Contact
Dr. Wylie treats patients on: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 8:45 am finishing by 1:15 pm
Clinic Location: 
Kwan Yin Healing Arts
2330 NW Flanders Street, Suite 101
Portland, Oregon 97210
To Schedule an Appointment:
503-701-8766
*Please see page regarding menstrual cycles and scheduling your visit! “How to schedule an appointment”
Fax: 503-241-5484
Dr. Wylie’s direct line and private voicemail is: 971-998-2196
please call between 8:30 am and 6:30 pm, Monday – Friday. Due to the nature of mothering, it may be necessary for me to take a few days to return emails or phonecalls.
email: sarah@redblossommedicine.com
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sarah, I met you at the ATMAM advanced pregnancy class. At that time I was asking you about castor oil packs during pregnancy and I believe you said castor oil on the abdomen is ok as long as no heat is applied. Is that correct?
My next question: can castor oil be used by a woman who is breastfeeding? Great to find your blog/website. Hope to meet again in the future. Donna Caire
Hi Donna,
Thanks for visiting the site!
I do believe that castor oil applied topically without heat is perfectly fine in pregnancy. I especially use it for women who have large c-section scars that adhere the uterus to the superficial layers of skin and muscle. Once the scar has receded back down to the muscle of the uterus, I think it is best to discontinue the castor oil so that the scar remains strong in the uterus.
I do believe that castor oil applied topically over the liver is an appropriately gentle way of supporting detoxification during pregnancy.
I do recommend that when infants have eczema, that castor oil is applied topically over the entire (be it teeny tiny) abdomen, under a onsie at bedtime. Not enough to stain the shirt, but enough to feel it on the skin. This supports the immune system in the GI tract (see Peyer’s Patches ) so that when the food particles pass through which are causing the irritation that leads to eczema, gentle detoxification occurs instead.
We do know that 4 daily and consecutive self-care treatments of castor oil packs (20-40 minutes each) will increase the immune cells called T-cells in the body to ward off infection. We still don’t know what the mechanism of action is.
I would say that for most breastfeeding women and their infants, castor oil is the perfect supportive treatment. There will always be someone for whom the treatment is too strong. The people for whom it may be too strong would possibly include those with severe post-partum psychosis or multiple chemical sensitivities. In these cases, start with a teeny-tiny bit to see how she responds.
Thank You! Looking forward to seeing you again, too. How about a convention in Belize?:)