High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy: How to Prevent and Treat Naturally

High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy: How to Prevent and Treat Naturally

About 6-10% of pregnant women develop consistently high blood pressure. Typically if mild, by itself it’s usually harmless. But, if not monitored or controlled, it can be dangerous, and it may lead to a more serious condition known as pre-eclampsia, which poses a threat to the health of you and your baby.

Always remember that blood pressure varies widely in healthy individuals and is normally sensitive to moment-to-moment changes in activity, posture, nutritional status and emotional factors. It can even be a response to a fear of high blood pressure or being diagnosed with a complication! It is the steady and consistent increase that is concerning.

To Prevent High Blood Pressure In Pregnancy

Regular aerobic exercise involving moderate exertion throughout pregnancy is one of the best ways to maintain health and prevent high blood pressure. Some good options are brisk walking, dancing and swimming. If you are a beginner, build up gradually to the ideal goal of at least 30 minutes 5 times per week. Gentle forms of meditative movement like Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and yoga (especially Yin, gentle, prenatal and restorative) also help maintain normal blood pressure. Below are more tips for preventing high blood pressure during pregnancy.

CONSIDER YOUR DIET

Avoid stimulants such as spicy or peppery foods (including foods with large amounts of nutmeg, mustard or ginger), caffeinated products, nicotine products, cocaine, diet pills, and other stimulant herbs and medications. 

Avoid excessive weight gain. Eat a highly nutritious, high fiber and protein diet to prevent hypertensive disease and to avoid excess weight gain. Avoid foods that are highly processed and refined or laden with sugars, white flour and unhealthy refined vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated fat. Replace with lots of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and at least 80 grams of protein. Healthy protein options include:

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

• Tempeh, tofu, beans and seed products

• Lots of nuts, nut milk and nut butters 

• Limited animal protein in turkey, chicken, beef, lamb, and wild game, fresh organic raw dairy, ideally goat or sheep, and whole organic eggs 

• Protein powders

Take your prenatal supplements so you get the nourishment you need for your pregnancy, that is not supplied by diet alone. Especially important are an excellent whole food prenatal vitamin and omega three essential fatty acids.. Be sure to include foods high in Calcium, like raw or cooked greens except spinach, sesame seeds/tahini, salmon and sardines, and dairy. You may need additional Calcium so you get 1200 -1500 mg of Calcium daily. 

Substitute vegetable oils with healthy fats like organic cold expeller pressed extra virgin olive in your cooking. You can salt your food according to taste (a dash of Himalayian sea salt or tamari is best), but avoid excess and processed foods high in sodium. 

Drink at least 64 ounces of fluids each day between meals, at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating. Opt for filtered, spring or well water, herbal tea, soup broth, or whole juiced veggies.

Add 1-2 Tbsp of powdered Spirulina to your daily smoothie or take as directed in capsule form. 

Drink strong Nettle, Red Raspberry and Dandelion teas regularly, as well as decaffeinated green tea. When feeling stressed, drink some strong calming Chamomile, Lemon Balm, Lavender , Passionflower, or Skullcap tea. Add honey, fresh mint, juice of fresh lemon or lime to taste.

REDUCE STRESS

Cut down on the stress in your life. This is easier said than done, but this is an important time to be clear about your priorities. If you feel very stressed and pressured and your blood pressure is on the rise, your body is sending you early warning signals to rearrange your schedule and increase your rest periods in order to protect the health of you and your growing baby. Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends to help with chores or child care. Even better, treat yourself to hired help. And be sure to rest on your side three times a day for 30-60 minutes.

Especially learn to master your reaction to outside stress and relax yourself from the inside, which relaxes your blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Reduce inner tension and increase feelings of centeredness and calm by focusing all your attention on your breath, simply watching all sensations as you inhale and exhale. Also try regular conscious slow deep breathing and a regular breathwork practice, meditation, and/or progressive muscle relaxation techniques (yoga nidra) for a few minutes several times per day, and certainly before coming to your prenatal appointment to have your blood pressure checked. There are many phone apps like Calm and Breathe to help you establish a regular practice.

Before rising in the morning and going to bed at night, while waiting, in transit, and whenever you feel triggered or stressed, practice the any of the following calming breathing exercises: 

3-Part Breathing 

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

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

3. Allow ribs to expand with air, then inhale air into your upper chest towards your collarbone and shoulders 

4. Inhale in this way for a count of 4.

5. Hold for a count of 4 while staying relaxed.

6. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 4, releasing in the same order as the inhale, collapsing/returning to baseline, your abdomen, ribs, then upper chest. This is the ideal form of breathing, as opposed to rapid shallow breathing. With each exhale, let go and relax more. 

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

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

Box Breathing

To try box breathing, inhale to a count of 3, hold for a count of 6, exhale for a count of 6, hold for a count of 3. Repeat for several minutes. You can also play with ratios, for example:

1. Exhale slowly through your mouth with an audible sigh, while relaxing all muscle tension.

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4.

3. Hold for a count of 7 .

4. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 8, releasing and letting go more each time.

5. Repeat this for a total of 8 cycles.

Forced Exhalation

Another great breathwork technique that disengages your conscious attention from thought and relaxes the nervous system is forced exhalation. To do this, after a normal breath try squeezing as much air out as possible using your intercostal muscles in your chest. Then, allow your breath to come in naturally and deeply, but automatically. Repeat the cycle for at least several minutes or as long as you would like. 

These breathwork techniques are simple to do, health enhancing, totally safe, and without side effects. They are all natural tranquilizers, especially if you do it often. If you need more personal guidance, schedule a session with me. 

Life is stressful and always has been, and eliminating all outside stress is not an option. But, you can learn to activate your own relaxation response and quiet your nervous system. Not only with breath awareness, breathwork and relaxation techniques, but also by making a conscious effort to be aware of anxiety-provoking, tension-causing thought patterns that are not serving you. Try to stop them or shift your attention to something more positive and ultimately change your mental state. You have the capability to change your attitude and reaction to your life experiences to more health enhancing responses. For example, you can surrender to and totally accept unpleasant events over which you have no power. You can view them as a wake-up call, an opportunity for personal growth and redirection. Try to focus as much of your attention as possible on the present moment, literally without letting your thoughts wander into the past or imagined future. 

For more information about this and other great ways to improve your physical and mental health and well being, read Natural Health, Natural Medicine by Dr. Andrew Weil,  Practicing the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, and Prescriptions for Living by Bernie Siegel.

Avoid things and people that agitate your mind and raise your internal tension. Surround yourself as much as possible with calm centered people, things, sounds and places that inspire, relax and restore you to inner peace and safety. For many, this means being around nature or beautiful art and soothing music.

Make a conscious effort to work on increasing your own feelings of forgiveness, appreciation, love, joy, optimism, and healing, while letting go of anger, resentment, envy, fear, sadness, and negativity. Do not be afraid to seek counseling if you need help with this. 

Do more of what you love, and figure out how to make chores more fun (like doing them while dancing to music or with a friend).

Natural Remedies for High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy

Once you have been diagnosed as having pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), you will get lots of extra attention in the interest of monitoring how mild or serious your condition is and to protect the health of you and your baby. You will be asked to go to your provider’s office more frequently to check your blood pressure and the baby’s heartbeat, as well as to check for excess swelling, protein in the urine and labs that signal developing complications like preeclampsia.

Periodically take your blood pressure in your own home when you feel relaxed and secure. You can buy an easy to use digital blood pressure monitor. Sometimes, there is an artificial elevation in blood pressure in the office due to anxiety about being examined and having your blood pressure reading be too high.

Continue to use the preventative suggestions, but increase the amount of time you are resting on your side to as much as possible. Depending on your individual situation, you may need to maintain strict bed rest on your side all day – this means no housework or errands – but often this is not necessary. 

Increase the frequency and duration of your breathing and relaxation exercises. Visualize your blood vessels dilating for 5 minutes several times daily, while thinking that your blood pressure is now normal.

Watch comedy. Laughter is extremely healing, reducing internal stress reflected in lower blood pressure.

Be in tune with your baby’s movements. Make sure you count at least 10 moves in 1 hour during the times your baby is most active, which is usually after you eat and when resting.

Take biofeedback training to lower your blood pressure.

Take several warm baths daily with Epsom salts and a few sprinkled drops of the essential oil of Lavender.

TIME TO CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTATION

Reputable brands of the supplements and herbs I recommend include Innate Response, Wish Garden, Gaia, Herb Pharm, Wise Woman Herbals, Pure Encapsulations and Eclectic Institute, or any of those in my online holistic apothecary.

