PMS Premenstral Syndrome; A Natural Alternative Part 2

Natural Treatment for PMS

Many PMS symptoms do respond well to simple lifestyle changes and safer, more affordable,  traditional time-honored remedies. Experiment with the suggestions below and find those that work best for you. Allow a few cycles with each to properly assess their impact. But, full recovery  begins when you start by honoring your cyclic lunar nature and giving yourself permission to take a monthly hiatus. Trust your body’s inner wisdom and ability to tell you what’s needed. Use this information to reset and heal, embrace your inner wild and the full range of emotions you feel from grief and rage to joy and calm. 

The goals are to reset your body and its natural ability to heal and function optimally by: 

• Reducing root causes like inflammation, toxic exposures, estrogen excess and stresses, gut flora and blood sugar imbalance

• Getting adequate nutrients from food, nature and supplements

• Supporting your stress response, liver and regular bowel movements for detoxing

• Empowering mindset and nurturing your spirit.

SELF-AWARENESS

To increase self awareness, start a journal of your symptoms, noting when they occur in relation to your menstrual cycle, the degree to which each one bothers you or interferes with your ability to function as usual, what triggers them, and what helps. Also pay attention to the food you eat and how it affects you. Try to list at least one possible symptom and some ways in which the PMS experience can be viewed and used to your benefit, an opportunity for deeper meaning and transformation.

Identify vulnerable times and plan accordingly. For example, avoid situations likely to provoke difficulties, put off important decisions and problem solving until later in your cycle when you feel more balanced and clear, schedule extra time for rest, relaxation, enjoyable activities, and support from family and friends.

Openly acknowledge your symptoms to yourself and others most affected to enhance understanding and acceptance. Create your sisterhood tribe of like-minded uplifting women and share your experience with them. We are wired for community. Aside from feeling that you are not alone and isolated, community helps you feel connected, understood and validated, as well as loved and supported. This may also lead to a good laugh and soul nurturing hugs…both are very healing. If you don’t have a community, start by finding a local red tent meetup near you, join the red tent movement or organize your own red tent or moon lodge women’s circle.

DIET AND LIFESTYLE

A healthy diet can make a world of a difference and has short term and long term health benefits that extend far beyond relief of PMS. Maintain excellent nutrition by eating 3 whole, real, organic meals and healthy snacks throughout the day of a variety of nourishing foods. Listen to your body and eat only when you are hungry. 

Include lots of organic fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and fermented foods like kimchi. If you eat grains, make sure they are whole. Eat 20-30 grams protein three times daily such as in nuts, nut butters, seeds, beans, and pastured organic animal protein if not vegan (like wild Alaskan or Norwegian salmon and other fresh cold water fish from non polluted waters, organic pastured eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, and organic pastured raw goat or sheep dairy). Add a few TBS of ground flax seed to your daily smoothie, applesauce or oatmeal.

Make sure to boost your intake of cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage to balance your hormones. Load up on healthy fats and protein if your symptoms are primarily emotional. Many women feel best physically and emotionally by avoiding genetically modified foods, cane sugar (raw honey, maple syrup, coconut and date sugar are better substitutes), soy, dairy (especially cow) and gluten (choose gluten free grains like oats, kasha, millet, quinoa, and nut flours for baking), and organic living. Eat a paleo, or ancestral diet, basically basically how we used to eat when hunting and gathering, before the mass industrialization of food. Switch to using organic foods, body and household cleaning products without harmful toxic chemicals as much as possible. 

Drink at least 64 ounces per day of filtered, spring or well water between meals (at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating). Use cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or organic goat butter or ghee as your primary cooking fat, with sea salt and herbs for seasoning.

Foods to limit or avoid altogether include:

• Processed foods high in sodium, chemicals, refined (white) flours, gluten, soy, cane sugar, partially hydrogenated fat, as these substances all exacerbate PMS symptoms and cause weight gain, as well as other health problems. 

• Commercially raised meat, eggs and milk products from hormone and antibiotic medicated animals confined and not fed their natural clean diet. Depending on your symptoms, you may need to avoid dairy completely. 

• Caffeine found in coffee, black tea, soda, chocolate, and combination over the counter drugs to relieve menstrual cramps such as Midol.

• Alcohol, smoking, and street drugs.

• Toxic cosmetics and body products, household and workplace chemicals, plastic food containers and packaging, pesticides.

• Mind altering medications like sedatives, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antihistamines and steroids, even common antibiotics and over the counter medications like acetaminophen and ibuprofen unless absolutely and medically necessary. You can aim for a medication free life as much as possible.

Investigate natural alternatives to medications. Acupuncture, Chinese herbs and homeopathy have provided relief to many women with all types of menstrual problems. They are especially helpful if your PMS symptoms are recurrent, chronic and/or so disturbing as to interfere with your sense of health and wellbeing. Try the lifestyle changes and natural supplements and herbal remedies discussed here for a few months, track how you feel and marvel at how much better you feel.

Consult some of the many resources available that discuss how to make healthy but delicious changes in your diet at home and on the road, such as Eating Well for Optimal Health by Dr Andrew Weil and Dr. Kelly Borgan’s Mind of Your Own: The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives. Wonderful wholesome paleo cookbooks include:

•  Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat

• The Wellness Mama Cookbook: 200 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes and Time-Saving Advice for the Busy Cook

• Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen

•  Make it Paleo: Over 200 Grain Free Recipes For Any Occasion.

Make sure you are getting enough sleep at night, and rest during the day, and that you get plenty of fresh air and adequate exposure to sunlight during non-peak hours. Weather permitting, spend at least 20 minutes outside with nature in the early morning or late afternoon sun each day.  Allow time for enough sleep at night and rest during the day.

Regular exercise does wonders to prevent and relieve PMS symptoms. Take a brisk walk, dance or an aerobics class, swim, hike, cycle, play tennis, or do whatever moderate activity you enjoy for at least 30 minutes 5 times per week. Authentic yoga has many added benefits, such as enhancing deeper relaxation, inner balance and improving general well-being. I suggest trying a few studios to find the best fit for you, taking regular classes as well as creating your own yoga sanctuary for home practice.

SUPPLEMENTS FOR PMS

For general health and physical and emotional well-being, make sure to take the supplements here that include a whole food multivitamin, omega threes, probiotics, Vitamin D, plus:

• Calcium, 250-500mg 2-3 times daily

• Magnesium glycinate, citrate or taurate, one of the most important supplements for women, 500-800mg 1-2 times daily (aim for approximately equal amounts of calcium and magnesium, or even double the magnesium, but you can reduce the magnesium if you get diarrhea, or divide the doses throughout the day with the capsules or in tasty powder form) and bathe in it before bed for 15-20 minutes, adding 1 cup Epsom salts to your bath for a restful sleep

• Vitamin B complex, 20-50 mg 1-2 times daily with methylated folate  

• Vitamin B12 sublingual (under the tongue), in the form of methyl, hydroxo or adenosyl cobalamin,) 1000-5000 mcg daily to 2-3 times weekly depending on symptom severity and blood levels

• Vitamin E, 400 IU 1-2 times per day (higher doses with premenstrual water retention and cramps)

• Curumin (Turmeric), 500 mg 1-3 times daily to reduce inflammation linked to depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges

• Evening Primrose oil, Borage or Black Currant oil, 500-1300 mg 1-2 times daily

• Maca powder or capsules to balance your hormones, stress response and relieve PMS

• DIM (Diindolylmethane), 25 mg of 25% diindolylmethane, from Brassicacae vegetables and/or Sulforaphane, 400-800 mg daily, or add Broccoli Sprout powder to your cooking to balance the estrogen dominance

Make sure you are getting enough essential fatty acids by taking 1000-2000 mg of the fish oil with 300 mg DHA/EPA twice daily, and adding the additional Evening Primrose, Borage or Black Currant oil all with GLA (gamma linoleic acid). Metagenics, Vital Choice, New Chapter, Innate Response and Nordic Naturals make high quality, trusted fish oil supplements, tested free of toxins and pollutants. But, as with all supplements, give a 6-8 week trial of continuous use to see results.

If You Have Troubling Emotional Symptoms

Implement the lifestyle changes and natural remedies for stress and emotions that apply not only in pregnancy but beyond, and certainly are critical for relief of troubling emotional PMS symptoms. Learning how to calm yourself and activate your relaxation response is key, using a regular practice of meditative breathwork. Biofeedback, energy medicine, hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis can also do wonders, but deeper transformative healing, release of stuck emotional and past trauma energy comes with conscious connected breathwork.

Spend more time outside in the sun as mentioned above, non peak hours, ideally without or low dose all natural sunscreen. If you do not spend at least 2 hours daily in the sun (a cloudy or winter day is sufficient), buy a full spectrum bright light therapy for the indoors, and expose yourself to 2500-10,000 lux two hours per day.

BALANCING EMOTIONS

Seek balance in your emotional life, instead of going for highs and the lows that follow. Surrender to and embrace the cycles of life and its ups and downs and ups again, and know that day always follows night, and light always comes after darkness. Nothing is permanent, including waves of emotion. Learn how to ride them, move them through your body with dance or breathwork, without getting too attached to any one feeling or the story around it.

Live one hour at a time, or better yet, one moment, one breath at a time. Become intensely conscious of the present, and acutely sensitive to your feelings and inner experiences, using all of your senses. Observe, watch and allow whatever comes up without judgement or thought.

Life is stressful and always has been, and eliminating all outside stress, especially that which we can not control, is not an option. We can only work on changing our outlook about stressors we cannot change. This involves deep profound and rewarding transformation, cultivating spirituality, and an attitude of surrender, acceptance, realizing that very little in life outside of our own way of thinking and behaving is in our control, and believing that everything happens for our ultimate benefit and growth as a human being, even if we do not understand why. 

