Herbs to Avoid When Trying to Get Pregnant
Before modern herbalism softened the edges of plant lore, European witches, midwives, and cunning women kept a strict memory of which herbs called life into the womb—and which drove it away.
Conception was understood as a fragile threshold. A woman preparing for pregnancy avoided cold rivers, excessive labor, and—most importantly—certain herbs whose spirits were known to heat the womb, stir the blood, or sweep it clean. These plants weren’t feared for being harmful; they were respected for being too powerful, too cleansing, too tied to endings rather than beginnings.
Traditional conception magic followed a rhythm still recognizable today: first the cleansing, then the calling.
If you want to explore the ritual dimension of this old cycle, see Fertility Rituals for Creation, where the preparation and blessing phase is described in folkloric detail.
Below is the deeper layer—the herbs Old Europe held back once the time for creation truly began.
The Old Idea of “Driving Herbs”
In European folk magic, certain plants were known as driving herbs—plants that moved energy downward and outward. Midwives would say they could “push the seed away,” “dry the inner springs,” or “leave the womb too restless for life to take.”
These herbs were essential in other forms of magic:
- cleansing
- banishing
- breaking stagnation
- ending cycles
- protecting boundaries
…but none of these movements align with conception, which calls for stillness, warmth, and moisture.
For the complementary list of nourishing plants used after this avoidance period, visit the guides to Best Herbs for Female Fertility and Best Herbs for Fertility for Men.
Herbs You Should Stay Away From When Trying to Conceive:
Rue: The Bitter Gatekeeper
In southern Europe and the Balkans, rue was woven into brides’ veils for protection and tucked into belts to repel ill-wishers. But it was never taken internally by women hoping for a child.
Rue’s magic is about closure and protection, not openness.
It guards thresholds, purifies the spirit, and pushes away unwelcome forces.
Modern herbal knowledge mirrors the folklore: rue stimulates and tightens tissues, creating an internal terrain inhospitable for conception.
Pennyroyal: The Separation Mint
Pennyroyal shows up in medieval manuscripts as a cleanser of rooms, bedding, and the body itself. Wise women burned it on floors to drive out stagnant spirits.
Its influence on the womb is well known in folklore: pennyroyal stirs the blood, warms the belly, and moves what is stagnant—all actions opposite of conception.
Even mild infusions were avoided.
Wormwood: The Opener of Doors
Wormwood is the herb of thresholds, ghosts, and vision. Balkan witches added it to grave rites, northern cunning folk burned it against wandering dead, and healers used it for spiritual purification.
Wormwood opens doors—too many doors—which is why it never appears in fertility lore.
If you want the full history of this fierce plant spirit, visit Wormwood in Witchcraft and War, where its role in protection and battle magic is explored.
Sage: The Drier of Springs
Though gentle in the kitchen, sage was traditionally believed to dry and cool the womb. Old herbals warn that too much sage “quenches the seed-fire” and “draws moisture from the belly.”
This cooling, drying action is opposite of the nourishing plants praised in Plant Allies for Women Trying to Conceive.
Those herbs build moisture.
Sage reduces it.
Hellebore: The Dark Physician
Hellebore was the tool of exorcists, midwives, and plague-time healers—always handled with ritual care, cut with iron, and spoken over.
Its magic is to banish, unbind, and break spells.
It belongs to the darkest edges of European healing magic, nowhere near fertility rites.
No midwife would risk it near a woman trying to conceive.
Warming Herbs: Parsley, Lovage & Tansy
These herbs appear in food, but in medicinal doses they were known to:
- warm the belly
- stimulate blood flow
- encourage downward movement
- disrupt the delicate “holding” quality needed for conception
Culinary use is fine. The caution is about strong teas, tonics, or ritual amounts.
The Traditional Two-Phase Path to Conception
Old European fertility practice understood a truth modern herbalism repeats:
Cleansing herbs and conception herbs belong to different seasons.
1. Purification Phase
Some of the herbs above were intentionally used before trying to conceive to clear stagnation. That phase often included ritual cleansing, which you can explore in Fertility Rituals for Creation.
2. The Calling Phase
Once a woman entered the conception window, all warming, stimulating, or downward-moving herbs were stopped.
Then she turned to the gentle, moistening, stabilizing herbs found in:
This mirrored the land: cleanse the field in winter, plant in spring.
FAQ
Are these herbs harmful in food?
Mostly no. The warning applies to strong doses, not culinary pinches.
Can these herbs help before trying to conceive?
Yes—many were used to reset the cycle before switching to fertility-supportive plants.
Is this medical advice?
No. This is traditional lore blended with cautious modern understanding.
Which herbs actually support fertility?
Explore the nourishing plants in Best Herbs for Conception.
Are there rituals for conception?
Yes. Old European rites of blessing, purification, and creation can be found in Conception Rituals. For a more general exploration of fertility as a force of its own, explore: Fertility Magic of the Old World.