rose petal

 

As birth workers we all make sure our clients are taking care of themselves, but making time for ourselves is difficult. It sounds so cliche, but it is true!

The work we do requires us giving on many levels – both physically and emotionally. The on-call hours, long labors, and getting up at 3am all make it hard to keep a routine of self-care.

I, like so many of you, constantly balance many tasks and needs: Do I use my time to make my herbal teas, go to yoga, prepare my next herb order to ensure a full apothecary,  review my clients’ formulas, or venture online to do any of a thousand tasks?

I want to share the first herb that every birth worker could benefit from: Rose Petals.

I often use Rose Petals for my clients, whether they are birth workers or not. Roses are good for the heart, and excellent to support the nervous system and for grief and depression. In this world, and with birth the way it is, who couldn’t use a little Rose Petal?

We emotionally support our clients, and at hospital births it can be heart wrenching to see a mom-to-be make decisions while feeling pressured by hospital staff. We birth workers are often treated poorly ourselves by staff. Add in lack of sleep, and it can take days, a week, or longer to recover.

Rose Petals to the rescue!

The tea is gentle tasting and elevates my mood almost immediately. It is also comes in a tincture, often in a formula with other herbs for depression or grief. Organic rose petals are now available from a few companies!

I recommend bringing some to your clients who are open to herbal medicine, share some together prenatally or post-partum. It mixes well with other herbs thanks to its gentle taste. Keep an eye out for more articles in my Herbal Self-Care for Birth Worker series where I’ll talk about things that will go wonderfully with Rose Petal.

One more way to use Rose Petal: If you can’t bring the tea with you, bring the dried petals with you to appointments and births. Keep it in your pocket or put a small dish of it somewhere out of the way, or wrap it in a bit of cloth (Often called a medicine bag or talisman). You will have the energy of the herb with you.

In a number of ways, Rose Petals can help heal and clear our hearts.