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For Women who are Not Pregnant
In cases where menstruation is simply late, I think it is best to support the body in whatever it needs to do, some liver cleansing herbs like dandelion root and burdock root might help get things headed in the right direction. Someone with a history of cycle irregularity and unpredictability might want to include some chaste-tree berries (vitex) as a morning supplement, giving those ovaries some tender-lovin-care. Looking for some outside professional help can only help your healing process, a herbalist or naturopathic doctor will help correct the imbalances naturally and gently, and allow you to take an active role in the process.
Most of all, what message is your body trying to send you? There's a reason why menstruation is late, if its not pregnancy, then it is either related to physical reasons or emotional ones. Its not always possible to figure out why your body is doing this, its just part of our mystery. Fertility is magical and mysterious, it is our curse our bane, but the perceived enemy can become our greatest friend and strongest ally. It is the essence of who we are, the source of our power, and mystique. T'is a shame that we are taught to deny it. {had a poetic moment there. :) } Sometimes our bodies just do the unexpected for no apparent reason.
For women who want to see if an herb can help get their period started, one of my favorites is parsley. Its a very mild herb, and is actually pretty good for you, plus it has worked really well for me in the past and the flavor is not bad, a bit green, and a tad spicy, over-all its fairly tasty, I really don't mind it at all. Drinking 3 or 4 cups a day to see if you can coax your period on should be fine, I've often had it start by the next day. But if your body isn't ready and it doesn't start, just give it a week and give it another try. I did say it was good for you.... I'm just looking it up here, its high in calcium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, vitamin c, and very high in potassium and vitamin A, good stuff!! 1
There are other mild herbs which can be used safely and effectively as well. These herbs are collectively called emmenagogues, which means they have the ability to stimulate menstruation. Each herb has its own properties and its own way of encouraging menstruation to begin, but again, the uterus needs to be ready to bleed before it will be able to, otherwise the blood just isn't there.
There are many herbs which have emmenagogual properties, there are mild ones and there are strong ones. The stronger ones are also classified as abortifacients meaning they have the ability to disrupt pregnancy. Almost all abortifacient herbs are also classified as emmenagogues, but not all emmenagogues are abortifacients. In fact, the more mild ones are safe to use (but not abuse) in the early stages of pregnancy.
It is very rare that a general herb book will list any abortifacient herbs, most if not all will be classed as emmenagogues because of the taboos associated with abortion, and the authors want to get their books published! So keep this in mind as you see herbs like pennyroyal and tansy listed as emmenagogues, yes they will help start menstruation but they are much stronger and more toxic than herbs like parsley; pennyroyal and tansy are both abortifacients, but its pretty rare that you'll see it listed as such in a herb book. Whenever I find a herb book that has abortifacients listed in the index, it automatically gets my attention, because most authors are afraid of the subject.
The term 'emmenagogue' is a catch all category for any herb that can be used to start menstruation and/or end pregnancy. Here on this website, I will refer to the herbs that are not likely to end pregnancy on their own as emmenagogues, and the stronger ones which can interfere with pregnancy or damage the fetus as abortifacients. The ones I discuss here on this page are of a mild nature, and should pregnancy be the reason for delayed menstruation they should not damage the developing embryo, provided the herbs are used correctly and not excessively.
When your period does not show up on schedule it can be a bit un-nerving, especially if a woman is sexually active. There are however many factors both within our bodies and in our lives that can cause ovulation and menstruation to be delayed. Most often when pregnancy is not a factor, the cause for delay is that ovulation did not occur on schedule. In order for menstruation to occur, ovulation has to happen first, then menstruation follows by 14 days unless conception occurs. The 14 days between ovulation and menstruation is pretty consistent for everyone. If ovulation has not yet occurred then it is unlikely that herbs will cause menstruation to begin. The body has to complete it's cycle before it will be able to bleed.
Before I get into the herbs, lets talk a little about the possible causes of why menstruation is not showing up, as I mentioned there are many possible causes here are a few possible reasons: stress, travel, illness, excessive exercise, body weight changes, lack of rest, depression and poor diet. There can also be numerous health and/or reproductive health reasons why menstruation could be late, usually women who have health issues at the root of their missing period, will often have a recurring history of menstruation being unpredictable. Christiane Northrup has a really great book that addresses all the reproductive health issues that can cause cycle irregularity, I highly recommend it to all women, even if your reproductive health is perfect. Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom. A great book.
When menstruation has been absent for 3 months or longer it is called Amenorrhea, this can be caused by the reasons listed above or by something more serious such as malnutrition, eating disorders, abnormal body weight either obesity or low body weight, diabetes, thyroid deficiency, depression, lack of ovulation due to the pill or deprovera or insufficient hormone production, polycystic ovaries and sometimes even tumors. If your period has been absent for 3 months or more and pregnancy has been ruled out, you can try these herbs, but it might be a wiser decision to enlist the aid of a health care professional to help you determine the reason your period is absent.
Please keep in mind, I am a person who loves herbs, but have not had any formal training. If you use any of these remedies you do so at your own risk. Please use herbs responsibly, natural does not mean harmless. Please seek professional advice when necessary, it can only help you in correcting your problem. If you are unfamiliar with using herbs, please consent someone knowledgeable in your community.
Two to four cups of any of these teas can be taken per day. More can be taken if desired, as these teas are considered non-toxic to adults, unless otherwise noted.
Parsley - my personal favorite for stimulating a delayed period, I discovered it while traveling in Mexico, after not having a period for two months, when my period would have been due on the third month I used the dried herb and brewed a tea, I drank 3 maybe 4 cups that afternoon and the next morning I had begun to bleed.
