Heartburn and Indigestion in Pregnancy

Heartburn and indigestion in pregnancy is caused by hormones slowing digestion, and the pressure on your stomach by the growing fetus. Many pregnant mamas suffer with it. Rest assured there are many holistic ways to try to prevent it, and to provide relief if it occurs. Go through the list below and see what works best for you.

Strategies for Heartburn Prevention

Eat 6 or more small meals, rather than 3 large ones each day. Eat slowly and chew everything well, ideally while sitting down, relaxed and free of internal tension. Try to remain upright or walk around and be active afterwards to aid digestion. 

Avoid wearing tight constrictive clothing, bending over forward, lying flat or going to sleep during the first 2-3 hours after eating a meal. Squat down instead of forward bending if you need to pick up something from the ground. Maintain a good straight posture when sitting or standing. 

Sleep propped up with extra pillows to slightly elevate your upper body or sleep on your left side.

Avoid foods and other substances that trigger discomfort, such as those that are: 

• Highly processed and refined

• Loaded with sugar and white flour 

• Made with refined vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated fat

• Cow's milk and milk products

• Hot or very spicy dishes

• Coffee (even decaffeinated) and other forms of caffeine

• Alcohol

• Cigarettes 

• Certain medications like aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen

Eat more whole or real foods that are minimally processed, like:

• Organic fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Beans

• Seeds and pureed seed products (like tehina or tahini)

• Nut butters and nuts (like raw or lightly dry roasted almonds, cashews, pecans, black walnuts, coconut, and filberts)

• Organic tofu and tempeh

• Organic turkey or chicken

• Beef, wild game, or lamb

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

• Organic eggs 

• Fresh raw whole dairy—ideally goat or sheep

• Fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi

Bland, pure and simple, minimally processed whole fresh foods are usually better tolerated and much better for your health. Use only healthy fat for cooking and baking, such as organic cold expeller pressed extra virgin olive oil,  coconut oil, or butter—goat is best. 

Drink at least 64 ounces of filtered, spring or well water daily between meals, at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating. This is essential, as the water raises the gastric pH, which provides relief from the pain of the stomach acid. Add some fresh fruit like lemon, lime or oranges to taste.

Take a good all natural whole-food based prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement.

Before bed, and periodically throughout the day, take a break to disengage your consciousness from thought and routine activity in order to center and calm yourself. Unplug from your smart phone and computer. Try simply focusing your attention on your breathing, practicing meditation, progressive muscle relaxation,  yoga nidra or gentle prenatal or restorative yoga. 

Practice three part breathing by inhaling and expanding deeply to belly, then ribs, then upper chest and collar bones. Exhale in the same order with equal ratio of inhalation to exhalation, like to a count of 3:3 or 4:4. Then practice extending or doubling the length of exhale, like inhaling for a count of three, and exhaling for a count of 6.

A great box breathing exercise to do before rising in the morning, going to sleep at night, while waiting, traveling, and whenever you feel internal stress and tension is as follows:

1. Exhale slowly with an audible sigh, releasing inner tension

2. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of 3

3. Hold for a count of 6, while relaxing your body

4. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 6

5. Hold for a count of 3, while maintaining relaxation

6. Repeat for a total of 8 cycles, or for 5-10 minutes

Another wonderful breathwork technique that should be done regularly and can be done anytime (like when you are in transit, waiting in line, on the toilet, bathing, cooking, or resting) is forced exhalation. At the end of a normal breath, try squeezing out as much air as possible, using your abdominal and intercostal muscles in your chest. Then, let the air come in deeply but automatically. Repeat for at least several minutes or as long as you would like. 

These techniques are totally safe, easy to do, health enhancing, and without side effects. See which one feels best for you in various situations and practice often so it becomes habitual. For more guidance and deeper transformation, schedule an online or in-person breathwork session with me.

When Heartburn Occurs

If heartburn occurs, some women find relief using the “flying exercise.” By sitting crossed legged or tailor style and raising and lowering your arms quickly, joining the back of your hands over your head.

Drink lots of chamomile tea, and alternate with peppermint tea and see which helps more with relieving your symptoms. You can make your own chamomile or peppermint tea in a mason glass canning jar, by steeping a tablespoon of chamomile blossoms or 7-10 whole fresh peppermint leaves in a covered cup of boiling water for 15-20 minutes. Strain, and add a dash of lemon juice and or honey to taste. 

Do also try ginger tea a few times per day. You can make your own by steeping ½-1 tsp fresh grated ginger in a cup of boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Strain and add honey to taste. 

Chew thoroughly 10-15 raw almonds then swallow.

Drink lots of pure coconut water, which is alkaline and neutralizes acid. 

Mix 1-2 Tbsp raw unpasteurized apple cider vinegar in a small glass of water, add honey to taste, sip throughout the day, and drink before meals.