Again, if you aren’t already taking a natural prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement, now is the time to start. Also consider additional calcium and magnesium. Take 500 mg of each in the morning, afternoon and at bedtime. If you experience loose stools, you can experiment with skipping the magnesium dose in the morning. 

Eat more potassium-rich foods found in most fresh fruits and vegetables, for example starchy roots, potatoes, dark leafy greens, bananas, oranges and cream of tartar. And daily take 1000-2000 mg vitamin C up until 36 weeks gestation, then reduce to 500 mg. Also take 400 IU vitamin E and 2-3 mg methyl folate to boost your antioxidants.

Make sure to take at least 300-400 mg DHA/EPA Omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil twice daily. You can take a vegetarian source, but they aren’t as ideal. However, some benefit can be derived from eating 2 Tbsp ground flax seed every day. You can add it to your cereal, salad, baked goods or yogurt. Alternatives are 1000 mg of flaxseed oil taken in capsule form or using 1 Tbsp of uncooked flax oil in your salad or other cold foods twice daily, 500 mg black currant or evening primrose oil each day. 

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 twice daily crushed into your salad or cut and swallow as a pill with a spoon of honey and a glass of water or citrus juice, which minimizes garlic breath and stomach upset. Another option is to take New Chapter’s Garlicforce 2-8 capsules daily. Infuse your olive oil with garlic, by soaking all cloves from a bulb in 1 cup of olive oil for a few days for delicious and health enhancing meals, used on salads, veggies, beans, sprouted whole grain breads and pastas.

Eat more onions, parsley, fresh beet juice, cucumber and its juice, watermelon and turmeric. Renowned herbalist Susan Weed advises drinking a mixture of the juice of ½ lemon or lime with 2 tsps cream of tartar and ½ cup water once daily for three days. 

Prepare your own herbal infusion:

• Steep up to 1 large handful of dried nettle leaf and/or red raspberry leaf, and dandelion root  in a quart of boiling water for at least 4 hours. 

• Strain in a glass mason jar, and drink several times throughout the day. 

• You can add a splash of lemon or lime juice, fresh mint, or a dash of honey to taste. 

• Drink 2 cups daily.

Take 1-2 dropperfuls of tinctures of passionflower, skullcap, and lavender 1-3 times per day, especially if your increased blood pressure is due to stress and anxiety. Alternately, passionflower capsules can be taken as directed, 2 twice daily. 

Drink Hops tea before bed during the last few months of pregnancy.

If you are interested in more healing herbs specific to your situation, you can take Dandelion (a natural diuretic) and Hawthorn berry (a natural vasodilator). The herbs should ideally be supercritical or encapsulated freeze dried extracts. Take 1-2 capsules of each 2-4 times per day or 1 dropperful of each liquid tincture of Dandelion and Hawthorn Berry 2-3 times per day.  

Herbalist, midwife and physician Dr. Aviva Romm in The Natural Pregnancy Book recommends adding equal parts Cramp Bark, Black Cohosh, and Motherwort after the first trimester, as they relax the nerves and muscles, and dilate the peripheral blood vessels, thereby reducing high blood pressure. Take a dropperful of each tincture up to a few times daily as needed, depending on your blood pressure. But stop if you feel a pattern of preterm contractions (4 per hour or every ten minutes before 37 weeks). She also advises mixing together the following herbal tonic tinctures to support the liver and kidneys, especially to prevent worsening preeclampsia, and taking 1 tsp of the mixture 1-2 times daily: 

• 3 tsp each nettle leaf, schisandra, American ginseng, dandelion root, burdock root

• 1 ½ tsp each passionflower and linden 

For those with any sort of chronic high blood pressure in which serious causes have been ruled out and none of the natural and allopathic remedies help, consider reading 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, and using breathwork, to release stress and past trauma energy while transforming health in a deeper way. Also check out Brandon Bays’ book The Journey, and her website for intensive workshops that are extremely effective mindbody cutting edge methods that have also lead to transformational healing for thousands of people around the world.

If you need more personal guidance, schedule a consultation with me.

Call your provider immediately if you have any of the following symptoms: sudden severe swelling of your feet, legs, hands or face, a severe headache or pain in your upper abdomen or uterus, spots in front of your eyes or blurry vision, dizziness or light-headedness, vaginal bleeding, a sense that your baby is moving less than usual, regular contractions, or your water breaks. 

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Natural Measures for Treatment and Prevention of Headaches

Natural Measures for Treatment and Prevention of Headaches

Nearly everyone gets a headache at one time or another. In fact, headaches account for more doctor’s visits than any other health condition. The tension headache is the most common variety, which usually begins in the early afternoon or evening, and feels like a steady tight band around your head. The pain can sometimes radiate up your neck and the back of your head.

Headaches are common in pregnancy, as well as before your period, related to the effects of the changing hormones within your body. However, many women claim that pre-existing headaches like migraines often improve when they are pregnant. 

On the rare occasion, a headache can be caused by a serious health problem, especially when persistent, severe, or following an injury. If you are pregnant and developing high blood pressure, a headache could be a sign of a potentially dangerous condition known as preeclampsia, which must be prevented ideally, and addressed promptly by your provider. However, in the majority of cases, a headache signals your body’s reaction to a variety of stresses, such as: 

• Overwork

• Emotional upset or worry

• Muscle tension

• Too much time on the computer or smart phone

• Not enough sleep

• Too much sleep

• Eye strain

• Improper posture

• Teeth grinding

• Strong sun or bright light

• Irritating stimulation like too much noise or a strong unpleasant smell

• Feeling too hot or too cold

• Stuffy rooms

• Fluorescent lighting

• Motion sickness

• Nasal or sinus congestion

• Infection

• Low blood sugar 

• Poor diet or overeating

• Sensitivities to certain foods

• Exposure to toxic substances like tobacco, alcohol, caffeine, certain drugs and medications, chemicals, food preservatives, gases, fumes, insecticides and even household products

Headache Prevention

Minimize time online, especially addictive stressful apps, social media and computer games. Avoid things (like certain agitating movies, blasting hard rock or rap music and the news), and people (like those who are angry, stressed out, negative, down, fearful, critical or demanding) that agitate your mind and raise your internal tension. Surround yourself as much as possible with calm, centered people, things, sounds and places that inspire, relax you, cause you to feel at ease, and restore you to inner peace and serenity. For some, this means being around nature, beautiful art, soothing music, or close family and friends.

Learn how to recognize early sensations of emotional and muscular tension so that you can: 

• Get out of the stressful situation for a few minutes until you are feeling more calm.

• Do some stretching and exercise activity like dancing to release the built up tension and move emotional energy through the body.

• Practice slow deep breathing, meditation, QiGong, Tai Chi, yoga (especially Yin, prenatal, gentle and restorative), progressive muscle relaxation techniques (yoga nidra), or prayer.

• Take a walk outside.

• Use natural light as much as possible, or lamps and dimmer lighting when indoors when indoors

• Take a relaxing bath with a few drops of lavender oil.

• Watch a funny movie or video.

• Read these recent blog posts on natural remedies for stress and ways to manage your emotions.

Get in the habit of reducing inner tension and increasing feelings of centeredness and calm by taking a “healing interval” for a few minutes several times each day using any of the above mentioned techniques or the following breathing exercises. They are totally safe, easy, without side effects, and are extremely health-enhancing natural tranquilizers, especially if you do them often. They disengage conscious attention away from thought and outside stimulation and relax your nervous system.

The following breathwork exercises are simple to do and can be done any time and place. For example, while traveling, waiting in line, resting, before rising in the morning and going to bed at night, in the bath, on the toilet, or whenever you feel stressed or triggered. 

Sit up straight but comfortably, with your eyes closed, internally keeping your gaze between your eyes, or open and focused on a nonmoving distant object or place like where the floor meets the wall. While breathing be mindful, and just observe and release any muscle tension working your way slowly from head to toe. This is meditation, combined with the benefits of breathwork.

Breath Awareness

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

Deep Abdominal Breathing

1. Exhale slowly with an audible sigh, releasing all muscle tension, especially in your jaw and breathing diaphragm muscle. 

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4. Imagine a pump expanding your abdomen, and lower back, down to your pelvic floor, causing you to inhale. Allow ribs to expand with air, then inhale air into your upper chest towards your collarbone and shoulders.

