Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy: The Dos and Don’ts for Natural Relief

Hemorrhoids during pregnancy are so common as to be considered normal, unless they cause symptoms that bother you (such as itching, pain and bleeding). In this post, you will find tips and tricks for preventing and reducing those irritating symptoms, and you can also refer to the blog about remedies for varicosities.

But first, some clarity. Hemorrhoids are varicose veins (enlarged blood vessels) that develop inside or just outside the anal area. They are caused by a combination of factors:

• Increased pressure on veins in the pelvic area from the growing uterus 

• The hormones of pregnancy, which increase blood volume and relax the vessel walls, allowing them to distend and become congested 

• An inherited tendency

• The pressure of gravity from being overweight or excessive weight gain in pregnancy

• Constipation and straining to push out a bowel movement

Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy - The Dos

DO EAT THE FOLLOWING

A variety of foods that nourish the circulatory system, such as:

Okra
Citrus fruits
Berries like strawberries, blackberries and raspberries
Black currants
Plums and prunes
Apricots, grapes, cherries, cantaloupe
Broccoli and asparagus
Avocado
Alfalfa sprouts
Tomatoes
Green peppers
Carrots
Squash and sweet potatoes
Fresh parsley
Buckwheat, oats, wheat germ, quinoa, and other whole grains
Nuts
Brewers or nutritional yeast
Eggs
Fish
Organ meats

Use lots of fresh garlic, onions, ginger and turmeric in your cooking. 

Eat a bulb of fresh garlic daily. You can eat it roasted, sautéed, or raw, or even make a nice garlic-infused olive oil. Just peel and crush a full bulb, and let it soak in 1 cup of cold, expeller-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, for a couple of days. Use in dressings and marinades or any other way you use olive oil. If you’re not a garlic fan, try New Chapter’s Garlicforce caps.

And be sure to keep hydrated with at least 64 ounces of filtered, spring or well water or herbal tea daily between meals (at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating).

DO KEEP MOVING 

Exercise regularly for at least 30 minutes 5 times per week like brisk walking, swimming, dancing or prenatal yoga.

For relieving pressure on the lower veins do one of the following for 10-20 minutes twice per day (come on - they’re fun and a time for you to relax!):
Inverted yoga postures such as bridge, headstand and shoulder stand modified as needed. Use the wall for support, and don’t forget to support your body with props like blankets, bolsters or blocks . 

To try legs up the wall, lie flat on the flow with your buttocks all the way to the wall elevated on a folded yoga blanket, bolster or block. When dealing with hemorrhoids using props is ideal. Let your legs rest straight up the wall for 10-20 minutes 2 times daily. Take this opportunity to relax and focus on your breathing.

While doing bridge, practice strengthening your pelvic floor muscles by placing a yoga block under your sacrum and another block between your thighs. While inhaling, tilt your pelvis up toward your face as you slowly squeeze the block and draw your entire pelvic floor upward and inward, starting from its center. Hold as long as is comfortable, then release and return to resting your sacrum on the block as you exhale. Let your breathing be smooth, relaxed and deep as you do this. It takes practice but you will get it. Start with 25 repetitions per day, and work up to 50. This exercise also provides other benefits like:

• Easier birthing

• Reduced tearing

• Less urinary incontinence

• Better sex

• Improved exercise and yoga performance 

• Enhanced well-being

Do robust pelvic tilting for 5 minutes once or twice a day. Get on all fours and move your pelvis up and down or forward and backward. It is very helpful to coordinate the movements with your breathing. For example, you can inhale while tilting forward and exhale while tilting back, or vice versa. Gradually make the movements stronger and faster, using your core muscles to protect your back. 

You can also circle your hips in both directions and do figure eights. You can also try them while standing by tilting your pelvis back and forth in the same way. Some good dance music can help you get into the rhythm!

Make sure when pushing during birth, to be on hands and knees, kneeling or standing leaning forward, or side lying, which lessens pressure on veins.

Photo by Julia Sywers

DO SUPPLEMENT

Most of the supplements and herbal remedies I recommend are available on my customized online holistic apothecary. Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for hemorrhoids and varicosities or search them individually. My online dispensary is a convenient way for you to purchase my hand-picked, professional-grade, whole food supplements and other natural health products. Ordering is simple, and the products will be shipped directly to your home or work within a few days.

Follow this supplementation protocol:

Make sure you are taking your daily supplements including whole food prenatal multivitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, so that you are getting all the nutrients you need. In addition, each day take:

• 1000 - 1500  mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids until 36 weeks pregnant, then reduce to 500 mg

• 500 mg Rutin 1-2 times per day

• Whole food B complex, or 50 mg of vitamin B6 1-2 times per day

• 500 mg of evening primrose, borage, black current or flaxseed oil after the first trimester

• Kelp powder or capsules as directed on the container if you do not have hyperthyroidism or a sensitivity to iodine

• 200 - 600 IU of vitamin E until the seventh month if you are otherwise healthy, then taper to 400 IU

• 400 mg Magnesium

Take the homeopathic remedy Hamamelis 30 c three times per day.

If you are anemic, use herbal iron to avoid constipation.

Nettle and Oatstraw are herbs known to strengthen the vascular system, lessen varicosities and prevent them from feeling uncomfortable and swollen. Drink 1-4 cups daily of the recipe below, according to how severe and extensive your hemorrhoids are. To make your own infusion:

1. Soak a generous handful of dried Nettle leaf and a large pinch of Oatstraw in 1 quart boiling water for 2 hours.

2. Strain to a canning jar.

3. Add a dash of honey, lemon or lime juice, or fresh mint leaves to taste.

4. Drink hot or cold.

You can also take standardized extract of Horse chestnut or if higher doses are needed for more extensive cases, Venistat and use as directed on the bottle. If you are not pregnant and otherwise healthy, take Butcher’s Broom as directed on the bottle. 

