you take something, the effects that remedy might have on you might not be fully beneficial.

Discuss your case with your midwife or doctor and, whatever treatment you agree on, take it with trust. If you’re going to be worrying about it, it’s better you don’t take it.

Valerian root benefits for pregnancy and labor

Valerian root has a calming effect and has been used as sleep medicine for a long time. Using valerian root during pregnancy and labor can have many beneficial effects.

#1. Helps with pregnancy insomnia

Pregnancy insomnia is quite an uncomfortable ailment, especially when you need to function properly the following morning.

Pregnancy insomnia can really hinder a woman’s capacity to perform her normal daily tasks.

The hormone prolactin has soothing effects that will help you sleep when your baby is born. Prolactin helps you get back to sleep in no time; however, women get little benefit from prolactin before the baby is born.

Pregnancy insomnia usually happens like this: something wakes you – perhaps a kick or the need to use the toilet. You get up and you’re pretty sleepy. Sometimes you don’t even switch on any lights because you’re so sleepy you feel you’ll go back to sleep in a moment but when you go back to bed, there you are, awake for hours.

Taking valerian tea can help with this type of insomnia.

If you suffer from chronic insomnia, it’s worth checking with your care provider to see how your insomnia can be best managed during pregnancy.

#2. Relieves anxiety

Due to its calming effects, valerian root is used as a natural remedy for anxiety.

Pregnancy causes a lot of anxiety in some women. Most women worry about their capacity to mother a tiny human being. To some, the worry is so great that they somatize these overwhelming feelings and anxiety appears.

Valerian root use can be very helpful in these cases.

The use of valerian root for anxiety during labor is well-known. Valerian tea is an effective way to calm down those nerves.

Valerian tea for a laboring woman struggling to let go or navigating the transition phase can really help bring their adrenaline levels right down so the oxytocin can flow freely.

Read more in our articles:

How To Get Through Transition Without An Epidural | All You Need To Know

Natural Oxytocin | Benefits Of The Hormone.

#3: Can prevent preterm birth

As we’ve seen, the effects of valerian root on the uterine muscle (preventing contractions) shows how using valerian root can be beneficial in stopping premature birth.

As we’ve discussed earlier, natural remedies don’t tend to be used by Western medicine. It’s quite unlikely, then, if you’re rushed into an obstetric unit because of suspicions of premature labor, you’ll be given valerian tea. However, the benefits of using valerian to relax a contracting uterus shouldn’t be ignored.

If you feel uncomfortable contractions before your due date, a valerian root tea could be all you need for that excessive uterine activity to subside.

For the same reason, valerian root can also be used to alleviate uncomfortable menstrual cramps or afterpains.

#4. Relaxation during prodromal labor

The relaxing effect of valerian root is mainly used for sleep problems. However, as we’ve seen, valerian root can also be used to relax the uterine fibers.

Some women have a very long or intense prodromal labor. The calming effects of valerian root in the uterine muscle can help those nerve cells relax for a while so the woman can rest until active labor begins. This is very beneficial for those women who have a long latent phase of labor. Although nothing is going wrong with a long prodromal phase, the woman might go into active labor very tired. Because of that, the possibility of requiring medical intervention is much higher than for those who go into the active stage of labor full of energy.

High doses of valerian root might be all you need to birth the way you want.

#5. Relieves after pains

Some women have very painful after pains. Valerian root helps with these because of its relaxant action on the uterine muscle.

If you are getting herbs ready for birth and after, make sure you have valerian root among your herbal supplements and remedies. Include it even if you fall asleep easily and you don’t need a sleep aid. Most likely you won’t need any sleep aids once the baby is here. You might have trouble sleeping but it will be a different kind – the kind where you won’t get as much sleep as you would like. Valerian tea might be able to help you relax on those difficult nights when the baby struggles to get back to sleep. You might even get a better night’s sleep ,thanks to the calming effects of this remedy.

Valerian bath salts during pregnancy

If you’re still not sure about the use of herbal products during pregnancy, you can get the benefits of valerian root using aromatherapy. This means running yourself a bath, adding the valerian root (or any other herbal products, such as lemon balm or St. John’s wort) and allowing the fumes to enter through your pituitary gland.

Adding these medications to the bath water can provide all the benefits of the product without ingesting it. You will get the calming effects of the product through your pituitary gland.

Don’t just throw anything in the water, though, thinking it will be safe for pregnancy because you’re not ingesting it.

Adding valerian root to the bath water is an alternative to ingesting it because it is even safer than ingesting it. This doesn’t mean every herbal product you add to your bath water will be safe during pregnancy. Ask your healthcare provider or your naturopath about your specific case and they will be able to help you.

You can read more in BellyBelly’s article Epsom Salt Bath During Pregnancy – 4 Great Benefits.

Don’t underestimate the power of alternative medicine. Note that the term ‘alternative’ been given by Western or, wrongly called, traditional medicine. Alter-native medicine is really native medicine. It’s the form of medicine our ancestors have practised for thousands of years.