Parsley is easily obtained at just about any local market or grocery store in the produce section, It can be used fresh or dried, I've used it successfully both ways. Just throw a handful of the fresh herb in a pot of freshly boiled water, cover and let steep for 20-30 minutes, strain and drink. Recently I tried a parsley tincture that I made, and it did not seem to have any effect.
Ginger Another easily obtained herb, again right from the grocery store, or many kitchens are already stocked with the powdered herb, I like fresh ginger, but you can use either. It is a stimulating herb, so it might not be a good choice right before bedtime. It may make you sweat, or you might experience a hot flash, this is normal for ginger. Chop the fresh root and boil in water for 20 minutes, remove from heat, allow to cool a bit and drink. If you experience nausea while using ginger tea you may be pregnant.
Caution: those with a history of gall stones should use ginger with caution.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) Grows in most of the northern hemisphere and is easily identified with the use of a good field guide, and is carried by most herb shops. One of my visitors says "the cold herb tea, 3-4 cups taken a day when menstruation is late. It works perfectly for me. I know I can count on it."
Sage a common garden herb, taken as an infusion.
Rosemary a common garden herb, used as an infusion.
Feverfew another herb commonly found in an herb garden, taken as an infusion. Not exceeding four cups per day.
Preparing medicinal teas basic instructions on brewing infusions and decoctions.
Order herbs online
July 12, 2005
Hi, Thanks to the information on the website, I was able to bring on a late period. I was late by about a week and the pregnancy test was also negative. I drank the parsley and ginger root tea - about 4 warm cups-fuls a day for three days and also used the parsley insert. I also drank some fresh ginger juice - about 2 tablespoons - before going to bed. On the morning of the fourth day, my period came - about 10 days late - but it came alright. and I am thankful to the info on sister zeus.
Best,
Abha
Aug 1 2006
Dear Sister Zeus,
My boyfriend an I had had unprotected sex once. When the time for my period came, it didn't come. So I thought, "Wait another day. It'll come." I was on Day 34 and I've never been past Day 30 in my life. I was so scared of the possibility of me being pregnant. Yesterday, I was frantically searching around the internet looking for herbs or things to help "bring about" a late period.
Then I came across your site. I looked through all the herbs you had and I didn't have any of them except for some dried parsley I kept in the cupboard in the kitchen. So, I brewed some tea and drank 3 glasses. One in the morning, one at lunch, then one right before bed. I was having doubts that it would actually work, but nonetheless i kept my hopes high that it would.
Next morning, I woke up and checked and I was so relieved that I had finally gotten my period. The parsley tea worked like a charm! Once again, I would like to thank you for all of the helpful information you put on your site. I went to other sites, but they just didn't have the information I was looking for. Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Kristen
Dec 13, 2006
Hey!!! I just wanted to write to you and say THANKS for the information on your site. I was browsing Monday night for a way to naturally start my period (I have a history of irregular periods and ovarian cysts and havent had a period since August). I had two beautiful twin baby girls on March 6th (Laila Brooke & Jaida Lynn) - they passed away due to sticky lungs and prematurity (they were born at 24 weeks). Anyway, my fiance and I thought I was pregnant last month but (to our disappointed) I kept getting negative pregnancy test results. Plus, with my irregular periods it was hard to know when/if I was prego. We decided that we are ready to "try again" but I knew it would be best to wait until AFTER I had a normal period (since - like I said - I havent had a period since August). I did not want to take Provera or any other prescription medication to induce my period so I started browsing the good 'ole world wide web and THANKFULLY came across your site! I read and read and read - trying to decide which remedy to use. Since I had an emergency c-section with my beautiful angels - I didn't want anything "too strong" that might make my uterus contract too hard or cause any other problems. So I decided on the Parsley tea remedy.
Here is how I did it:
Boiled 4 cups of water
Added 4 teaspoons of Parsley flakes (one tsp of dried herb per cup of water)
Covered it & let it sit/cool for about 20 min
Strained the flakes out
Ended up with about 2 1/2 cups of tea
Added some sugar & drank up! *It tastes pretty good too!
I drank my first "dose" at about 4:30 am yesterday (Tuesday) morning and was spotting by noon!!!! I spotted just a little throughout the day but it was more than I had done in 3 months so I was happy! Then I made another brew last night following the same recipe and drank about 2 1/2 cups again. Well - it is now 4:30 am on Wednesday morning and I my period is in full effect!!! (Yay!!) I'm a little bit "crampy" but nothing abnormal - actually probably more mild cramping than I usually have.
So anyway - I wanted to share my experience with you and tell you that your Parsley tea idea works and it works FAST!!!!! :)
Thanks again for this information. Since I found your site - and since the herbal emmenagogue worked so well - I plan on using some herbal remedies while trying to conceive again. Any suggestions? I think I am going to use the Chasteberry method. Also, is there anything that my fiance can take to give his "little soldiers" an extra boost?? He does not have low sperm-count or anything like that - I am just wondering about fertility herbs for men.
Again - THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH for sharing your herbal knowledge!!!!
Jennifer
Apr 4, 2006
I found your website when looking for a herbal cure to aid the start of my period. After 3 months of no period the parsley tea worked within 3 days.
Rhea
Feb 11, 2006
Hi, I just came across your website and found the references to use parsley for late coming menses. I was two weeks late, not pregnant, and miserable…the parsley worked like a miracle within 8 hours of consumption of the tea and the pessary.
I just wanted thank you so much for taking the time and making the effort to have that information available on the internet. I feel like I have a new and powerful tool at my disposal! Having had menses with irregular, painful, long waiting periods for the last 26 years as a result of endometriosis…parsley may open a whole new door for me.
Thanks so much!
Zeta Kelly
References:
1. Pederson, Mark. Nutritional Herbology - A Reference Guide to Herbs.
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