3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 4. Release effortlessly, in the same order you inhaled, returning to baseline, your abdomen, ribs, then upper chest. With each exhalation, try to let go and relax even more.

4. Repeat this cycle a total of 8 times or at least a few minutes. You may need to play with counts, using a count of 3 or maybe even 5 or 6. But keep the counts of inhale the same as the counts of exhale.  

5. Then extend, or double the exhale. For example, if you are inhaling to a count or 3, exhale to a count of 6, or if you are inhaling to a count of 4, exhale to a count of 6. And repeat this cycle for several minutes.

Triangle Breathing

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

Box Breathing

Another great breathing technique that disengages your conscious attention from thought and relaxes the nervous system, and can be done any time, is box breathing. With this exercise, you add a timed pause between each inhalation and exhalation. 

1. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes.  

2. Inhale deeply into your belly as above for a count of 3.

3. Hold without tension for a count of 6.

4. Exhale to a count of 6 while consciously relaxing more and more.

5. Hold again without tension for a count of 3. 

6. Repeat until your timer chimes. You may love this so much you will want to do it longer.

Breathing In Varied Ratios

Play with the ratios and counts of inhalation, exhalation and the pausing in between them. For example, exhale slowly through your mouth with an audible sigh. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, then exhale through your mouth for a count of 8. Repeat for a total of 8 cycles. 

Forced Exhalation Breathing

One more breathing exercise to try is forced exhalation: 

1. After a normal breath, try squeezing as much air out as possible using your intercostal muscles.

2. Next, allow the breath to come in naturally and deeply, but automatically. 

3. Repeat the cycle for several minutes or as long as you like.

See what feels best for you in each situation. Make these sorts of deep breathing and breath awareness practices, meditation and authentic yoga a regular part of your daily routine, even for 20-30 minutes. 

Practice abdominal breathing as much as possible so it becomes habitual. This is the ideal form of breathing, as opposed to rapid shallow breathing. Do this by imagining a pump expanding your abdomen and lower back, which causes you to inhale. The pump then releases effortlessly, which causes you to exhale. Then there is a natural pause until you need to inhale again. 

Don’t hesitate to schedule a session with me if you need more guidance with mastering breathwork and experiencing its transformative power.

Conscious Relaxation

Notice habits of increased muscle tension, especially around your upper back, shoulders, neck, forehead and jaw, and make an effort to release these tightened muscles while doing slow deep abdominal breathing. Ask someone to massage these areas or treat yourself to regular massage therapy.

It would be very beneficial to you if you could learn how to relax the muscles that are tensing up. It is an essential skill for labor and can be used in any stressful situation. Set aside a 10-15 minute time slot, like during one or two of your “healing intervals,” to focus on releasing all of your muscles:

1. Get into a comfortable position.

2. Breathe slowly and deeply while thinking about relaxing each muscle from your head down to your toes.

3. Visualize feeling heavy and limp like a rag doll, or like your napping dog or cat.

Life is stressful and always has been, and eliminating all outside stress is not an option. But, you can learn to activate your own relaxation response and quiet your nervous system not only with breath work and relaxation techniques, but also by making a conscious effort to be aware of anxiety provoking, tension causing thought patterns that are not serving you. And to stop them or shift your attention to something more positive and ultimately change your mental state.

You have the capability to change your attitude and reaction to your life experiences to more health enhancing responses. For example, you can surrender to and totally accept unpleasant events over which you have no power, and/or you can view them as a wake-up call, an opportunity for personal growth, development and redirection. You can try to focus as much of your attention as possible on the present moment, literally without letting your thoughts wander into the past or imagined future. 

For more information about this and other great ways to improve your physical and emotional well-being, read Natural Health, Natural Medicine by Dr. Andrew Weil, Practicing the Power Of  Now by Eckhart Tolle, Loving What Is by Byron Katie, and Prescriptions for Living by Dr. Bernie Siegel.

Make a conscious effort to work on increasing your own feelings of forgiveness, appreciation, love, joy, optimism, and healing, while letting go of anger, resentment, envy, fear, sadness, and negativity. Do not be afraid to seek counseling if you need help with this. It is helpful to express your worries, resentments, anger, sadness and other troubling feelings with a sympathetic ear, but more effective to move these emotions through your body and release them through conscious connected breathing type of breathwork. It is also critical to develop skills of self-mastery and empowerment.

Additional Self Awareness and Care

Keep a written record of your headaches to increase your own awareness of situations in your life that proceed your headaches, and make needed changes if possible. Sometimes it’s as simple as:

• Taking a daily nap or just lying down for a few minutes with your eyes closed in a quiet room.

• Getting a mother’s helper for the afternoon or morning rush.

• Making sure you don’t forget to eat breakfast or lunch.

• Deleting foods with monosodium glutamate and other chemical additives in processed foods.

• Getting some fresh air or moving away from cigarette smoke.

• Saying “I’m sorry but I can’t help you this time” when you are overworked.

• Having your eyes checked and getting new glasses.

Notice your posture when standing as well as when sitting. Make sure your back is straight and lifted using your stomach muscles, your pelvis is tilted forward and your shoulders are relaxed and down. Avoid high heels.

If your headaches are related to awkward posture and chronic muscle straining, you may benefit from osteopathy, acupuncture, and/or the Alexander or Rolfing deep massage technique, in addition to regular yoga practice.

Pay attention to your diet and don’t skip meals, especially if you are pregnant. Make sure you are drinking at least 64 ounces every day of filtered, spring or well water between meals, at least 20–30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating. Eat enough of a variety of healthy, ideally organic, whole foods like:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Seeds, nuts, nut butters and nut milks

• Beans, tofu and tempeh

• Whole organic eggs

• Wild Alaskan salmon

• Limited organic chicken and turkey, beef, buffalo, venison, or lamb

• Fresh organic raw whole dairy - ideally goat or sheep

Make sure you are eating at least 80 grams of protein daily. Use healthy fats like organic cold expeller pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and butter instead of refined vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated vegetable fat. Limit highly processed refined white flour foods made with lots of chemical additives, unhealthy fat, and sugar. Avoid coffee, even decaffeinated, and all other products with caffeine, like soda, chocolate, and certain over-the-counter medications. Salt your food to taste with quality mineral dense sea salt.  

Small frequent meals that include fat and protein and fresh whole foods are preferable to fewer large binges, to keep your blood sugar stable. If you are eating a carbohydrate like fruit, a starchy vegetable like corn or potatoes, or a grain, make sure to eat it with a protein or fat like nuts, nut butter, meat or dairy, to prevent the rapid rise, then drop in blood sugar that can cause headaches from eating high sugar and white flour foods. Take your prenatal supplements - including fish oil - to ensure you are getting the additional nourishment you need beyond what healthy diet can provide. Make sure to take iron if you are anemic and prevent constipation so that you are having daily bowel movements to release rather than reabsorb toxic waste that can cause headaches, and trigger migraines. 

Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise 5 times per week. Brisk walking, dancing, swimming, cycling, and low impact aerobics are all great choices, especially during a healthy pregnancy.

Ensure you are getting 7-8 hours of sleep if not pregnant. If you are pregnant, aim for more sleep by going to bed earlier and/or waking later, as well as taking a short daily power nap. Even if you can not sleep, laying down in savasana (the yoga corpse pose) focusing on breath and gazing internally between your eyebrows for 20 minutes will do the trick.

Natural Treatment for Headaches

Reputable brands of supplements and remedies I recommend below include Innate Response, Wish Garden, Gaia, Herb Pharm, Wise Woman Herbals, Pure Encapsulations and Eclectic Institute, or any of those in my online holistic apothecary.

SINUS HEADACHE

If your headache is related to a mild infectious illness or the flu, refer to my post on natural remedies and suggestions for treating infections. This includes sinus infection, which is indicated by:

• A steady pain in your forehead

• Pain around your eyes and nose

• Post nasal drip 

• Cough with thick sometimes yellow or green nasal congestion

In this case, pay particular attention to increasing your fluid intake and liquefying your secretions with a humidifier or vaporizer during sleep, steam inhalation with essential oils, and nasal douching with a Neti Pot. Use plain nasal saline spray. Strengthen your immune system with lifestyle modification, herbs, supplements and homeopathy. At the start of sinus trouble, put hot wet towels over your upper face for 15 minutes 3-4 times per day, eliminate milk and all other dairy products, and avoid smoking. If your sinus headache is triggered by allergies, take 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. 

