Is Naturopathic Medicine Safe During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is exactly the kind of situation where the honest answer is “it depends,” and a good naturopathic provider will walk you through the specifics rather than giving a blanket yes or no.

Quick Answer: Naturopathic medicine can be a safe and supportive option during pregnancy, but not every naturopathic treatment is appropriate during pregnancy, and this is exactly why working with a naturopathic doctor experienced in prenatal care matters. NDs are trained in prenatal health, nutrition, supplementation, and the safe use of natural therapies during pregnancy, and can support common concerns like nausea, constipation, and sleep issues with non-pharmacological approaches. Some herbs are known teratogens or can stimulate the uterus and should be avoided or used only under specific clinical guidance; naturopathic care during pregnancy is meant to complement, not replace, the prenatal care provided by your midwife or obstetrician.

What Naturopathic Prenatal Support Commonly Includes

Nutritional guidance, including prenatal vitamin selection and support for vegan, vegetarian, or other special diets
Non-pharmacological support for common pregnancy symptoms, including nausea, morning sickness, heartburn, and constipation
Acupuncture, which has documented use for nausea relief, back pain, and even labor support in later pregnancy
Lab monitoring and coordination alongside your primary prenatal care team
Postpartum and lactation support, continuing after delivery

What to Be Cautious About

Some herbal medicines have documented teratogenic risk or can stimulate uterine contractions, and are generally avoided during pregnancy unless specifically indicated under clinical supervision. Commonly cited herbs to approach with caution or avoid include blue and black cohosh, dong quai, licorice in significant amounts, pennyroyal, and certain essential oils in concentrated form. Herbal tinctures also frequently contain alcohol as part of the manufacturing process, another reason to check with your provider before using any herbal tincture during pregnancy. This is precisely why “natural” does not automatically mean “safe during pregnancy,” and why working with a provider trained specifically in prenatal naturopathic care matters.

By the Numbers

Roughly 80% of pregnant women experience nausea in the first trimester, and about 50% experience vomiting, a common focus of naturopathic prenatal support.
Naturopathic doctors receive dedicated training in prenatal health, nutrition, and safe use of natural therapies during pregnancy as part of their standard curriculum.
Certain herbs are recognized as known teratogens or uterine stimulants and are generally avoided during pregnancy.
Naturopathic prenatal care is meant to be used in addition to, not instead of, midwife or obstetrician-provided prenatal care.

Pros and Cons of Naturopathic Support During Pregnancy

Potential Benefits

Non-pharmacological options for common symptoms like nausea and constipation
Extended visit time to address the many changes and questions pregnancy brings
Nutritional guidance tailored to your specific dietary needs and restrictions

Real Cautions

Not every naturopathic treatment is safe during pregnancy; some herbs are genuinely contraindicated
Herbal tinctures may contain alcohol, which should be avoided entirely during pregnancy
Naturopathic care should supplement, not replace, your primary prenatal care team

Myth vs. Fact

Myth: “All natural remedies are automatically safe during pregnancy.”

Fact: Some herbs are known teratogens or uterine stimulants and are generally avoided during pregnancy. Natural does not automatically mean safe in this specific, physiologically sensitive context.

Myth: “Seeing a naturopathic doctor during pregnancy means replacing your OB or midwife.”

Fact: Naturopathic prenatal care is designed to complement, not replace, the prenatal care provided by your obstetrician or midwife.

Myth: “There’s no reason to mention herbal teas or supplements to your naturopathic doctor if they seem harmless.”

Fact: Even herbal teas can have physiological effects during pregnancy, and their safety should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with your provider, not assumed.

Getting Individualized Prenatal Guidance

If you are pregnant and considering naturopathic support, a conversation about your specific situation, current pregnancy stage, and existing prenatal care team is the right starting point. Schedule a consultation or call +1 (858) 333-5196 to discuss what fits your situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I take herbal supplements during pregnancy?
Some are considered safe under guidance, while others, including known teratogens and uterine stimulants, are generally avoided. This should always be evaluated individually with a provider trained in prenatal care.

Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?
Acupuncture has documented use during pregnancy for nausea, back pain, and even labor support in later pregnancy, when performed by a properly trained practitioner.

