I know we talk about the recovery period as the first six weeks postpartum but in my opinion, as long as you are breastfeeding, changing diapers and getting up in the middle of the night, you are still in postpartum mode. Sometimes it feels relentless. Night after night of bad sleep followed by 6AM wake-up calls. If you are feeling exhausted, then you might want to check out Eleuthero,  previously marketed in the United States as Siberian Ginseng, as it has similar herbal properties.

Eleuthero is an adaptogen which helps the body deal with stress, fatigue and trauma. It has been shown to enhance mental clarity and physical endurance without the drop that comes with caffeinated products. It can be taken during pregnancy and breastfeeding although you should make sure you are getting Eleuthero from a reputed source ie you don’t want your herbs being combined with other stuff that isn’t good for you. You should also take Eleuthero ideally in the morning particularly if you are going around feeling wired from exhaustion since it might hinder your sleep.

The standard dosage is 2–3 grams per day of the dried root or 300–400 mg per day of concentrated solid extract. Usually it can be taken for approximately 6 - 8 weeks with a 1 -2 week break before resuming.

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July 12th, 2007 | Permalink