If the natural remedies in the aforementioned post do not help and your symptoms worsen or do not improve, please contact your practitioner. If your sinus headaches are chronic, they may be due to allergies, which are not covered in this handout. However, osteopathy, acupuncture, homeopathy, and mind/body work can be very helpful, as well as working with an integrative or holistic allergist physician.

MIGRAINE HEADACHE

If you get migraine headaches, which are usually felt as one-sided, severe, throbbing pain, often preceded by an “aura” like visual disturbance and associated with nausea and vomiting, as well as intolerance to light, noise and motion (and many other variant symptoms), there are things you can do to prevent them:

• Eliminate all coffee and caffeinated products during headache-free intervals.

• Note what else triggers your headaches and avoid them. Common triggers include:

  • Chocolate

  • Red and white wine

  • Strong flavored aged cheese

  • Processed meats with nitrites

  • Fermented foods like soy sauce and miso, especially with monosodium glutamate

  • Sardines, anchovies, and pickled herring 

  • Artificial sweeteners like aspartame

  • Strong synthetic fragrances in perfumes, body care products and incense

  • Certain medications

Keep a headache journal to help you become more aware of what triggers your migraines, what makes them worse and what makes them better, so you can be more aware and empowered to prevent them or treat them most effectively. You may benefit from doing an elimination diet for 3 weeks, to see what common foods might be responsible. 

At the first sign of a migraine, drink 1-2 cups of strong coffee, take 1-2 Advil (only to be used occasionally in the 1st or 2nd trimester of pregnancy) or Aspirin if you are NOT pregnant. Lie down in a dark room focusing on slow deep breathing. For maintenance, Dr. Adrew Weil recommends to take the following daily over 1 ½ - 2 months to notice your response:

• Magnesium, 500 mg 1-2x/day

• Calcium, 500 mg 1- 2x/day

• Vitamin B2 400 mg daily

• Coenzyme Q 10, 100-150 mg 1-2 x/day

Get biofeedback training to master your autonomic nervous system and increase the temperature of your hands (a wonderful technique you can use to abort an attack). Do hypnotherapy with a trained professional, to go beyond what is conscious and experience effective healing.

If you are NOT pregnant, take Petadolex’s supercritical freeze dried extract of Butterbur, 50-100 mg 1-2 times per day, that is free of toxic PAs, and Feverfew, at least 100-150 mg, with at least 0.2% parthinolides, or a combination formula of these herbs. Dr. Aviva Romm additionally advises trying either Melatonin 3 mg or 5 Hydroxytryptophan 200 mg every day, ideally taken before bed. It may take several weeks to months to notice the full benefit.

Dr. Weil suggests changing the way you think about your migraines: “View them as electrical storms in the head, violent and disruptive, but leading to a calm clear state in the end. Let yourself have a headache once in awhile. Be with your headache, as it’s a good excuse to drop your usual routine and go inward, letting accumulated stress dissipate. As you come to accept them in this way and see them as serving a purpose in your life, you may not have them as often.”

THE OCCASIONAL HEADACHE

To remedy the occasional headache...

Eat a nutritious wholesome snack with complex carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fat.

Get off the computer or smart phone and get some fresh air.

Lie down in a quiet place with your eyes closed, and take a nap if possible.

Apply an iced or warm pack or a cool or warm dampened washcloth to the area that hurts.

Rotate your head slowly and evenly around in each direction, lift your shoulders high and then  lower them.

Massage your aching muscles - especially jaw, neck, shoulders and temples of your head with Tiger Balm alone, or almond oil blended with a few drops of each or any combination of your favorite essential oils of Chamomile, Vanilla, Melissa, Lavender, Rose, Geranium, Frankincense, Jasmine, Marjoram, Basil, Citrus, Sandalwood, Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, and/or Neroli. You can also add them to your diffuser, into your relaxing very warm, Epsom Salt bath by candlelight, in a spray bottle to sprinkle in your space, and onto your pillow if needed.  

Try this healing visualization:

1. Choose a comfortable spot to sit or lay down for at least 15-20 minutes.

2. Close your eyes and focus internally between your eyebrows. Block out light with a soothing weighted lavender eye pillow, and mute sound with a noise reducing ear muff headset.

3. Breathe slowly in from your abdomen, expanding your ribs and lungs up to your collarbone to a count of 3 or 4.

4. Pause, then exhale to a count of 3 or 4 and release all the tension in your body.

5. Repeat this cycle a few times, each time releasing more with each exhale. 

6. Imagine the pain and tension melting away down into the ground, or a spiritual light shining on your head filling you with light and releasing all the tension and head discomfort out into the surroundings. 

7. Then imagine yourself sitting, reclining, walking or floating on a cloud blissfully in your favorite place, where you feel the most joy and relaxed. Really visualize what it is like to be there, use all your senses. 

8. When you feel calm and more comfortable, hang out there as long as you want.

9. When ready to return, transition slowly back to a calm alert state of being. 

Visualization is amazingly effective, if you really open your mind, use your imagination, and practice this self-healing skill on a regular basis.

Drink a relaxing herbal tea with lemon or lime juice, mint or a dash of honey to taste. Repeat as needed throughout the day. Good choices include Chamomile, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Motherwort, Hops, Skullcap, Catnip, and Passionflower.

Helpful herbs include the following. Try one at a time as indicated and see what works best for you. Tinctures are taken best in a small amount of water or followed by juice:

Ginger, especially effective at the earliest sign of a migraine or daily as prevention. Take 1-2 capsules or 1-2 dropperfuls of the tincture once or twice per day.

Passionflower. You can take capsules with at least 0.8% flavonoids, as directed on bottle 2-3 times per day as needed, or 1-2 dropperfuls of tincture 1-2 times (after the first trimester).

Skullcap tincture 1-2 dropperfuls, capsules as directed especially if your headache is keeping you from sleep.

Chamomile tincture 1-2 dropperfuls. 

Lavender Oil can be taken in capsule form or 1-2 dropperfuls of the tincture if not pregnant.

Lemon Balm in one higher dose for sleep, as directed on the bottle, or in lower doses of 200-300 mg early evening and before bed. This can be quite sedating, so take precautions. 

Motherwort  ½ - 1 dropperful of the tincture no more than every 2 hours, or up to 3 times per day for tension headaches, after the first trimester.

Renowned herbalist, midwife and physician Dr. Aviva Romm recommends Jamaican Dogwood tincture, 15-20 drops every 4 hours up to four times for the occasional severe headache, as well as cannabis (if not pregnant or breastfeeding). You can take the CBD from hemp oil, as it is gently calming, and can relieve headaches without the potential risks of the THC component of cannabis on the developing fetus. Results from anecdotal evidence and preliminary research, although sparse (as is common with most natural remedies in pregnancy), are promising. Make sure it is absolutely pure, and from a reputable source who can recommend proper dosing or from pharmacies licensed to dispense it. It is usually taken as several drops under the tongue. 

In The Natural Pregnancy Book, for more severe tension headaches, Dr. Romm suggests St. John’s Wort (½-1 tsp), Black Cohosh (¼ tsp every 4 hours) and Cramp Bark (½  tsp every 4 hours) alone or in combination. She also advises another herbal medley in adjunct, to support liver and digestive functions, for more mild but recurrent headaches: Dandelion root and leaves, Yellow Dock root, Blue vervain (after the first trimester) and Burdock root. Take any of these tinctures up to ½ tsp alone or in combination 3-4 times per day. 

Definitely get osteopath or chiropractor treatment, to gently restore anything out of alignment.

If you are pregnant and nothing else helps, you can take an occasional Tylenol (acetaminophen) 500 mg tablets every four hours until you feel better. But consult your practitioner before taking any other medication, since many products sold over the counter contain substances that are not safe to take during pregnancy (like aspirin or ergot), and their regular use can actually worsen your headaches.

If you are NOT pregnant, you can use over-the counter medications containing ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen as directed, if the more natural measures are not effective and you do not have any other health problems that would contraindicate their use. But before reaching for these medications, try 1-2 grams of Curcumin (Turmeric) a natural herb studied to be as effective for pain relief than most of these over the counter synthetic analgesics without their associated potential risk of toxicity.

If you need more personal guidance, schedule a consultation with me.

