By Dawn Combs
Pregnancy is meant to be a beautiful, joyful time of expectation. I had a very difficult time getting pregnant and so for me, pregnancy carried even more of an imperative to be thankful for every change, both positive and negative. The truth was that, even though I was very thankful, I was not the glowing, beautiful, natural pregnant woman.
I’m sure everyone expected that since I knew a thing or two about using herbs for health that my pregnancy would be a picture perfect event. It wasn’t. My husband didn’t know the things I knew and so in the thick of the most common pregnancy symptoms, I suffered just like everyone else because I was too… pregnant… to do anything about it. I recently saw a reader ask for some great natural pregnancy tips for common issues during this blessed nine months of baby growing, so I thought I’d share what I knew and didn’t use myself.
Natural Relief For…
Heartburn during pregnancy
Ahh… heartburn. There are some myths about this one. If you have a lot of heartburn you are said to be having a child with a lot of hair. Regardless of whether or not your child is follicly challenged, you can really suffer with heartburn and acid reflux that goes unchecked.
Instead of reaching for the over-the-counter solution that can deplete your calcium reserves at a time when you need them the most, simply reach for the aromatic seed of your choice. Dill (Anethum graveolens), anise (Pimpinella anisum) or fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) are great options. All you need to do is chew a few seeds from time to time and it will relieve the acid stomach, heartburn, and acid reflux quickly and without side effects.
(Where to buy organic dill seed, anise seed, and fennel seed)
Constipation during pregnancy
The increase in progesterone in your pregnant body is important, it is the heat hormone that “cooks” up that baby bun. It is also a hormone that can wreak havoc with your bowels. If you find that your bowel movements have come to a screeching halt there are better alternatives than prescription or over-the-counter options.
My favorite here is the common weed, yellow dock (Rumex crispus). This root, when taken as a tea or tincture, will safely encourage peristalsis without laxative dependency. The bonus is that it is very high in iron, something that is often supplemented with iron pills that cause… you guessed it… constipation.
(Where to buy organic yellow dock root)
Morning sickness during pregnancy
Morning sickness can come in the morning for some women and last only during the first trimester. For others it can come at a different time of day, continue all day, or last the whole length of their pregnancy.
The most commonly recommended herb for morning sickness is ginger (Zingiber officinale), but if you are new to herbs and doing a lot of research you may be disturbed to find some websites warning against using ginger during pregnancy. The truth here is that ginger, when taken in therapeutic dose (three times a day, every day for a period of time), can encourage the onset of menstruation. This is a bad thing of course, if you are pregnant. The good news is that using ginger in non-therapeutic, non-excessive amounts is not typically a problem. So don’t feel you need to back away from the candied ginger if it’s working for you. You might also try something that is high in B-vitamins (spirulina or bee pollen), as nausea can be a symptom simply that your B-vitamin reserves are being depleted by a growing baby.
(Where to buy organic ginger root, spirulina, or bee pollen capsules)
How about you?
Did you suffer from any of these common issues during pregnancy? If so, how did you deal with it? Share in the comments below!
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