According to a study by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, there has been an “increase in the incidence of menstrual changes among young women after vaccination against coronavirus.” In search for an ancient answer to a modern problem, I was drawn to Yarrow; a herb with a long history of being able to stop heavy menstrual bleeding naturally.
I should say here that my interest in herbs and herbal remedies isn't a recent thing. Back in 2014, I spent two weeks in the wilds of Northumberland learning about plant medicine with an accomplished herbalist and have kept up my interest ever since.
I practice what little I can as the opportunity presents itself, making tinctures and decoctions with the seasons, and have built a good physical library of herbal medicinal books over the years. I created a list of some of the herbal books I own and am happy to recommend if you'd like to start building your own.
Given the nature of the study above and from 1st hand experiences shared with me by friends, it seems a timely moment to put some of my knowledge to good use and share it with you in the hopes it will help you or someone you know stop heavy menstrual bleeding naturally.
A note before you begin: You shouldn't take any of this content as medical advice, however; I'm just sharing what I've found in old books and accounts.
An Introduction To Yarrow
Our look at Yarrow begins in the Neanderthal burial site in Iraq, where it was found amongst other medicinal herbs. The site is said to date from around 60,000 BC, and has become famous in herbal medicine as one of the earliest indications of our ancestors' use of medicinal plants; and Yarrow in particular.
Yarrow has the Latin botanical name Achillea millefolium. If you want to know more about that, spend a few minutes reading our guide about why Latin names are used to identify plants.
The Latin names are good at classifying plants but personally, I think the ‘common names' are much more useful. They have meaning derived from experience. And that counts for a lot in my book.
Common plant names are ancient, and come from people; whereas Latin names come from science. I think by now, we can all agree science is not always the best lens to view the world through.
Yarrow, like so many other valuable medicinal herbs, often gets called a ‘common weed,' but, if you dig deep into it's rich and mystic past, you'll also find it has some far more descriptive and accurate names.
What Is Another Name For Yarrow?
Yarrow has several other ‘common' names; Bloodwort, Carpenter's Weed, Milfoil, Nose Bleed, Woundwort, Old Man's Pepper, Thousand Weed, Devil's Plaything and Devil's Nettle. These ‘common names' are often derived from the properties of the plant, either in effects or looks.
Unlike the more scientific Latin names, the common names are much better at describing what your ancestors thought about the herb and what it was used for.
What Does Yarrow Look Like?
Yarrow is one of the easier herbs to recognise out in the wild due to its feathery leaves, strong stems and broad white flower heads made up of many small individual flowers.
It flowers from June to September, and the flowers can be white, pale or lilac. They look like tiny daisies.
Where Does Yarrow Grow?
Yarrow grows freely in grassland, chalk land, roadsides and other sites with well-draining ground. It is native to the Northern hemisphere and is a common herb; often described as a ‘weed'.
What Is Yarrow Good For?
According to the wonderful A Modern Herbal, by Mrs M. Grieve, Yarrow has, for as long as records and memory go back, been used as a vulnerary – which means; to be ‘useful in healing wounds'.
Specifically, it stops bleeding, eases pain and has an antimicrobial effect on the wounded area.
Some of its common names are a good reflection of these properties; notably: Soldier’s Herb, Woundwort, Bloodwort, Herba Militaris and Knight’s Milfoil.
In Myth & Legend, it is told that Yarrow was given to Achilles by the centaur Chiron so he could use it on the battlefield on his wounded soldiers. Its Latin name, Achillea millefollium, is said to originate from this tale.
All of these names stem from Yarrow's ability to quickly and effectively stop bleeding and thus, it is an essential herb to grow in your garden if you want to become more self-sufficient and practice the art of using herbs for self healing.
Why Does Yarrow Stop Heavy Bleeding In Wounds?
Yarrow has specific medicinal actions: Diaphoretic, astringent, tonic, stimulant, antiseptic.
The action that affects the flow of blood is astringent.
If you've ever had a glass of wine or a cup of tea, you will have felt the effects of astringency. It is where the tissue in your mouth tightens and you get that smacking feeling. That is an astringent in action.
Astringents are also called styptics; and styptics have constituents within them that bind mucous membranes, skin and other exposed tissue. They cause body tissues, including blood vessels, to shrink or constrict.
Most notably, astringents contain tannins, and tannins are haemostatic. Haemostatics cause blood to coagulate, which has the effect of making the bleeding stop.
It is the astringent effect of Yarrow that helps to stop heavy bleeding by binding cells and mucous when the herb is applied topically to open wounds as a poultice.