Contact your practitioner if your headache is not relieved by these suggestions and:

• Persists beyond 24 hours

• Occurs frequently

• Is getting worse

• It is unusual for you or severe

• It occurred after a head trauma or prescribed medication (like birth control pills)

• It is accompanied by other unusual symptoms such as a stiff neck or high fever, unexplained vomiting, weakness of part of your body or difficulty speaking, lack of coordination, visual disturbances, dizziness, increased swelling around your face, hands or legs, or sudden weight gain (especially if you are pregnant and/or have high blood pressure)

For those with any sort of chronic headache pain in which serious causes have been ruled out and none of the natural or allopathic remedies help, consider reading the book The Mindbody Prescription By Dr John Sarno, MD. He’s an amazing pioneering physician whose brilliant approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people without drugs, physical measure or surgery. To release stress and trauma in the body that may be responsible and transform your health and well-being, do conscious connected type of breathwork, and open to its miraculous effects. Also check out Brandon Bays’ book The Journey, and her website for more information and her intensive workshops. These are extremely effective mindbody cutting edge methods that have also lead to transformational healing for thousands of people around the world.

Insomnia During Pregnancy: Natural Relief

Insomnia during pregnancy is often related to the other various symptoms, aches, pains and worries commonly experienced in pregnancy.

While insomnia is extremely frustrating at night, if you are managing well during the day, you are probably getting enough sleep and should not worry. Your negative moods, fatigue, poor energy, and overall absence of wellness will let you know when this lack of sleep is taking its toll. Stress reduction and maintaining internal calm are crucial for health and well-being as is getting enough sleep, which is just as important, if not more so, than diet and exercise, so make them among your top priorities.

Please consult your integrative practitioner if this has been a chronic problem for you even before pregnancy, as you may suffer from clinical depression or anxiety, hyperthyroidism, chronic high levels of stress, or other health problems that should be evaluated.

Once more serious conditions have been ruled out, try the suggestions below. Also, consider seeking out a classical homeopath, acupuncturist, hypnotherapist, holistic counselor, or breathwork practitioner who can offer wonderfully effective alternatives to dealing with this problem.

Natural Insomnia Prevention

Many foods, drinks and drugs contain stimulating substances that disturb sleep. For example, coffee, tea, chocolate, and soda that contain caffeine, and certain cold, asthma, allergy, pain and psychiatric medications can all keep you awake. Avoid these whenever possible, especially after 4 pm, and ask your provider about alternative prescriptions. Avoid alcohol as well. Aside from its harmful effect on your unborn baby, it may help you fall asleep initially, but can disrupt your sleep cycle, causing early or frequent waking during the night.

Four to five hours before bedtime, depending on the severity of your trouble falling or staying asleep, avoid the following:

• Large meals

• Unhealthy vegetable oils, processed and refined foods, gluten and cane sugar

• Drinking lots of fluids

• Vigorous exercise

• Stimulating or upsetting books, movies, or news reports

• Performing busy work or frustrating tasks

• Intense conversations or arguments

• Electronic media

These activities rev up your nervous system, cause inflammation and blood sugar imbalances, make you feel tense, agitated or excited, and thus interfere with sleep. You do need to stay well hydrated by drinking at least 64 ounces of filtered, spring or well water per day between meals (at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after eating), but try to do get most of your hydration during the daytime.

Do not go to bed hungry. Eat high quality protein and fat at dinner, and a bedtime snack before bed like a bowl of gluten free oatmeal with organic nut milk, avocado and egg, apple and nut butter, or a yummy nutrient dense nut/seed crunch or bar.

Shorten your daytime nap to no more than 20 minutes, or awaken earlier if this is the culprit.

Engage in moderate exercise for 30 minutes 5 days per week during the morning or afternoon (such as brisk walking, dancing, swimming, cycling, low impact aerobics). Regular aerobic activity has many health benefits, as well as helping you feel more energized during the day and sleep better at night.

Honor your body’s circadian rhythms, getting up and going to bed around the same time each day. Make sure you get plenty of fresh air and adequate exposure to sunlight. Weather permitting, try to spend at least 30 minutes outside with nature in the early morning or late afternoon sun each day. At night, keep lights dim. This is why people sleep better when camping - so if you need a reset, spend a week vacation camping!

In the evening, avoid prolonged exposure to blue and artificial bright light. Block out blue light with special glasses and if you must be online, download the free app to minimize blue light on your devices. Ideally, your rooms should be lit by no more than a reading light and amber colored fire like light like calming Himalayan salt lamps. During the day, get out in bright natural daytime light. If you can not go outside, use 150-200 watt incandescent bulbs or full spectrum fluorescent lamps that supply 2,500 or more lux (equivalent to 150-200 watts.) Keep the light within 3 feet of where you are sitting.

Minimize the time you are on the computer and smartphone, especially in the evening. Remove them from your bedroom, as you create an environment within it that is a calming haven for rest and sleep. For help breaking addiction to the smartphone, do read How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30-Day Plan to Take Back Your Life by Catherine Price. Put anti electromagnetic radiation devices, crystals, including those made from genuine shungite or black tourmaline in your bedroom to reduce EMF exposure. Sleep with an EMR protective blanket. Explore additional resources for more information and other practical suggestions to mitigate EMR exposure, especially in pregnancy.

If you like making lists of what you need to do or buy at the store, do your to do lists during the day. The day is a better time to journal your feelings, or even better, move them through your body with music. 

PREVENTING INSOMNIA THROUGH STRESS REDUCTION

Life is stressful and always has been, and eliminating all outside stress is not an option. But, you can learn to activate your own relaxation response and quiet your nervous system with breath awareness and relaxation techniques, thought control, and cutting down on the added burdens in your life. While easier said than done, this is an important time to be clear about your priorities. If you feel overstressed, which is interfering with your ability to sleep at night and then function during the day, your body is sending you a warning signal to rearrange your schedule to protect the health of you and your growing baby. Don’t be afraid to ask family and friends to help with chores or child care, or even better, treat yourself to hired help and healthy take-out meals. 

Before going to bed at night, as well as before rising in the morning, periodically throughout the day, in transit, while waiting, and whenever you feel stressed, triggered down or upset, practice the following deep abdominal breathing exercise: 

1. Exhale slowly through your mouth with an audible sigh, while consciously relaxing any muscle tension.

2. Inhale slowly through your nose for a count of 4. Imagine a pump expanding your abdomen, and lower back, down to your pelvic floor, causing you to inhale. Allow ribs to expand with air, then inhale air into your upper chest towards your collarbone and shoulders.

3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 4. Release effortlessly, in the same order you inhaled, returning to baseline, your abdomen, ribs, then upper chest. With each exhalation, try to let go and relax even more.

4. Repeat this cycle a total of 8 times or at least a few minutes. You may need to play with counts, using a count of 3 or maybe even 5 or 6. But keep the counts of inhale the same as the counts of exhale.  

5. Then extend, or double the exhale. For example, if you are inhaling to a count or 3, exhale to a count of 6, or if you are inhaling to a count of 4, exhale to a count of 6. And repeat this cycle for several minutes.

These are wonderful natural tranquilizers, especially if you do it often. While breathing be mindful, and just observe and release any muscle tension working your way slowly from head to toe, and then notice what you are currently seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, tasting. Just watch without judgment…this brings you to the present and is deliciously relaxing. When doing this, sit up straight but comfortably, with your eyes closed, internally keeping your gaze between your eyes, or open and focused on a nonmoving distant object or place like where the floor meets the wall. This is meditation, combined with the benefits of breathwork.

Another great breathing technique that disengages your conscious attention from thought and relaxes the nervous system, and can be done any time (like when traveling, waiting in line, resting, bathing, or on the toilet) is box breathing. With this exercise, you add a timed pause between each inhalation and exhalation. 

1. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes.  

2. Inhale deeply into your belly as above for a count of 3.

3. Hold without tension for a count of 6.

4. Exhale to a count of 6 while consciously relaxing more and more.

5. Hold again without tension for a count of 3. 

6. Repeat until your timer chimes. You may love this so much you will want to do it for longer.

One more breathing exercise to try is forced exhalation: 

1. After a normal breath, try squeezing as much air out as possible using your intercostal muscles.

2. Next, allow the breath to come in naturally and deeply, but automatically.

3. Repeat the cycle for several minutes.

These techniques are simple to do, health enhancing, totally safe and without side effects.

Try to stay away from things and people that agitate your mind and raise your internal tension, and instead surround yourself as much as possible with calm centered people, things, sounds and places that inspire, relax and restore you to inner peace and serenity. Make a conscious effort to work on increasing your own feelings of forgiveness, appreciation, love, joy, optimism and healing, while letting go of anger, resentment, envy, fear, sadness and negativity. Most importantly, make a conscious effort to be aware of anxiety provoking, tension causing thought patterns that are not serving you, and to stop them or shift your attention to something more positive and ultimately change your mental state.

