Erin Antosh is a Clinical Herbalist with a background in nutrition, botanical product development, detoxification/biotransformation, organic gardening, and true farm-to-table cooking. As Apothekary’s Senior Wellth Advisor & Farmacist, Erin leads the company’s R&D team, formulates new blends, and creates educational content based on her extensive herbal training.

 As a new mom myself, I struggled with the shift from pregnancy to the 24/7 demands of caring for a baby. In pregnancy, it is all about nurturing yourself, because in turn, you are nurturing the little being growing inside your belly. During my pregnancy, I took the time to make myself fancy herbal elixirs, ate healthy meals that satisfied my growing hunger,  and took luxurious baths regularly to soothe the aches and pains of pregnancy. 

But then a baby came into my world and I found it nearly impossible to find the time to care for myself because my baby’s needs came first, breastfeeding was a huge learning curve, and I was exhausted. I learned A LOT in my postpartum and breastfeeding journeys, and that inspired how I formulated the Baby Bloomer Set. I’m really excited for you to try them and eager to help support you on your journey, whatever that might look like.

Are the herbs in these blends safe when planning to conceive, pregnant, and lactating?

All three of these blends are safe to consume while breastfeeding and would support healing during the postpartum period. 

When formulating Meet My Wombmate, the prenatal blend, we were very selective about the herbs we used to ensure they are pregnancy safe. Therefore, out of the 3 blends found in the Baby Bloomer set, we recommend only using Meet My Wombmate during pregnancy. That said, it is also safe to consume when you are planning to become pregnant. 

Unfortunately, there are very few studies conducted on the use of herbs for pregnant and lactating women. The same goes for pharmaceutical research - drugs are usually not tested on this population of women. This means we have very little research to point to when advising on the safety of herbs during this life stage. What we do have is a few centuries worth of traditional use and knowledge from ancient healing modalities. For example, in the 5,000 year old tradition of Ayurveda, moringa (one of the main herbs in our location blend) has long been used to support milk supply as well as a nutritive tonic during the childbearing years. 

Dandelion Root, the main functional herb in Meet My Wombate, is high in bioavailable calcium, iron, potassium, Vitamin K and zinc, and helps relieve common pregnancy woes such as constipation, hemorrhoids, acid reflux, and sluggish digestion. Experienced herbalists and midwives agree that dandelion root is safe for use in pregnancy, especially when consumed as a tea (versus higher dose herbal formats such as capsules and tinctures/extracts). The Baby Bloomer Set’s blends are similar in dosage to herbal teas. Of course, everything in moderation, and we recommend sticking to no more than 2 cups of our prenatal blend a day. 

As everyone’s pregnancy journey and health history is different, we always include the following standard disclaimer so you and your healthcare team can make the best choices for you: Discuss product use with your healthcare provider, especially if you are pregnant or nursing.

When should each blend be consumed during the pregnancy journey, and any suggestions on the best time of day to consume each blend?

Meet My Wombmate has cacao in it, which naturally contains a little caffeine. If you are very sensitive to caffeine (for example, if chocolate consumed in the evening disturbs your sleep), you may want to plan to have this blend before noon. This blend can be safely consumed daily in all three trimesters and even into your fourth trimester (postpartum).

We formulated Milky Way to include nutrient dense herbs that nourish tired mamas, regardless of how they feed their child. You do not need to be breastfeeding to benefit from the nourishing and immune strengthening herbs in this formula. I recommend interchanging this blend with I Beg Your (Post)partum during your postpartum period to support healing and to provide a quick boost of nutrition when you are in a depleted state. 

If you are not breastfeeding, I would recommend waiting until your milk supply after labor has naturally stopped before incorporating this blend into your repertoire. As it does contain herbs that promote milk supply, we don’t want to encourage milk production at a time when your body is ceasing production. 

Milky Way best supports your body in increasing milk production when it is consumed daily. You can enjoy it anytime of day, regardless of feeding and pumping times. Personally, you can find me sipping on a warm Milky Way elixir while I am pumping, as it makes pumping suck a little less!

I Beg Your (Post)partum can be consumed at any time of day as you are healing and growing into your new role as a mother. I would recommend two servings a day in the early days of your postpartum experience, to help to augment healing. 

What is your favorite way to consume each blend?

Short answer: The best way to consume these blends is however is easiest to get them into your body on a regular basis so they can support you during the transformative journey from pregnancy to postpartum. 

In my early postpartum days, all I could manage was to boil hot water and pour it over one of the blends in this set. Often I was already boiling the water to make formula, as I needed to supplement with formula until I was able to work out the kinks of breastfeeding. So, it was important to me that these blends were enjoyable with just warm water. Of course you can get a little fancier, and here are some ideas to do so:

My New Wombate: This is your coffee replacement when you may be reducing or avoiding caffeine during pregnancy. I like making a latte in my high speed blender (it makes it so frothy!) to treat myself. My favorite combo is 1 tsp of the blend, 2 cups warm cashew milk, 1 pitted medjool date, and 1 tsp of tahini. The tahini provides a healthy fat that is high in iron, while dates provide low glycemic sweetness and added minerals. If you are nearing your due date, you may want to add an additional date to your latte, as research has shown that dates can ease labor. 

Milky Way: With a taste similar to a matcha latte (without any actual matcha or caffeine), I like to whisk this blend into some warm oat milk and honey with a hand blender. Oats are a galactogogue, so oat milk will help increase lactation, which is an added bonus!

You can also bake with this blend - the medicinal qualities of the herbs in this blend are not altered when exposed to the high temperatures of baking. So, find your favorite zucchini bread or lactation cookie recipe and include 3-4 tsp of Milky Way to increase the nutrient density and improve lactation. I would recommend baking these goodies while pregnant and freezing them...your future self (who will most likely be covered in spit up) will thank you.

I Beg Your (Post)partum: This blend tastes great with just hot water, enjoyed like a tea or can even be mixed into warm porridge/oatmeal. If you have someone who is able to whisk up a healing elixir for you as you rest, I enjoy it with hot water, a little cream, a scoop of collagen, 1 tsp maple syrup, and 1 tsp. of coconut oil. Collagen provides protein and supports tissue and skin healing after labor, while the coconut oil helps to balance hormones and increase the frothy-ness of your elixir. 

Can I try these blends if I’m not pregnant?

Certainly! All of these blends are designed to provide a boost of nutrients first and foremost, and we all could use that in our busy lives. 

If you are a coffee drinker who has flirted with the idea of giving up or reducing your coffee consumption, Meet My Wombate is a great coffee replacement. It has the bitter notes of coffee, which can be tamed with a sweetener and a milk of choice. It is also a great addition to smoothies. If you struggle with chronic digestive issues (gas, bloating, constipation, etc.) and/or blood sugar regulation issues, this is the blend for you! 

You don’t have to be lactating to enjoy our Milky Way blend. This blend can be used as a meal replacement, since it is packed with so many nutrients. Containing protein, iron, magnesium, folate, potassium, chlorophyll, B vitamins, zinc and bioavailable calcium...what’s not to like? 

I Beg Your (Post)partum is a tasty way to boost antioxidants, strengthen immune function, support hair/skin/nail health, and provide a dose of calm in your day.