The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA

Herbal Hormones

I was reading through an anatomy & physiology book researching a little on hormones prior to/in labor, pondering inductions re: pitocin, role of prostaglandins; Eve. Primrose, etc. Estrogen increases as progesterone decreases (see below link and text)and I began wondering whether moderate doses of Herbs containing base estrogens such as Wild Yam Root, False Unicorn, and Licorice Root might be used to encourage onset of labor. Licorice might possibly elevate blood pressure levels. On the other hand, perhaps Sarsaparilla Root, high in progesterone, could be used to discourage labor. It seems plausible to consider administering estrogen-high tincture/teas prior to the more direct-acting Cohoshes.

From http:

"Factors that may be involved in initiation of labor. Secretion of ACTH by the fetal pituitary increases mear term, casuing an increase in cortisol secretion by the fetal adrenals. This in tern is believed to inhibit progesterone synthesis by the placenta, causing estrogen levles to rise relative to progesterone levels, and increasing the excitability of the myometrium. Once contractions of the uterus become strong enough to trigger oxytocin secretion, a positive feedback loop is set in motion. SM&M26-10 "