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

You can learn to activate your own relaxation response to stressors and quiet your nervous system with breath awareness and relaxation techniques, mastery over your thoughts, and also by modifying what you can in your day to make it less stressful and more in alignment with your core values. This includes, for example:

• Cutting down on the added nonessential burdens in your life, especially if you feel overwhelmed

• Avoiding overscheduling yourself

• Changing work hours to avoid rush hour traffic

• Allowing more time to get places

MINDFULNESS AND MINDSET

A wonderful life-changing approach to internal stress, feelings of depression and anxiety is learning about present moment awareness and mindfulness, and incorporating them into your daily life.

Know that you are in charge of the thoughts you dwell on, feelings and how you react to stressful or painful situations, and that you have the ability to change your attitude and reaction to life experiences to more health enhancing responses. For example, you can surrender to and totally accept unpleasant life events over which you have no power. You can also view them as potential gifts, powerful stimulus to change, a wake-up call, an opportunity for personal growth, redirection and spiritual practice. 

You can always try to focus as much attention as possible on the now, literally without letting your thoughts wander and dwell into the past or imagined future. Mastery over your thoughts, attitudes and reactions can have a dramatic impact on your brain chemistry, balancing the hormones responsible for affecting moods and emotions, and preventing and even treating clinical depression and anxiety.

Reduce feelings of tension and increase feelings of calm centeredness and balanced grounding by taking a “healing interval” to meditate for 10-20 minutes 2-3 times per day. Sit comfortably and quietly. Keep your eyes closed and internally focused between your eyebrows or softly gazing at a low, still object or place (like where the floor meets the wall). Turn off the mental noise and think and do absolutely nothing. Simply be aware of your breathing in all its details, the present moment and everything that you notice within it. If you get lost in thought, simply bring your attention back to watch your breath.

Tap into your spiritual self and practice slow deep abdominal breathing, yoga (especially Yin, gentle and restorative), QiGong, Tai Chi, progressive muscle relaxation techniques (yoga nidra), visualization and guided imagery, or cutting edge stress reduction audio programs and courses. For example, imagine you are in a place where you feel whole, inner joy and peace, and spiritually connected. Or think of a healing or rejuvenating spiritual energy or light flowing through and around you. This is an essential, yet easy to learn, tool with endless benefits and rewards to your physical and emotional health. Locate your nearest Zen Center (Zen is NOT a religion and does not conflict with any religion) or read any book by Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, or Shunryu Suzuki to learn the basics of meditation and Zen practice.

Listen closely to your body’s messages. You may need to either slow down or become more busy with things that bring you deeper satisfaction and enrichment. You may need more time for yourself, or you may need to focus more on giving or helping others. It is extremely beneficial to find a small way to help someone in need each day, by giving your time, energy and presence to ease the burden and increase the happiness of even one person. Focus on connections with family and friends, healing relationships, making peace and giving love.

Try to make a conscious effort to increase feelings of forgiveness, appreciation, love, joy, optimism and healing, while letting go of anger, resentment, envy, fear, sadness and negativity. Most importantly, increase your awareness of anxiety provoking, tension causing, or depressive thought patterns that are not serving you. Try to shift your attention to something more positive and ultimately change your mental state. You can actually transform them at their deeper subconscious roots with Clarity breathwork. 

Mastery over your thoughts, attitudes and reactions can have a dramatic impact on your brain chemistry, balancing the hormones responsible for affecting moods and emotions, and  preventing and even treating clinical depression and anxiety. 

BREATHWORK

Start with breath awareness - being more conscious about your breath, and simply focusing all of your attention on your breathing. Get curious about all the details of your sensations as you inhale and exhale, without trying to change anything. Notice what you are currently seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, tasting. Just watch without judgment. This brings you to the present and is deliciously relaxing. 

Then, sit up straight but comfortably, with your eyes closed, internally keeping your gaze between your eyes, or open and focused on a nonmoving distant object or place. You can do this reclining, as long as you are not likely to fall asleep - the point is to be conscious throughout.  While breathing be mindful, and just observe and release any muscle tension working your way slowly from head to toe. Practice Ujjai breathing. This is done by breathing at the pace and depth that feels right for you, but by inhaling through your mouth or nose, directing the breath into the back of your throat which makes a sound like ocean waves. I think of it like a calm, slow, and smooth circular version of gasping on inhale and fogging a mirror on exhale. This is meditation, combined with the benefits of breathwork.

Before going to bed at night, as well as before rising in the morning, periodically throughout the day, and whenever you feel stressed, triggered, down or upset, practice the following 3-part breathing exercise: 

• Exhale slowly through your mouth with an audible sigh while consciously releasing any and all muscle tension.

• Imaging a pump expanding your abdomen and lower back as you breathe down deep into your belly.

• Allow ribs to expand with air, then inhale air into your upper chest towards your collar bone and shoulders. 

• Inhale in this way for a count of 4.

• Hold for a count of 4 while staying relaxed.

• Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 4, releasing in the same order as the inhale, collapsing/returning to baseline, your abdomen, ribs, then upper chest.

• Repeat this cycle a total of 8 times or at least a few minutes. This is the ideal form of breathing, as opposed to rapid shallow breathing. With each exhale, let go and relax more. 

Once you get the hang of it, play with various types of breathing. Try  several minutes of inhaling and exhaling, each to a count of 3, 4, 5 or 6 without the hold, keeping it smooth and even. Then double the length of exhalation. For example, so if you inhale to a count of 3, then exhale to a count of 6. 

See how it feels to triangle breathe for a few minutes:. Inhale for a count of 3 or 4, exhale to the same count of 3 or 4, then pause for the same count of 3 or 4, while consciously and deeply relaxing your diaphragm muscle of respiration, as well as all other muscles. Repeat for several cycles.

Then see how it feels to box breathe. To do this, inhale to a count of 3, hold for a count of 6, exhale for a count of 6, hold for a count of 3. Repeat for several minutes. Many love this type of breathing so much they do it as often as they can, such as while waiting, in transit, before rising in the morning and going to sleep at night. 

Another great breathwork technique that disengages your conscious attention from thought and relaxes the nervous system, and can be done any time (like when traveling, waiting in line, resting, bathing, or on the toilet) is forced exhalation. After a normal breath, try squeezing as much air out as possible using your intercostal muscles, then allow breath to come in naturally and deeply, but automatically. Repeat the cycle for several minutes.

These breathwork and relaxation techniques are simple to do, health enhancing, totally safe, and without side effects. If you need more personal guidance, schedule a session with me. 

CREATE A FORTRESS OF POSITIVITY AND INSPIRATION

Minimize time online, especially addictive stressful apps, social media and computer games. Try to stay away from things (like certain books, movies and news), situations and people (like those who are angry, stressed out, negative, pessimistic, critical, fearful or demanding) that agitate your mind, raise your internal tension, bring you down and worsen your emotional state. If someone who you are close with continually criticizes, belittles, demands or negates your feelings, try to give positive straightforward suggestions about approaches that would be more helpful to you, or consider having this person come with you to some professional counseling sessions. 

Surround yourself as much as possible with calm, centered, and positive people, things, sounds and places that inspire, uplift, relax and restore you to inner peace and serenity. Treat yourself to a massage every week, bring more art and music into your life, try to allow time each day to do something you enjoy, and something that makes you laugh. Collect 4-8 hugs per day. The emWave personal stress reliever from the Institute of HeartMath is a wonderful hypnotherapy and biofeedback tool to lessen your body’s reactions to stress.

WHAT’S YOUR BODY TELLING YOU?

Listen closely to your body’s messages as your body is insanely wise. You may need to either slow down or become more busy with important things, or things that bring you deeper satisfaction and enrichment. You may need more time for yourself, or you may need to focus more on giving or helping others. It is actually extremely beneficial to find a small way to help someone in need each day, such as by giving your time, energy and presence to ease the burden and increase the happiness of even one person. Focus on connections with family and friends, healing relationships, making peace and giving love.

It is important to be open and honest about your feelings to yourself and to share important ones with your partner, a close friend or family member, or a professional therapist if needed. Suppressed emotions are ultimately more damaging and they can cause all sorts of physical, psychological and relationship problems if not properly dealt with. It is also essential to periodically release pent up emotions with a good cry, followed by a good hug. Do not hesitate to tell this to your friends and family so they can be more sensitive to your needs. Join a holistic PMS support group and discuss familiar experiences, share feelings, and discuss problem- solving techniques.

For persistent symptoms, make sure to have your provider check a comprehensive thyroid panel with thyroid antibodies, your vitamin D and B 12 levels, fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1C and address issues accordingly. Do what you can to address the root of your symptoms and minimize underlying possible causes. Some women benefit from natural bio-identical progesterone two or even three weeks before the period starts. Discuss with your holistic provider about prescribing it using a compounding pharmacy. Read renowned integrative psychiatrist Dr. Kelly Brogan’s Own Your Self: The Surprising Path beyond Depression, Anxiety, and Fatigue to Reclaiming Your Authenticity, Vitality, and Freedom and take her life changing online course Vital Mind Reset.

HERBAL SUPPORT 

There are a variety of herbal formulas that combine some of the herbs listed below, or you can try them individually. Many of the favorites are in my online holistic apothecary under the PMS, menstrual cramping and adrenal support category. It may take several months to notice a beneficial response, so give it time as you are working on your lifestyle. 

Common herbs recommended include Chaste Tree (Vitex), 2-4 dropperfuls 1-2 times daily of the tincture or 1-2 capsules dried herb, up to 500-1000 mg daily, or Don Quai, 1 dropperful tincture or 2 capsules up to 500-1100 mg daily twice daily. 

