ABSTRACT
Introduction Pregnancy and subsequent lactation have been an essential part of human existence for millennia, but unfortunately the experience has not been easy for all women. Some of our earliest medicines were plants used to address the difficulties and complications of these biologic processes and to better prepare the expectant mother for pregnancy, delivery, and lactation. In many part of the world women still use herbal medicines even when attended by Western medicine.1,2 This short review from an historical perspective will first examine some of the botanicals that have been used during pregnancy and delivery and then during lactation. Reference will also be made to some of the scientific literature on these botanical medicines.
