Every day, adherents of traditional medicine are becoming more and more. This is due to the fact that in the life of a modern person there are too many “chemistry”: in food, drinks, cosmetics and medicines. But some herbs and decoctions can be just as dangerous as medications. Therefore, in expectation of a child, one should be absolutely sure that thyme is not harmful during pregnancy.
Definition and Description
In crop production, thyme is better known as thyme. Spawning, flycatcher, chebark - as soon as they do not call it among the people. However, the word "thyme" has so taken root in colloquial speech, that today only this name is widely heard.
Contrary to popular belief, thyme is not a herb. It grows in small shrubs and shrubs. In the world there are several hundred species of this plant, and in Russia and the CIS countries there are about 170 of them. However, creeping thyme and varieties close to it are mainly used for medical purposes.
Since thyme is a shrub, its branches, covered with leaves, are collected for harvesting raw materials. They do this at the very peak of flowering, which occurs in June-July, when the maximum concentration of nutrients is reached in thyme.
The benefits of thyme during pregnancy
Most often, the plant is used as the main component or additive to herbal tea. Thyme leaves give it not only a special aroma, but also a number of useful properties for which it is so appreciated in folk medicine. Separately, the benefits of thyme during pregnancy are highlighted. It refers to:
- Stimulation of the uterus to facilitate labor.
- Smoothing the symptoms of viral diseases, such as cough, runny nose, general weakness of the body. Thyme also has a mucolytic effect.
- In infectious diseases of the lower and upper respiratory tract, it is able to have an anti-inflammatory and soothing effect.
- Thyme helps to normalize digestion.
- It has an antibacterial effect aimed at disinfecting the urinary tract with cystitis.
- Relieves pain and inflammation of the joints.
- It has an anthelmintic effect on the body.
Thyme during pregnancy is used not only for brewing tea, but also for baths and compresses. Thyme essential oil - thymol is especially valuable. It is intended for external use: grinding, lotion, preparation of ointment. In addition, thymol is widely used as a perfume in cosmetics.
Appointment
Tea with thyme during pregnancy is often prescribed by a gynecologist to combat pathological conditions that arise during this difficult period for the female body. Indeed, in some cases, thyme is a good alternative to medications.
Thyme is prescribed for:
- anemia
- SARS, influenza and other viral diseases;
- sleep disturbance;
- headache, nervousness;
- minor changes in blood pressure;
- exacerbation of gout, arthritis;
- skin rashes (dermatitis, urticaria, etc.);
- dysbiosis;
- helminthiasis.
Especially often, tea with thyme during pregnancy is prescribed to women who suffer from low blood pressure. However, with complex pathologies, thyme is used only as one of the elements of complex treatment.
Thyme: contraindications during pregnancy
Since thyme belongs to the list of medicinal plants, it has a number of contraindications for use. Therefore, before brewing infusions and teas, you need to consult a gynecologist and weigh the benefits and risks to which the body may be exposed.
Diseases in which thyme is contraindicated:
- diabetes;
- pyelonephritis;
- tuberculosis;
- arterial hypertension;
- exacerbation of diseases of internal organs;
- thyroid disease;
- constipation.
The thyme grass during pregnancy has a different degree of danger depending on the age of the fetus. Therefore, it is best to consider the risk of consuming thyme in trimesters.
At the beginning of pregnancy
The first 12 weeks are the most difficult for a woman. It is during this period that the largest list of restrictions and contraindications occurs, and thyme is no exception.
Thyme in the early days of pregnancy is dangerous in that it can cause uterine contractions. Uterine hypertonicity is the most common cause of spontaneous miscarriages in the early stages. Therefore, in the first trimester of pregnancy, doctors recommend abandoning the use of thyme, and if there is evidence, then choose the most sparing alternative, albeit not of plant origin.
Other terms
The safest position of the fetus is in the second trimester of pregnancy. At this time, part of the restrictions that were characteristic of the first 12 weeks are removed from the woman. Therefore, at a consultation with a gynecologist, she is likely to get permission to use thyme.
However, this does not apply to all. The appointment of thyme can definitely not be calculated for those women who have the common contraindications listed above. For example, arterial hypertension. If there are no contraindications, then no more than two cups of thyme tea are allowed per day.
Thyme during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester is again prohibited. The reason is the same - the risk of stimulation of labor and premature birth. However, this property of thyme turns from harmful to useful in the 39-40th week of pregnancy, when the additional preparation of the female body for childbirth becomes more than relevant.
Thyme Drink Recipe
In order for herbal tea to acquire a unique aroma of thyme, it must be properly prepared. Otherwise, you can completely spoil the first impression of this drink.
For cooking you need:
- 1 tsp black tea;
- 2 sprigs of thyme;
- 1 cup boiling water.
Black tea and thyme should be poured with hot water and be sure to let it brew for 10-15 minutes. Then you can add honey or sugar to it. Quantity depends on individual preference.
The maximum daily dose of such a drink is 3 cups. In this case, you need to take breaks in use. Tea with thyme can be drunk every 4 days.
Thyme baths
Thyme is added to a warm bath, even when bathing newborns. The fact is that it has a disinfecting property, which is useful in the treatment and prevention of skin rashes. However, it is worth remembering that thyme is very dry skin, so after a herbal bath, you must definitely apply a moisturizer.
To prepare a bath with thyme, you must first make it a decoction. Standard recipe: 50 g dry thyme per liter of water. It is worth noting that there are packaged thyme leaves on sale. Decoction of them is much easier to prepare, because after welding it does not need to be filtered.
Next, the broth is added to the water. Baths with thyme are best taken locally, that is, separately for problem areas of the skin of the legs or hands. This recommendation is explained by the fact that a strong thyme decoction can enter the body through the skin and thus manifest its harmful properties.
Thyme pain relievers
The tea leaves that remain from the preparation of the broth for the bath need not be thrown away. It can be reused, especially if there are problems with joint pain. From the spent raw materials it is necessary to make a compress that will relieve inflammation and pain.
For this, the tea leaves must be allowed to cool, and then placed in gauze or cotton cloth. The resulting compress is applied to the inflamed area overnight. It is worth noting that even externally thyme is not recommended for use for more than 3 consecutive days.