Cleavers also known as Lady’s Bedstraw, has a long history of use in folk medicine. Cleavers ability to assist in moving lymph and breaking up fibrous tissue makes it a wonderful herb to be considered when there are fibrocystic breasts with cysts or other congestion in the lymphatic system. It is mild, entirely non-toxic, easy to harvest, and is actually very valuable plant medicine. Cleavers are considered very helpful for mastitis or other swollen lymph in the breast.

It’s hard to know where to even begin on the topic of help, frankly. I’ve started this blog over and over, with endless perspectives in my mind about what it means to be willing to ask for help, and to receive it. This is a big theme in my life, as like so many midwives I’m a helper by trade and personality. A great deal of my career has been spent encouraging mothers to ask for and receive support, and teaching them that it also gifts the giver. But recently the theme was up close and personal; I needed quite a lot of physical help while I healed from a ruptured disc in my back, right at the time I thought I’d be celebrating a new season of independence by stepping back from being on call after 40 years.