You have the ability to change your attitude and reaction to life experiences to more health enhancing responses. For example, you can surrender to, and totally accept unpleasant events over which you have no power, or you can view them as a wake-up call - an opportunity for personal growth and redirection. 

You can always try to focus as much attention as possible on the present moment, literally without letting your thoughts wander into past or imagined future. For more information about this and other great ways to improve your health and well being, read a recent blog on Natural Remedies and Resources for Stress. While it is not only helpful to express your troubling feelings to a sympathetic ear, it is also essential to develop the skills of self mastery and empowerment.

Reduce inner tension and increase feelings of calm by taking a “healing interval” for a few minutes several times per day to sit quietly with your eyes closed and think and do absolutely nothing, practicing slow deep breathing, meditation, QiGong, Tai Chi, yoga (especially Yin, prenatal, gentle and restorative), or progressive muscle relaxation techniques (yoga nidra).

A popular relaxation technique is to tense your whole body and then relax each muscle one by one, starting at your head and face, then moving downward, ending up visualizing yourself completely calm, relaxed, heavy and limp like a rag doll or your napping dog or cat.

Consider making yoga, breath awareness, conscious breathwork and meditation a regular part of your daily routine, even if just for 20-30 minutes each morning or evening, in addition to the “healing intervals” throughout your day. 

Focus on the moment and what all your senses are telling you, just watching feelings and thoughts come and go without judgement as if they were flowing with the river. Locate the nearest Zen Center (Zen is NOT a religion and does not conflict with any religion), read Marc Lesser’s Book Accomplishing More by Doing Less, or any book by Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, or Shunryu Suzuki to learn the basics of mediation and Zen practice.

SLEEP HYGIENE

Develop a regular bedtime relaxation routine such as:

• Gentle stretching

• Yin, gentle, or restorative yoga - like spending 10 minutes laying down with your legs resting up the wall

• Meditation 

• Gentle breathing exercises

• Soaking in a very warm bath with Epsom Salts and 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oil. 

• Reading from a boring, soothing or light drama book before bed

• Recite a calming mantra if needed as you close your eyes

• Listen to effective audio programs that actually train your body to sleep, using sleep phones.

• If noise or lights are keeping you awake, use noise canceling headphones and eye mask combined and/or install black out curtains.

You can create a regular winding down and soothing ritual at night before going to bed, combining a few calming and nurturing techniques like preparing a cup of relaxing Chamomile, Lavender or Lemon Balm tea, turning on some soft tranquil music and lighting a candle, while you take a warm bath with a few rose petals or lavender. Follow this by 5-15 minutes of various restorative yoga poses in silence, eyes covered with a lavender infused eye pillow. Don’t forget to pee just before bed. Read a little inspiration and settle into sleep.

High calcium/magnesium and soothing herbs can help, which include nettle, red raspberry leaf, oat straw, and dandelion greens prepared as infusions. To make an infusion:

1. Combine a handful each of nettle, red raspberry leaf and dandelion with a pinch of oat-straw.

2. Add mixture to 1 qt boiling water in a glass canning jar.

3. Cover and steep for 4-8 hours. 

4. Strain.

5. Add fresh lime or lemon juice, mint leaves or a dash of honey to taste (optional).

6. Drink 1-4 cups daily.

You can make a lovely calming infusion for your evening tea, which is more effective than the ready made teas, by mixing a pinch of each dried herb: chamomile, lavender and lemon balm. Add to 1 cup boiling water, steep covered in a glass mason jar for 15-20 minutes, strain, add lemon, fresh mint or honey to taste, and drink. If you are concerned about drinking too much before going to sleep and needing to get up to go to the bathroom, use capsules or tinctures instead.

Experiment with essential oils, alone or in combination in your bath with Epsom Salts, and see what will best help you sleep. Add 5-10 drops of the essential oils of Chamomile, Vanilla, Lavender, Rose, Geranium, Frankincense, Jasmine, Marjoram, Basil, Citrus, Sandalwood, and/or Neroli to your evening bath, in your diffuser and onto your pillow if needed. Soak for awhile in the bath, and practice your mindfulness. Let the feel, sound and smell of the water and essential oils ease your tension and consciously allow your muscles to release and relax.

Make sure your mattress is comfortable, you have enough pillows and blankets, the noise is minimum, and the light, temperature and ventilation are adjusted to your comfort level. Use natural bedding to minimize toxic exposure that disrupts sleep. Try sleeping on Earthing Grounding sheets. Many have had much success with using a white noise machine, Dream Pad pillow or pillow speaker, which creates soothing sounds that helps promote sleep. Others like the Dream Pad Pillow or pillow speaker, or find that earplugs and an eye mask help to cut out noise and light they can not control. Create a restful environment in your bedroom and keep all of the things that cause you stress (like computer, smartphone, to do lists, unpaid bills, unfinished work or projects) in other rooms. Get a simple alarm clock without light instead of using your phone, and keep it out of your easy reach or vision while in bed. Or use a Sunrise alarm clock with sunset nightlight.

Many sleep better when the room temperature is cool (in the mid 60s degrees) and they are not hot, by adjusting the thermostat, open a window, use a cooling mattress pad topper or Chilipad. Be sure to make your bedroom as dark as possible.

Ideally, go to bed not much later than 10:00 or 11:00 PM and get up at a consistent time each day. Try not to sleep in more than an hour, even on weekends, to keep within your circadian rhythm. The later you go to bed, the more trouble you will have sleeping, even though you are exhausted.

SLEEP SUPPLEMENTS

Reputable brands of the supplements and remedies I recommend include Innate Response, Wish Garden, Gaia, Herb Pharm, Wise Woman Herbals, Pure Encapsulations and Eclectic Institute, or any of those in my online holistic apothecary.

Take 500-1000 mg of calcium and/or 500-1000 mg of magnesium before sleep. Natural Calm is a wonderful powdered liquid magnesium. It is important to understand that individual needs will vary. Some individuals will need more Natural Calm than others. Start with 1 teaspoon daily, and increase your dose up to the point of loose stools. This will be the dose you will need to maintain for regular use. The final amount taken could range anywhere from a 1/4 teaspoon to 3-4 teaspoons. This could be taken all at once or split into 2-3 smaller doses throughout the day. If you get diarrhea, it is a sign that you used too high a dose, and you need to cut it back to the point where the diarrhea does not reappear. Also, some feel better using an equal ratio of calcium to magnesium, others do best taking double the amount of calcium than magnesium, or vice versa.

Try homeopathic Calms Forte if your symptoms are related to stress, refer to books like Homeopathy For Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby’s First Year by Miranda Castro for a remedy specific to your unique symptoms, or consult with a classical homeopath for more personal guidance. Get a flower essence kit and look for a Bach Flower remedy that fits your particular situation, such as White Chestnut if persistent unwanted thoughts or mental arguments are preventing sleep.

Also, you can try fresh creamy milky oat tops. Take 1 dropperful of the tincture of fresh creamy milky oat tops in its most potent form 1-2 times daily, especially effective when taken over time. 

Add a TBS of all natural grass-fed gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate in a little apple sauce or gluten free oatmeal in the evening, or about an hour before bed.

Other herbs helpful for insomnia for occasional use only are listed below. Try each of the natural remedies for a few nights to see what is most effective. If it is going to help, its benefits should show up within a day or two (unless otherwise specified).

• If insomnia is related to feelings of internal stress and anxiety, try Passionflower. You can take capsules with at least 0.8% flavonoids, as directed on bottle 2-3 times per day as needed, or 1-2 dropperfuls of tincture 1-2 times before bed (after the first trimester).

• Motherwort, ½ - 1 dropperful of the tincture in water or juice no more than every 2 hours, or up to 3 times per day in a period of more acute stress.

• Skullcap, ½ dropperful twice before bedtime with a 15 minute interval.

• Chamomile tincture, 1-2 dropperfuls before bed. 

• Lemon Balm in doses 300 mg early evening and before bed. This can be quite sedating, so take precautions, or try lower doses in effective combination formulas.

• St. John’s Wort, 1 dropperful of tincture or 300-600 mg of capsules at bedtime.

• Valerian, 2 capsules of standardized extract or one dropperful of the tincture in juice to help with taste a half an hour before you go to bed..

