Herbals for Menstruators
Britt Gillman
Britt Gillman is a dear, dear friend of P+L and we thank her endlessly for lending her expertise to us here.
Trained as a Bioregional Herbalist (2020) and certified in Botanical Skincare (2021), Britt is also a writer and photographer.
In 2020, Britt decided that it was time to seed, root, and tend to Pine + Clover, her dream of supporting her community with seasonal herbalism.
Her family lives in the small beach community of Deep River, Ontario, Canada, where they grow their herbs in the gardens and forage the rest from wild spaces within the Ottawa Valley.
Visit her beautiful website or instagram to shop, learn, and admire.
One of my favourite ways to nourish and tend to myself while bleeding is with plants. As a menstruator with both PMDD and ovarian cysts, looking for ways to manage my cyclical pelvic pain was one pathway into my introduction to Herbalism a few years ago.
Prior to the birth of my daughter, I experienced excruciating episodes of pain that I now know were worse than the pain of my unmedicated childbirth.
After the births of both my children, I still continued to have heavy periods coupled with painful ovulation and fatigue, all of which left me feeling debilitated the entire month-long, not just during my bleed week. After maxing out my work sick days by March, I also found myself abusing OTC pain medications, putting a strain on my liver, kidney, and digestive health. All in an effort to feel at home in my own body, which I was convinced was broken.
Many of the menstruators I know and love have shared with me that they had been told the same things I had been hearing for years:
“We’ll start you on hormonal birth control to get rid of your period.”
“You won’t want to discuss surgery just yet, you are still young and will want children” (I already had two! But.. what if I didn’t, anyway?)
Or, the ever-persistent:
“I don’t think you are feeling the pain you think you are. I don’t feel anything (as a cold hand was placed on an arbitrary spot on my abdomen without asking), so I think the cyst is gone. You shouldn’t have any pain today.”
But, I did still have pain. And I knew that it was not only a symptom but a sign calling out to me to explore a new pathway toward homeostasis. Our bodies are so incredibly sentient and intelligent. What if we all felt empowered to take our wellness into our own hands, and follow the calling towards other sentient beings that grow all around us?
In walking alongside the equally intelligent plants and exploring the concept of Cyclical Living, I have learned of empowered ways to mitigate, manage and support the hormonal imbalances that led to my uncomfortable cycles.
Working with a few stand-out herbs, including Cannabis, paired with 2-4 days “off” for bleed week (rest, bed, low responsibilities, and nourishment only), has been a nurturing, tender, and compassionate ritual for myself as a menstruator.
One that I hope to inspire you to enjoy yourself, and that you may even begin to look forward to, on this radical pathway to herbal self-care.
Stinging Nettle
Nettle is a highly nourishing herb rich in vitamins and minerals — known as a supremely nutritive plant. Because cramps are often associated with mineral depletion, Nettles can help replenish them. It is also high in Iron, which many menstruators are chronically low in. Magnesium, in particular, is notable for its muscle-relaxing qualities and reduces painful prostaglandins. I love to make a super infusion (tea) of Nettle by steeping a handful of Nettles overnight and gulping it down in the morning. I begin a week of Nettle infusions on Cycle Day 20 (during PMS) and keep enjoying them through to Cycle Day 4.
Raspberry Leaf
Known as a uterine tonic, Raspberry Leaf is rich in alkaloids and tannins which support cramping, nausea, and even diarrhea. Alongside Nettle, Raspberry Leaf is also high in magnesium. Raspberry Leaf has quite a distinctive and bitter taste when enjoyed as a tea, so I usually enjoy mixing in some sweet Red Clover blossoms along with Mint, for a balanced flavour. Local to Deep River, wild raspberry leaf is in abundance in the Spring. It’s an herbal ally that grows all around us, reminding me so often of its protective qualities and the safety found in their leaves. I enjoy Raspberry Leaf on Cycle Days 1-4.
Chamomile
Chamomile is not only a renowned calming, cooling, and soothing herb, but quite a potent antispasmodic as well, with a special affinity for our abdominal region. It helps to quell cramping and also supports digestive upset which, during menstruation, can be just as painful as cramping itself. Chamomile is lovely enjoyed as a tea on its own, or can also be taken as a quick fix in tincture form. Not only does it reduce cramping, it also works to soothe our moods and cool a “hot” head or a “heated heart”.
Yarrow
Creamy white blossoms and feathery Yarrow Leaf provides medicine in many forms. Not only is it an energetic “warrior” plant and limitless protector of boundaries (which are so important to implement, especially during bleed week!), it has also been shown to both stop heavy blood flow, while also ignite stagnant menses.
Cannabis
Oh, sweet green relief. My most widely used plant during menstruation itself is Cannabis, preferably a high CBD flower. Not only does it improve my ability to tolerate pain, it also lends a vast improvement to my mood and state of mind in this darker, broodier cyclical time when we are pulled to go inwards from the world. I also enjoy getting CBD and a low THC in my body through the yummiest caramel CBD chocolates from P+L, and sometimes, a water-soluble CBD which I can pop right into my tea. I don’t think there has been a Moon Time I have encountered that a half-hour with a hot bath, tea, a chocolate, and a joint didn’t immediately soothe + calm. I utilize Cannabis as my portal into dreamwork, introspection, and inner thoughts during bleed week, a time where we can really do our most important soul work if we allow ourselves the capacity to. Even going back to the journal entries or creative work I have done while in tandem with my bleed week + Cannabis has shown me that these two fit so very well hand-in-hand.
I believe that we need to support menstruators with a widened margin for care and love, and provide each other with the space to support our bodies in ways that feel right. A connection with the gifts of plants has been just one way that I have been able to experience this, but we can continually inspire new ways for menstruators to access care and create their own. A care that feels safe, understood, and even respected. Choosing to care for yourself during cycle highs and lows is a pathway towards global healing.
And from this, ripples of care flow from menstruators to our community as a whole.