DO TRY AND RELAX, AND USE THE POWER OF VISUALIZATION

While sitting or lying in a comfortable quiet place, take some slow deep abdominal breaths until your mind is quiet. Then visualize your blood flowing easily through your veins in your anal area, back up to your heart, without any resistance. Imagine your varicose veins getting smaller and smaller, then eventually resolving. See yourself as healthy and strong. This can be easily added to your regular meditation practice.

DO TRY SOME HOME REMEDIES

When experiencing a hemorrhoid flare-up, there are a number of natural home remedies available to ease your discomfort.

Wear a small soft ice pack held in place close to the affected area by a belly band for vulvar varicosities.

Applying local herb infused compresses to the area can be very soothing and healing. You can make your own by soaking a small cloth or round pad to make a compress with the essential oils of lavender or frankincense.  Make a bunch in advance and freeze them in a zip lock bag. Also try applying these and do regularly what feels best for you:

• Wet or dry baking soda to relieve itching

• Lemon juice or raw apple cider vinegar to reduce swelling or bleeding

• Raw potato to ease swelling and pain

• Garlic oil, or a peeled clove of garlic inserted into the rectum overnight to reduce swelling.

• Regular Black tea bag, steeped in a little hot water for a few minutes, then squeezed to remove the water; apply it several times daily as a poultice to your hemorrhoids

• Pure Aloe Vera gel to reduce bleeding

• Herbal ointments containing Comfrey to help reduce swelling, bleeding and pain

• An herbal combination of Plantain, and Yarrow ointment or salve to relieve pain and shrink hemorrhoids quickly

• Horse Chestnut can be purchased in liquid form, and made into a compress, especially in combination with Plantain, Witch hazel, and even Pilewort and Yellow Dock root, which can be applied locally as often as needed. You can also add to your compresses Yarrow, Oak bark, Calendula, Don quai, Bayberry bark, and/or Mullein to help relieve aching and swelling, and tighten the distended veins. Any combination of these herbs can be used topically as a gel, salve, cream or ointment.

• Combinations in an herbal salve or ointment to soothe and relieve hemorrhoids

• Already made Witch Hazel compresses (known as Tucks in the pharmacy or Hamamelis as a homeopathic remedy in the health food section) to reduce inflammation and swelling

• Homeopathic or herbal hemorrhoidal ointment or cream throughout the day and before bowel movements to ease their passage

You can also wipe yourself with these compresses after a bowel movement instead of toilet paper, or moisten the toilet paper with liquid Witch Hazel. 

Smear the hemorrhoids with cream or soapy water and try to gently push them back inside. Then tighten your perineal muscles, your mula bandha and practice Kegel or pelvic floor exercises for a few minutes to help them stay in.

Try a soothing warm sitz bath for 15-20 minutes, followed by 1 minute of a cool sitz bath 4-6 times per day. A sitz bath is a special shallow container designed to sit in that fits on most toilets, and directs the water and healing herbs to the perineal and anal area.

You can add the above mentioned essential oils, herbs or Epsom salts to the water. Most hemorrhoids will shrink after a few days of frequent herbal sitz baths. This herbal sitz bath will come in handy postpartum as well, to cleanse, soothe and hasten healing. 

Use a pillow or special round donut cushion when you need to sit on a chair.

Sleep on your side.

Shine a red heat lamp to affected area.

Hemorrhoids During Pregnancy - The Don’ts

When dealing with hemorrhoids, there are some foods and activities to avoid. For example:

• Excessive weight gain and constipation, as they will aggravate and contribute to varicosities.

• Straining on the toilet or sitting in the squatting position for prolonged periods, as it increases pressure in the area and encourages hemorrhoids.

• Highly processed and refined white flour products, foods that are high in sugar, refined vegetable oils or partially hydrogenated fat and chemicals.

• Long periods of sitting or standing (try to rest on your side with your hips and legs elevated three times daily).

• Sitting on hard surfaces (instead, use an inflatable tube seat or cushion).

• Squatting while pushing in labor.

Consuming the following can aggravate hemorrhoids:
Cayenne
Mustard
Black pepper
Hot sauces and curries
Coffee (even decaffeinated)
Alcohol
Cigarette smoke

Consult a professional homeopath or acupuncturist skilled in traditional Chinese medicine, osteopath or chiropractor especially if none of the above suggestions help and your problem is chronic.

Contact your provider or schedule a consultation with me if nothing seems to work or if you have severe pain, persistent bleeding or lumps. Also, check with your provider before using any over-the-counter medication, as most drugs relieve symptoms without healing the problem and contain toxins like mercury or other substances that are not safe during pregnancy.

For further inspiration and optimal health during pregnancy, birthing and postpartum, please make sure to take my online Love Your Birth course, so you can ROCK your journey wherever and however you plan to give birth.

In adjunct, for additional helpful and uplifting information, insights and tips you can read my Natural Birth Secrets book.

Suffering with low back or pelvic discomfort? Having common pregnancy aches and pains and need some additional support?

Check out Bellefit’s prenatal support wear here.

