Oh the delicate days post birth. There is truly nothing like them. Soaking in your perfect little human all while figuring out how to feed them, trying to sleep, managing aches and pains, bleeding and possibly cleaning your wounds. It’s a lot. This blog post is full of remedies for the newly postpartum mama, to help make those first few days and weeks a little easier.

This post is for general informational and educational purposes only. See my full disclaimer here. In the event of an emergency or if you have any questions or concerns about your health or the health of your baby, always seek the help of your medical doctor, midwife, or head to the emergency room.

No matter what type of birth you had – home, hospital, with interventions or without, vaginal or cesarean section – there is information in here to help you.

Some of these remedies overlap with remedies recommended for your birth. Keep your eyes peeled for a curated kit and PDF picked with your birth and postpartum in mind.

You’ll notice in some areas that I recommend certain cell salts. You can of course use the homeopathic remedy equivalent; I however choose to use and recommend the cell salt to help with symptoms along with addressing possible mineral imbalances.

remedies for postpartum

immediately after birth:

take Arnica! 3 times per day for 3 days.

Arnica will encourage healing of tissues (perineum or abdomen), help control your bleeding and reduce any bruising and swelling. It will help with the “battered and bruised” feeling in your body after birth, and can also be given to anyone (including dads and support people) who may be in shock from a traumatic or unexpected birth experience.

I recommend this remedy to every mama, but it is especially important for those who’s labour was very fast, or if pushing was long or quite difficult (including forceps or vacuum), to help prevent hemorrhage.

Arnica can also be given to babe – it’s tough work for them too! More specific situations that would call for them needing Arnica are: a long or traumatic birth, a stuck shoulder, a forceps delivery or if there’s any bruising or swelling. For tips on how to give a remedy to a baby, see this post.

Afterpains:

Arnica

You’re (hopefully) taking it for bruising and healing anyways! Arnica is known to help with simple afterpains that occur while nursing.

Chamomilla

Chamomilla helps with intense afterpains that cause irritability and anger. There’s hypersensitivity to the pain, like they’re unbearable. There’s an accompanying desire for fresh air.

Kali carb 

Kali carb helps with afterpains that are sharp, starting in the back and shooting into the bum or hips. Pains are better from moving around. 

Mag phos (cell salt)

My second choice to Arnica, if that alone isn’t helping the pain. I take some before and during breastfeeding (I like to use and recommend the homeopathic cell salt). Pains feel better from pressure or heat such as a heating pad.

Pulsatilla

Afterpains with a very weepy and needy mental state. There will be no thirst.

Secale

This remedy is helpful for women who have had multiple children and the afterpains are intense and long lasting.

Sepia

These pains shoot up into the vagina, and can also be felt in the back. There’s usually a sensation of a weight in the bum, and the uterus feels like it could fall out. There’s usually accompanying irritability and short temperedness.

Aches & pains:

Arnica

Arnica helps when pains feels sore and bruised and are very sensitive to touch.

Belladonna

Belladonna can help when there is soreness felt all throughout the pelvis and walking and standing are painful. The pain may feel like it’s throbbing and have a radiating heat.

Bellis Perennis

Bellis perennis is known as “a deep acting Arnica.” It is used for pain and a sore/bruised feeling if Arnica has not helped. It will heal injury to the deep tissues.

mag phos (cell salt)

Mag phos is often referred to as “homeopathic aspirin” because of it’s helpfulness with aches and pains. Pains often feel crampy and are better from pressure or heat such as from a heating pad.

Cesarean section, episiotomy or tearing recovery:

Arnica

Arnica is used for sore and bruised areas that feel worse from touch.

Belladonna

Belladonna is used when the incision or cut/ tear is red, hot and inflamed, usually with a fever.

Bellis perennis

Bellis perennis is helpful for healing injury to deep tissues and is used post abdominal surgeries (hello c-section!) to help control bleeding, swelling and to prevent infection. It’s also helpful for bad tears. Pains will have a deep, aching pain with great soreness in the area. Try this after Arnica, when Arnica does not relieve the discomfort or pain.

Calendula

Calendula is used for healing of tissues and to prevent infection. It can be taken 3 times per day while healing.

Carbo vegetallis

Carbo veg will help to relieve pains from trapped gas after a c-section.

Hepar sulph

Hepar sulph is used if abscess, inflammation or pus appear at the incision or cut. The area will be very painful with sharp pains.

Hypericum

Hypericum is used if there is shooting pain coming from the tear, cut or incision. It can also be taken to help repair damaged nerves.

Staphysagria

Staphysagria is used after episiotomies to speed up the healing process. It is also used after c-sections if there are sharp pains that are worse from sitting and from pressure.

Engorgement:

Belladonna

Belladonna is used when breasts engorged and are red, hot, swollen and sensitive to quick movements.

Bryonia

Bryonia is used when the breasts are engorged but remain their normal colour. The pain is much worse for moving around.

PHYTOLACCA

Phytolacca is useful for engorged breasts that hard and lumpy.

milk & nipples:

Having trouble in your breastfeeding journey? The below remedies can be so helpful, but I also recommend meeting with a lactation consultant. The help of a homeopath may be needed to help you figure out potency and dose.

Alfalfa

This remedy increases the quality and quantity of milk in nursing mothers. It has been noted of use in cases of failure to thrive, if given to both babe and mom, that the baby gains weight and the mother also gets stronger.

Castor equi

Castor equi is very helpful for sore, cracked nipples. The nipples may be ulcerated and they will be swollen with tender breasts.