Eat a grapefruit or drink a small glass of grapefruit juice after each meal.

Chew a healthy all-natural gum for ten minutes after each meal.

Squeeze the juice of 1-2 lemons in a glass of water with 1-1 ½ crushed fennel seeds. Add honey to taste. Boil as a tea or drink cool, a few cups per day. Bake fennel seeds and eat ¼ tsp of them three times per day.

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 heartburn and digestive support 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.

Try papaya enzyme chewable tablets after meals or fresh papaya fruit or juice.

You can also try slippery elm lozenges or powder, which is wonderful for relieving heartburn, as it soothes the irritated tissues of the intestinal tract. You can suck on 3-4 lozenges up to three times a day. It also comes in tea form, which you can drink as often as needed. To make your own tea, dissolve 1 tsp of the powdered herb into 1 cup boiling water or pure almond milk. If you’d like, add a dash of honey to taste.

Take 2 capsules of marshmallow root - up to four times per day. You can also make your own tea by dissolving 1 Tbsp of the powder in a cup of boiling water, then covering and steeping for 15 -20 minutes. Drink a few cups daily. 

Dandelion is also a great herb for indigestion, which can be taken in doses of one dropperful of the tincture up to 4 times daily or when you have heartburn. Reputable brands of herbal tinctures include Wish Garden, Gaia, Herb Pharm, and Eclectic Institute, or any of those in my online holistic apothecary. You can make your own herbal infusion like tea. Add approximately 5 Tbsp dried root or about 10 Tbsp fresh root to 1 quart boiling water. Let it brew for 3-4 hours, strain into a glass canning jar, and periodically sip totaling up to 2 cups per day. 

Take 1-2 plant digestive enzymes after each meal.

Another helpful remedy is Kudzu tea. To make, stir 2 tsp of kudzu root in 1/4 cup cold water for a few minutes until it dissolves. Add 1 cup boiling water. For a savory tea, add an all natural bouillon cube or to an organic miso soup broth. For a sweet tea, simply add a dash of honey.

It’s considered safe to take chewable calcium carbonate known in drug stores as Tums, but no more than 16 per day. I prefer all-natural chewable calcium carbonate. Avoid antacids with high sodium or phosphorus, such as Rolaids, Alka Seltzer and Sodium Bicarbonate, and those with aluminum or magnesium by themselves.

Activated charcoal can be taken in moderation for a severe case of heartburn, at least 90 minutes before meals and before taking your prenatal vitamins and supplements. You can take 2 tablets, and repeat only if needed and nothing else is working. Do not worry that it discolors your tongue and makes stool black, but stop if you feel side effects like nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and constipation.

Homeopathic remedies are safe and amazingly effective in treating heartburn and indigestion during pregnancy. You can consult with a classical homeopath for a remedy specific to your symptoms, or refer to books like Homeopathy For Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby’s First Year by Miranda Castro. Common remedies include Kali Mur, Nux Vomica, or Pulsatilla. Or, try Weleeda’s Coleodorin, 7-10 drops 4 times per day as needed, and Triplex tea. Osteopathy, chiropractic care and acupuncture are also helpful especially for stubborn cases.

If the above remedies do not help, Mylanta, Maalox, or Riopan are OK if used only OCCASIONALLY and as directed. Frequent or prolonged use can cause serious electrolyte imbalances, interfere with digestion of food and the absorption of important nutrients such as iron, contribute to kidney stone formation, and actually cause the stomach to produce even more acid than before.

If you are NOT pregnant, you can take deglycyrrhizinated licorice DGL extract (slowly chew 2 tablets or take ½ tsp of powder in a little water before or between meals and before bedtime). Or, try Iberogast, an herbal combo with licorice, peppermint and other herbs proven and safe to relieve heartburn and epigastric pain.

For gas and bloating:

• Eat your foods slowly, chew thoroughly and mindfully, ideally while sitting down instead of rushing and eating on the run.

• Chew fennel seeds, drink fennel tea, or take 2-4 ml of the tincture three times per day.

• Take a high quality multi species probiotic twice daily on an empty stomach.

• Drink kefir. Learn how to make your own. 

• Take slippery elm as above. 

• Limit foods that make you gassy. Common culprits are gluten containing foods like wheat, spelt, rye, barley and some oats, some fresh fruits and veggies, cow dairy if lactose intolerant, carbonated liquids, and chewing gum.

You may need to experiment with cutting out a particular food, one category at a time, for a week or two to see if your symptoms resolve. Then reintroduce the food to see if your symptoms recur. This allows you to pin down the culprit and not eliminate numerous healthy foods without definitive proof they are making you gassy.

For those with any sort of chronic heartburn in which serious causes have been ruled out and none of the natural and allopathic remedies help, or simply if you desire more personal holistic guidance, schedule an online or in person consultation with me, or consult your local health care provider.