Posterior Position: Practical Steps for Prevention and Remedy

Art by Katie Atkinson @spiritysol

A baby in a posterior position is facing your abdomen, and baby’s back is towards your back. Some babies are born easily in the posterior position with baby facing mama’s face “sunny side up.” This is especially if Mama:

• Has given birth before

• Is carrying a baby of average or smaller size

• Has an adequate sized pelvis

• Is committed, relaxed and prepared

• Is able to be upright, move and change positions at will

• Has the ability to eat and drink freely

• Is supported by providers who are patient, calm and trained to help baby turn

Art by Katie Atkinson @spiritysol

Other babies in posterior position can be more challenging, creating problems like not going into labor, water breaking prematurely before labor starts, slower more difficult labor progress, exhaustion, and labor felt mostly as back pain that can be harder to cope with. All of these factors increase the risk of complications, interventions and cesarean if baby can not be safely born vaginally. 

Epidurals increase the incidence of posterior babies, as well. But sometimes in prolonged labor, when Mama can no longer cope, the compassionate use of an epidural can help her give birth vaginally. 

The modern sedentary lifestyle of slouching in chairs over smart phones and computers, sitting back in sofas and car seats with associated poor posture, stress and tension in our bodies contributes to the rise in babies presenting in the posterior position. Many of us are no longer as active as our ancestors and indigenous cultures around the globe. We are not often leaning forward doing manual work, which helps baby’s heavier back come forward into the anterior position, unless we are doing activities like gardening.  

Art by Katie Atkinson @spiritysol

Ideally and actually most often, the baby will be in an anterior position facing your spine at term, or turns anterior during labor for childbirth. It is important to know when your baby moves into the optimal anterior position, so you can encourage the baby to stay there, which usually means an easier and shorter labor. 

You can learn on your own what position your baby is in. But if you are unsure, ask your practitioner for help figuring it out. Then try to pay attention to your baby’s position, without getting needlessly obsessed about it. This is easier to do when your baby moves or when momentarily lying on your back. It may take a lot of concentration to understand what is what at first, but soon you will get the hang of it.

When your baby is posterior, your tummy may look flatter and feel more squashy, and you may feel arms and legs and kicks all over the front towards the middle of your tummy. The area around your belly button may dip to a concave, saucer-like shape, and you may also experience long and painful practice contractions with a more severe lower backache as your baby tries to turn around to the anterior position to engage down into the pelvis.

When your baby is anterior, the back feels hard and smooth and rounded on one side of your tummy, and you will usually feel kicks under the side of your ribs. Your belly button will normally poke out and feel firm.

Pay attention to your posture and positioning at the time when your baby may be starting to descend into your pelvis, which is during the last 6 weeks of your first pregnancy, and the last 2-3 weeks of your subsequent pregnancies. The goal is to make room for your baby to assume the optimal position for birthing. 

The baby’s back is the heaviest side of its body, and will thus gravitate towards the lowest side of your abdomen. So, if your tummy is lower than your back (such as sitting on a chair leaning forward), the baby’s back will tend to swing anterior towards your tummy.

If your back is lower than your tummy (such as reclining back in an armchair with your feet up), then the baby’s back may swing towards your back into a posterior position. With this in mind, when you are 34 weeks onward, avoid any position where you are spending time leaning backwards with your knees higher than your pelvis.

Ideally, ditch the chairs. If you do need to sit on one, make sure your knees are lower than your pelvis, and your trunk is tilted slightly forward. If you need to work at a desk, consider a standing one at least some of the time, resting an alternating foot on a step stool.

Watch TV, read and lounge while kneeling on the floor, over a beanbag, birth ball, cushions, or sitting backwards on a straight backed dining room or kitchen chair facing and leaning on its back. 

Practice yoga to be in shape for the lunges and varied positions used to help your baby come down and out. Use yoga positions like bound angle (badha konasana) sitting with your back upright with soles of your feet together, or on your hands and knees while curving your back up like a cat followed by dropping your spine down in an arch and/or wiggling your hips from side to side. Get out your yoga mat and support your body with props like blankets, bolsters or blocks  as needed. 

Avoid crossing your legs, as it reduces the space in front of your pelvis and opens up the back. Sit on a wedge cushion in the car so your pelvis is tilted forward, and keep the seat back upright.

Avoid deep squatting until baby is anterior and well down in your pelvis or when needed in labor. Deep squatting opens up your pelvis and encourages the baby to move down, so refrain from it until your baby is in the anterior position. You can squat on a low stool or yoga blocks instead, keeping your spine upright.

Rest and sleep on your side, with two pillows under your bent right knee, which should be jackknifed up towards your chest, and keep your left leg straight out.

Swim with your belly downwards, doing the front crawl and breaststroke. The leg movements with the breaststroke in particular are great for opening your pelvis and encouraging your baby into an optimal anterior position.

If Your Baby Is Posterior

Continue the above mentioned positions, and add the following exercises for 20 to 30 minutes each, 3 times daily while watching something inspirational, romantic or that makes you laugh, or while listening to music:

Maintain a knee-chest position, with your buttocks sticking up in the air to tip the baby  back out of the pelvis so there is more room to turn around to the anterior position.

• Sway your hips back and forth and do the pelvic rock up and down while on your hands and knees.

• Crawl around the floor on your hands and knees, or hands and feet like an elephant.

• Scrub your floors or do some gardening.

• Swim belly down, kicking with straight legs only. Avoid frog leg movements.

• Lie on a slant board (using an ironing board or see-saw), with your head down and your legs up or lay with your pelvis and legs on the top stair landing or sofa and rest on your hands or forearms on a lower stair so you are at a similar incline. Jiggle your pelvis as you do this.

