Herbalists’ Approaches to the Use of Herbal Products During Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine herbalists’ approaches to the use of herbal products during pregnancy. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used. The study was conducted with 16 individuals working as herbalists in Samsun province, located in the north of Turkey, between January and June 2023. The experiences of herbalists about herbal product use during pregnancy were examined using the individual in-depth interview technique, and the data analysis was performed using the thematic analysis method. The results obtained from the research were reported in accordance with the SRQR criteria. Results: As a result of the analysis, four main themes were identified: (1) presenting complaints of pregnant women; (2) herbal products that pregnant women purchase from herbalists; (3) the person(s) recommending the herbal product; (4) herbalists' approach to herbal products. Pregnant women mostly presented to herbalists to increase breast milk or with nausea-vomiting and constipation complaints. It was determined that they often purchased fennel, ginger, and anise for these complaints and got advice from herbalists about using herbal products. Herbalists mostly recommended rose of Jericho (Anastatica hierochuntica L.), linden, and fennel thinking that they were beneficial during pregnancy but they did not recommend yarrow as they thought it was harmful. Conclusion: It was concluded that pregnant women received advice from herbalists about herbal products and that some herbalists recommended herbal products that were not normally recommended for use during pregnancy.