For more information on having the pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience of your dreams, check out my Love Your Birth Online Course.

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)!

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR COLD AND FLU DURING PREGNANCY

It’s the season for colds and flu, but it’s no fun getting sick, especially during pregnancy. Pregnant women are more susceptible to colds and other infections, related to the effects of hormonal changes throughout the body. If you and baby are otherwise healthy, there is no cause for alarm and you will heal with good rest, hydration, and nourishment. And there are plenty of natural remedies that will help you feel much better, and heal sooner.

Rest assured, these suggestions help whether you are pregnant or not. I am so thankful that these remedies work - I have studied about them extensively, effectively used them on myself, my family and the thousands I have guided over the many years I have been practicing as a midwife.

I know, mommies and midwives can not get sick! But we do.

An infection is your body’s way of letting you know that your resistance is low, that you over-stressed, run down, and need to slow down. It’s an opportunity to take a look at what is in your daily life that creates conditions for illness to occur.

Do not ignore your symptoms and carry on as usual, even more so when pregnant. Neglected mild infections can turn into more serious and complicated ones.

If You Experience Cold and Flu During Pregnancy

Allow Yourself Some Rest

Take some time off to go to bed and get plenty of rest to allow your body to heal, especially if you have been overdoing it. Get extra sleep by going to bed early, sleeping later and taking naps.

Reassess your lifestyle and think about ways to cut back and let go of unnecessary expenditures of energy, limit nonessential activities and reduce unneeded stress. And please accept help from others. 

Try Some Natural Remedies

Drink lots of fluids. Drink at least 64 ounces per day of water, herbal tea, juice, miso or chicken soup broth. Sip frequently. Try these recipes:

GINGER INFUSION

1. Add 1 heaping tsp fresh grated ginger to 1 c boiling water.

2. Steep covered for 15 - 20 minutes.

3. Add manuka honey and/or fresh lemon juice to taste.

4. Drink 1 cup every few hours.

GINGER PLUS TEA

1. Boil ½ tbsp or 1 inch of shredded ginger, ½ tbsp cinnamon and ½ teaspoon cayenne powder in 2 cups of water for 5-6 minutes. 

2. Add 2 sauteed cloves chopped garlic, a dash of sea salt, the juice of one lemon, and ¼ cup manuka honey. Steep covered 5-10 minutes. Adding 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar relieves stuffed noses. 

3. Drink throughout the day.

HEALING BROTH

A fresh miso soup or bone broth with lightly cooked scallions, onions, and garlic is also very therapeutic. 

1. Add 5-6 cloves chopped raw garlic in 1 qt boiling water, soak covered for ½ hour.

2. Saute a few chopped scallions, shallots or 1 onion in olive oil that lightly covers bottom of pan. 

3. Dissolve 1 Tbsp miso or a few organic all-natural bouillon cubes according to package directions, then add the garlic and onions. You can also use chicken, veggie or bone broth as a base. 

4. Drink warm, up to 1 c every few hours.

KUDZU SOUP

Kudzu makes a wonderfully soothing and nourishing soup that lowers fever, reduces inflammation, relieves sore throat and even stomach discomfort. When added to garlic and ginger, it can also help you heal. It is available in most health food stores.

1. Dissolve a few tsp kudzu starch into ½ cup cold water. Set aside.

2. Sauté 2 shallots or a small onion, 6 cloves chopped garlic, ½ inch chopped ginger in 1 Tbsp olive for a few minutes.

3. Add 3 cups water and bring to a boil.

4. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add 1 Tbsp miso paste and the kudzu mixture. Stir for 2 minutes.

6. Drink warm throughout the day.

Alternately, you can dissolve 2 tsps Kudzu in ½ cup cold water, add to 2 cups boiling apple juice, then stir for a few minutes with 1/8 tsp cinnamon or a cinnamon stick, and drink as often as needed.

Eat nourishing organic foods. Good examples are fresh or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, nut butters, seeds, organic tofu or tempeh, whole organic eggs, turkey or chicken, beef, lamb, wild Alaskan salmon, and fresh whole organic sheep or goat dairy.

Avoid heavily processed refined flour and sugar foods, partially hydrogenated fat, refined vegetable oils and deep fried foods as they strain the immune system.

Cow dairy and wheat products increase mucus production, so you may want to limit your intake of these foods if you are congested.

Take your daily supplements, to make sure you are getting all the nourishment you need that is not supplied by diet alone.

Take Gaia’s alcohol-free Echinacea Supreme.  This is my favorite brand of echinacea, which is a remarkable and safe herb that kills all sorts of unwanted germs without disrupting the body’s normal flora and strengthens the immune system’s ability to fight infection. It’s good to keep this herbal tincture in the house, as it works best the earlier you start to take it. 