Should naturopathic care replace my OB or midwife during pregnancy?
No. Naturopathic prenatal care is intended to complement your primary prenatal care team, not replace it.

What pregnancy symptoms can naturopathic care help with?
Common focuses include nausea and morning sickness, constipation, heartburn, sleep issues, and general nutritional support throughout pregnancy.

Are herbal tinctures safe during pregnancy?
Many herbal tinctures contain alcohol as part of the manufacturing process and should generally be avoided during pregnancy; ask your provider about alcohol-free alternatives if an herbal remedy is recommended.

ProActive Choice in Bend, Oregon

For individualized guidance during pregnancy, ProActive Choice offers care under Dr. Drew Collins, ND:

Women’s Health Bend, OR: Personalized care throughout different life stages
Can You Drink Echinacea Tea While Pregnant?: An example of herb-specific pregnancy guidance
Functional Medicine Bend, Oregon: Comprehensive, individualized care

ProActive Choice is located in Bend, Oregon and serves patients throughout Central Oregon including Redmond, Sisters, La Pine, and Sunriver. Call +1 (858) 333-5196 or schedule a consultation online.

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After struggling with molluscum contagiosum for over a year and a half with my toddler, we finally found relief thanks to Dr. Drew Collins. I can’t recommend him enough. My son had these viral bumps for about 18 months, and they just kept spreading. We brought it up multiple times with our pediatrician and were told they would resolve on their own within a few months. Unfortunately, that never happened. Instead, the bumps continued to spread and were slowly working their way up toward his neck. They were itchy, uncomfortable, and clearly bothering him. Like many parents, I spent a lot of time searching online for solutions. The problem is that there really aren’t clear protocols—just countless suggestions from people trying anything and everything. We tried many of those approaches, but nothing helped, and some even seemed to make things worse. When we finally met with Dr. Drew Collins, the experience was completely different. He took the time to listen, understand the situation, and develop a thoughtful treatment plan. The plan was surprisingly simple—just one supplement—but within about a month we started seeing real improvement. Now, about three months later, my son only has a few small scabs left where the bumps used to be, and they’re healing up nicely. After 18 months of watching this spread and worrying about it, seeing such clear progress has been a huge relief. We’re incredibly grateful for Drew’s help and expertise. If you’re dealing with persistent molluscum or similar issues and feel like you’ve run out of options, I would absolutely recommend scheduling a visit with him.

Lindsay Jones

Dr. Collins has a heart for getting you well. Having had cancer fourteen years ago, I have no thyroid gland. Many doctors have had the “well the numbers look good, you must be feeling well” approach. Dr. Collins understands many reasons why things may not be right even though tests show they should be. He is more interested in you feeling well than the numbers. His approach has revealed things about my present condition I think many doctors missed. While he had my thyroid hormone condition under control, another issue sprang up that traditional doctors approached with the usual pain medications. My gut was constantly hurting. MRIs and ultra sounds, showed nothing. No one offered any reason for my pain. Dr. Collins correctly identified pain in fatty tissues and an incorrect balance of gut microbes. More and more information is being found all the time about how important your gut health is to the rest of your body. Dr. Collins takes a great interest in this subject. He is very concerned for the health of the gut in the American diet that has been terribly broken down by pesticides typically sprayed on seed products and the toxic byproducts of seed oils (wheat, corn, rye, barley, rice and so forth). He has discovered the findings from MIT and a heart surgeon Dr. William Davis who published Super Gut, that showed there is a missing gut biome called L. Reuteri. Without this biome, all the fatty pain tissues and issues inside the gut caused my pain. Dr. Collins graciously offered a free starter of L. Reuteri and the instructions to grow a yogurt from these bacteria. I was on my way to health. Dr. Collins makes clear that you must have the desire to “follow” the treatment. For this treatment I needed to get off all seed products and take the yogurt daily. This takes some time, several months and at first it was difficult to tell if I was getting better. By the third month there was no doubt. I lost eighteen pounds of fat over my gut and the pain went away. The pain from my sciatica went away due to a reduction in inflammation. This is a side benefit I did not expect. My back hurt less, again, a reduction in inflammation. My skin started looking better. Soon, my wife started taking it because she had trouble with inflammation in her hands. Indeed, her hands and knuckles started to improve, and also her skin. Dr. Collins wants everyone to know about this, and so do I. I highly recommend this treatment and other natural approaches that Dr. Collins employs.