Can Yarrow Stop Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?
According to Dalene Barton, a Certified Herbalist and Birth Doula, Yarrow can help to stop heavy menstrual bleeding.
Her views are supported by a plethora of well-known accounts, most notably that of Pastor Sebastien Kneipp, the German priest who introduced hydrotherapy, who said that “much of the women's troubles would be relieved, if they would use Yarrow from time to time“.
Because Yarrow has astringent properties and contains tannins that act as a haemostatic, it is indicated in menorrhagia (heavy menstrual bleeding).
How To Take Yarrow To Stop Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
According to Self Healing Herbs, Yarrow can be taken as an infusion (tea) to help stop heavy menstrual bleeding but only during times of heavy bleeding and never more than two cups per day.
She has a couple of excellent recipes on her website.
Recipes For Yarrow Infusions (Tea) To Stop Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
For Menorrhagia (heavy menstrual periods that extend beyond the ordinary)
- Yarrow – 2 tablespoons
- Shepherd's Purse – 2 tablespoons
- St. John's Wort – 3 tablespoons
- Willow bark – 2 tablespoons
- Oak bark – 2 tablespoons
Make a decoction with 2 tablespoons of this mixture. Boil the plants for 5 minutes in 0.5 l / 16.9 oz water. Drink the entire amount during the day.
For Other Menstrual Problems (heavy bleeding, painful, coloured in bright red)
- Shepherd's Purse – 30 g / 1.06 oz
- Yarrow – 25 g / 0.88 oz
- Lady's mantle – 20 g / 0.7 oz
- Lemon balm leaves – 5 g / 0.18 oz
Pour a cup of boiling water over a teaspoon of herbs let steep for 7 minutes in covered pot. Drink 1 cup per day.
Warning
- Never take Yarrow infusions more than twice a day. Too much tea will increase the bleeding.
- Don't take yarrow if you are pregnant.
- Always consult a qualified medical practitioner before taking herbal remedies.
How To Harvest Yarrow In The Wild
Yarrow grows pretty much everywhere in grassland but you should plant some near your home. Who knows when you'll need to rely on the gifts of nature alone to stem the flow of blood from a wound?
It will seed itself and grow in abundance if left alone.
You can use all parts of the Yarrow including the stems, leaves and flowers (as long as they are collected in the wild state in August, when the herb is flowering).
You should harvest it on a warm, sunny day when the herb is in full bloom. You can cut the stem just above a leaf node.
How To Preserve The Medicinal Properties Of Yarrow After Harvest
There are two primary methods of preserving the medicinal properties of Yarrow after you harvest in August.
- You can dry them
- You can make oil infusions
How To Dry Yarrow
If you're in a warmer climate than I am here in the UK, you can bunch up your herbs, tie them with string and leave them hanging on an outside washing line for a couple of days.
The herbs are dried when they are brittle to touch and the leaves ‘snap' or crumble off.
If you're not in a warmer climate, then you could use a dehydrator. I have a complete guide to dehydrating food (and herbs) here.
After they have fully dried, you can store them in an airtight container and they will last for years.
How To Make A Yarrow Infused Oil
Yarrow can also be infused into an oil for long term storage but Rebecca over at Natural Ingredient does a great job explaining the method in much more detail than I could here.
Should You Use Yarrow To Stop Heavy Menstrual Bleeding?
It's not my place to advise on matters of your health; I'm not a qualified medical practitioner.
What I have done though, is share information in this guide that I found in dusty old herbal tomes that many people before you found useful.
Information that was handed down through generations, before a time when every ailment was at the tip of an internet search.
I place great value in this kind of information and I trust that if you're on this website, you will too.
Our ancestors got us this far; and we should never forget that.
Love this article, thank you taking such time to find so much information. Made me think of the Herbalist, Yarrow Willard, he does YouTube videos on herbs… he has a very positive and energetic way, here’s a link to his videos on Yarrow… Part 1 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjgwkadik9Y. Part : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CE6LnLoAeRo . A Herbalist friend told me Yarrow is a “strong” medicine, so should not be taken for more than two weeks before having a break, and it is good for bringing down fevers, ( it worked on my horse Etoile with Lyme Disease after months of a low grade fever ).
Love how much information you have on here, and so beautifully written, caring, positive… truly holistic. Thank you!
Thank you for your very kind comments, Mills. I am pleased you found the information useful and, hopefully, helpful.
Very good information you shared from your herbalist friend also that will be helpful for all those lost, wandering souls who find their way here.
Thank you again.