Motherwort
Supplement Forms/Alternate Names:
• Yi Mu Cao; Leonurus
Introduction
Motherwort is an herb in the mint family. The leaves have been used to ease anxiety and treat women’s health concerns. It is often injected by a doctor, but can be taken as a pill, powder, or extract. Motherwort can also be made into a tea.
DosagesThere aren’t any advised doses for motherwort.
What Research Shows
Likely Effective
- Child birth—likely to reduce postpartum bleeding when used with standard treatmentA1-A3
Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.
Safety Notes
It is likely safe to take motherwort for a short time. Not enough studies have been done to say whether it is safe to use for a long period. It is not known if motherwort is safe to use by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Interactions
Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse, such as:
- People taking blood thinners should talk to their doctors before taking motherwort. It may increase the risk of bleeding.
References [ + ]
A1. Liu W, Ma S, et al. Combination of motherwort injection and oxytocin for the prevention of postpartum hemorrhage after cesarean section. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2016;29(15):2490-2493.
A2. Chen W, Yu J, et al. Motherwort injection for preventing postpartum hemorrhage in pregnant women with cesarean section: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Evid Based Med. 2018 Nov;11(4):252-260.
A3. Meng W, Li R, et al. Efficacy and safety of motherwort injection add-on therapy to carboprost tromethamine for prevention of post-partum blood loss: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. J Obstet Gynaecol Res. 2019;45(1):47-56.
Last reviewed March 2020 by EBSCO NAT Review Board
Eric Hurwitz, DC
Last Updated: 6/29/2020