A Partus Preparator Can Help Your Birthing Experience

Partus preparators (partus meaning ‘labour’, preparators meaning ‘preparatory’) are herbs historically used during the last weeks of pregnancy to tone the uterus and prepare for labour and expedite recovery.

Partus preparators or birth preparation tonics work very well to help facilitate a natural birth. They are usually taken from week 34 and onward increasing in dosage through the weeks. A partus prep is often continued several days after giving birth to assist with healing and help the uterus get back to normal size.

The Intention Of A Partus Preparator Is To Help:

Improve uterine tone

Assist the commencement of labour at the appropriate time

Help co-ordinate effective uterine contractions

Reduce or prevent ‘after pains’

Assist with production of adequate breast milk

Help speed recovery after the birth

​When Should You Start Prepare For Labour?

You can take these preventive tonic herbs even if you are feeling fine now at 34 weeks. The tonic will help you through the last few weeks of pregnancy where previously unidentified problems may appear, potentially complicating your birthing plans. Most, if not all, women who plan to give natural birth will benefit from taking a partus preparator.

During the last part of the third trimester, it is important to stress that a good diet and nutritional supplements specifically indicated for 3 trimester are very important for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby.

Any specific health problems you may be experiencing e.g. gestational diabetes, leg cramps or Braxton Hicks or insomnia can also be improved with nutritional medicine.

​Which Herbs Are In A Partus Preparator?

There are a number of herbs which are safe and with a long history of use as partus preps. However, to ensure that you receive the correct dosage of quality assured herbs (safety), a partus preparator is best prescribed by a qualified naturopath or herbalist rather than self-prescribed. Your tonic will be individually prescribed based on your pregnancy.

Raspberry Leaf: almost always included, a parturient, haemostatic (controls bleeding), and reproductive tonic specific to pregnancy and childbirth

Squaw Vine: a uterine tonic, parturient, partus preparator and tonic for the urinary tract and bowels. It has a long tradition of supporting lactation and prevent bleeding

Cramp Bark or Black Haw: may help prevent irregular and spasmodic uterine contractions, calm and relieve anxiety. It may also help reduce arterial blood pressure. The may help reduce the risk of premature labour and tone the urinary tract.

Nettle: Nettle is a very nutritious herb and is a wonderful tonic during the entire pregnancy (you can drink as a tea). It supports the uterus, kidneys and urinary tract. Nettle helps increase available haemoglobin, strengthens blood vessels. It also helps protect against diabetes, poor digestion, fluid retention, hypertension and hair loss. This is partly due to Nettle’s high contents of nutrients.

Withania: a traditional pregnancy herb in Ayurvedic medicine, helps relieve stress, improve sleep and boost energy levels.

St Mary’s Thistle: is a bitter tonic (which helps digestion), a galactagogue (helps increase milk production) and a renowned herb for the liver (helps clear excess hormones and toxins)

Please contact us if, you would like more information on how to prepare for labour with our partus preparator formulations and to find out if it is suitable for you.