Physician, midwife and herbalist Dr. Aviva Romm advises additional herbs like: 

• Black Cohosh, 2-4 dropperfuls of the tincture, or 40-80 mg capsules 1-2 times per day

• Peony (which is many of the herbal PMS combinations)

• Adaptogens to support your stress response, regulate blood sugar, increase calm energy, and general well-being like Asian ginseng and American ginseng, Eleuthero, Schisandra, and Ashwagandha, 2-4 dropperfuls of each tincture or 1-2 capsules twice daily

• Dandelion root, Milk Thistle, Artichoke and Curcumin (Turmeric) to support liver clearance of excess hormones, and detoxification. HerbPharm Liver Health, Now Liver Refresh and Gaia Liver Cleanse are excellent combinations.

You can use any of these herbs to calm and support premenstrual emotional stress type symptoms, to relieve insomnia, headaches, and avoid constipation.

For Bilateral Cyclic Swollen or Tender Breasts, Bloating and Water Retention

In addition to everything mentioned above, implement any of these strategies as relevant to you, to reduce bloating and swelling.

Ditch the underwire tight fitting bras (most of the time).

Regularly massage your breasts and chest gently with Almond or Arnica oil to encourage lymph drainage. You may want to ask a massage therapist for guidance. 

Apply a Castor oil pack on your breasts for 1 hour 3 times weekly  to prevent and treat menstrual breast tenderness, but not during heavy bleeding. Soak a large piece of cotton or flannel cloth with cold pressed Castor oil, fold it so it is about 4 inches or layers thick, apply to your breasts and cover with a non toxic eco-friendly plastic bag. Apply heat over it using a hot pack, hot water bottle or heating pad, then cover with another towel. Lay down on a waterproof absorbent pad and rest with it in place for 60 minutes. You can reuse the saturated cloth several times and wash as needed.

Keep well hydrated with plenty of water, as it helps to clear the excess fluid you are retaining. If you do not usually use caffeine, and are interested in a natural diuretic, drink black or green tea regularly premenstrually. Cornsilk tea and Parsley tea are also effective and without caffeine - drink 1 cup 2-4 times per day. And eat more parsley, watermelon, cucumbers, celery, beets, garlic, lemon, cranberries and other natural food diuretics 

Another safe herbal diuretic is Dandelion. Take 1-2 freeze dried 500 mg capsules 500 mg per day. If you need a stronger diuretic, try Hawthorne Berries, 500 mg per day of standardized extract during the time you have premenstrual bloating from fluid retention.

Some find that Vitamin C with bioflavonoids is also helpful. Take 200 mg per day up to 500-1000 mg three times a day premenstrually as needed and tolerated, and increase iodine in food by eating more sea veggies. Take Iodinde as directed if you are deficient. Take a homeopathic combination remedy Mastodynon for relief of breast soreness.

For Cramps and Low Backache 

Experiencing pain is humbling, and it can be a chance for personal growth. It can be an opportunity to practice techniques that will help with life and the inevitable pain that all experience at various points, as part of being human in this world. Techniques like breathing, mindfulness, befriending and relaxing into intense sensations. Pain provides a chance to learn patience, acceptance of normal bodily changes associated with pregnancy, and how to prioritize, delegate, let go of activities of overwork or those that create increased stress, and allow others to help.

Do any of the breathwork techniques discussed in the breathwork section, and throughout all the exercises, practice embracing, relaxing into and even magnifying intense sensations without the mental story about them. Can you make friends with discomfort and pain, instead of trying to escape, numb or fight them? Is there something that they can teach you? Get curious about all of their details, including the borders or edges, and parts of you that feels good, or does not have unpleasant sensations. 

Yes, there are remedies to help alleviate pain. But you will be amazed how effective this practice is, and how much it will help you to better cope with your cramps, as well as with the pain that is an inevitable part of being human. It is the suffering from the pain that is optional, so you can choose not to suffer.

In addition to the above mentioned diet and lifestyle changes:

• Eat more plant based and naturally fermented veggies (kimchi) like sauerkraut

• Stick to real whole organic foods

• Use and eco-friendly natural household and body products

• Eat more fatty fish, like wild Alaskan or Norwegian salmon

• Eliminate processed refined foods, partially hydrogenated fats, caffeine, cane sugar, gluten and dairy

• Limit red meat to low-fat cuts

. Many women report much relief after a few weeks of making these dietary adjustments.

Remedies to start before the cramping:

Apply a Castor oil pack on your lower abdomen for 1 hour 2-4 times weekly  to prevent and treat menstrual cramps, but not during heavy bleeding. Follow same instructions as mentioned above.

Add several drops of one or combination of the essential oils Lavender, Rose, Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove, Marjoram and or Clary Sage into a bottle of Almond or Arnica oil and massage them into your low abdomen each day, starting 1-3 weeks before your period. 

Start or expand on key supplements in addition to those mentioned above like omega threes and calcium/magnesium. Take probiotics as directed, up your vitamin D to 2000-4000 IU depending on blood levels, add 100 mg of each of Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B6. Also consider Vitamin E (in the alpha tocopherol form), 400 IU per day, and Vitamin C, 1000-5000 mg per day a few days before and during the cramping. During the days of heavy cramping, depending on your dietary intake and the severity of your symptoms, you can take 100 mg of Magnesium Glycinate every 2-3 hours up to 1000 mg. Too much magnesium may cause diarrhea in sensitive individuals, but loose stool is a welcome sign if you have been constipated. 

To reduce inflammation and relieve pain, take Curcumin (Turmeric), 1-2 400-500 mg capsules, and Ginger, 1-2 capsules or 500-1000 mg each 1-3 times per day. Also try, Ceylon Cinnamon 2-3 capsules (has been researched effective using up to 3000 mg day) starting the week before your expected period. These are as effective as many over the counter medications, so you can also take it when you feel cramping during the first few days of flow.

Remedies for cramps:

Try modalities for general aches and pains as relevant to you now.

Use organic disposable pads, reusable cloth pads or a Diva menstrual cup when you have cramps...it lessens cramps!

Taking an Epsom Salt bath with a few drops of any of the essential oils Lavender, Rose, Ginger, Cinnamon, Clove, Marjoram and/or Clary Sage, and also put them in your room diffuser.

Rub Menastil on the skin over the lower abdomen. Afterwards, apply locally a hot or cold pack, heating pad, hot water bottle, herbal infused hot or cold pack, or try moist heat using a hot damp towel or packs from a hydrocollator (what the professional chiropractors, massage and physical therapists use). Thermacare makes portable disposable heating pads you can wear. 

Use a TENS unit.

Drink Red Raspberry leaf and/or Chamomile tea as much as you like. You can make your own infusion by adding a handful of Red Raspberry leaf or a pinch of Chamomile to 1 qt boiling water in a glass canning jar, covering and steeping Red Raspberry for 4-8 hours or Chamomile for 15-20 minutes. Strain, then add fresh lime or lemon juice, mint leaves or a dash of honey to taste (optional). Another great herbal combination is Earth Mama Period Tea. You can also take Red Raspberry leaf capsules as directed. 

Take two dropperfuls each of Cramp Bark, Black Haw and Motherwort, with ¼-½ dropperful of Chamomile tincture in a little water or juice every few hours.

Another herb that is helpful for painful cramps is Don Quai, 2-4 dropperfuls of tincture 2-3 times per day or 2 dried root 500 mg capsules 2-4 times daily. It can be taken up to every 4 hours in some cases, but only in consultation with an experienced herbalist, doctor of traditional Chinese medicine or integrative holistic practitioner, as there are some safety concerns and herb/drug interactions. 

Black Cohosh can be taken in lower, or higher doses depending on your unique situation, but an average dose in capsules to take is 250 mg 2-4 times daily, or 1 1/2 dropperfuls of tincture a few times per day. 

Try the Chinese herb Xiao Yao Wan with Bupleurum as directed.

Dr. Aviva Romm also reports success with:Valerian (1 capsule) 225 mg first few days, - best taken at night, as it can make you sleepy, and Fenugreek 900 mg 3 times daily. She is a wonderful, trusted, and well respected resource for natural remedies and herbal medicine as a physician, midwife and herbalist, and has much to offer regarding effective alternative modalities and herbs for pain relief.

Get a menstrual or mayan abdominal massage. Initially, you may want to consult a massage therapist, although eventually your partner may be able to learn some of the basics. 

Other effective alternative practitioners you can consult include specialists in homeopathy, yoga therapy, Shiatsu, reflexology, energy work, hypnotherapy and guided imagery, acupressure and acupuncture, and traditional Chinese medicine.

If you still need an over the counter medication and you are not planning a pregnancy, take one aspirin with food each day during the week BEFORE your cramping begins, to reduce the production of substances called prostaglandins responsible for cramping during the actual period. If the cramping is still uncomfortable when your period comes, acetaminophen (Tylenol), aspirin or ibuprofen (Motrin) can be taken as directed for relief if needed on a rare occasion, but it really is less toxic to avoid these medications which are not as benign as we have been led to believe, and use the natural alternatives instead.

For additional resources, read Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom (Revised Edition): Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing, by beloved integrative holistic OB/GYN Dr. Christiane Northrup and Wellness Mama - ‘an online resource for women and moms who want to live a healthier life...fact-checked by our editorial and research team and reviewed by medical advisors for accuracy.’

For any natural remedy you use, give a two to three month trial to see how it affects you. Do your own research. Just because it is natural does not mean it is safe in any amount or combination for you to take. When in doubt about herb and supplement dosing unique to you, interactions, side effects and concerns, or you simply need more personalized guidance, consult your holistic or integrative medical provider, seasoned naturopath, herbalist, or If you need personal guidance, don’t hesitate to arrange with me an online coaching call or an in person holistic gynecology appointment. 

