Folks who want to start using herbs should know that most herbs are safe and
effective. The easiest way to learn is to study one herb at a time. Some good
references are:
        Hoffman, David; "The Herbal Handbook"
        McIntyre, Anne, "The Complete Woman's Herbal"
        Gladstar, Rosemary "Herbal Healing for Women"
Herbal teas and tinctures work better than capsules. Some herbs such as
echineca and motherwort work best in tinctures. Tinctures (alcohol in which
the herb has sat) are convenient and portable. But for breastfeeding
problems, teas often work best. They encourage mom to drink, and also to sit
still long enough for a cup of tea.
Start slowly with herbs but remember, they're usually safer than drugs!
Speaking of alternative remedies: a midwife I know swears by homeopathic
phytolacca (which is poke root) 30x or 60x strength four times a day for
mastitis. She says if you catch it early enough and mom goes on bed rest for
24-48 hours and nurses frequently you can avoid antibiotics (and the
yeast/thrush that sometimes goes with them).
Blessings,
Julie Brill, B.A., C.C.E.