• Try resting and sleeping on your tummy using lots of pillows and cushions for support.

• Sit on a kneeler-rocker, which is a kneeling stool that sits you in an upright position with your knees lower than your chest, and has a rocker underneath for movement that encourages your baby to rotate. There are several types. See what is best for you. 

When baby turns to the anterior position, you can encourage descent further into your pelvis by walking around upright, gently massaging the baby’s buttocks downward, deep squatting and swimming, this time using lots of breaststroke frog leg kicking.

If you have lax abdominal muscles from several babies or lack of toning exercises, use a supportive maternity binder to keep baby in place. Bellefit makes a fine one, as pictured below. You can check them out and purchase here.

If Going Into Labor With a Posterior Baby

Starting in early labor, try the following movements involving altering the level of your hips, which help wiggle the baby down through your pelvis:

• Walk up and down stairs, sideways if you need to.

• Rock and dance from side to side.

• March or tread in place.

• Step on and off a step stool.

• Climb in and out of the birth pool.

• Lay on your side, so the part of your belly where your baby’s back is, can lean forward almost over the sofa or bed, with your upper knee resting on a lower chair.

• Consider having your midwives help to rotate the baby using a variety of external techniques, or if needed, by manually lifting your baby out of your pelvis during a contraction.

During the pushing stage of labor:

• Kneel on all fours, with the other leg up in a lunge. Switch legs periodically. You can do this standing, alternating one leg up on a chair moving towards and away from it. 

• Maintain a supported high squat in a birthing stool or hanging from a dangling squatting rope or your partner, with your bottom at least 18 inches off the floor.

• You can rest on your side with one leg straight out and the other leg bent up towards your chest, supported with pillows.

• Avoid lying back, semi-reclining, sitting or semi-sitting. 

For more information online, visit Spinning Babies, Association of Radical Midwives, or the GentlleBirth archives for Suboptimal Fetal Positions.

Check out my number one international best selling book Natural Birth Secrets and my Love Your Birth course, an online version of how I have helped thousands in my local practice.

Both resources are unique, but each provide an in depth, one-of-a-kind holistic approach created by me, a seasoned nurse midwife of over two decades, who has seen everything! It is now recommended by midwives, physicians, health care professionals around the globe, and doulas take it for their certification training.

As always, if you need more personalized guidance, schedule a consultation with me. 

Varicose Veins in Pregnancy: Natural Remedies and Relief

Varicose veins are enlarged and often prominent, bluish and bulging vessels that have been stretched and weakened, such that blood accumulates in them rather than flowing back to the heart. They can often result in dull, aching, cramps and a sensation of heaviness in the legs.

Varicose Veins in Pregnancy

In pregnancy, varicose veins are caused by a combination of: 

• Hormones that relax the vessel walls and increase blood volume

• Pressure of the growing uterus, impairing the return of venous blood to the heart from the lower body

• Inherited weakness of veins and their valves

• Inactivity and poor leg muscle tone

• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing

• Excess weight gain and obesity

Simple Tricks and Tips

Avoid strong spices such as cayenne, mustard, black pepper, hot sauces and curries, coffee (even decaffeinated), alcohol, smoking, and sweet clover tea, as they can aggravate the problem.

While sitting or lying in a comfortable quiet place, take some slow deep abdominal breaths until your mind is quiet. Then visualize your blood flowing easily through your veins in your legs, back up to your heart, without any resistance. Imagine your varicose veins getting smaller and smaller, then eventually resolving. See yourself as healthy and strong. This can be easily added to your regular meditation practice.

A daily 5 minute leg massage, working hard, deep and up with the flow of the veins does wonders for prevention. But, NEVER massage the leg if you have significant varicosities, or you notice an area of hardness, heat, redness or swelling.

Body Positioning

Avoid prolonged periods of standing still or sitting, especially with your legs crossed. If you need to be sitting for a long time, take frequent breaks every hour to get up and walk around, squat, rotate your feet, point and flex your toes.

If you need to be sitting or on your feet for awhile, periodically rest with your legs elevated above the level of your chest, while keeping your back straight. Or, lie down on your side at least for 30 minutes twice a day.

Don’t sit on chairs that press into the backs of your thighs. Make sure your feet can be flat on the floor, a stool or a book, with your thighs completely free while sitting.

Rise slowly from a lying down or sitting position to reduce the possibility of feeling lightheaded on standing.

Raise the end of your bed 6-8 inches with bricks or a block of wood to create a slight elevation and help drain your lower body of excess blood volume when you sleep. Or, you can simply put a few firm pillows under your feet.

Exercise regularly for 30 minutes 5 days per week. Brisk walking, swimming, dancing and prenatal yoga are great ways to develop healthy muscle tone in your legs and keep the blood circulating, in addition to helping you maintain a normal weight. Inverted yoga postures such as bridge, legs up the wall, headstand, and shoulder stand modified for pregnancy are also helpful in relieving pressure on the lower veins. You can use the wall for support.  Props like yoga blankets, bolsters or blocks can be used to make the postures more accessible, passive, comfortable and restorative.

Using props to elevate your hips while in bridge or legs up the wall is especially helpful for vulvar varicosities. Legs up the wall or Viparita Karini is done lying down flat on your back with your buttocks all the way to the wall, or elevated on a folded yoga blanket, bolster or block. Let your legs rest straight up the wall for 10-20 minutes. It is also a great opportunity for practicing quiet meditation, focusing on slow deep breathing and inner gazing between your eyebrows. A lavender infused eye pillow adds to the yummy relaxation effect.