• CBD from hemp oil. This is the new rage, as it is gently calming, relieves anxiety and helps with sleep without the potential risks of the THC component of cannabis on the developing fetus. Results from anecdotal evidence and preliminary research, although sparse (as is common with most natural remedies in pregnancy), are promising. Make sure it is absolutely pure, and from a reputable source who can recommend proper dosing or from pharmacies licensed to dispense it. It is usually taken as several drops under the tongue every hour or so in the evening a few hours before bed.

When not pregnant, you can try the following and see what works best for you:

• Encapsulated Lavender oil - 1-2 80 mg capsules an hour before sleep, is as effective as benzodiazepine medications.

• Hops - If your sleeplessness is related to muscle tension or poor quality, broken light sleep from feeling stressed. Take 2 capsules of freeze dried extract of Hops at bedtime or a dropperful of tincture twice, ½ hour apart, starting an hour before bed for a nice deep sleep. 

• Ashwagandha - If you feel burned out, overstressed, exhausted but too wired to sleep, dissolve 1-2 tsp of the powder in your smoothie, tea or warm milk for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times per day, or take 2-3 dropperfuls of the tincture twice daily and before sleep, or 2-5 grams of the capsules daily in divided doses. 

• Rhodiola - As a tonic herb, take 100-200 mg twice daily (an extract standardized to 2-3% rosavins and 0.8-1% salidrosides). This usually improves anxiety and sleep, but needs to be taken more regularly. Obviously stop it if it is too stimulating and worsens insomnia.

• Magnolia - 200-400 mg an hour before sleep.

• Reishi mushrooms - 1 gram (2 capsules) an hour before bed.

• Kava Kava - A few drops up to a dropperfuls of the tincture or 150 -450 mg of the encapsulated liquid capsules before bed can be taken for occasional short term use only. Do not use if you are taking any substance including alcohol or medications that affect the liver, or you have any liver issues. This is one of my favorite herbs for anxiety and/or insomnia from inner stress and is usually well tolerated and very effective.

• California Poppy - Also for periodic use only, take 1-2 dropperfuls of the tincture before bed.

• Melatonin - Best for jet lag and after working the night shift, take under the tongue before bedtime starting at 2.5 mg and increasing up to 5 mg if needed.

Another helpful approach is using natural amino acid supplements:

•  5-HTP (hydroxytryptophan), 50-150 mg before going to sleep or up to 100-300 mg 2-3 times daily if anxious.

• L-theanine, 100-200 mg twice daily at lunch and bedtime is also very calming.

• GABA, up to 500 -700 mg, depending on how much you need to get to sleep.

For more information on using amino acids and increasing them naturally in your diet, read The Mood Cure by Julia Ross. Also read The Chemistry of Calm and The Chemistry of Joy by Dr. Henry Emmons for a more detailed and thorough information on the supplements, as well as wonderful suggestions for what really is most effective in the long term: self-relaxation and visualization exercises to deal with stress, quiet the mind, and find a stronger sense of long lasting true happiness.

DURING TIMES OF INSOMNIA

When sleeplessness strikes, don’t worry or fight it. Instead, try forcing yourself to stay awake with your eyes open rather than fall asleep, and simply lie there and rest. You may suddenly find yourself waking up in the morning. If you are still up after 30 minutes, turn the light on and read, listen to soothing music, a podcast or a radio talk show, fold laundry or do some other repetitive sedating chore, and then try again only when you start to feel sleepy.

To break an insomnia pattern, set a time 1-2 hours after your usual bedtime and force yourself not to go to bed until then. You’ll probably worry more about how to stay awake that long than about your inability to fall asleep, and you’ll be tired the next day, which should help you fall asleep easier the following night. Each night, move your “later bedtime” 15 minutes earlier until you’ve forgotten about your insomnia altogether. 

If you are having difficulty stopping all the worrisome and anxiety provoking thoughts, write them down with an action plan to deal with them in the morning. Now is the time to get out of your mind and focus on your breathing, practice your muscle relaxation techniques, visualization exercises or meditation and use your skills of self mastery.

Ideally, it is best to avoid sleeping pills on a regular basis, as some can have negative side effects for you and your baby, and they can lead to addiction. Please let your practitioner know if none of the suggestions mentioned above help and you are suffering and at your wits end, as they can prescribe relatively safe medications for occasional use.

If you need more personal guidance, schedule a consultation with me.

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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.

Natural Remedies and Resources for Stress in Pregnancy and Beyond

Pregnancy can be an emotional rollercoaster, a time of increased sensitivity, and life circumstances often feel heightened. However, there is a wide variety of natural remedies and resources to help steady moods and enjoy the beautiful experience of pregnancy. The below recommendations will not only assist with stress relief during pregnancy, but during many stages of life. Also, do check out a recent related blog where I talk about 40 wonderful ways you can manage the powerful waves of emotions in pregnancy and beyond.

SUPPLEMENTS

For general health and physical and emotional well-being during pregnancy, make sure to eat healthy foods, stay well hydrated, and take supplements to make sure you supply yourself with needed nourishment not supplied by diet alone. Take:

• A whole food prenatal multivitamin with minerals

• Fish oil tested free of pollutants, for omega three essential fatty acids, 1000-2000 mg 1-2 times daily 

• Calcium, 250-500mg 2-3 times daily

• Magnesium, 200-500mg 2-3 times daily

• Vitamin B complex, 20-50 mg daily

• Vitamin D, 1000 -2000 units per day, more if low blood levels

• An excellent mega probiotic once daily

Get screened for iron deficiency anemia, which is common in later pregnancy, as it can exacerbate your emotional symptoms and is easy to treat. If you are prone to low iron levels, since it is almost impossible to get the necessary amount of iron in pregnancy from diet alone, you may want to prevent anemia early on by taking an herbal iron supplement like Floradix Iron tablets or in liquid.

MINDFULNESS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minimize or avoid watching and reading the news, or take periodic news fasts. Unplug from the computer and smart phone as much as possible, especially reduce time spent on addictive programs and apps (including computer games, social media, and even email) as they increase inner stress, anxious feelings, impair well-being, and cause a variety of health issues. Empower yourself to listen to your body and choose limited times and online activities you enjoy or absolutely need to do. For additional information and guidance, read “How to Break Up With Your Phone: The 30 Day Plan to Take Back Your Life,” by Catherine Price.

BREATHWORK

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

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

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

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

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

4. Inhale in this way for a count of 4.

5. Hold for a count of 4 while staying relaxed.

6. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of 4, releasing in the same order as the inhale, collapsing/returning to baseline, your abdomen, ribs, then upper chest. This is the ideal form of breathing, as opposed to rapid shallow breathing. With each exhale, let go and relax more. 

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

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

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

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

These are wonderful natural tranquilizers, especially if you do it often. While breathing, be mindful and just observe and release any muscle tension working your way slowly from head to toe, and then be mindful of what you are currently seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, tasting (just watch without judgment …this brings you to the present and is wonderfully relaxing). You do this and you are getting the benefits of both slow deep breathing and meditation.

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

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

LEARNING MATERIALS

For more information about thought and emotional mastery, and other great ways to improve your overall well-being, read more from the variety of resources below. Make a commitment to practice and transform your life for the better. It is beyond worth it to feel your absolute best. There are amazing books about miraculous tools to remedy wounds from the past, relieve internal stress, tap into your inner power and basically heal almost all stress-related problems of the heart, mind and body to live a vibrant, joyful life.

Some great books include: 

Just Breathe by Dan Brule  

Breath Love  by Lauren Chelec Cafritz

Breathe Deep Laugh Loudly by Judith Kravitz

Conversations with the Goddesses by Agapi Stassinopoulos

Pussy: A Reclamation by Regina Thomashauer

Practicing the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

From Panic to Power by Lucinda Bassett

Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life by Wayne Dyer

Loving What Is by Byron Katie

Full Catastrophe Living by John Kabat-Zinn

Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach 

True Refuge by Tara Brach

Accomplishing More by Doing Less by Marc Lesser Book

The Journey: A Practical Guide to Healing Your Life and Setting Yourself Free by Brandon Bays

Natural Health, Natural Medicine by Dr Andrew Weil

A Mind of Your Own: The Truth About Depression and How Women Can Heal Their Bodies to Reclaim Their Lives by Dr. Kelly Brogan

Own Your Self: The Surprising Path beyond Depression, Anxiety, and Fatigue to Reclaiming Your Authenticity, Vitality, and Freedom by Dr. Kelly Brogan 

Websites

drwaynedyer.com for more resources from Dr Wayne Dyer.

thework.com for more from Byron Katie, about loving what is.

stresscenter.com to learn about Attacking Anxiety and Depression, a Self-Help, Self-Awareness Program.

behavioraltech.org to locate a cognitive behavioral therapist closest to you.

mbct.com for resources and info on a proven mindfulness-based cognitive approach to feelings of chronic unhappiness and depression.

mindfullivingprograms.com offers courses using the mindfulness-based stress reduction program (MBSR).

drweil.com to learn more from one of the founding fathers of integrative medicine - merging complimentary alternative health care with science addressing the mind, body, heart and spirit.

avivaromm.com is an excellent resource for herbs and natural remedies for common aliments facing women and children, including depression and anxiety, by renowned midwife, physician and herbalist, who bridges traditional wisdom with modern medicine.

neuroassist.com provides information regarding amino acid support for emotional health.

thejourney.com offers retreats and local practitioners teaching deeply awesome and extremely effective mindbody approaches to health.

kellybroganmd.com for wonderfully effective holistic and integrative psychiatric approaches to mental wellness without medication.

mamagenas.com the official site for Mama Gena’s School of the Womanly Arts, leader of a global movement to reclaim the feminine, helping countless women to reclaim their power, feel exquisitely comfortable within their bodies and souls, and live with radiant pleasure.