At the first sign of infection, take 1-2 dropperfuls in juice or water every few hours and then slowly reduce the dose and frequency as you recover. Continue to take it 1-2 times daily for a week after your symptoms resolve. Don’t worry if your tongue feels a little numb and tingly momentarily, as this is a welcome sign that the echinacea is potent and effective. 

As a preventative tonic during the cold and flu season, after exposure to someone sick, or if you just feel run down, take a dropperful 1-2 times daily for 2-3 weeks of each month.

For additional protection, you can also add a dropperful of Astragalus, alcohol free if pregnant. If you cannot tolerate the liquid form, you can try capsules of supercritical or freeze dried herbal extracts made by Gaia or Eclectic Institute, as directed.

Enjoy some garlic. As soon as you feel you are “coming down with something” 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 2-4 cloves (not full bulbs!) twice daily crushed into your salad or cut and swallow as a pill. Continue until a week after symptoms have gone. 

Another option is to take New Chapter’s Garlicforce (a capsule of supercritical fresh organic garlic) several times per day. 

Breathe easy. Use these suggestions to liquify thick mucus to flow more easily out of your system, keeping bacteria growth at bay and helping you breathe more comfortably.

For a cough, stuffy nose, and a hoarse scratchy or sore throat, use a humidifier or vaporizer in the bedroom so that you can inhale the steam. Cool mist is preferable if there are young children around, to prevent burns. You can add a few drops of essential oils to the water, purchased separately or in a collection. Try a combination of 2-3 of the following:

• Thieves by Young Living

• Tea Tree

• Peppermint 

• Eucalyptus 

• Sage

• Oregano

• Ginger 

• Thyme

• Lavender

• Chamomile

• Rosemary

Take advantage of inhaling steam as often as you can when not sleeping. At least several times daily, bring a pot of water to boil, then turn off the flame. Stand over it, cover your head and the pot with a towel, while breathing in through your nose slowly and deeply for relief of nasal and sinus congestion. You can breathe through your mouth with pursed lips as if sucking through a straw, if your nose is too stuffed. But be extremely careful not to burn yourself and watch that the towel is not near the hot burner!

Alternately, you can sit in a closed bathroom with the hot steamy shower running.

Two to 3 saline nose drops put into your nose will loosen thick sticky mucus for easier removal. You can make your own by adding 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt to a quart of purified, distilled water. Tap water can also be used, but only after boiling to sterilize it.

Another method is nasal douching using a Neti Pot to rinse and clear the nasal passages. Tilt your head back and inhale or pour slowly the saline solution through one nostril while closing the other with your index finger, and spit the fluid out of your mouth, then repeat with the other nostril. Do each nostril several times, 3-4 times daily. Integrative physician Dr. Andrew Weil especially recommends this practice for sinus infections. His instructions are easy to follow: “You can pour some of the salt water into your cupped hand and inhale it into one nostril at a time while closing the other nostril with an index finger. Or you can get a neti pot, a ceramic container shaped like a miniature Aladdin’s lamp that allows you to pour water directly into the nose. Use enough solution to fill your nasal cavity and spill into your mouth. Spit it out and then gently blow your nose. At first, this process may seem uncomfortable and messy, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll like what it does for your nose and sinuses.”

Gargle. For a sore throat or ear congestion, gargle for a few minutes 4 5 times per day with a solution of: 

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt dissolved in 1 cup very warm water,

• 1-2 drops each of tea tree, eucalyptus, and peppermint oil  in 1 cup very warm water, or 

• 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide in 1/2 cup very warm water

You can add ½ teaspoon goldenseal powder, or the entire contents of one capsule, to the saline solution. Remember not to swallow! Spit everything out after your gargle. 

 Additional Remedies for Cold and Flu During Pregnancy

Sweat for 10-20 minutes per day in a steam room or dry sauna where you will perspire freely. Intense sweating helps the body eliminate infectious toxins. Remember to drink lots of water before, during and afterwards. Avoid immersion in hot tubs/jacuzzis in pregnancy, because they make your body temperature too high for the baby and do not allow you to sweat to cool yourself and baby down.

Manuka Honey has been used for centuries to help heal infection and has been supported by research. Take 1 tsp UMF-rated organic Manuka Honey from New Zealand up to 4x/day. This can be added to tea or taken straight. They also come in tasty soothing lozenges. 

Asian mushrooms. Host Defense makes a wonderful combination of organically grown Asian mushrooms, used extensively in traditional Chinese and Japanese medicine for centuries to enhance immunity.