Clothing Considerations

Wear loose clothing, and avoid restrictive pants and knee highs that go part way up the leg and constrict the flow of blood back to the upper body. Wear low heeled or flat comfortable shoes.

Each day, apply maternity supportive compression leggings or stockings before getting out of bed in the morning and after elevating your legs a bit. Women with significant varicosities need to wear open-toed porous stockings which supply at least 30 mmHg and up to 50 mmHg of graduated pressure. Start using them early in pregnancy before the problem worsens, and continue through 6 weeks postpartum. Some stockings come with gloves to help put them on. If not, a little cornstarch on the legs and dishwashing gloves may help slide them on.

Diet

Every day eat a variety of foods that nourish the blood vessels such as:

• Dark leafy greens

• Kelp

• Beets

• Okra

• Citrus fruits

• Strawberries and, blackberries

• Apricots

• Black currants

• Plums and prunes

• Grapes

• Cherries

• Cantaloupe

• Broccoli

• Asparagus

• Avocado

• Alfalfa sprouts

• Tomatoes

• Green peppers

• Carrots

• Squash

• Sweet potatoes

• Fresh parsley

• Buckwheat

• Oats, wheat germ, quinoa, and other whole grains

• Nuts

• Brewers or nutritional yeast

• Eggs

• Fish

• Organ meats. 

Use lots of fresh garlic, onions, ginger and turmeric in your cooking.

Avoid excessive weight gain and constipation, as this will aggravate varicosities. Eat plenty of:

• Fresh organic fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Beans, organic tofu and tempeh

• Nuts and nut butters

• Seeds and ground seed products like tahini and tehina

• Organic chicken or turkey, beef, lamb, or wild game

• Organic eggs

• Fresh organic whole raw dairy—ideally goat or sheep

• Fish tested free of pollutants or from non-polluted waters.

Use organic cold expeller pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or butter (ideally goat) for cooking and baking.

Drink at least 64 ounces of filtered, spring or well water, or herbal tea daily between meals (at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating). Avoid highly processed and refined white flour products, foods that are high in sugar, refined vegetable oils, or partially hydrogenated fat and chemicals. Limit excess sodium, by simply salting to taste and avoiding processed foods that are high in sodium additives. 

Eat a bulb of fresh garlic daily. You can make it delicious by roasting or sautéing the whole cloves in olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of parsley. If you prefer raw garlic, eat 2 cloves (not full bulbs!) twice daily crushed into your salad or cut and swallow as a pill and continue until a week after you are all better. 

A great way to incorporate olive oil and raw garlic into your daily foods is to peel and soak a crushed bulb in 1 cup of cold, expeller-pressed, extra virgin olive oil, and let sit for a couple of days. The final product can be used on salads, veggies, beans, sprouted whole grain breads and pastas. Another option is to take New Chapter’s Garlicforce (a capsule of supercritical fresh organic garlic), 1-2 capsules daily as directed with 8 ounces of water per capsule.

Herbs and Supplements

Most of the supplements and herbal remedies I recommend are available on my customized online holistic apothecary. Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for varicose veins or search them individually. My online dispensary is a convenient way for you to purchase my hand-picked, professional-grade, whole food supplements and other natural health products. Ordering is simple, and the products will be shipped directly to your home or work within a few days.

If you are interested in herbs, take standardized extract of Horsechestnut, or in higher doses for more severe cases, like Venistat and use as directed on the bottle. If you are not pregnant and otherwise healthy, take Butcher’s Broom as directed on the bottle.

Nettle and Oatstraw are herbs known to strengthen the vascular system, lessen varicosities and prevent them from feeling uncomfortable and swollen. Drink 1-4 cups daily of the organic combination in an infusion, according to how severe and extensive your varicosities are. To make your own infusion:

1. Soak a generous handful of dried Nettle leaf and a large pinch of Oatstraw in 1 quart boiling water for 2 hours.

2. Strain to a canning jar.

3. Add a dash of honey, lemon or lime juice, or fresh mint leaves to taste.

4. Drink hot or cold.

Alternate the following herbal external applications 2-3 times daily. Some find cold or frozen compresses more helpful than warm or room temperature as it causes constriction of the blood vessels. Drench a washcloth or towel in Witch hazel and wrap the affected areas for 20 minutes, and alternate with a cloth or towel soaked in raw apple cider vinegar.  If you prefer the frozen option you can make several in advance and store them in the freezer.

You can add to your compresses Comfrey, Yarrow, Oak bark, Calendula, Don quai, Bayberry bark, and/or Mullein to help relieve aching and swelling, and tighten the distended veins. There are wonderful herbal combination salves for varicose veins and hemorrhoids in many health food stores and holistic apothecaries.  Experiment with one at a time or in combination, and use what works best for you.

Take the homeopathic remedy Hamamelis 30 c three times per day.

Make sure you are taking your daily supplements including whole food prenatal multivitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids, to ensure that you are getting all the nourishment you need that can not be derived by healthy diet alone. In addition, each day take:

• 1000-1500  mg of vitamin C with bioflavonoids until 36 weeks pregnant, then reduce to 500 mg

• 500 mg Rutin 1-2 times per day

• Whole food B-complex, or 50 mg of vitamin B6 1-2 times per day

• 500 mg of Evening primrose, Borage, Black current or Flaxseed oil after the first trimester

• Kelp powder or capsules as directed on the container if you do not have hyperthyroidism or a sensitivity to iodine

• 200-600 IU of vitamin E until the seventh month if you are otherwise healthy, then taper to 400 IU

• 400 mg Magnesium

For Varicose Veins in the Vulva (Genital Area)

Wear cool packs in your underwear as tolerated.