Robert Mehl

Dr. Drew is amazing! He’s kind, good at explaining everything and has wonderful bedside manner. He really knows how to make you feel comfortable. On top of all of that he is very skilled at what he does. I came to Dr. Drew for my knee which has been giving me issues for years. I had a terrible fall on the ice here in Bend, OR a few days before. Not only did he address my knee but he addressed my fractured tailbone and all the pain I was having for my fall. No joke, I had a noticeable relief by the time I was leaving his office. I experienced some pain and soreness that night from all of the injections but within two days I was sitting on my tailbone again and walking around without excruciating pain. I’m now committed to going through the process to address pain in my shoulders hip and knees. Can’t wait to keep the healing going! Thank you Dr. Drew!!

Alice Fairbairn

Dr Drew Collins is an Amazing naturopath. He saved me from having a knee replacement! I had 6 PRP shots and was fine! That was 14 years ago! I've also done prolotherapy for my shoulders and hands with him. He is wonderful!

Dona Davis

I have been working with Dr.Collins for close to ten years now. I first came to him because I am a Doctor of Chiropractic and needed help with staying in business. Over the years using my arms, hands , wrists, elbows and spine to treat patients with chiropractic I developed a lot of tendinitis and nerve pain that was so severe I couldn't practice. With expert clinical care and diagnosis Dr.Collins was able to use regenerative medicine to heal these injuries. I am so happy to say that I now practice pain free. Furthermore as I am in my 50's now I needed help with my diminishing hormone levels. Dr.Collins analyzed my blood work and using bioidentical hormones brought my levels up to normal and completed the healing process for me. Now my energy, mood, motivation and love for being a chiropractor are back . I come from a medical family and have worked with other doctors for 30 years, Dr.Collins is the most talented doctor I have met. He is a level above in clinical expertise and has the greatest amount of knowledge and available treatment that I have experienced.

Patrick Rardin

Dr. Collins is awesome and helped me when no other doctor could. I went to see Dr. Collins due to multiple medical problems due to a car accident. Dr. Collins treated my neck, shoulders, lower back and knees with tremendous success. I had seen many pain management specialists in the past who could only provide temporary pain relief with treatments and medications but Dr. Collins provided me with concrete permanent results. In addition his treatments were pain free! I had very bad knee pain due to degenerative arthritis and all pain is gone now. I had excruciating pain in my lower back and that is gone now because of Dr. Collins treatments. I had frozen muscles and tendons in my shoulders and neck and he was the only doctor that successfully gave me permanent relief. In closing, if you are really motivated to get relief from persistent pain go see Dr. Collins and you won't regret it. He specializes in ozone therapy, hormone replacement, hypothyroidism, prolotherapy, stem cell therapy, anti-aging, nutrition and offers concierge medicine. I am more than grateful that he is conveniently located in Bend so I can see him for all my medical needs in the future.

Desiree Kerkhoff Bryant

Dr. Collins has been my physician since 2010. He has kept me healthy with his exceptional skill set & that includes Bio-identical hormone therapy & thyroid treatment. I feel fortunate to be his patient.

Dana Schultz

Thank you so much Dr. Collins for balancing my hormones and thyroid for many years. I feel great under your care. Anytime I have a question or concern you always get right back to me. I appreciate the care you take with my health.

Sharon Reeve

I have been a patient of Dr. Collins for almost 20 years and he has helped me so much with my overall health and well-being. Not only is he a brilliant doctor, he is a kind and compassionate person who truly cares for his patients. Dr. Collins helped me overcome a terrible hip injury that wasn't responding to conventional treatments. In addition, he balanced my Thyroid Hormones and has helped me with numerous other ailments. I highly recommend Dr. Collins and can't say enough good things about him. I love you Dr. Collins and will be a patient for life!

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Is Naturopathic Medicine Safe During Pregnancy?

What Naturopathic Prenatal Support Commonly Includes