Other Herbs. Elderberry syrup, is especially studied effective for the flu, but also reduces length and severity of the common cold. It also tastes yummy! You can take 2 teaspoons up to 4 times daily. If you are NOT pregnant, after exposure or during the cold and flu season, you can preventatively take ViraCom (by Vital Nutrients) that has a wonderful combination of immune supporting remedies. At the earliest sign of feeling sick, you can take Andrographis Paniculata, easily available as the brand name Kan Jang. Take 1 tablet every 6 hours.  It is reputed to be very effective at boosting immunity during the cold and flu season, and to hasten healing, as is Gaia’s encapsulated oil of oregano, a wonderful brand, and you can take it as directed on bottle. Additional well researched, natural immune-boosting, anti-infective remedies include Colloidal Silver, Goldenseal, Cumin, Rosemary, Cinnamon, and Elecampane to support healing of your respiratory tract and kill certain common disease causing bacteria. Dr Kelly Brogan in her book Own Yourself: The Suprising Path Beyond Depression, Anxiety, and Fatigue to Reclaiming Your Authenticity, Vitality, and Freedom also advises Thymus Glandular, and N-acetyl cysteine (especially to loosen mucus in a hacking productive cough) to support your immune system when sick with common infections, in a radical attempt to help people find effective modalities that are safer than toxic prescriptive and over the counter medications.

Essential oil blend.  Thieves by Young Living, can be added to your tea (just a drop or two) a few times daily. You can also make them into a warm moist compress or dilute 3-4 drops of Thieves, or any of the above mentioned essential oils in almond oil and massage onto your aching body, rub onto your chest, throat, sinuses, head, or under your nose. Place them in the bath as you soak, for their anti-infectious, decongestant, and immune stimulating effects. Put 3-4 drops on the light bulb near your bed and in your diffuser and humidifier. 

The essential oil of Tea Tree may be combined with Clove, Cinnamon or a few of the others above and diluted in a spray bottle of water to spray around the room to naturally disinfect and refresh the air. You can take doTerra’s On Guard essential oil pellets orally as directed. I am amazed how effective they are!

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids can be taken in 500–1000 mg doses 3 to 5 times per day to assist your immune response. But do not take more than 2000 mg per day in the first trimester, or 500 mg daily past the 36th week of pregnancy.

Vitamin D3 - make sure you take 1000-5000 IU daily to keep your blood levels 70 or above, which supports your general well-being and immune response.

Zinc - Take in the form of lozenges (up to 10-30 mg daily) with a meal to reduce severity of an upper respiratory infection. Liquid drops are also fine.

Lozenges like Slippery Elm, Manuka Honey lozenges, and also Ricola Cough Drops can also provide some relief. 

Homeopathic remedies are very safe in pregnancy, and when you get the correct remedy to your particular symptoms, they can help your body to heal quickly and naturally on its own. An excellent reference is Everybody’s Guide to Homeopathic Medicine by Dr. Stephen Cummings MD and Dana Ullman MPH. If you need more personalized guidance, consult your professional classical homeopath.  If you are within the first 24 hours of the onset of your symptoms, 30c of Belladonna or Aconite taken every few hours is usually the remedy of choice. Oscillococcinum is an excellent remedy for classic flu like symptoms.

Cough medicines are occasionally warranted in certain situations. Hacking dry coughs that do not produce phlegm are exhausting, debilitating, and without much purpose, especially at night if they interfere with needed sleep. Start naturally with alcohol-free tincture of Mullein (one teaspoon in a little warm water every four hours). Eat fresh horseradish to help liquefy secretions.

If you need a cough suppressant medication, you can get dextromethorphan over the counter at the drug store and take 15 mg every 6 hours. If this does not work, ask your provider for a prescription narcotic cough medicine (Codeine or Hycodan) and use for 7-10 days. It is safe and well worth it for short-term use.

For productive coughs in which you are bringing up phlegm, use a nonprescription expectorant medication like guaifenesin immediate release tablets or in syrup form (10-20 cc every 4 hours). Or, extended release Mucinex 600-1200 mg every 12 hours instead of a cough suppressant.  

Follow These Precautions

Avoid overexposure to extremes in temperature, especially cold, to conserve your energy for healing from cold and flu during pregnancy. Allow good fresh air to circulate in the room by opening the windows occasionally. However, do minimize drafts if they are causing you to feel chilled.

Be cautious about taking antibiotics, especially if you only have a viral and not a bacterial infection. Antibiotics are useless against viruses, can be quite harmful and will only stress your system more. While in some infrequent situations, antibiotics are essential and indeed lifesaving, more often colds, flus and other mild upper respiratory infections can safely be treated naturally without them.

Symptoms such as runny nose, sneezing, cough and fever are your body’s way of fighting the infection and ultimately lead to self recovery. Therefore try to avoid common over-the-counter medications that offer temporary relief by suppressing these symptoms. These drugs actually interfere with the body’s remarkable capacity to heal itself, have side effects, and may be unsafe to take during pregnancy. Furthermore, they do not treat the underlying cause.

Blow your stuffed nose and cough the phlegm out of your chest regularly as needed, rather than keeping it in your system. Then wash your hands with soap and do not share your used towels.