Support the area with a specialized supportive garment such as the belly band for vulvar varicosities. For added relief, place 2 frozen sanitary pads saturated with Witch hazel held in place with the support band. You can add any of the above mentioned herbs to your compress, make up a bunch and store them in the freezer. 

At work, take frequent rest periods to sit with your buttocks on a pillow and your hips elevated, or lie on your back against the wall, and use the wall to elevate your legs and lower back as you walk your legs up it. 

When home get out your yoga mat. Do modified bridge alternating with legs up the wall, supporting your sacrum on a yoga block 10 minutes twice a day. While doing bridge, practice strengthening your pelvic floor muscles using your mula bandha, or root lock, which is similar to kegel exercises but much more comprehensive and effective.  To do this, place another yoga block between your thighs. While inhaling, tilt your pelvis up toward your face as you slowly squeeze the block and draw your entire pelvic floor upward and inward, starting from its center. Hold as long as is comfortable, then release and return to resting your sacrum on the block as you exhale. Let the breathing be smooth, relaxed and deep as you do this. It takes practice but you will get it. Start with 25 twice per day, and work up to 50 twice per day. You will also notice other benefits like easier birthing, reduced tearing, less urinary incontenence, better sex, improved exercise performance and yoga practice, and if done on a deeper level, enhanced overall well-being. 

Do lively and energetic pelvic tilts for 5 minutes once or twice a day. Get on your yoga mat, and in the middle, lay a folded yoga blanket for extra knee padding. Tilt your pelvis up and down or forward and backward like when you do yoga cat and cow movements. But, focus more on the pelvis. It is very helpful to coordinate the movements with your breathing, such as inhaling when you do cow, exhaling when you do cat, or vise versa. Gradually make the movements stronger and faster, using your core by drawing your belly inward, corseting your ribs, and isometrically pulling your front pelvic bone towards your breast bone to protect your back. You can also circle your hips in both directions and do figure eights. If not at home, you can do them on lying on a rug, or while standing, by tilting your pelvis back and forth in the same way. Include some belly dancing like figure eight movements of your pelvis and have fun with it. Some good dance music can help you get into the rhythm!

When pushing during childbirth, make sure to be on hands and knees, kneeling or side lying. Avoid squatting to lessen pressure on veins.

For all types of varicose veins, consider consulting a professional homeopath or acupuncturist skilled in traditional Chinese medicine, osteopathic or chiropractic care, especially if none of the above suggestions help and your problem is chronic.

Contact your provider or schedule a consultation with me if nothing seems to work or your leg has an area of hardness, heat, pain, redness, and/or swelling, as this could indicate inflammation or a clot formation.  

For further inspiration and optimal health during pregnancy, birthing and postpartum, please make sure to take my online Love Your Birth course, so you can ROCK your journey wherever and however you plan to give birth. In adjunct, for additional helpful and uplifting information, insights and tips you can read my Natural Birth Secrets book.

Suffering with low back or pelvic discomfort? Having common pregnancy aches and pains and need some additional support? Try Bellefit’s prenatal support wear. You can check them out and purchase here. They also sell excellent postpartum support garments.

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)!

Dizziness During Pregnancy

Dizziness during pregnancy can be alarming, but is actually fairly commonplace.

Occasional feelings of lightheadedness or being about to faint without actually fainting is most often related to the pooling of blood in the lower body from circulatory changes, but can also be caused by:

• Pressure of the enlarging uterus on maternal blood vessels

• Warm or overcrowded environments, especially if one is overdressed

• Exposure to toxic agents, including some medications

• Low blood sugar

• Not enough fluids

• Anemia

• Hyperventilation

• Sunstroke

• Eye strain

• Anxiety

How to Avoid Dizziness During Pregnancy

Some amount of dizziness during pregnancy may be unavoidable, but following the suggestions below will likely reduce the frequency and intensity. Try to note any patterns that provoke your dizziness so that you can implement preventative measures.

POSITIONAL DIZZINESS

Avoid sudden positional changes by making gradual adjustments. Avoid prolonged periods of standing by taking periodic rest breaks. Prolonged periods of sitting (for example at work or during travel) should be interrupted by getting up every few hours to stretch and do some moderate form of exercise like marching in place or taking a brisk walk wherever possible.

In later pregnancy, if you feel lightheaded while flat on your back, stick to side-lying positions.

NUTRITIONAL DIZZINESS

Going too long without quality food or drink can cause a person to feel light-headed, but best not to overstuff yourself either. Eat smaller, more frequent meals and light snacks that include:

• Organic fresh fruits and vegetables

• Nuts and nut butters

• Beans

• Seeds

• Organic tofu and tempeh

• Whole eggs

• Whole grains

• Whole raw organic dairy (goat or sheep is best)

• Beef, poultry, wild game, and lamb

• Fish from non-polluted waters (like wild Alaskan salmon)

Remember to drink lots of fluids. Aim for at least 64 ounces per day, between meals, ideally at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after you eat. Opt for filtered spring or well water, or herbal tea. For more details, check out a previous blog on my suggestions on what to eat in pregnancy. 

Make sure you are taking whole food prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements, and herbal iron as advised if your iron levels are low. Most of the supplements and herbal remedies I recommend are available on my customized online holistic apothecary. Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for lightheadedness or search them individually. My online dispensary is a convenient way for you to purchase my hand-picked, professional-grade, whole food supplements and other natural health products. Ordering is simple, and the products will be shipped directly to your home or work within a few days.

