Prepare for Labour

A Partus Preparator Can Help Your Birthing Experience

Partus preparators are tonics which may help your body prepare for labour. They work to help facilitate a natural birth and help to promote plenty of breast milk. They are usually taken from week 34 onward, increasing in dosage through the weeks. A partus prep is continued several days after giving birth to help with healing and  milk supply.

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.

The Intention Of A Partus Preparator Is To Prepare For Labour By:

  • Improving uterine tone
  • Assisting the start of labour at the appropriate time
  • Reducing or preventing ‘after pains’
  • Assisting with production of adequate breast milk
  • Helping to speed up recovery time after the birth

When Should You Start Prepare For Labour?

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

During the third trimester, it is important to continue a good diet and your nutritional supplements specifically indicated for this trimester. Each trimester has different nutritional requirements, for instance, in the last trimester your baby needs more calcium and magnesium. These minerals are also very important for a smooth delivery and a healthy baby.

Any specific health problems you may be experiencing e.g. gestational diabetes, leg cramps, insomnia and even Braxton Hicks can also be improved.

prepare for labour

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.


Herbs You Might Find In Your Partus Prep:

  • Raspberry Leaf: almost always included, a parturient, haemostatic (controls bleeding), and reproductive tonic specific to pregnancy and childbirth. It can also be taken as a tea.
  • 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.
  • Nettle: Nettle is a very nutritious herb and is a wonderful tonic during the entire pregnancy. It supports the uterus, kidneys and urinary tract. Nettle helps increase available haemoglobin which carries oxygen in the blood and 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. You can drink it as a tea. If you aren't keen on the taste on its own - you can mix it with other teas.
  • Withania also know as Ashwagandha: is a traditional pregnancy herb in Ayurvedic medicine. It 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 a partus preparator.