Contact your practitioner if these suggestions do not help, especially if your PMS symptoms are severe enough to cause you significant personal or interpersonal difficulties, if your symptoms do not go away after the first few days of your period and/or last throughout most or all of your cycles, if your symptoms persist or worsen despite trying these suggestions, if you are at risk for harming yourself or others, abusing drugs or alcohol. 

Vaginitis: Natural Prevention and Treatment

Vaginitis: Natural Prevention and Treatment

Just about every woman is susceptible to vaginitis, or vaginal infection, at some point in her life. But not every vaginal symptom is related to an infection. Sometimes it is simply a sign of normal changes in a woman’s cycle or pregnancy. Other times it is related to temporary inflammation, local irritation or other causes. There is much to learn about your vagina and keeping it healthy and feeling well.

Discharge changes in response to the changing hormonal environment throughout the menstrual cycle. For example, women notice an increased amount of clear to cloudy, odorless, slimy egg-white discharge around the time of ovulation to help the sperm reach and fertilize the egg. The hormones of pregnancy also cause an increase in normal vaginal discharge, as well as an alteration in the acid/base balance of the vagina. This can lead to an imbalance of normally occurring microorganisms, and thus increase one’s susceptibility to vaginal infections (especially yeast).

The normal reduction of hormones during breastfeeding, and more dramatically after menopause, cause the vaginal walls to become thinner and dryer. This makes the area more prone to becoming sore (especially during sexual intercourse), irritated, and prone to yeast infections. Allow time for the normal increase in vaginal secretions during sexual arousal before penetration, and use all-natural water soluble lubricants or Astro-glide. Menopausal women may want to consider the option of bio-identical all-natural hormonal vaginal cream.

Possible Culprits for Vaginitis

The vaginal area is sensitive and can easily become irritated (look red, burn, and/or itch) for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, this is from substances within a new product that you or your sexual partner are using, such as:

• Detergent, fabric softener or bleach

• Chemically scented body soap or bath oil, powder or lotion

• Douches, deodorant vaginal sprays and perfumes

• Tight clothing

• Synthetic underwear or pantyhose

• Colored or perfumed toilet paper

• Conventional pads and tampons

• Vigorous and frequent sexual intercourse (more than 3 times in 24 hours)

• Foreign objects in the vagina such as contraceptive devices, spermicidal cream, foam, jelly and medication applied locally, dildos and vibrators

• Bubble baths, hot tubs, and prolonged or frequent immersion in a swimming pool

• Hanging out in a wet bathing suit

• Horseback riding or cycling

Eliminate these irritants one by one to see if your symptoms improve. Buy a mild natural detergent without bleach (such as those made for infant clothes), or use an extra rinse in your laundry cycle. Use corn starch rather than talc-based powder to keep dry. Buy white unscented toilet paper, and avoid perfumed toiletries and feminine hygiene products. Try using a menstrual cup or go organic and green with your pads and tampons. 

Bacterial overgrowth is another common cause of vaginal infections that is often associated with frequent sexual intercourse and other factors that upset the normal balance of the vaginal flora (such as routine douching and medications like antibiotics, steroids, hormones) and results in an overgrowth of organisms like gardnerella. It occurs in all women, even those in a mutually monogamous relationship, as it is not believed to be sexually transmitted. 

Bacterial vaginosis should be treated with prescription medication in pregnancy as it has been implicated in premature rupture of membranes, preterm labor and uterine infection postpartum. It carries risks for all women, namely increased susceptibility to other more serious sexually transmitted and genital tract infections, as well as reproductive disorders from ectopic pregnancy and fertility issues, to pelvic inflammatory disease. Men generally do not have symptoms, same sex partners can absolutely have symptoms, but all partners should be treated simultaneously so they do not reinfect their spouse. A vaginal antibiotic is a short term band-aid that may or may not work and recurrence is common, so it is important to follow the prevention and natural treatment suggestions below for a more effective long term solution.

A vaginal infection caused by trichomonas protozoa is most often sexually transmitted when there is more than one sexual partner. However, less commonly it can be caused by anal-vaginal contact, sitting on a dirty wet toilet seat or being splashed with dirty toilet water, use of communal baths or hot tubs, and sharing moist contaminated clothing, washcloths or towels. 

This type of infection also needs treatment in pregnancy as it has been associated with complications similar to bacterial vaginitis. Your sexual partner should be treated simultaneously to avoid recurrences in you, even though he may be without symptoms. If you have a trichomonas infection, you should be screened for other more serious sexually transmitted infections, and protect yourself by having a mutually monogamous sexual relationship, abstinence from intercourse or at least by using latex condoms (with spermicide containing nonoxynol-9 if you want to prevent pregnancy as well).

Vaginitis Prevention

Unless you have an actual vaginal infection or are prone to one, you should avoid routine douching (especially in pregnancy), as it washes out the natural secretions and organisms that normally reside in the vagina. Further, it alters the delicate acid-base balance there that actually protects you from infection. The only exception is if you are NOT pregnant and treating an actual confirmed infection, or are prone to recurrent vaginal infections and nothing else is working.

If you are pregnant, you can certainly acidify your system by drinking unsweetened cranberry juice diluted in other fruit juices to reduce the sour taste, or add a scoop of cranberry juice powder to your smoothies, oatmeal or yogurt. You can also take powdered cranberry juice concentrate in capsule form, like Cranactin (1 capsule twice daily). Combine 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar, juice of ½ fresh lemon and honey to taste in a cup of hot water and drink several cups daily. 

Calendula cream or diluted tincture, or aloe vera gel, applied morning and night helps strengthen vaginal tissues, heal minor abrasions, relieve pain and discourage infection. You can spread some of the gel onto a menstrual pad and wear it throughout the day.

Change tampons and pads at each bathroom visit, and do not leave in for more than 8 hours at a time. Avoid tampons during scant menstrual flow and a vaginal infection. Or switch to menstrual cups.

Wear cotton crotch stockings, loose clothing, and organic cotton underwear changed daily. Even better, skip the underwear altogether and go panty- free, especially during sleep, to allow for air circulation and to keep the area dry and hostile to infectious organisms. As soon as practical, change out of wet bathing suits and sweaty clothing.

You and your partner each need to wash the genital area daily with a mild soap, rinse and dry well. Always wipe yourself from the front (vagina) towards the back (anus) to avoid contamination from the bowel. Avoid painful or abrasive sex, and sexual practices that involve the anal/rectal area.

Don’t share unwashed bathtubs, towels, washcloths, contraceptives or douching equipment. Avoid reinfection by not reusing washcloths, towels and underwear that have not been laundered. And don’t sit on public toilets - either squat or put paper on the seat before sitting. 

Maintain health and general resistance to infection by eating a nourishing and wholesome diet that includes:

• Lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Beans and tofu

• Nuts, nut butters and seeds

• Organic whole eggs

• Turkey or chicken

• Beef, lamb, wild game

• Fresh raw organic whole dairy—ideally goat or sheep (avoid dairy if you get recurrent yeast infections)

• Fish tested free of pollutants or from non-polluted waters like wild Alaskan salmon

• At least 64 ounces daily between meals of filtered, spring or well water (at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating) 

• Organic cold expeller pressed extra virgin olive and coconut oil or goat butter for cooking

Minimize highly processed foods laden with refined white flour, sugars, refined vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated fats, as well as products with food dyes, chemicals and preservatives. If you are prone to recurrent vaginal infections, you many find the best results by completely avoiding sugar, simple refined carbohydrates, fruit juices, dairy and alcohol.

Eat more fresh garlic (a few cloves daily sautéed, baked or crushed into salads or added to cooked vegetables) and Asian mushrooms (like shiitake and maitake) to boost your immune system. Take a good all-natural food-based multivitamin, mineral and probiotic supplement to ensure you are getting full nourishment beyond what is supplied by diet alone. Limit exposure to harmful chemicals and toxins (this also includes those found in drugs, cigarettes, food, water, cosmetics, toiletries, and household products).  

Be sure to get enough sleep, and exercise 30 minutes 5 days per week. Good options are brisk walking, dancing, cycling, swimming or low impact aerobics. 

The mind, body and heart are intricately connected and when out of balance, dis-ease can result - physical or emotional. You can create more joy by doing more of what you love, and create more inner calm and peace of mind with several daily “healing intervals” or breaks during the day to calm and center yourself, which will enhance your health tremendously. Use such techniques as meditation, breathwork and/or prayer. Do regular yoga (especially Yin, prenatal, gentle and restorative), practice progressive muscle relaxation techniques (yoga nidra), QiGong, Tai Chi, or take a walk outside in nature. Read these recent blog posts on natural remedies for stress and ways to manage your emotions. Make a conscious effort to improve your emotional state and reaction to stress, surrounding yourself as much as possible with people, things, sounds and  places that inspire, relax and restore you, while limiting exposure to things and people that agitate your mind and create negativity. For more information about this and other great ways to improve your physical and emotional well-being, read Natural Health, Natural Medicine by Dr. Andrew Weil, Practicing the Power Of  Now by Eckhart Tolle, Loving What Is by Byron Katie, and Prescriptions for Living by Dr. Bernie Siegel. 

Natural Treatment for Vaginitis

If you develop an unusual change in the amount, color, consistency or odor in your vaginal discharge with itching, burning and/or soreness, you may have a vaginal infection. The following natural remedies are quite effective against vaginal infections and are often safer (especially in pregnancy). They can certainly be used in the early stages of your symptoms without having to know the responsible organism. Many of the treatments mentioned below can be adapted to your sexual partner. 

It is best to avoid intercourse and oral sex until the vaginal infection has cleared up, as the area is uncomfortable, irritated and needs time to heal. And it is possible to pass the infection to your partner unless you are using condoms. 