Avoid caffeine, sweetened drinks and heavily processed foods, especially those with lots of sugar and/or refined white flour. Although they can give you a quick “fix,” a quick drop in blood sugar usually follows, resulting in more dizziness. Processed foods that contain certain additives and chemicals, like MSG, also cause dizziness in sensitive individuals.

MEDICATIONS

Avoid medicating yourself without first consulting your healthcare provider. Many medications – even those sold over-the-counter – have a side effect of dizziness.

When Dizziness Occurs

Dizziness during pregnancy most commonly occurs:

• After eating a large meal

• After a long interval without food, drink, or rest

• When eating white flour, refined sugar foods, or fruit without a protein and or fat

• When feeling overheated

• Upon quickly rising from a sitting or lying position

Warm, stuffy or crowded places can cause the sensation of dizziness in pregnancy. If you find yourself in such situations, loosen or remove a layer of clothing and/or get some fresh air and sun by going outside or sitting near an open window. Wearing support stockings may also help.

Try to increase circulation to your head by lying down with your feet elevated. Do this by assuming the yoga position viparita karani or - ‘legs up the wall’, a wide child’s pose, or do any yoga inversion with your head lower than your heart. Modify your exercise or yoga practice as needed, and get out of poses slowly and with care.

If you are at work, try sitting or kneeling down with your head between your knees until the dizziness passes. Splash some cold water on your face and, if available, rub some oil of peppermint, orange, citrus blend or lavender under your nose so you can breathe in the strong refreshing smell. Cup your hands over your nose and mouth for a few minutes as you take some slow deep breaths.

Practice breathwork. Sit in a comfortable position sitting with your back straight or lying down and begin with with simple awareness of your natural breath for a few minutes. Get curious about it as you inhale, as you exhale, and even note the pauses in between.

When ready, take a deep diaphragmatic breath, by inhaling deep into your belly, expanding your ribs and chest. Really stretch the inhale to your fullest capacity. Then take a huge automatic sigh of relief on the exhale, while consciously relaxing all tension. Keep up the deep breathing, and release more with each exhalation.

Send breath and its healing energy up to your head when you exhale. Stay very calm, present, and mindfully focus on all the details of your sensations without a mental story about them, without resisting and fighting with what is, which makes it worse. Practice consciously embracing and even intensifying the sensations, which actually helps alleviate it. See this as an opportunity to train yourself to surrender and relax with discomfort. It is great practice for labor and life.

To help you learn deeper diaphragmatic three tiered breathing, place your hands on your belly, and concentrate on breathing into them.

1. Exhale slowly through your mouth with an audible sigh.

2. Inhale deep into your belly for a count of 4 or 5. Imagine a pump expanding your abdomen and lower back, causing you to inhale, then allows your ribs to expand with air, then your upper chest to rise towards your collarbone and shoulders.

3. For a count of 4 to 5, slowly release your breath through your mouth in the same order as the inhale - from abdomen to ribs then upper chest. Let go and relax more each time you exhale.

4. Repeat this cycle for a total of 8 times or at least a few minutes.

Play with ratios and see what feels better to you in different situations. First try keeping the length of inhale and exhale the same as explained above. Then try extending the exhale. Inhale deeply into your belly as above, for a count of 3 or 4, then double the exhale to a count of 6 or 8. While breathing in this way, again focus on internal sensations, surrendering and relaxing deeper with each exhalation. Repeat for several cycles for at least a few minutes.  

Practice regularly the form of breathwork that helps you the most. If you need guidance mastering your breathwork or want to learn conscious connected breathing that is sure to increase energy, vitality and well-being, schedule a session with me.

Please call your healthcare provider if you actually pass out, if your dizziness is severe, frequent, or not responsive to these suggestions, or if you feel like the room is spinning or moving. After other more serious conditions are ruled out, consider consulting a professional homeopath for a safe natural remedy specific to your symptoms. For more personalized holistic and comprehensive guidance schedule a consultation with me.

Check out my number one international best selling book Natural Birth Secrets and my Love Your Birth course - an online version of how I have helped thousands in my local practice.

Both resources are unique, but each provide an in depth, one-of-a-kind holistic approach created by me, a seasoned nurse midwife of over two decades, who has seen everything!

It is now recommended by midwives, physicians, health care professionals around the globe, and doulas take it for their certification training.

Battling with low back or pelvic discomfort? Having common pregnancy aches and pains and need some additional support? Try Bellefit’s prenatal support wear.

You can check them out and purchase here.

Swelling In Pregnancy

Swelling During Pregnancy - Why It Happens And What To Do About It

Swelling during pregnancy can be alarming and uncomfortable. But it’s also totally normal and a healthy sign, especially when mild to moderate and changes based on your activity.

The fluid retention and increased amount of body fluids in the tissue space outside the blood vessels reflect the normal hormonal changes of a healthy pregnancy. 

Many women notice a slight puffiness or swelling in the fingers, hands and face. However, the additional fluid typically congregates in the lower part of the body, namely the feet, ankles and genital area.

This is related to the pull of gravity and the pressure of the enlarging uterus on vessels that bring blood back to the heart. It’s called dependent edema and usually temporarily decreases after rest and elevation or a night’s sleep on your side.

Swelling during pregnancy is made worse by:

• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing

• Carrying a large fetus or twins

• Being overweight

• Hot weather

• Increased perspiration leading to loss of salt

• Inadequate intake of fluids, protein or salt

• Anemia

How To Decrease Swelling During Pregnancy

While swelling during pregnancy is common, many women find it uncomfortable and unsightly (not to mention it can make it hard to get your shoes on!) However, there are a number of ways to reduce the amount of swelling.

