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Pregnancy
Books for Pregnancy
- Pregnancy is
the time to get informed,
know your choices. Here are a few
of my favorites.
Natural
Relief for Common Discomforts of Pregnancy - Avoid
over-the-counter drugs which are questionably safe and try some proven
safe alternatives.
Book Reviews-
Having a Homebirth? Here are a couple books that can help you prepare
for your Special Delivery!
Pregnancy
Journals - Don't forget all the special moments of your pregnancy!
Discover the convenience and value of a pregnancy journal.
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Natural
Relief for Common Discomforts of Pregnancy
by Kelly Frohnauer
Natural remedies can be used during
pregnancy and will safely help you through times of discomfort. Using
a natural remedy should be your first choice before choosing an over-the-counter
drug. All over-the-counter drugs should be avoided while you are pregnant.
Most have not been proven safe for pregnancy and even if they do claim
to be safe, are you willing to take the risk?
When choosing to use a natural
remedy be wise and study the therapeutic effects of each herb. Use
extra caution during your first trimester. Your unborn baby is making
tremendous growth and changes during this time so it's best to avoid
anything that may interfere with this process. Also be familiar and
aware of the herbs that are known to cause uterine contractions as
you will want to avoid using these (unless you are more than 38 weeks
pregnant).
Your body, while pregnant, is
going through many metabolic changes which may influence the herbs
effects in your system. Herbs that may have worked well for you while
not pregnant may not work as well for you while pregnant. The opposite
could also be true meaning your body may be extra sensitive and could
be overstimulated even by a regular dosage. Moderation is the key.
Start small and build up slowly.
The following is a list of some
common discomforts of pregnancy and the herbal remedies that has been
proven helpful for relieving that discomfort.
Nausea
Before getting out of bed in the
morning munch on some protein and carbohydrates like cheese and crackers
to help bring up your blood sugar levels. Eat plenty of protein rich
foods all day. Protein helps prevent blood sugar levels from dropping
too quickly which can cause nausea. Drink soothing herbal teas like
Red Raspberry, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Peppermint, Ginger and Meadowsweet.
Constipation
Drink plenty of fluids. Eat lots
of whole grains, especially bran. Leave the skin on fruits and vegetables.
Avoid sugar, white flour and heavily processed foods. Add psyllium
seeds to your foods. Prunes and prune juice help to relieve constipation
and are very high in iron. Avoid supplements that contain unnatural
sources of iron such as ferrous fumerate. Exercise is a must.
Heartburn
Eat smaller and more frequent meals
instead of 2 or 3 large meals. Chew food slowly to insure that plenty
of digestive juices get added. Sip warm milk or hot peppermint tea.
Yoghurt is also helpful. Many women find relief by chewing several
Papaya tablets or you can try some candied ginger. Sleeping in a propped
up position can also help. Chew some Anise seeds or make into a tea.
Headache
Be sure your are drinking plenty
of water. Do not space your meals too far apart. Put some Lavender
essential oil in an oil burner and burn while resting. Put your feet
in hot water and put a cold wash cloth on your forehead at the same
time - helps to decrease the pounding blood flow to the head and bring
it to your extremities. Get some fresh air. Drink soothing herbal
teas like Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Meadowsweet and Peppermint. Get a
neck and shoulder massage using a massage oil that has Lavender or
Chamomile essential oil added to it.
Bleeding Gums
Increase your vitamin C supplements.
Rinse mouth daily with 1 or 2 drops of Grapefruit Seed Extract added
to a cup of warm water. Use a soft bristle toothbrush. Rinse mouth
daily with a mix of tincture of Myrhh and water.
Hemorrhoids
Avoid developing constipation (see
constipation section). Elevate feet and relax pelvic floor while having
a bowel movement. Kegels can help to keep hemorrhoids from buldging
(see kegel section). Apply St.John's Wort oil directly to hemorrhoids.
Also helpful is to apply Witch Hazel - soak a cotton ball in Witch
Hazel. Tuck it in place and leave for 15-20 minutes.
Insomnia
Be sure to get fresh air daily
and excercise daily. Take a hot bath before retiring. Add lavender
oil to the bath. Also put 1 or 2 drops (only) of lavender oil on pillow
case to help you relax and sleep. Avoid caffeine. Use pillows to prop
your legs up and support your belly while side-lying for more comfort.
A body pillow works great for this. Listen to a book on tape or quiet
music while laying in bed. Drink soothing teas such as Lemon Balm,
Hops, Chamomile, Passion Flower and Catnip.
Edema/Swelling
Eat lots of protein rich foods
trying to get at least 75 grams of protein per day. Drink plenty of
water. Salt your foods to taste (do NOT avoid salt, as some believe).
Sleep with legs elevated and elevate legs often throughout the day.
Avoid restrictive clothing. Take liver strenghtening herbs such as
Dandelion and Milk Thistle and eat foods such as beets, beet greens
and artichokes.
Leg Cramps
Increase your calcium/magnesium
supplements and possibly potassium. Extra vitamin E is helpful, too.
Eat plenty of calcium rich foods, including dark, leafy green vegetables
and tofu. Exercise helps your circulation. When having a cramp,
stand and put the cramping leg behind you. Keeping your heel touching
the ground, bend forward to create a stretch down the back of your
calf muscle. Or while sitting, point your toes towards your knees.
