Unclogging milk ducts using acacia thorns

Many mothers worry about insufficient milk production, fearing their children are not receiving the most valuable nutrients. Fortunately, there are many valuable herbs that can address this issue.

Breastfeeding is both a sacred duty and a source of happiness for mothers. Modern science has proven that breast milk is the ideal food for children. For infants, breast milk provides all the necessary nutrients, antibodies, and growth hormones, helping them grow quickly and develop good resistance to adverse health factors. For mothers, breastfeeding is a way to express love for their child and establish a strong emotional bond for the future. Breastfeeding also helps mothers recover quickly after pregnancy and childbirth, such as shortening uterine contraction time, speeding up postpartum bleeding, burning stored fat to produce milk for the baby, and thus regaining some of their original figure.

However, after childbirth, for various reasons, many women encounter difficulties in breastfeeding their babies as desired. Some women may have normal milk production, but blocked milk ducts prevent milk from flowing properly, causing the baby to go hungry and the mother to suffer both physically and mentally. Others, due to their constitution or the need for surgical intervention during childbirth, may not have milk for their babies even after 3-4 days, a week, or even a month. Postpartum milk deficiency can occur in all mothers, affecting both thin and overweight women; it can affect first-time mothers as well as those who have given birth twice or more; some women lose their milk supply from the beginning, while others who previously had a normal milk supply suddenly lose it.

Acacia auriculiformis

As mentioned above, if a mother is unable to breastfeed her child, it is clearly a great disadvantage for both mother and baby. Many mothers, when faced with this situation, feel very stressed, anxious, and some even become depressed because they feel "useless" for not fulfilling their maternal duties.

Fortunately, nature has bestowed upon us many precious herbs to address this lack of breast milk. Among them, through years of experience, we have found a very effective remedy that is readily available, inexpensive, and safe for both mother and baby. That remedy is the thorn of the Gleditsia tree, also known as Gleditsia spina (scientific name: Spina Gleditsiae). In our country, Gleditsia trees are grown throughout the region, used for hedges, and their fruit is used for bathing, fumigating homes, and many other purposes. Because of its fearsome thorns, people often plant them near fences to protect their gardens. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the thorns of the Gleditsia tree are believed to have detoxifying, blood-activating, anti-inflammatory, pus-draining, and phlegm-removing properties. The thorns have been identified as containing gleditsia saponin BG, palmitic acid, fatty acids, and nonacosane. This remedy is contraindicated for pregnant women, but it is very effective in treating blocked milk ducts or lack of milk after childbirth.

The thorns of the Gleditsia tree are harvested fresh, meaning they are taken from living thorns on the tree trunk, chopped into small pieces, and dried before use. They can be used alone or combined with other herbs to enhance their effects; however, we recommend combining them with other herbs, as postpartum women often have weakened blood and energy. If used alone, 12g of Gleditsia thorns are decocted in water and drunk throughout the day. Years of observation have shown that the effectiveness of this remedy becomes apparent after 1-3 days of use. However, in some cases, patients stop using the medicine on their own after seeing milk production, fearing it might affect the baby, leading to a relapse after a short time. Therefore, we suggest continuing use for 10-15 days. This remedy not only helps clear milk ducts and stimulate milk production, ensuring mothers have enough milk for breastfeeding, but also helps expel postpartum discharge quickly. As a result, the mother's abdomen becomes soft and supple, the uterus contracts quickly, and the complexion is radiant.

Furthermore, this herbal remedy also helps postpartum women overcome constipation or difficulty urinating. When prescribing, we often combine it with 10g of *Tô mộc* (a type of herb), 10g of *Hổ trượng căn* (a type of herb), and 10g of *Vũ dư lương* (a type of herb), and the effectiveness of the remedy is significantly enhanced. These are all herbs that promote blood circulation, relieve pain, regulate menstruation, reduce pain, clear heat, disinfect, and stop bleeding. They help improve blood flow, reduce stress, and enhance overall health, preventing opportunistic infections.

There may be many other equally effective remedies, but with its ease of access, use, affordability, and safety, we hope this remedy will help many mothers and relatives of our friends near and far.

Traditional medicine practitioner NGUYEN DUC NGHIA

(According to Health and Life)