DIET

Avoid salt excess, but don’t restrict your intake either. Salt your food to taste, as you need a minimum of 2-3 grams of sodium daily. Sea salt is preferable to table salt that has chemical additives. 

Make sure your diet includes 60-90 grams of protein every day.

Avoid curbing your fluid intake, which will actually aggravate the problem. Drink at least 64 ounces of fluid daily. This should be mostly composed of pure spring or well water - plain, naturally flavored, or sparkling, or herbal tea - between meals (at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after).

REMEDIES

Check if you are anemic. If so, increase your intake of iron with food and/or an herbal supplement like Floradix Iron or yellow dock, and follow this guide here.

Drink 1-2 cups nettles and dandelion herbal infusions each day. To prepare:

1. Soak one ounce of each herb in 1 quart boiling water for 3-4 hours.

2. Strain in a glass canning jar.

3. Add a dash of honey, fresh lemon, lime juice, or mint leaves to taste.

Alternately, take a dropperful of each herb, in tincture twice daily (reputable brands include Gaia, Wish Garden and Eclectic Institute), or the dried encapsulated form, 1-2 freeze-dried caps 2-4 times/day.

Professional grade, top quality all natural supplements I recommend are also available in my online holistic apothecary. Most of the supplements and herbal remedies I recommend are available on my customized online holistic apothecary. Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for swelling or search them individually. My online dispensary is a convenient way for you to purchase my hand-picked,  whole food supplements and other natural health products. Ordering is simple, and the products will be shipped directly to your home or work within a few days.

Avoid diuretic medications. Safe and gentle herbal diuretics include:  

• Hawthorne berries - Try Gaia, Wish Garden or Eclectic institute’s encapsulated freeze-dried extract 500 mg/day or 1-2 caps 2-4 times per day

• Cornsilk tea - 1 cup 2-4 times/day

• Black tea (if you are not a regular drinker of caffeine)

Consult a professional homeopath to suggest a remedy specific for your symptoms, as there are many homeopathic remedies that are not only safe but also effective for treating this condition. Or you can start by referring to books like Homeopathy For Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby’s First Year by Miranda Castro.

MOVEMENT

Avoid prolonged periods of sitting or standing, and lying on your back during the third trimester.

Flex or bend your feet back towards your body several times at frequent intervals if you have to sit or stand for a long time.

Do regular exercise like dancing, brisk walking, prenatal yoga, swimming or water aerobics for at least ½ hour 5 days per week. 

Inversions are wonderful yoga postures to reduce swelling, especially helpful, and calming at the end of the day when swelling is usually at its worst.

A great one that is easy to do is Viparita Karini, otherwise known as “legs up the wall.” Lie down on your back, with your buttocks all the way to the wall, flat on the floor or elevated on a folded yoga blanket, bolster or block. Let your legs rest straight up the wall for 10-20 minutes. It is also a great opportunity for quiet meditation, focusing on slow deep breathing and inner gazing between your eyebrows.

A lavender infused eye pillow adds to the delicious relaxation effect.  Use the props to help you feel more comfortable and modify the postures to suit your needs. They are a great asset for your yoga practice, and will help in labor as well.   

An alternative is to lay flat with your head and shoulders supported on folder blankets, and elevate your legs on one, or even better two yoga bolsters.

REST AND COMFORT

Don’t stand if you can sit. Even better, is to squat, and don’t cross your legs while sitting.

Take frequent breaks to lie down on your side, or sit with your back straight and your legs elevated above the level of your torso (ideally for 1/2 hour 4 times daily, depending on how much swelling you have).

Avoid tight restrictive clothing from the waist down, especially socks, knee highs, tight pants and girdles.

Wear comfortable flat shoes instead of high-heeled or ill-fitting ones.

Put on elastic maternity support stockings before you get out of bed in the morning, but raise your legs first to empty them as much as possible from excess fluid.

Get a regular foot and leg massage with arnica oil, while you lie on your left side. Your partner can do this each night!

Soak your legs in a warm bath using 1 cup Epsom Salts, and add a few drops of wintergreen and lavender essential oils. 

If you are overwhelmed and need some guidance,  schedule a consultation with me.

When It Might Be More Serious

Call your midwife or doctor if these suggestions do not help or if the swelling:

• Becomes severe, excessive, or generalized throughout your body

• Becomes pitting, in which pressing the puffy area leaves a temporary indentation mark.

• Increases especially in your hands and face 

• Is only affecting one arm or leg, not both.

• Is as bad in the morning as it is at the end of the day, and does not lessen with rest and elevation.

Seek help if you experience sudden weight gain (5 pounds or more in less than 1 week) not related to diet changes or reduced activity, and if it your swelling is associated with headaches, dizziness or lightheadedness, spots before your eyes or blurry vision, changes in mental status, chest or abdominal pain, shortness of breath or other unusual symptoms.

Keep in mind that for most people, swelling in pregnancy is just a common nuisance that will quickly be relieved with the birth of your beautiful baby.

Check out my number one international best selling book Natural Birth Secrets and my Love Your Birth course - an online version of how I have helped thousands in my local practice. Both resources are unique, but each provide an in depth, one-of-a-kind holistic approach created by me, a seasoned nurse midwife of over two decades, who has seen everything! It is now recommended by midwives, physicians, health care professionals around the globe, and doulas take it for their certification training.