Wash the genitals after urinating and after sex as the associated fluids can aggravate the situation (squirt yourself from to back with a peri-bottle filled with warm water and any of the herbs or herbal combination mentioned below). Wash undergarments in hot water, disinfect tubs, and soak your diaphragm, douche equipment and sex toys in vinegar.

If you are not pregnant, while reclining in the empty bathtub, use a vinegar douche once daily until the symptoms improve for 7-10 days. You can make your own by mixing ¼ part apple cider vinegar with 3/4 part warm water in a reusable douche bag. A douche of cranberry juice concentrate (one tablespoon to one quart of water) is also very effective to acidify the vaginal environment and discourage growth of infectious organisms, as is a solution of pure all-natural grapefruit seed extract as directed. If the acidic applications are too irritating, try douching with 2 Tbsp baking soda to 1 cup water instead. A douche of 1 ½ Tbsp Tea Tree oil to 1 cup warm water 2–3 times per day is a very effective anti-fungal, as are the Tea Tree oil vaginal suppositories.  

If you are prone to recurrent yeast infections, especially after sex, antibiotics or a known trigger, you can use a lower dose vinegar douche once to ensure the vagina is mildly acidic and hostile to unwanted bacteria. To make the douche, combine 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or pure lemon juice with a pint of warm water. Again, routine douching for general hygiene is not recommended, as it is actually harmful and increases risk of genital tract infection.

If you are pregnant or simply prefer not to douche, you can acidify the vagina with vaginally inserted ActiGel, Vitanica vaginal suppository, or you can put a few cups pure apple cider vinegar in your bath water or ½ cup vinegar in a warm sitz bath. Either way soak for 15-20 minutes several times a day. Another effective option for is to apply 600 mg of encapsulated pharmacy grade Boric Acid suppositories inserted high in the vagina for 1 to 2 weeks (although ideally not during pregnancy).

Add Aveeno powder (oatmeal), or a few drops of the essential oils of Calendula, Chamomile or Lavender to the bath water and sitz bath to help soothe symptoms of itching and irritation, and to the peri-bottle of water for use after the bathroom. You can also add tea tree, sandalwood and/or thyme oil to help fight the infection.

Restore your gut and vaginal flora. Take a multi organism high colony count probiotic for women orally as directed, that includes the strains Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. A reputable brand is Green’s First Probiotic for Women. You can also place 1-2 capsules high in the vagina in the morning and before going to sleep for 2 weeks. If you are not pregnant, a few live culture tablets can be dissolved in one quart of water to be used as a douche once daily for a week, then every other day for a week, then twice weekly for a few more weeks (you can alternate this with your vinegar douche).

Apply plain live-culture yogurt to the affected areas and vagina as needed to help relieve itching, inflammation and restore the normal bacterial environment in the vagina. Put a few Tbsp of yogurt on your finger and smear it inside the walls of your vagina and around your cervix, or use a vaginal applicator to insert the yogurt. Repeat twice daily during an infection and a few times weekly if you are prone to recurrences. You can also dilute 16 ounces of yogurt in the water for a sitz bath. (Yuck! But it works!).

Garlic suppositories are also effective. To use, insert a peeled clove lubricated with olive oil high up into your vagina before bed for a few weeks before bed, and in the morning. You can wrap it in a thin layer of gauze with a tail for retrieval, but it is not necessary as it will eventually come out itself in your discharge. Don’t worry - it can’t get lost or travel further up then your vagina, which is a dead end. 

Wet compresses of Burrows solution can be soothing to irritated skin - apply externally only. Comfrey Root powder, Slippery Elm powder and Marshmallow Root powder, will also soothe dry itchy vaginal tissue, relieve irritated and inflamed tissue and promote healthy skin growth. Goldenseal Root powder is effective for treating the actual infection and enhancing your immune response. You can apply each powder or an equal part mixture directly to the vulva and vagina daily for 1-2 weeks. You can make your own healing compress by mixing 1 Tbsp of any of the herbal powders with 1 cup warm water. Dip gauze pads in to make the compresses and apply. You can also soak a menstrual pad and wear it throughout the day.

Apply healing and soothing salves that contain Chickweed, Calendula and/or Plantain, to relieve itching, reduce inflammation and discourage infection. Also, use topical vitamin E oil to aid healing on itching and sore inflamed skin. 

Some find it helpful to apply fresh bee honey for its anti-fungal properties, and to moisturize and heal tender tissue (sticky!).

You can drink Burdock root, Chickweed and Dandelion root teas, but an herbal combination infusion or tincture is more effective to reduce inflammation and infection. You can make your own by steeping a handful of each Dandelion root, Chickweed and Burdock root into a quart of boiling water, brew covered for a few hours, strain in a glass mason jar and drink 1-2 cups daily. You can add fresh lemon or lime juice, mint leaves or a dash of honey to taste. If you prefer the tincture, take 1-2 dropperfuls each of Burdock root, Chickweed, and Dandelion root tinctures 1-3 times per day.

For any infection, you can always use Gaia’s Echinacea Supreme tincture to kill unwanted germs as well as stimulate your own immune system. Take 1-2 dropperfuls every few hours at the earliest sign of infection. Make sure your diet and multivitamin is sufficient in Vitamins C, E,  B complex, A with mixed carotenoids, selenium and omega threes. 

If you are not pregnant, you can take additional immune boosting supplements: 

• Vitamin C, 1000 mg 3-4 times per day

• Zinc, 25-50 mg every day

•  Vitamin E, 400-800 IU each day

• Vitamin B complex 50 mg three times daily until the infection has cleared.

• If you are prone to frequent infection, you may want to consider daily supplements in addition to a multivitamin to enhance immunity. Good options are New Chapter’s Garlicforce, Oil of Oregano, Olive Leaf, Goldenseal, and Host Defense combination of Asian mushrooms 1-2 capsules each daily, as well as oral all natural Grapefruit Seed extract as directed. If you are pregnant, these remedies and doses are a safer option to combat infection and boost immunity.

For those who have recurrent vaginal infections not helped by these suggestions, at first onset of symptoms and around the time you usually get the symptoms (for example after sex, antibiotics, your period, swimming, certain stresses), apply vaginally as directed RePhresh vaginal gel (up to every three days), or a vaginal Prebiotic.

Natural Treatment Specific For Yeast and Bacterial Vaginosis Infection

Yeast and bacterial vaginosis infections both occur more frequently under the following circumstances:

• During pregnancy 

• After menopause

• With increased stress

• Use of certain medications (such as antibiotics, steroids, and hormones)

• A diet high in simple sugar, refined carbohydrates and/or alcohol

• Frequent or regular douching

• Wearing synthetic tight underwear, thongs, pantyhose, and using conventional menstrual and products laden with toxic chemicals and synthetic fragrances.

• Anemia, obesity, diabetes, and other medical conditions that increase blood sugar and/or alter the normal environment in the gut and vagina, or suppress the immune system.

Limit excess intake of sugars (including fruits and fruit juices), refined carbohydrates (white breads, cakes, and other such products, especially those that contain yeast and gluten), and fermented foods (like synthetic yeast and pickles) until the problem has cleared up. One of my Integrative OB/GYN role models, Dr. Christiane Northrup advises actually increasing certain fermented foods rich in healthy bacteria like miso, tempeh, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, kimchi, and plain yogurt for both bacterial vaginosis and yeast vaginitis. You may need to limit or avoid these foods plus others on a regular basis if you are otherwise healthy but prone to frequent yeast infections and follow the yeast free or anti-candida diet, which is very strict and not clear that it makes a difference or worth the trouble. And do a healthy full body detox, like with Bentonite Clay. See a naturopath or holistic nutritionist for additional guidance.

Eat more fresh vegetables (especially the dark green ones, raw garlic and onion, turnips, and cabbage), quality protein, complex carbohydrates (like brown rice, quinoa, kasha and millet), and live culture plain yogurt. 

For vaginal candida, you can take homeopathic Yeast Guard internally, insert homeopathic vaginal suppositories or Yeast Arrest by Vitanica vaginally as directed and apply it externally as well - all safe in pregnancy. Consult a classical homeopath who can prescribe a homeopathic oral remedy specific to your individual symptoms if without relief or you get recurrent infections.

Drink Pau D’Arco tea (3 cups per day), use the superfood powder in cooking, and/or insert tampons soaked in the extract vaginally and change every 12 hours. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties. If you are not pregnant, take Pau D’Arco  500 mg capsules, 2-4 once or twice daily. You can also use it in your douche (1 part strong tea to 3 parts warm water) or douche with ½ teaspoon of Goldenseal powder to 1 cup warm water 1-2 times per day.  

Dr. Aviva Romm advises creating your own herbal suppositories. Although they do take some effort, they are very effective. She also recommends supplements to support your adrenals and stress response, especially if you are getting recurrent infections related to increased stress and overwork so common in modern times.

If all else fails, for yeast, you can use diluted Gentian Violet painted locally for more stubborn cases (yes, it temporarily stains everything bluish purple), or contact your provider for prescriptive medications (ideally after the first trimester of pregnancy). Frequent use of antifungal creams such as Monistat and Gyne-Lotrimin sold over the counter in grocery or drug stores is discouraged for they are not strong enough and can promote the growth of less common yeast strains, leading to recurrent or persistent infections. Your sexual partner will need treatment only if symptomatic or you are otherwise healthy but suffer from chronic or repeated episodes.

Please consult your practitioner if the above mentioned suggestions do not help, your symptoms become worse, do not clear up after 1-2 weeks, or recur frequently. And certainly if you develop:

• Lower abdominal pain

• Fever

• Vaginal bleeding or spotting

• Heavier or more painful periods

• Unusual lumps or sores

• Sexual contact with someone suspected of having syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, warts, herpes or HIV infection

• Bleeding, regular contractions or cramping, low pelvic or back pressure, or leaking fluid with pregnancy

Aside from being uncomfortable, untreated yeast infections are not dangerous, but if they occur close to delivery can increase the chance of newborn thrush and subsequent yeast infection of the breast feeding nipples. 

