a woman who becomes pregnant (by artificial insemination or embryo insertion) following an arrangement made with another party (usually a couple unable themselves to have children) in which she agrees to give the child she carries to that party when it is born. Surrogacy arrangements are made on the understanding that no payment is involved between either parties although reasonable expenses can be paid. See also section 30 order.
Details of surrogacy at the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority website
If you’re a fan of herbal teas, you have to try motherwort tea. Although it has a pretty bitter taste, it helps you stay healthy thanks to its many health benefits. Find out more about motherwort tea and its main ingredient.
About Motherwort Tea
The main ingredient of the motherwort tea is the motherwort plant. The motherwort is an herbaceous perennial plant, belonging to the mint family, Lamiaceae. It has square stem and opposite leaves with serrated margins. During summer, small, pink to lilac flowers bloom in leaf axils on the upper part of the plant. It comes from Middle Asia, although now it grows in places all around the world.
The plant’s binomial name is Leonurus cardiac. The word “leonurus” is a combination of the Latin “leo”, which means lion, and the Greek “oura”, meaning tail. Because of this, it is also known as Throw-wort, Lion’s Ear, and Lion’s Tail. The name of the species, “cardiaca”, comes from the Greek word “kardiaca”, which means heart.
How to prepare Motherwort Tea
It’s easy to prepare a cup of motherwort tea. To each cup, add one teaspoon of the dried herb. Let it steep for about 10 minutes before removing the leaves.
If you’ve got a problem with the bitter taste, you can try to sweeten it. Add sugar, honey, and/or lemon to your cup of motherwort tea, and mix well. You can also improve its flavor by mixing it with other types of herbal beverages.
Motherwort Tea Benefits
A cup of this tea brings many health benefits thanks to its main ingredient. Among motherwort’s constituents, there are alkaloids, glycosides, essential oils, tannins, and vitamin A. Because of this, the plant has been used for centuries as a herb in traditional medicine in Europe, Asia and North America.
First of all, motherwort tea has two health benefits which are related to the plant’s name: one is for women after giving birth, while the other is related to heart problems.
It isn’t recommended to drink motherwort tea during pregnancy, but it is good to drink it after you give birth. You can even drink it during labor, as it will ease the pain and help you relax; it is also thought that it reduces the risk of getting post partum depression. Drinking it regularly after you’ve given birth can help stimulate the uterus to contract; this way, it prevents uterine infections.
This type of teais also good for your heart. It helps normalize the heart functions by lowering blood lipid levels and high blood pressure. As a cardiac tonic, it works as a hypotensive, sedative, and antispasmodic. It helps calm heart palpitations.
Motherwort tea is helpful if you need to regulate your menstruation, and it is also used also used to ease insomnia, menopausal problems, stomach gas and cramping. It is useful when it comes to treating thyroid hyperfunction, and can work as a mild tranquilizer for anxiety.
Motherwort tea Side Effects
Although it has many health benefits, don’t forget that motherwort tea has also a few side effects.
Despite its important role after child delivery, you should keep in mind that it’s not good to drink motherwort tea during pregnancy. As it is used to regulate menstruation, during pregnancy, it might cause bleeding and even miscarriages.
You should avoid drinking motherwort tea if you’re taking anti-coagulants or are experiencing a heavy menstrual flow. It will only cause more bleeding.
Also, if you drink this tea for a longer period of time, be careful when you’re out in the sun. You might become more prone to getting sunburn. In this case, make sure that you’re wearing sunscreen when going outside, especially if you’re at the seaside.
Motherwort tea might cause drowsiness, as well. Avoid drinking it if you know you need to stay focused on something. Also, if you take any medicine that causes drowsiness as a side effect, drinking this type of tea will only make it worse.
Lastly, don’t drink more than six cups of motherwort tea a day. This applies to other types of tea, as well. If you drink too much tea, you might get the following side effects: headaches, dizziness, insomnia, irregular heartbeats, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.
Despite its bitter taste, don’t give up on motherwort tea. It is very good for your health, and it helps you a lot especially after giving birth. Just sweeten it and you’re free to enjoy a cup of tea full of many health benefits!... motherwort tea benefits
Leonurus cardiaca L. German: Herzgespann. French: Agripaume. Spanish: Agripalma. Italian: Cardiaca. Chinese: T’ui. Part used: herb.
Constituents: flavonoids, iridoids including rutin, diterpenes.
Action: antispasmodic, laxative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, vaso-constrictor. (Simon Mills) Nerve and heart sedative. Hypotensive. Action similar to Valerian. (Dr Rudolf F. Weiss) Cardiotonic.
Uses: angina on effort, simple uncomplicated heart conditions to enhance exercise duration; tachycardia from hyperactive thyroid, hypertension, absent or painful menstruation (hence its name), menopausal flushes, schizophrenic tendency, pre-menstrual tension.
“Drink Motherwort tea and live to be a source of continuous astonishment and frustration to waiting heirs.” (Old saying)
Not given in pregnancy.
Combines well with Vervain (equal parts) for relaxing nervine.
Practitioner combinations: Menstrual disorders, equal parts: Black Cohosh, Cramp bark, Motherwort. Heart disorders: Motherwort 1; Hawthorn 1; Lily of the Valley half.
Benzodiazepine addiction to assist withdrawal: equal parts, Motherwort, Skullcap and Valerian. Infusions, extracts or tinctures.
Preparations: Thrice daily.
Tea: 1-2 teaspoons to each cup boiling water; infuse 15 minutes. Half-1 cup.
Tea combination: equal parts, Motherwort, Balm and Lime flowers. 2 teaspoons to cup boiling water: infuse 15 minutes, 1 cup thrice daily. Angina and heart symptoms – to ameliorate.
Liquid Extract: 1:1, 25 per cent alcohol. Dose: 2-4ml (30-60 drops).
Tincture: 1:5, 25 per cent alcohol. Dose: 5-10ml (1-2 teaspoons).
Powders. 2 to 4g.
Tablets/capsules. Popular combination. Powdered extract Motherwort 4:1 – 50mg. Powdered Passion flower BHP (1983) – 90mg. Powdered extract Lime flowers 3:1 – 67mg. For a calming and sedating effect in stressful situations and insomnia. (Gerard House)
Note: Motherwort needs to be taken for weeks. ... motherwort
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