Shepherd's Purse - an Herb for Your Emergency Medical Cabinet

Shepherd's Purse, also known as Capsella bursa-pastoris, Caseweed, Mother's heart, or shovelweed is useful for any home emergency kit. Now, I know what you're thinking. Herbs can't do anything for me, I need real medicine! I was an herbal skeptic also, until I tried them! When I got pregnant last winter I all of a sudden became 'paranoid mommy' and examined the ingredients in everything, looked up side effects of common drugs, and became determined not to put any of that garbage into my body or my baby's. Did you know that common Tylenol is a Class B drug in pregnancy? It is a toxin to your liver and has not been thoroughly tested on pregnant women, unborn babies, or breast feeding infants, yet it is recommended as commonly as water in the OB department. Yet, common medical advise advises against herbs in pregnancy, labor, or breast feeding. Why is that? They have been used for thousands of years, have been proven safe time and time again, are all natural. But they don't come with pharmaceutical company's money, and therefore no one can afford to campaign for them. Here we will look at Capsella bursa-pastoris and it's role in childbirth and emergency situations.

Where it comes from

Capsella buris-pastoris, known commonly as Shepherd's purse, is a member of the mustard family, a weedy annual herb with small white blossoms. It grows in most regions, and is most common in Europe and Asia.

What it is used for

Shepherd's purse is used to stop excessive bleeding for any reason. It can be used for an excessive nose bleed, to stop bleeding from a major wound, or even hemorrhage after childbirth or bleeding in the lungs. It is also used as a 'disinfectant' for the liver, abating diarrhea and urinary tract infections.

How it works

Shepherd's purse works by constricting blood vessels and allowing your body's natural clotting mechanism to work. It is better than Pitocin, which is commonly used in hospital setting to stop hemorrhage.

Dangers of Pitocin

Pitocin has been documented to increase blood loss, lead to coma, and even maternal death due to an incorrectly administered dose. Toxicity has occurred especially when the maternal patient is dehydrated.

Why shepherd's purse is better than Pitocin

Shepherd's purse is taken by making a tea out of the leaves or making a tincture. Because of the nature of these administrations, overdose is unlikely to occur in this way as it is not administered via an IV.

Shepherd's purse side effects

Documented side effects of shepherd's purse are not nearly as harmful as Pitocin's side effects, but it still has been shown to cause allergic reactions in some people and cause shortness of breath as a result of the vasoconstricting properties. It is not to be used during pregnancy as it will cut down on blood flow to the baby.

Using Shepherd's Purse in an emergency situation

In the case of extreme bleeding such as a deep wound from a saw, take 2 dropperfulls of Shepherd's purse every 15 minutes while applying direct pressure. An alternate can be drinking 2 cups of cold tea every hour.

Making a tincture

A tincture is made by filling up a bottle 1/3 of the way with loose dried herb, or filling up ¾ of the way with fresh herb. Then vodka is added to fill the bottle up, the lid screwed on, and it is allowed to sit. The herb infuses into the vodka and the medicinal properties are extracted. After 6-8 weeks the tincture can be strained, or the herbs can be left in.

Anecdotal evidence We had a home birth where I hemorrhaged immediately after delivery of the baby. We had shepherd's purse on hand and used it. Within 20 seconds the hemorrhage stopped and we were able to avoid going to a hospital. I trust that this amazing herb helped us to complete our beautiful home birth experience without interruption.