Causticum

Think of this remedy if your milk disappears from fatigue, anxiety or after being up long nights with your children. The breasts may itch intensely and the nipples may be sore and cracked.

china/ cinchona

This is an important remedy for nursing mothers to help with dehydration and exhaustion that can come with the demands of breastfeeding. I like to try to incorporate the remedy at least a few times a week, up to every day.

Lac caninum

Lac caninum can be a helpful remedy for decreasing milk supply if there is a big oversupply and you’re drowning in milk!

Lactuca virosa

This remedy will increase milk in the breasts when the milk is absent. The famous homeopath Boericke said that this remedy is “a true galactagogue.”

Lecithinum

This is another remedy that is known to be a galactagogue (something that promotes or increases the flow of a mother’s milk), as it can increase milk supply. Also very cool to note: it is said that this remedy will also render the breast milk more nourishing.

Phytolacca

Phytolacca is helpful for nipples that are sore, raw or cracked. The pain is quite intense, radiating out from the nipple, worse when the baby nurses.

Ricinus communis

This is homeopathic castor oil! It increases the quantity of milk in nursing women.

Urtica urens

Urtica urens is a great remedy to help establish a normal milk supply. It can be used for low supply or oversupply, that stem from no known cause and if there are no other accompanying emotional symptoms.

Mastitis? Click here!

Exhaustion:

Cocculus

This remedy is very helpful for exhaustion from irregular or lack of sleep – like what happens with a new baby! For the mamas and the papas. The limbs may tremble or fall asleep along with a stiff neck and/or back.

China/cinchona

Used for exhaustion, especially after losing a lot of blood, or even from drenching night sweats and frequent nursing. There may be an accompanying headache and feel dehydrated.

Kali phos (cell salt)

This cell salt is used for exhaustion from nervous strain and for headaches from lack of sleep. I encourage every mama to keep this nearby.

Heaviness or prolapse:

Along with the below remedies I also recommend meeting with a pelvic floor physiotherapist.

Calc fluor (cell salt)

This cell salt is known as a producer of suppleness and elasticity. It can help with mild cases of prolapse, if htere are no other accompanying symptoms. It is also helpful for diastasis recti, a separation of the abdominal muscles.

Sepia

This remedy can also help with pelvic weakness or uterine prolapse. There is a feeling like everything will fall out the bottom, which improves when sitting down with the legs crossed. There will usually be accompanying emotional symptoms of irritability, especially towards ones family.

Emotional support:

The below remedies can be extremely helpful, but if you are really struggling emotionally, please reach out to me and I can help you find a homeopath to support you.

Kali phos (cell salt)

Irritable and feel like you’re on your last nerve? Add this cell salt in 2-3x per day.

pulsatilla

This remedy is helpful for women who are feeling emotionally sensitive and prone to tears in the postpartum period. You will want constant affection and reassurance.

Rescue Remedy

Anxious? This is a formulation of 5 flower essences to help you stay calm and in control.

sepia

This remedy is an invaluable tool in the postpartum toolbox and one that most women need at some point in their journey, helping to assist with hormonal changes. It can be especially helpful in women who feel irritable, apathetic, resentful, or have too much on their plate with no help. Women who may benefit from this remedy may also feel indifferent to their birth experience and have trouble bonding with their baby.

Staphysagria

This remedy is an important remedy to consider after any birth procedure or intervention left you with feelings of anger, resentment, feeling violated or humiliated. It can also help with any feelings of disappointment or emotional upset that may follow an unplanned c-section.

REmedies for postpartum In a nutshell…

This is a list of all of the remedies I’ve included in this post! It’s so important to be prepared – because you just never know what your postpartum experience may bring.

1. Arnica
2. Belladonna
3. Bellis perennis
4. Bryonia
5. Calendula
6. Carbo vegetallis
7. Castor equi
8. Chamomilla
9. China
10. Cocculus
11. Hepar sulph
12. Hypericum
13. Kali carb
14. Lac caninum
15. Phytolacca
16. Pulsatilla
17. Secale
18. Sepia
19. Staphysagria
20. Urtica urens

& cell salts: Calc fluor, Kali phos, Mag phos

What strength do I need?

Typically the 30CH potency (strength) will be enough, but you can also try 12CH or 200CH if that’s all that you have access to. For cell salts, I typically use the 6X strength, but 12X will also do.

How often do I take the remedies?

You may need to take your remedy every 20 minutes, 3 times a day, or maybe just once! It all depends on what symptom you’re experiencing and how intense it is.

If you’re new to homeopathy and aren’t sure what to do with with the remedies once you have them, please head to this blog post for the low down.

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Some postpartum topics that are not covered here may be found in other blog posts (use the search bar in the menu), or I not not have covered it yet! Please send me a message or leave me a comment on this post of any topic you’d like to see a post on.

It also may be that the certain topic requires a constitutional appointment. Constitutional appointments are fantastic for chronic (long lasting) problems, when you have more than one “issue”, etc. Send me a message if you have any questions in regards to what type of appointment you may need.

Examples of postpartum troubles that a homeopath can help you with:

• breastfeeding problems
• postpartum depression
• emotional support
• libido
• periods & bleeding
• hair loss
• exhaustion
• prolapse
• & more

If you are having trouble deciding on a remedy, contact me and we can book a short 30 minute acute consultation.

Everything a postpartum mama experiences is “normal,” but that doesn’t mean you have to live with it.

Sending love.

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