Fever is usually beneficial as it is part of your body’s first line of defense against the infection, and does not need to be brought down unless:

• Temperature is approaching 101 if you are pregnant (102 if you are otherwise healthy, and are not pregnant)

• You are really uncomfortable and cannot sleep

TO BRING DOWN A HIGH FEVER

First, try sponge bathing in a waste deep tub of lukewarm water with a little cold water running steadily to gradually lower the water temperature. You can add any of the above mentioned essential oils to the water. Use a wet sponge or washcloth to bathe all exposed skin areas for 20 minutes, then allow the skin to air dry in a room free from drafts. 

If you are not up to sitting in the bath, your partner, other family member or good friend can sponge down your body with tepid water at the bedside. Expose and sponge one limb at a time until it feels cool to the touch, drying, then replacing it under the covers before going on to the next limb.

Drink plenty of fluids as needed to help cool and hydrate. Good options are:

• A cup of hot water with the juice of a squeezed lemon and a dash of manuka honey  

• Peppermint or spearmint tea with manuka honey  

• Coconut water

• Lots of spring or filtered water

• Pure fruit juice, fruit smoothies and frozen fruit juice bars or popsicles 

• Soup broth

If the above measures are not successful to reduce high fever, or you are too uncomfortable to sleep, Tylenol (acetaminophen) is reportedly safe in pregnancy and can be taken in very limited amounts as needed and directed on the container. However, avoid aspirin and Motrin or Advil (ibuprofen) during pregnancy, especially in the last trimester.

FOR FREQUENT OR CHRONIC ILLNESS

If you are susceptible to frequent or severe colds, you may want to consider consultation with an osteopath, acupuncturist, or homeopath. 

Read  “Natural Health, Natural Medicine” by Dr. Andrew Weil MD and follow his suggestions about enhancing your immunity and limiting exposure to physical and emotional stresses that weaken your immune system and increase your risk of illness. His suggestions are well researched and are basic to holistic integrative medicine, in sync with many similar experts in the field who have greatly influenced my practice as a professional, and my own life. 

• Nourish yourself well, by eating a variety of organically grown whole foods (lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans and seeds) 

• Drink lots of filtered or bottled pure spring water from a reliable source

• Avoid highly refined processed foods 

• Avoid personal care products with harmful chemicals and toxins

• Minimize milk products and foods of animal origin not naturally raised

• Use natural plant-based cosmetics and toiletries from the health food store

• Avoid smoking, drugs and excess alcohol

• Avoid unnecessary use of antibiotics and steroids

• Take natural remedies whenever safely possible

• Unplug from the computer and smartphone as much as possible, reconnect with yourself and others in person. For guidance, a must read is How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30 Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price.

• Slow down, take breaks, limit external stressors and non-essentials on your ‘to do’ list

• Get plenty of rest, fresh air and regular moderate exercise

• Learn how to relax yourself and do things that maintain your emotional well-being, inner calm and joy

• Cultivate a positive mindset and do what you love as much as possible

• Live in community

• Master your breath, release inner stress, anger, grief and trauma with a daily breathwork practice

• Take a good multivitamin, herbs and supplements like Asian mushrooms, Astragalus, Echinacea and Garlic, as discussed above, to enhance your nutrition and immunity.

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, consider going for a deeper, powerfully effective healing with Clarity Breathwork! Read the book “The Mindbody Prescription” By Dr John Sarno, MD. He is an amazing pioneering physician whose brilliant approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people without drugs, physical measure or surgery. Even though he started out curing chronic pain with his approach, people were ridding themselves of many chronic ailments, and it illustrates how intimately the mind and body are connected. Also check out Brandon Bays’ book “The Journey,” thejourney.com and intensive workshops for extremely effective mindbody cutting edge methods that have also lead to transformational healing for thousands of people around the world.

When Your Symptoms Are Not Due to Cold or Flu

Sinus Congestion

Nasal or sinus stuffiness throughout pregnancy, without any other symptoms, is not typically due to an infection. Rather, it’s related to the hormones that cause increased mucus production, blood flow and swelling to the mucous membranes in these areas.

In this situation, simply drink 8-10 glasses per day of filtered spring or well water or herbal tea. Drink between meals - at least 20-30 minutes before eating or 2 hours after. Use plain nasal saline spray, sleep with a humidifier or vaporizer to ease breathing at night (with or without above mentioned essential oils like eucalyptus and peppermint), and avoid over-the-counter medications such as decongestants and antihistamines.