For those with any sort of chronic frequent infections in which serious causes have been ruled out and none of the natural and allopathic remedies help, consult your provider. If you need more personal guidance, as always,  schedule a chat with me so I can advise you about the best supplements, remedies and dosages specific to your situation.

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If you are planning a pregnancy, expecting, wanting to prepare as best you can for birth and postpartum, get yourself my online Guides!

I’ve taken everything I’ve learned from over 27 years in my private practice and I’ve poured all of my love, passion, knowledge, and experience into creating something truly special for you… my new Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum Guides. My transfer rate from home to hospital is 7% which means 93% of mamas are having beautiful natural homebirths, and I have not once had to transfer a mama for an epidural because she could not handle the sensations of normal labor. Not once. A huge part of that is how I help them prepare. I want that for you!

As they say, knowledge is power, and my Guides/courses can be a great way to understand the pregnancy, birth and postpartum process, clear up any confusion and trepidation, find your confidence, inner calm and strength, bust through fears and misconceptions, get expert guidance on everything you need to know, learn coping tools and mindset shifts to last a lifetime, as well as boost your health and well-being, and absolutely love your experience no matter how challenging.

Whether you’re an experienced or new parent, there are over 24 hours of videos, workbooks, and PDFs to answer all of your questions. Everything in my Guide is searchable; so you can just type or talk and it’ll bring you right to the exact moment in the video where I answer your question. Try it! Say "Labor Positions" and it'll bring you right to the moment I start talking about positions ideal for labor. It’ll blow your mind!

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Interview With a Family in My Practice on Their Podcast

“Julia and Gino were blessed to have Anne attend the birth of four of their children in the comfort of their home (they attribute Anne for saving Julia's life by detecting an ectopic pregnancy when the doctors did not!), and wanted to share with the community what an amazing midwife, mother, and entrepreneur Anne is.

In this week’s show, Anne discusses her passion for midwifery, what led her down the path of homebirth, the amazing power and joy of giving birth, and how her struggles in life led to her own transformative healing, growth, deeper joy and inner calm.

Anne draws parallels between raising a family and creating a successful in-person and online business, and how she did not set out to write two books or create online courses and coaching sessions, but a conversation with her daughter about joining Instagram changed it all. And then it grew organically.

Since that conversation, Anne has collected more than 97,000 followers on Instagram alone, and more importantly to her, has been able to serve mothers all over the world, including Australia and Europe.”

Source: Entrepreneur, Midwife, Author, and Mother, Anne Margolis with Julia and Gino Barbaro | Jake & Gino (jakeandgino.com)

My Two Books Pre-launched #1 Bestsellers

I have some exciting news to share with you! I have officially published my first two books on Amazon today...and they both became #1 International Bestsellers! The titles are below. 

I am forever grateful of your support and would love for you to share this with any of your friends or family that you think would enjoy this as well! 

Trauma Release Formula: The Revolutionary Step by Step Program for Eliminating Effects of Childhood Abuse, Trauma, Emotional Pain and Crippling Inner Stress, to Living in Joy without Drugs or Therapy Kindle Edition 

by Anne Margolis CNM, MSN, Yoga Teacher, Clarity Breathwork Practitioner (Author)

If you’ve experienced intense stress, emotional pain or any type of trauma, this program is a must - it represents true hope that saved my life and the lives of countless others. Once you know the key that unlocks the emotional pain, suffering, your ongoing personal life, work and relationship issues, and ongoing stress related physical symptoms and illness, and how to unlock it all, you experience such a powerful healing. 

For the last 22 years I have worked as a holistic nurse midwife, then with the added expertise as a yoga teacher, advanced grad and volunteer staff of Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts, and Clarity Breathwork practitioner. I have shared the most intimate experiences with women and their families as they move through young adulthood through and beyond menopause, and as they have their babies. I have held space for the huge powerful transformation of birth – that involves challenging situations of extreme intensity and vulnerability, pain of all degrees, facing enormous fears head on, surrendering to a process far greater than all of us…as well as great joy, love, and miracles. There is no pain – physical or emotional – that scares me – I am comfortable with it all; I have either felt it myself, heard about it, witnessed it, and helped others move through and heal from it. Over many years, the women in my practice, their partners, extended families and friends have shared with me and sought my guidance for their deepest darkest sufferings.

I would say just about everyone has baggage, past trauma of some sort, emotional pain and inner stress that is part of being human. Or it comes out as physical problems. Even if there is no apparent history of physical, sexual or verbal abuse unfortunately occurring at staggering rates (beyond 1:3 what is reported), most -people tell me they are one or more of the following:

Natural Birth Secrets: An Insiders Guide How To Give Birth Holistically, Healthfully and Safely, and Love the Experience! Kindle Edition

by Anne Margolis CNM, MSN, Yoga Teacher, Clarity Breathwork Practitioner (Author)

A Doctor and Midwife Recommended, Guide For Pregnancy To Postpartum Bliss Whether Birthing At Home, Hospital or Birth Center- even if this is not your first baby! 

This is a unique approach on how to have a deeply positive, empowered, and joyful journey through pregnancy, birth, and becoming a mom postpartum. Whether you have visions of a cozy home water birth, giving birth in a birth center free of pain meds and intervention, or a hospital birth with the latest technology and emergency care access just in case, this is the ultimate pregnancy to postpartum training so you can be prepared from an emotional, physical, and spiritual perspective to relax into birth and momma-hood with excitement and ease.

This comprehensive training will help you find your center and feel balanced, strong, relaxed, and calm within yourself during this special rite of passage into momma-hood- in the midst of all the chaos of life along the way. It will help you tune into your deepest desires and create joy and pleasure in your pregnancy, birth, an life as a mom - to take you and your family higher.

I’ve taken everything I’ve learned, trained and supported thousands of women, babies and their families with for over twenty years in my private practice locally and around the world, to create this book and do my part in improving maternity and newborn care and experiences, by empowering women and their families to speak up. These are my insiders secrets to increase your likelihood of avoiding high rates of risky medical and surgical interventions, serious complications including birth trauma for you and your baby, and having the birth of your dreams.

- stressed out, worried and anxious,

- overwhelmed, overworked and depleted, burned out, taking care of everyone but themselves

- filled with resentment, anger, rage

- irritable, cranky, and reactive

- unhappy, uninspired, unfulfilled, sad or downright depressed – do not feel joy

- addicted to harmful habits and do not do much to take care of themselves

- embarrassed or ashamed by some part of their body or not liking the way they look

- struggling with eating disorders,

- stuck and can’t make decisions

- disconnected from themselves and others

- shut down, powerless without a voice

- longing for something more and better, but don’t even know what they want, or thinking something outside of them will rescue them and make them happy

- plagued with self loathing, self doubt, not feeling valued, worthy or good enough, like a failure

- filled with shame, blame or a sense of being wrong

- lonely and isolated – without community, or even within their circle of friends and family

- sensually and sexually shut down and turned off

- troubled by relationship issues (immediate, extended, friends and/or professional)

- battling  career and work problems

- suffering with ongoing physical symptoms or chronic health conditions from body aches and pains, to migraines, intestinal issues, acid reflux, trouble sleeping, high blood pressure, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, cancer …the list goes on. If you can relate or have some of these feelings or issues, you are in the right place.

I want to thank my mentor Mike Koenigs for guiding me to prelaunch two books on my two passions for helping people!!! Both are available on Amazon already! Will be released on kindle in March and paperback in April!! 

Let's Talk About Sex...Postpartum; Discussing Sex After Birth

You’re not the only one to wonder about or struggle through this topic: sex after birth. In this article, let’s be unafraid to get honest, and open up that discussion.

There are so many psychosocial pressures to maintaining a strong and healthy loving relationship these days. One of the most concerning and yet least talked about pressures is reviving your sex life after having given birth.

• How extensively will a baby affect our sex life?

• Will it ever be again like it was before?

• Will it hurt?

• Do I have to think about this now???

• I have little or no interest in sex and I feel so unattractive and guilty - what to do?

• My partner wants to have sex again, but I can't even deal with the whole thing. I just need a hug. Is this normal? How to get in the mood??

• Not only is sex after birth not often discussed, especially on a mental/emotional and relational level, but the so-called “fourth trimester” is practically completely forgotten in many parts of the modern world.

• Let’s begin to shed some light on an important topic in an open manner, shall we?

Where to Begin?

Many studies have been conducted on sex after birth. But, there were always two factors that limited our social perception and perhaps our understanding of how to effectively prepare couples for intimacy after pregnancy.

Namely, studies were always done on a biological level, and they were always focused on the mother who’d just given birth—almost always never the partner.

In a recent study done at the University of Michigan, they focused primarily on sexual desire in the partner after their child was born.

They discovered that a good portion of a woman’s sexual and sensual desires, after giving birth, were mainly dependent on her partner’s own perception of her at the time. This is just one study, and studies have flaws: but what seems more true in my experience and research, is that a woman's sexual desires are more dependent on her. This is empowering!

Suffice to say, this is indeed an extremely self-conscious time for the new momma.

We’ve also discovered that this could be an equally insecure time for the partner as well. Many partners felt excluded from the family due to the new and acute bond between mother and baby.

It’s evident that communication is so crucial at this stage between partners. If both partners knew how vulnerable they each were, the pressure to “perform” or “satisfy the other’s desires” would probably greatly diminish. And what you can learn, is that if a woman knows her desires and her desires are satisfied, her cup is full and she will naturally want to please her partner...or not. If a woman is turned off and unsatisfied, you can forget about her interest in desiring to serve her partner. But no one really talks about it.

This lack of communication isn’t only within the couple itself but throughout society and even between client/patient and midwife or doctor.

