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Aspen bark extract and pregnancy?

by Mrs A
(UK)

Dear Wray,

Pardon me for the second question within one day! I had ordered Serenity cream before I came across your site and I would like to order Natpro instead. I was curious about the ingredients. I can clearly see how your cream's ingredients are superior, cleaner and simpler, with more progesterone per ml than Serenity's. The thing is, I've tried googling aspen bark extract and found that it could act like aspirin in the body. I know that some women take 'baby aspirin' to help blood flow to the uterus so I'm assuming that the amount of salicylate from the aspen bark extract in your cream is too small to be of concern and probably more of a benefit than anything else?

I'm particularly watchful about ingredients in creams because shortly after my son was born I discovered that I had a sensitivity to salicylates among other food chemicals. I'm okay now (he's almost 2 years old) but that could change again if I get/am pregnant!

Would appreciate your thoughts...

Warmest Regards,

Mrs A

Comments for Aspen bark extract and pregnancy?

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Feb 04, 2012
 Aspen bark extract and pregnancy?
by: Wray

Hi Mrs A I see you do your research! You are right about the salicylate. The aspen bark in the formula is 2%, which works out at 20mg/g of cream. The salicylates comprise 54-60% of the aspen bark. So these work out at 10.8-12mg/g of cream. I would hope they don't cause a problem! This is the safety data sheet, see here. It is obviously for the raw material. I have handled it myself, as I do the original testing and formula. And I did not find any problem when it got on my skin. Although I haven't found a problem with salicylates, I do have extreme sensitivity to sulphur dioxide, which seems to be put into most wines, so I can't drink that sadly. Also all vinegars unless organic, fruit juices and more! There is more info here and here on the aspen bark. I hope this helps, and would appreciate getting feedback on your reaction to the cream, if you do try it. Take care Wray
Feb 04, 2012
 Aspirin and Baby
by: Mrs. A

Again, thank you Wray for your thoughts on this. When my boy was born, he reacted to everything in my breast milk and that is when I became a serial researcher lol! As I eliminated foods and products to help relieve his symptoms and continue to breast feed, I too found I was getting personal relief, so I was sensitive to everything he was. When I cut down the salicylates I felt that I could fly! Now I can have mint tea with no problems (very high is sals). I couldn't do sulphur and neither could he. Also I had issues with amines.

I am confident that I would be fine with the cream and if pregnant I am sure baby would be fine if I use the cream to full term and beyond. I was mainly worried if any aspirin effects of the extract would be bad for the baby. I haven't researched aspirin and pregnancy so I don't know!

Thank you so much!!

Mrs A
Feb 04, 2012
 Aspirin and Baby
by: Wray

Hi Mrs A I love the 'serial researcher' bit! Interesting you mention your boy having problems with substances in your milk, Justine did too with mine. Unfortunately she was born 30 years ago, and doctors then said nothing effected them through milk! Now they realise things do pass through, virtually everything in fact. If only I hadn't been put off by them and listened to what she was trying to tell me. Dried fruit was a killer for her, and of course it contains SO2. As far as aspirin and pregnancy is concerned they often give it, if they think the mother has problems with clotting. Another is heparin, which is found naturally in us, although progesterone itself is effective against clotting, by reducing thrombin by 10-15%, see here. So I don't see any point in using the other two. But do let me know either way please. Take care Wray
Feb 06, 2012
 Breastmilk
by: Mrs. A

Hello Wray, I wish it were true that our doctor's were open to the fact that foods can translate through the milk. I share your frustration. I think the doctors here that we saw were entertaining the idea to be polite. My boy's allergist laughed at me. He said it was impossible! Today he maintains that because his IgE tests are all negative, he is not reacting to those foods and that 'I should be brave and feed him those foods'. He refused to view my many photos of bloody nappies (should I blow his theory out of the window). When my boy was 2 months old My GP said that my son was not allergic to dairy, egg and gluten because there would be blood in his stools, and that he was just colicky. I stood my ground, but after doing trials on him through my breastmilk the blood appeared from around the 6 months old mark and still does to this day (almost 2). (((Sigh!!!))) I didn't try dried fruit as I was concerned about the SO2 too.

Thanks for taking your time to reply and I will keep you updated about the cream, whether I'm pregnant or not :)

Much Love!!!
xXx
Feb 07, 2012
 Breastmilk
by: Wray

Hi Mrs A This kind of story saddens me. It shows how closed the minds are, and doesn't allow for the mother's innate knowledge of her child. Plus of course it angers me, as it suggests we're all fools! I'm glad you avoided the dried fruit, that was not a pleasant experience for me, watching an 8 week old in agony. Take care and love and hugs to you too! Wray

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