Avoid chocolate - it reduces the bodies absorption of calcium.
Yeast Infection
Avoid excessive sugar and refined
flours. Eat cultured yogurt products. Drink and also douche with liquid
acidophilus (NOT the milk with acidophilus added). Always wipe from
front to back after a bowel movement. Wear 100% cotton underwear.
A very effective natural remedy is boric acid. The boric acid remedy
can be found at
http://www.naturalfamilyhome.com/communitymeds.html
Anemia
Eat plenty of iron rich foods daily.
Apricots fresh or dried are high in iron. Also prunes, prune juice
and Blackstrap Molasses. Liquid Chlorophyll can bring iron levels
up very quickly. Herbs that are good for anemia are Yellow Dock and
Alfalfa. Regular exercise helps also.
Kegels
Kegels are an important part of
every pregnancy. The Kegel exercise strengthens the pubococcygeal
(pbc) muscle which holds up your organs in the pelvic region. Exercising
this muscle helps prevent hemorrhoids, helps support your uterus and
your growing baby and also helps with labor, delivery and assists
with post partum recovery. You can isolate the pbc muscle by trying
to stop the flow of urine while urinating. Exercise this muscle by
squeezing it as hard as you can, hold, then release. Do this 50 times
or more daily throughout your pregnancy and beyond!
----------------------
(c)2002 - Kelly Frohnauer is a
WAHM of 5 children. She has been involved in Midwifery for the past
15 years and has attended many homebirths. Using natural remedies
and herbs has been a way of life for her and her family for over 22
years now.
(Please note: This article is
for educational purposes only. It is not intended to medically prescribe
nor is it intended to replace qualified medical healthcare.)
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Book
Reviews - Books for Pregnancy
by Kelly
Frohnauer
Special
Delivery by
Rahima Baldwin
I first read this book in 1985
as part of the required reading for my Childbirth Educator training
through Informed Homebirth, Inc. After reading it I wished that I
had read it before my first baby's homebirth (he was born in 1981).
This book is an excellent resource for anyone taking the responsibility
of planning to birth at home. Chapter titles are Prenatal Care, Planning
For The Birth, Normal Labor and Delivery At Home, Tools for Handling
Labor, Working Together During Labor and Delivery, Complications and
Emergencies, Spiritual and Psychological Aspects of Pregnancy and
Birth, The Newborn and After The Birth. Also contains the authors
birth stories and a few others. An important guide book to help you
prepare for your Special Delivery.
Gentle
Birth Choices - A Guide to Making Informed Decisions
About Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth,
Hospital Birthby
Barbara Harper, R.N.
Another excellent
resource for anyone planning to have a baby! The elements for a gentle
birth are discussed in the beginning of this book which should be
the basis for all births no matter where they occur. The rest of the
book thoroughly covers the information that all birthing women need
in order to be able to make decisions based on facts, not fear and
prejudice. The factual section on Medical Myths alone could revolutionize
birthing! There is also a whole chapter devoted to waterbirth. In
fact, Barbara Harper established the Global Maternal/Child Health
Association and Waterbirth International in 1989. Her organization
provides the most complete resources for waterbirth. You can visit
her website at www.waterbirth.org/
~~For
a link to another wonderful website about Water Birth go to the Birth,
Babies and Breatfeeding Links & Resources page and look under
the Pregnancy & Childbirth section~~
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Pregnancy
Journals
by Kelly
Frohnauer
Pregnancy is a time of many changes
and the days go by so quickly (except for those last few weeks!).
After the birth we are busy adjusting to life with our newborn and
soon some of the memories of our pregnancy and the birth slowly begin
to fade away.
I found that a pregnancy journal
is a wonderful tool to use during pregnancy. You can record all your
daily experiences and then, when time has passed and the memories
begin to fade, you will have a valuable means for reminiscing. It
brings me warm, fuzzy feelings when I read what I jotted down. What
a wonderful, miraculous time pregnancy is. It's definitely worth remembering!
~~Below
are a few Pregnancy Journals worth checking out!~~
The
Pregnancy Journal; A Day-To-Day Guide to a Healthy and Happy PregnancyI
looked at several pregnancy journals during the beginning of my last
pregnancy and this particular journal was the one I chose to use.
I liked how it counted down the days till the birth, each day listing
facts about the baby's growth and development at that exact time.
The different changes and events that mom might be experiencing at
that time was also daily noted. Tidbits of fascinating facts, Food
Facts, Childbirth Then and Now and in other cultures and great Health
tips are dispersed throughout. There are places to record belly measurements,
weight, how you are feeling and other notes every few pages. For the
birth there are several pages with guided questions to help you record
the momentous occasion. This book is homebirth friendly! and includes
a section for recording your homebirth and midwives names, etc.
This journal does not have a space
to write something for every day so if you need to write something
everyday this journal might frustrate you. I personally found that
the notes sections came often enough for me, sometimes too often,
but I am not normally much of a journaller! (click on book link to
the right for more reviews)
Expecting
You : My Pregnancy JournalI haven't personally
seen this journal but the informative review at Amazon.com was very
positive and I felt it was worth mentioning here. If interested just
click on the title link above or the book link to the right and decide
for yourself.
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