Allergies

Seasonal or diet-related symptoms like stuffy nose, watery nasal discharge, sneezing, wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath (asthma) are not due to an infectious process. Rather, they are more likely caused by allergies. Consult your health care provider for these symptoms, and certainly before taking any medications or natural supplements in pregnancy. Alternative therapies such as mind/body work like hypnotherapy, herbs, homeopathy, breathwork, acupuncture and osteopathic care have all been reported to be very effective in treating allergies, as well as basic lifestyle modifications. For example, a minimum two-week trial of eliminating cow dairy and gluten products to see if symptoms lessen or resolve, then introducing one gluten type grain or dairy product at a time to see if symptoms recur (wait a few days before introducing the others, one at a time). Other possible allergenic foods to experiment eliminating and then reintroducing include soy, corn, eggs, certain nuts and fruit. 

It may also help to eat a low protein diet, reduce stress, avoid possible triggers, and install a HEPA home air filter. Nasal douching regularly helps with hay fever, as does the stinging nettle herb in capsules or infusion. You can make your own by steeping 1 large handful of dried nettle leaf in a quart of boiling water for at least 4 hours.

Add a splash of  lemon or lime juice, fresh mint, or a dash of honey to taste and drink throughout the day. A few weeks before your allergy season, eat foods high in quercetin like berries, citrus fruits, apples, grapes, green leafy veggies, broccoli, buckwheat, green and black tea. If you are not pregnant, you can take quercetin in supplement form 400-500 mg twice a day. 

Many of the best quality, professional grade remedies I recommend are available in my customized online holistic apothecary. Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for cold and flu 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.

Need more personalized guidance? Schedule a consultation with me. 

Always call your health care provider if you have a question and certainly if these suggestions do not help and you feel worse or do not notice improvement within 48 hours of an acute infection. Use common sense. A lingering or rising fever after the first 2-3 days of illness, severe pain, difficulty breathing, extreme weakness, faintness, marked irritability, mental confusion, seizures, neck stiffness, prolonged vomiting or diarrhea or any other unusual symptoms, regular uterine cramping or pelvic pressure, bleeding or fluid leaking from your vagina warrants immediate consultation.

While recuperating, 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.

Leg Cramps In Pregnancy

How to Deal With Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

Leg cramps during pregnancy are quite common. They’re usually felt as a sudden, painful contraction or spasm of the leg muscles, and often occur at night or early in the morning. They may also be associated with a sense of uncomfortable restlessness in your legs. 

Leg cramps are thought to be caused by:

• A diet too low in calcium and/or magnesium

• A diet too high in phosphorus

• Compression of nerves or impaired circulation to the area from the growing uterus

• Inadequate fluids and salt intake

• Iron deficiency

• Muscle fatigue from too much strenuous activity

• Sedentary living without adequate exercise

Dietary Considerations for Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

Leg cramps during pregnancy are often caused by dietary factors.  

Make sure you are drinking at least 64 ounces of pure spring or well water - plain, naturally flavored or sparkling - and/or herbal tea daily between meals (at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after you eat.)

Anemia due to lack of iron is very common in pregnancy, and should perhaps be your first consideration. Follow this guide if anemia is suspected.

CALCIUM

Make sure your diet contains at least 1200 mg of calcium every day. Best food sources include:

• Dairy products (organic fresh raw goat or sheep are best)

• Fish tested free of pollutants or from non-polluted waters like sardines, wild Alaskan or Norwegian salmon and mackerel

• Fresh dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, seaweeds like kelp, broccoli, watercress, parsley, collards, bok choy, turnip and mustard (but not spinach)

• Ground sesame seeds (tahini)

• Blackstrap molasses

• Dried fruit (like dates, figs raisins and prunes)

• Nuts

• Organic tofu and tempeh

• Bone broth

Certain herbs can also help as they supply a rich source of calcium and many other nutrients in a highly absorbable form. To make an infusion:

1. Combine 1 ounce each of nettle and red raspberry leaf in one quart boiling water, cover.

2. Soak them in a glass canning jar for 4-8 hours, strain.

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

4. Drink 1-4 cups daily.

For an additional nutritional boost, mix in 1 ounce of dried dandelion, ½ ounce alfalfa and/or oatstraw. 

When making soup stock from bones, add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar during the boiling process. This releases the calcium out of the bones and thus makes a broth rich in absorbable calcium.

Avoid alcohol, caffeine, chocolate and an EXCESS amount of salt and protein foods which interfere with the absorption of calcium or increase the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. You need NOT LIMIT salt or protein as these are essential in pregnancy – just modify your intake if its grossly excessive and use sea or earth salt to taste.

If you cannot consume a sufficient amount of calcium by diet alone, consider a calcium supplement like 500 mg calcium citrate once or twice a day with meals to enhance absorption. The amount you need to take depends on the amount that is missing from your diet. 