“Sexual problems are common among new parents, but discussing them with doctors or close friends is not.” (“Sex and Intimacy,” New York Times.)

Are There Any Practical Steps?

While there’s no one trick to get your sex life rocking and rolling again, much like the first time (fortunately or unfortunately!), you’ll both have to rediscover yourselves and find your own groove.

But again, here is the big and empowering news. A crucial ingredient to a wonderful life that includes awesome sex, is largely dependent on the woman. Reclaim and own your feminine power, which defies logic. As a woman, it helps to dig deep to know what your desires are and what turns you on - using all of your senses, so that you can create what you want, stay in your pleasure, be turned on and communicate your requests to your partner.  Partners tend to really want to please, and do not always know how or what their love is thinking. There’s probably nothing easy or nonchalant about finding your desire again either, but know that it takes time and that it is doable.

Regina Thomashauer has been advocating for women and studying the discipline of female pleasure for years - in all aspects of life, “so as a woman, you can actually design a life that will allow you to experience pleasure any time you wish, ongoingly.  Pleasure is deliberate, not casual. She requires planning, she does not happen by default.”

In her latest NY times best selling, provocative but life-changing book, Pussy: A Reclamation, “you’ll discover what no one taught you about the source of your feminine power and how to use it. It’s no secret that women today are still undervalued at home, at work, and in a relationship. Too many of us are at war with our bodies and disconnected from our truth.

See, we live in a culture that teaches us to turn off. To play small. To take care of everyone else first. To keep a lid on our dreams and a cork on our truth.

This book is written to reacquaint a woman with her own power source—which is the part of herself she has been taught to ignore, push down, and despise...

It’s a call for her to tune in, turn on, and not drop out—but live more richly, fully, and lusciously than she ever thought she could.”

Here’s what else you’ll learn - how to know and speak your truth, how to radically accept, love and celebrate everything that is you and feel the rewards of this life-changing practice, how to move from depletion, obligation, overwork and resentment into embracing what life brings your way and all of what you feel, how to cultivate an attitude of immense gratitude, how to healthfully process your emotions, how to listen to and trust your sacred inner wisdom, creating sisterhood, and passionately creating and loving your life. This will ultimately rock your sex life, but you will also learn practices on how to further enhance it. I am convinced this book is a must-read for all women.

Some other must have sexual resources

Women’s Anatomy of Anatomy of Arousal by Sheri Winston CNM

The New Art of Sexual Ecstasy: Following the Path of Sacred Sexuality by Margo

Anand

Pure Sex: The Intimate Guide to Sexual Fulfillment by Anne Cooper

 

But Let’s Talk Basics First: When and How to Resume Sex After Birth

For most new mommas, sex after birth can be as daunting as the very first time. While much of social convention will have you thinking that partners are more than ready to jump right back into bed, this is most often not exactly the case. And they can be exhausted too, doing what they can to help, keeping up with work, also getting broken and less sleep, while adjusting to being a dad of this new baby.

At this stage in your relationship, open and honest, kind and sensitive "nonviolent" communication are the key.

On a practical level, most practitioners recommend waiting between 4 to 6 weeks before trying intercourse again in order to give the new mother time to heal - at least until the bleeding stops and any tearing has healed. But, we are finding more and more that this recommendation is based mostly on physical readiness. Many women after giving birth, report not being ready for sexual intercourse for much longer.

What about your psychological readiness? How do you work through the possibly daunting task of beginning sex again after birth, when you may feel some or all of the following: your breasts are full, tender and leaking milk, baby is nursing every few hours, you feel overtired and are not getting the sleep or help you need, you feel dry and still sore vaginally, you feel fat and less attractive than you used to, you are preoccupied with caring for your new baby and balancing all of your other responsibilities, you are afraid to get pregnant again, you can barely find the time to eat, you are feeling emotional and overwhelmed, you just need hugs and cuddling, have very little, if any interest in sex, but feel guilty and pressured to do it for your partner when you really don’t want to, and you are just madly in love...with your baby.

A great way to begin is knowing that what you’re feeling is totally normal and very common.

Not only is it normal for your libido to be low during this time after birth but many women have expressed how intimidating it is to have the sex conversation at the six-week mark. They don’t even want to think about sex for another 6 months, sometimes even longer.

And, there are many reasons for not feeling ready or downright apprehensive.

The key is to listen to and honor your feelings, talk your feelings through with your partner and get to know what your partner’s feelings are as well. You might be relieved at what your partner reveals. But do not have sex if you are feeling pressured into in it, out of guilt or obligation, if you really do not want to. That is not intimacy; it is actually is non consensual sex, which can lead to an unhealthy sexual relationship, or worse if it becomes ongoing - deep psychic pain and sexual trauma.

Dealing with Discomforts After Birth

Social perception tends to emphasize birth as the predominant and climactic purpose of pregnancy. But, in uncovering this forgotten “fourth trimester,” we’ll find that the numerous discomforts, huge lifestyle adjustments a new momma has to make after giving birth can be just as strenuous if not more so than labor and birth. Even though this is part of life, we have been birthing and mothering since the beginning of time, we had a village, a community of support; but today many women are alone. That is why I urge preparing for postpartum support during pregnancy and provide extensive planning guidance in my Love Your Birth online course, as I do with the mommas in my practice.

Here are just a couple of examples of predominant issues to deal with after birth - not to make you fear them but to know what is normal, to prepare and find support for them. While these may be fairly obvious, I’ve paired them with some of the worries and concerns a partner might be feeling and not telling you.

Hopefully, this opens the door to more real and meaningful conversations that deepen your connection.

*Related articles: How Can Prenatal Yoga Help in Birth, Postpartum, and Beyond?

Welcome To The Club

Tearing/Lacerations

There are ways to prevent you from tearing when the baby emerges at birth; many women do not tear, or tear a little but do not need stitches. But sometimes, despite all you and your attendants efforts, tearing occurs and needs to be repaired with stitches under a local anesthetic. Tearing, of course, requires the proper time to recover. So take it slow and cultivate patience and trust. The body has an incredible capacity to heal.

It’s important to note that episiotomy is another aspect of more severe tearing that has recently been deemed no longer necessary; it is actually one of the most harmful unnecessary routine procedures that had become so widespread, and remains despite the evidence that does not support its use in normal childbirth. Now, it’s been found to actually cause more damage than any natural tearing would. It can, however, be necessary in rare emergencies in which the baby needs to be delivered right away. 

Many women who had tearing and stitches fear sex will worsen the tear or open the stitches after they are healed, which you can rest assured, this does not happen. Many women feel lingering discomfort and dryness, which some organic natural lubricant can relieve. Explore the various natural scented and unscented sensual massage oils and see which one is your favorite. Partners also may feel uneasy or nervous about penetration for these reasons. You might be thinking that the sex in your relationship will not be the “same” for a long time. But in time, if you do the work to cultivate and grow personally, and deepen your intimate connection and sexual relationship...it will get better and better. The possibilities are endless.

Don’t be afraid to try something new, and have fun with it.

Invite the ambiance that is important to you - the scented candle or massage oil, the music, the feel of your lingerie or sheets, the lighting, anything in the environment that sets the mood. Experiment with doing something you enjoy together, watching comedy, games and role playing, slowly and sensually feeding each other strawberries or dark chocolate, reading erotica or romantic poetry together, looking into each other’s eyes, placing your hands on each other's heart, caressing in a variety of ways. Expand the focus of intimacy way beyond sexual intercourse.

'Foreplay' is a huge part of arousal for a woman, but I am not crazy about the word.  It implies less important activities that have value only in that they lead to sexual intercourse, but do not really count as sex. It makes the end goal of the man's happy ending the main focus, when in actuality, these 'foreplay' activities enhance pleasure by themselves, build stronger intimacy, and are all part of the sexual experience - not separate from it. In addition, over half of all women do not reach orgasm from sexual intercourse alone; more women have an orgasm through oral and manual stimulation of their clitoris. The clitoris has 8000 nerve endings designed only for a woman's pleasure and ecstasy, so it is really essential for the both of you to get to know her. A woman's sexual pleasure is just as important as a man's. So bring on the whispered loving words, the soft touching, massaging, caressing, licking, kissing and hugging - it is not only such fun for both of you, it also will ease reintroducing sexual pleasure into your relationship and strengthen your connection.

“One study found manual genital stimulation to be a form of sexual activity considered most exciting and most pleasant by both genders postpartum,” (Sexuality and Breastfeeding: What Do You Know?, pg. 221). A woman's clitoris has 8000 nerve endings designed only for a woman's pleasure and natural ecstasy, so it is really essential for the both of you to get to know her.  It is very sensitive and honest, and takes its patient feminine time. It knows what it likes and what it does not like. It tends to like to be touched softly or stroked gently, especially around the left upper quadrant. Sensations can move. Experiment with your clitoris. Learn what feels real good, so you can help your partner touch you in ways that are deeply pleasurable. Don’t expect your partner to read your mind. Gratitude and communication in loving honesty are key, as is a playful sense of humor!

Breastfeeding

While breastfeeding is a very intimate and tender part of motherhood, it does cause hormonal changes which also contribute to vaginal dryness. Using one of the lubricants mentioned above will make all the difference. This is more commonly talked about in the literature and with your midwife or doctor.

What is less discussed are the feelings of jealousy and exclusion that the mother/baby dyad might create in the partner. While this may not be a concern readily brought up by your partner, it does create an opportunity to validate and embrace your partner's feelings as well as your own, discuss the importance of more partner/baby time, and quality time alone with just you and your partner.

A partner can feel quite out of the loop especially if they don’t have much or any parental leave at this time. So, how can they feel more involved and nurture their own special relationship with the baby?