Ibfbreathwork.org the international organization for conscious breathing and breathwork for optimal health and well-being. This site also lists local practitioners and retreat workshops that are extremely transformational and profoundly healing for thousands and thousands of people around the world.

HERBAL STRESS RELIEF

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 mental/emotional well-being 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.

Herbs are mentioned last, as they can be used as supportive to your personal growth and self mastery efforts and, except for nourishing tonics, are for short term use only. For best results, they should not be relied upon alone, used without the above mentioned techniques. Inner peace and happiness are an inside job. 

Drink Red Raspberry leaf, Skullcap, Motherwort, Chamomile, Lemon balm and/or Lavender tea to relax you. Peppermint or Spearmint tea will lift your spirits.  You can make a lovely calming infusion, which is more effective than the ready made teas, by mixing a pinch of each dried herb: chamomile, lavender and lemon balm. Add to 1 cup boiling water, steep covered in a glass mason jar for 15-20 minutes, strain, add lemon, fresh mint or honey to taste, and drink. 

Nettle and Dandelion are common herbs recommended in pregnancy to take as a nourishing tonic, but they are also wonderful for regulating blood sugar, supporting the adrenals, improving nutrient intake and building iron levels. In turn, this can balance your emotions, lessen mood swings and irritability.

To make an infusion:

1. Soak a handful of each dried herb in 1 quart of boiling water for 3-4 hours.

2. Strain in a mason glass canning jar.

3. Add lemon or lime juice, fresh mint or honey to taste.

4. Drink 1-3 cups per day. 

Nettle and Dandelion can also be taken as a tincture, 1 dropperful each 3-4 times daily.

Oatstraw works best to nourish and calm the nervous system when taken over time. You can add a generous pinch of the dried herb to the infusion above. Or, take 1 dropperful of the tincture of fresh creamy milky oat tops in its most potent form 1-2 times daily.

Motherwort is great for occasional use after the first trimester, to help restore emotional balance when feeling stressed, restless, irritable, or overwhelmed. Take 1/2 -1  dropperful of the tincture. Repeated if needed every 15-30 minutes for 3 hours or up to 2-3 times daily for 2-3 days.

Skullcap has a similar effect as Motherwort, but more helpful to calm, and can be used regularly. Take ½ - 1 dropperful of tincture a few times per day. Both Skullcap and Motherwort are helpful to have on hand in labor as well as postpartum.

Passionflower is a great herb to take when feeling cranky, short tempered, anxious or experiencing frequent changes of mood. Try ½-1 dropperful of the tincture or 2 capsules of standardized extract up to 3 times per day as needed.

Reishi Mushroom is an excellent natural remedy for stress and anxiety. It is calming and also helps with sleep. Take 1-2 capsules up to three times daily. 

Valerian can be taken on occasion, especially if you can not fall asleep at night because of feeling stressed or anxious. Take 2 capsules of standardized extract or one dropperful of the tincture in juice to help with taste.

CBD from hemp oil. This is the new rage, as it is gently calming, relieves anxiety and helps with sleep without the potential risks of the THC component of cannabis on the developing fetus. Results from anecdotal evidence and preliminary research, although sparse (as is common with most natural remedies in pregnancy), are promising. Make sure it is absolutely pure, and from a reputable source who can recommend proper dosing or from pharmacies licensed to dispense it. It is usually taken as several drops under the tongue.

Bach Flower Rescue Remedy can be used in temporary stressful situations, 4-6 drops every 10-15 minutes for a few hours.  Repeat as needed. There are many flower essences effective and safe for specific transient emotional symptoms on an energetic level, developed by physician Dr. Bach. If you are interested in exploring this modality, get yourself a wonderful reference and a a starter kit for you to use now and beyond for your growing family.

Homeopathic remedies are wonderfully safe and effective for relieving emotional stresses and imbalances. You can consult a classical homeopath, or refer to books like Homeopathy For Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby’s First Year by Miranda Castro.

Dr. Aviva Romm advises in “The Natural Pregnancy Book” taking a small dose of American Ginseng, Schisandra Berries and Eleuthero, 1/2 tsp each alone or total in combination 2 times per day to nourish your adrenals especially if you are overtired, burned out, overworked or overstressed. I would say it is best to avoid them in the first trimester. See her recent more comprehensive blog on remedies to support your adrenals in stressed modern times.

St. John’s Wort can help relieve mild to moderate depression. Take it if you are not pregnant (although if you are expecting, it may be a safer alternative than the common antidepressant prescription medications, to take in consultation with your provider).  Dr. Andrew Weil advises 300 mg three times per day of an extract standardized to 0.3 % hypericin. Allow at least 2 months for the full effect, and minimize sun exposure if you develop a photosensitivity reaction. 

SAMe is another natural remedy for mild to moderate depression and/or anxiety. Dr. Andrew Weil recommends the butanedisulfonate form, in enteric coated capsules or tablets, 400–1600 mg. per day on an empty stomach. 

If not pregnant, lavender Oil can be taken one capsule before sleep for the occasional bout of insomnia or anxiety. You can try Blue Vervain, 1/2 to one dropperful 1-3 x daily. Also take Rhodiola - as a tonic herb for mild depression, anxiety and stress, 100-200 mg twice daily. Choose an extract standardized to 2-3% rosavins and 0.8-1% salidrosides. This usually improves anxiety and sleep, but needs to be taken more regularly. Obviously stop it if it is too stimulating and worsens insomnia. You can also try Ashwagandha, if you feel overstressed and burned out. Dissolve 1-2 tsp of the powder in your smoothie, tea or warm milk for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times per day. Or, take 2-3 dropperfuls of the tincture twice daily and before sleep, or 2-5 grams of the capsules daily in divided doses.  One of my favorite remedies for calming anxiety and inner stress related insomnia is Kava Kava. You can take a few drops up to a dropperfuls of the tincture or 150 -450 mg of the encapsulated liquid capsules before bed for occasional short term use only. Do not use if you are taking any substance including alcohol or medications that affect the liver, or you have any liver issues. This is one of my favorite herbs for anxiety and/or insomnia from inner stress and is usually well tolerated and very effective.

Dr. Aviva Romm is an excellent resource for herbs and natural remedies for depression and anxiety, and if you are struggling with psychological symptoms, integrative holistic psychiatrist Dr. Kelly Brogan’s online course and associated resources are a must.

Contact your provider if these suggestions do not help and your negative emotions are persistent and becoming too frequent or strong to cope with, especially if you:

• Have a history of depression or anxiety needing prescription medication

• Are having trouble functioning

• Are eating or sleeping too much or too little

• Have frightening thoughts

• Experience severe oscillation of moods between wild elation and despair

• Feel at risk for harming yourself or others

Such severe symptoms require psychiatric evaluation and often medication to prevent or treat a more serious illness. However, try to avoid mind-altering drugs and medications (such as sedatives, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antihistamines and steroids) unless absolutely and medically necessary.

Do not take any herb or medication before discussing it with your provider, as many are not safe for use in pregnancy. Do not take any prescription anti-anxiety or anti-depressant drug unless you are really suffering and none of these suggestions help, and you are closely supervised by your psychiatrist.

Check out my number one international best selling book Natural Birth Secrets second edition, and in adjunct, 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! In both you will learn how to master your inner calm for pregnancy, labor, birth and life beyond.

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