If you take a calcium supplement, you should also supplement with equivalent amounts of magnesium, which happens to be calming and helps with other common discomforts of pregnancy like insomnia and constipation. If you experience excessively loose bowel movements, you can cut the magnesium to ½ the calcium dose. A great liquid absorbable supplement is called Natural Calm with Calcium, as it has both the magnesium and the calcium together (raspberry lemon flavor tastes yummy). Professional grade, top quality all natural supplements I recommend are available in my online holistic apothecary.  Find the best supplements that have gone through my thorough screening process there. Look in the category for leg cramps 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.

Also, reduce your phosphorus intake by reading labels and avoiding highly processed foods (like sodas, party snacks, and lunch meats) that contain phosphates.

Try eating raw foods high in vitamin E such as cold pressed oils, whole grains and wheat germ, nuts (especially almonds), seeds (especially sunflower). You may need to supplement with up to 200 IU per day as long as you are otherwise healthy and your blood pressure is normal. 

Eat foods high in vitamin C, which include raw fruits and veggies, especially green leafy vegetables such as kale and collard greens, strawberries, citrus fruits, peppers, tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts. Herbal sources include nettle, dandelion, rose hips, watercress, red clover and burdock. You can supplement vitamin C with up to 1000mg twice a day until 36 weeks gestation, then decrease to 500 mg per day.

Posture and Movement

 Regular moderate exercise like swimming, walking, prenatal yoga or dancing helps prevent leg cramps, as well as periodic leg elevations and stretching.

Maintain a good straight posture using proper body mechanics during daily activities such as carrying, pushing, pulling or reaching for something. This involves engaging your abdomen (corset your ribs inward, bring your front pelvic bone toward your breast bone, your belly towards your spine), and using your leg and arm muscles instead of your back.

Refrain from prolonged sitting or standing by periodically taking a break to exercise your legs. 

Avoid completely extending your foot while pointing your toe, as this can trigger a leg cramp. Make sure your foot is dorsiflexed while extended, especially during leg stretching and exercise, and make your bed loosely so your toes are not pressed down by the sheets.

Keep your legs warm with knee socks or leg warmers, especially during exercise and at night during sleep. Support stockings may help in the day.

For Immediate Relief of Leg Cramps During Pregnancy

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 to your leg cramps 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 cramping, which actually helps alleviate it. See this as an opportunity to train yourself to surrender and relax with intense discomfort. It is great practice for labor and life. If you need guidance mastering the healing and transformative power of breathwork, schedule a session with me.

Also, try sitting while straightening your leg and actively flexing your toes back towards your head, using your hands or a yoga strap to help you flex your feet. This is not about bending forward and touching your head to your legs or resting it on a yoga block between them, although if you already have a practice it fells nice and calming) . It may help to exert steady pressure against your bed board or partner’s hand, or to simply stand up with your foot flat on the floor or flexed up towards your body.

If the cramp is in your foot, roll it over a roller, baseball bat or unbreakable bottle 3 inches in diameter. Some say standing on ice is effective.

Deeply massage your lower legs and feet with arnica oil, mixed with a few drops of chamomile, ginger, lemon balm, St. John’s Wort and/or lavender. 

Other Healing Modalities

Herbal epsom salt foot baths - Soak your lower legs in very warm water with 1 cup Epsom Salts, and add a few drops of wintergreen, lavender, camphor and/or chamomile essential oils. 

Heat - Apply a heating pad or hot wet compress, infused with a few drops of the above mentioned essential oils, to the area of cramping. 

Homeopathy - Take homeopathic 6X of Magnesia phosphorica alternating frequently with Calcarea phosphorica several times a day until you feel relief. If this is a chronic problem among other pregnancy discomforts, it may be better to consult with a professional homeopath who can prescribe a safe, natural remedy specific to your individual symptoms.

Herbs - Black haw or crampbark can be taken to decrease leg cramps. Take a dropperful of either tincture as needed, up to 4 times daily. Herbal teas and tincture combinations that include ginger, catnip, chamomile, lemon balm and skullcap, taken as directed on the bottle, can also help. Reputable brands include Wish Garden, Eclectic Institute and Gaia. Aviva Romm remains one of my favorite resources for safe effective use of herbs in childbearing. She is an integrative physician, midwife and herbalist who has done extensive research and compiled the most comprehensive, evidence based reference guide I have come across called Botanical Guide For Women’s Health. She wrote a more accessible resource for moms in The Natural Pregnancy Book - which has some wonderful home made recipes, if you like to make your own remedies. 

Acupuncture can work wonders. Consult an experienced acupuncturist. 

Avoid commercial medications like muscle relaxants and quinine as they are not safe during pregnancy.

When Nothing Helps

If your leg cramps are extreme or persist in spite of following the above guidelines, consult your physician or midwife or schedule a consultation with me. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or do not even know what questions to ask, I can help you! Consult your local practitioner if cramps become increasingly severe or frequent, the above suggestions do not help, or if you notice an area of leg warmth, redness, swelling and/or pain. Sometimes other metabolic imbalances can be the culprit, and these may need to be investigated.

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