Having this discussion with your partner can create a more unified and open relationship, making it easier for each partner to feel vulnerable with the other and so facilitate maybe not a resumption of your sexual relationship itself but at least the conversation. Also, as soon as you are able and feeling ready, ask a family member or hire a trusted babysitter, so you and your partner can go out - I would say aim high, once a week, even if only for a few hours, leaving behind a supply of pumped breast milk. Do something you love and make it simple - especially in the beginning. It might be just to have a quiet cup of tea, eating at a lovely restaurant, going on a walk, playing a game at a coffee shop or in the park. With time, you can expand into going to a concert, sports game or show, doing a meditation or taking a tango class together.  Imagination has no limits. You can play with taking turns planning and surprising each other with fun activities.

Contraception - Fear of Getting Pregnant Again, Before Feeling Ready or Wanting To Be

Full time exclusive breastfeeding has been relied upon since the beginning of time to space children - at least for the first 6 months, as it causes a rise in hormones that suppresses ovulation. While there is no guarantee and much variability here, there are things you can do to enhance its reliability in preventing pregnancy. It is called the Lactation Amenorrhea Method - and it is as effective as the birth control pill. But I have women in my practice that are nursing a toddler a few times a day and have not yet returned to their menstrual cycling, and women who get their periods back within 6-8 weeks after birth - despite exclusively and frequently breastfeeding on demand, keeping baby close, and not using pacifiers or bottles. It happened to me with all four of my kids. We did our best.  

Once the first period comes, breastfeeding is not a reliable form of contraception; and those who get pregnant unexpectedly in the early months postpartum, doing all they can to exclusively nurse, get pregnant because ovulation occurs BEFORE the first period - they were not aware they resumed fertility. The World Health Organization actually recommends waiting 24 months after birth before getting pregnant again, to have the most optimally healthy outcome for you and baby. If you are sure you are not ready for another pregnancy, it is important to understand your fertility signs, to look into and discuss options for contraception with your midwife or doctor - there are several effective ways to prevent pregnancy safe for breastfeeding, naturally or not. You will feel better and more relaxed about resuming sexual intercourse knowing you have a good contraceptive plan that works for you.

How to Reclaim Your Sensual/Sexual Self After Birth

Sexuality is a part of Self that cannot be ignored or glossed over, and, just over the last 9 months, you, as a new momma, have become more of an expert on using the senses. All of them. You might have noticed a heightened sense of smell, taste, hearing, seeing and feeling. 

But postpartum, you’re probably all “touched-out” as we’d say—your baby has been growing and developing inside you. You gave birth to your baby, which took a HUGE amount of your energy and strength, is a HUGE transformational event in your life and an incredible accomplishment! Now that he or she is here, baby constantly needs you from a physical standpoint as well as a nurturing one. Your breasts are being nursed frequently.

Your greatest desire right now is probably a shower, take a nap, eat delicious meal that someone else prepared, and for no one to even touch you!

That being said, how do you nurture yourself without feeling like you’re neglecting your sexual self and your partner, and equally somehow betraying your newfound momma-hood?

How do you and your partner become intimate once again after a long while of focusing on the baby?

This is a great time to get to know yourself and your partner again. As I said, honest nonviolent communication is focal and crucial at every level of any kind of relationship, more so now than ever. Your relationship will probably never be the same. But, that doesn’t mean your intimacy can’t be as great as it was before...or much deeper and closer.

It really can be better!

The conversation might not be easy. But, this is an opportunity for you both to see who you are now that you’ve crossed over to this new phase of life.

Don’t be afraid to take things slow and do things in a new way. Read and discuss together the books I mentioned above - start in pregnancy if you can, but if you already gave birth, start now - even a few pages a day.

You’ve probably only had a few hours of broken sleep; your baby could wake up at any minute for nursing; you feel fat, nothing fits, and you didn’t have time to take a shower or put on any makeup.

Embrace the postpartum, beautiful self in all of its empowering, draining, frustrating, and glorious moments. Give yourself lots of self-care. A human being just came out of you--cut yourself some slack!

In fact, I hope you’ve tuned into the empowering sense of motherhood and what it means to be a woman.

This is why I really recommend reading Mama Gena’s book, Pussy: A Reclamation. Please don’t be deterred by the title. This is a great work of writing encouraging women to be turned on to their life and their pleasure.

To give you an idea of the book’s content, I want to share with you Mama Gena’s thoughts which she shares in an interview with Dr. Kelly Brogan. Here, Mama Gena is speaking about what her work is all about:

“[when] a woman begins to plug into what it means to have the privilege of 8000 nerve endings dedicated to pleasure, what it means to have her emotional truth embodied and considered important and righteous, and not try to be “sugar and spice, and everything nice” but to actually feel free to express the full range of her passion, her grief, her rage, her devastation, her joy.”

Related article: The Strength of a Woman
 

Sex, despite being a big social topic, is the least talked about in an honest, caring, compassionate, and vulnerable way--sex after birth even less so.

The best way to figure out how to go about getting back into the mood is through talking openly with yourself and your partner, nurturing your relationship with yourself and your partner, and making sure you are living a turned on life that you love - not simply turned on sexually, but turned on and excited about all aspects of living. Safeguard your own self care and joy, and consider them as important as eating and drinking healthfully. A happy fulfilled mama takes everyone higher, including her family and relationships.  

The “when” is entirely up to the both of you and shouldn’t be before you’re ready.

Always take the time to learn about and nurture every part of the Self--you’ll be giving your partner as well as yourself the best of you.

Do you have more questions about sensitive topics and are looking for honest answers and personalized support? Schedule a conversation with me. To connect more in general, get helpful tips, exciting news and promotions I do not share anywhere else, sign up for my free monthly newsletter called Ask the Midwife.

I have a holistic approach to life, including healing after pregnancy and birthing. Nothing replaces abdominal toning and exercise for restoring muscle strength and tone - which I encourage for all mamas as soon as they feel up to it postpartum. Nothing replaces touch, slow deep abdominal breathing, and a 'love your postpartum body' perspective that I promote.  But I have found many mamas simply feel comforted by this support garment, especially early postpartum and temporarily as needed....to be used without forfeiting abdominal toning and strengthening exercise, breathing well and touch. I have found Bellefit supportive garments to help like they use belly binding around the world such as in Indonesia. They do aid in early postpartum healing and provide support many mamas feel comforted by. I deal with human beings and the reality is many postpartum mom's struggle with body image, feel frustrated that getting back to themselves takes longer than expected. Being into holistic health and healing includes being sensitive to real human struggles - the mind, body, heart and soul of each person and their unique situation. Having helped countless women with these issues after having a baby as a midwife, I have found many still love that binding and feel better with this support, and ability to fit into their pre-pregnancy clothes comfortably and sooner than they would if they went through a C-section or natural childbirth recovery without it - especially when they have to dress up and fit into a certain favorite outfit for a special occasion or wedding not long after having a baby. For more info on the Bellefit girdle, check out my blog about it here. Have a Great Postpartum Recovery (with a little help from Bellefit)!

Let Me Help You Create The Happiest Birth Experience Of Your Life and Best Prepare for a Most Supported Postpartum...

Whether you're a first time or experienced momma, planning a VBAC

Or a midwife, doula, or birth professional guiding mommas..

Regardless if you are intending to birth at home, a hospital, a birth center or need a cesarean section, or if you are taking another childbirth education class…

You Really Can Create The Delivery Of Your Dreams, ROCK your VBAC

And have a blissful birth wherever you are.

More Precious Than A Wedding...A Birth Should Be A Celebration!

Let me show you how to…

• Understand the sensations of your body and connect your intuition with how your body is communicating and leading you towards what to do during labor

• Tap into your inner calm to deeply relax yourself,letting go of busy, stressful and fearful thoughts on demand for the health of baby

• Speak your truth from your heart in a way that deepens your relationships, sets clear boundaries, and has people listen to you and support you before, during and after pregnancy

• Trust yourself, connect with your body wisdom and communicate with baby in your belly

• Connect with natural time and sync your body and mind up with your unique biological clock for ease from pregnancy to postpartum

• Reprogram negative patterns, stories, and beliefs that undermine your confidence, strength and self trust so you can rock your birth

• Learn exactly what postpartum is, how long it lasts, and how long it takes to feel back to yourself

• How to prepare during pregnancy for adjusting to caring for a newborn, breastfeeding, healing and recovery (many modern day women are stunned today about all that is involved!)

• Learn priorities during this time for what is needed, how and what to delegate to ensure everything that can be, is taken care of by others and off your plate

• How to transition from 'doing' and accomplishing your-to-do list, to 'being,' and living in tune with your and your baby’s needs

• Essential nutrition, hydration and whole food/herbal supplements for postpartum

• Self-identify signs of postpartum depression, anxiety and psychiatric illness vs normal emotional changes so you can get help early for postpartum depression or anxiety

• Receive comprehensive head to toe training on what to expect physically and emotionally, and the reasons why, with some suggestions/natural remedies for common issues such as:

  • Lack of sleep and exhaustion

  • Breast changes

  • Nipple soreness

  • Colostrum to breastmilk

  • Bleeding patterns

  • Cramping

  • Perineal soreness and stitches

  • Constipation and hemorrhoids

  • Return to pre pregnant weight

  • Return to cycle and fertility

  • Return to sex

  • Relationship changes

  • Sibling adjustment

  • Body image: how to love your postpartum body

Image by Megan Hancock Photography

Physicians and midwives around the world recommend my teachings to their pregnant clients and many Doulas across the country learn the secrets of blissful birthing from me to supplement their Doula Training & Certification process!

To learn more, visit:  LOVE YOUR BIRTH Online Childbirth Course!

It is based on my years of experience, as a midwife and yoga teacher, helping thousands of women tap into their calm and live and birth from a place of grounded relaxation and joy.