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.

Want a comprehensive holistic reference guide to the journey of getting pregnant, being pregnant, birth, breastfeeding, postpartum and beyond? Check out the second edition of my international and national best selling book Natural Birth Secrets.

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This is your key to an immensely positive birth, feeling confident, strong, relaxed, and empowered during the entire process, regardless of the twists and turns it may take.

Stomach Bug or Food Poisoning During Pregnancy: Natural Remedies

Whether a stomach bug or temporary bout of food poisoning, having an upset stomach during pregnancy can be especially uncomfortable. 

Although you may feel very sick, vomiting and diarrhea are important defense mechanisms, enabling your body to rid itself of harmful substances like toxins and germs. Therefore, it is best to allow most simple cases to run their course without suppressing your symptoms.

Make sure to get plenty of rest, to enable yourself to heal.

Home Remedies for Stomach Bug and Food Poisoning

FOOD AND DRINK

The main concern with stomach bug and food poisoning is excessive loss of body fluids resulting in serious dehydration, which in pregnancy can increase the chance of premature labor. When an acute bout of vomiting and/or diarrhea occurs, the first thing you need to do is let your irritated gastrointestinal tract heal by avoiding all food for 12-24 hours. But, try to keep hydrated by drinking frequent sips of filtered, spring or well water, or other clear liquid every hour or two (¼ cup water every 15-30 minutes is the minimum).

After 12 hours or when your symptoms have calmed down a bit, try taking clear fluids in sips or spoonfuls as frequently as you can tolerate. The ideal is to drink a total of at least at least 64 ounces of fluids daily, and you may need more if you have been dehydrated. Avoid oily liquids and milk at this time, which irritate the intestinal tract and interfere with its healing.

Better choices include:

• Filtered, spring or well water

• Electrolyte infused Smart Water

• Pure coconut water

• Diluted fruit juice

• Herbal teas with honey (like ginger, peppermint or chamomile)

• Miso, bone or vegetable broth

• Chicken or any other low fat non-dairy soup stock

• Rice or barley water (drink the water used to cook barley or brown rice)

• Frozen fruit or fruit juice popsicles

• Recharge or organic Gatorade electrolyte drinks (avoid the standard chemical-laden Gatorade)

• A homemade electrolyte concoction:

  • Combine ⅛-¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp calcium/magnesium powder, 1-2 Tbsp honey, 1 qt spring or pure coconut water, and juice of 1 fresh lemon or lime to taste.

• Drink a cup slowly every 1-2 hours. Even if you vomit it up, you will still get some.

After 24 hours of only liquids and as the symptoms improve, advance to a bland diet for the next day or two in addition to frequent fluids. Good food choices include bananas, applesauce, white basmati rice, dry white toast, white rice cakes or crackers, hot rice or wheat cereal cooked in water sweetened with pure maple syrup or honey, and mashed potatoes with a little salt.

Continue to avoid fats and dairy products (other than organic live culture yogurt), spicy or sugary food, caffeine and alcohol. An oil that actually helps relieve diarrhea is made from flax seed but you may prefer to take it as directed in capsule form. For now, stay away from high-fiber foods, like most raw fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Wait 48 hours after your symptoms resolve before eating these foods and returning to your normal diet. An upset digestive tract, like any other injury, needs time to heal. 

For any type of dysentery, eat unripe green bananas and basmati rice with plain yogurt for optimal gut health. Also eat fresh papaya with a FEW seeds, as they contain substances which kill many types of causative organisms responsible for intestinal infections. However, don’t ingest more than 1 Tbsp of the seeds daily in pregnancy. 

HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS

Reputable brands 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.

As with any infection, eat a bulb of garlic once per day. You can bake the cloves in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, or cut it up raw and swallow a few cloves as pills, but you are more likely to tolerate taking New Chapter’s Garlicforce. This product is a wonderfully effective and very mild tasting encapsulated supercritical extract of garlic. 

You can also try Gaia’s Echinacea Supreme herbal tincture, 1-2 dropperfuls every few hours daily in juice. This will help kill germs like viruses and strengthen your immune system.

Drink a strong red raspberry leaf tea, or even better, make your own infusion of red raspberry leaf by immersing one ounce dried herb in one quart boiling water, brew for ½ hour, strain in a glass canning jar, and drink ½ - 1 cup up to every 30 minutes to 1 hour, according to the severity of your diarrhea. Add fresh mint, juice of lemon or lime and honey to taste.

Take Klaire labs probiotics twice daily for at least a few weeks to help resolve the diarrhea and replace healthy intestinal flora.

Slippery Elm is reputed to be the best herbal remedy for soothing and healing inflammation of the bowel and/or acid reflux irritation commonly felt after vomiting. Take capsules 3 times daily, suck on lozenges, or make your own paste by combining the powdered form with a few spoonfuls of honey-sweetened water, applesauce or hot cereal.

Ginger is great for relieving nausea. Try:

• Making ginger tea by boiling a tiny piece or 1 tsp fresh grated ginger root in 1 cup of water for 5-15 minutes. Strain into your glass canning jar, add honey and/or lemon to taste, and sip up to 2 cups throughout the day. 

• Drinking all natural ginger ale.

• Taking Ginger Honey tonic, 1-2 spoonfuls as often as needed plain, in tea or sparkling water.

• Sucking on ice cubes of ginger tea.

• Ginger hard candy, chewables or candied ginger slices. 

• Taking Ginger root powder in capsules, 250 mg up to 4 times per day (if no history of 2 or more miscarriages).

Dr. Andrew Weil recommends Blackberry root bark as a good herbal remedy for diarrhea. Take 1 tsp of the tincture every 2-4 hours, or make your own infusion by steeping a handful of the dried herb in 1 quart boiling water for 20 minutes, straining in your glass mason jar, and drinking a cup every 2-4 hours. He also advises carob powder, which is very soothing on irritated intestines after diarrhea. Mix 1 Tbsp with applesauce and honey for taste, and eat on an empty stomach 1-½ hours before or 3 hours after eating. If you have a lot of painful abdominal cramping, take opium tincture, 10-15 drops in a small amount of water every 3-4 hours for no more than 2 days. But take care, as it can be quite sedating.

For diarrhea, Bentonite Clay that is safe for ingesting, is studied to bind and rid the body of toxins and irritants, which provides effective relief of acute bouts of diarrhea. Take 1-2 Tbsp dissolved in distilled water 2-3 times daily for a few days. Another impressive complementary remedy is activated charcoal taken as directed on the bottle. It is said to be safe in pregnancy up to 50 grams 3 times daily for no more than a week. 

The essential oils of Chamomile, Peppermint or Geranium may be diluted and massaged into your abdomen to bring relief. Or, place a few drops in your essential oil diffuser, or glass spray bottle of water and spray it near you periodically.

Dr. Aviva Romm, in The Natural Pregnancy Book, recommends taking 2 capsules of goldenseal after the first trimester, every 4 hours for no more than 24 hours in cases of more severe dysentery. Stop if you feel your uterus contracting more than usual. She also writes about a wonderfully effective Japanese treatment of topical salt packs if you feel a round of vomiting approaching or if you have been vomiting frequently. To prepare:

1. Heat ½ cup sea salt in a pan for 3 minutes.

2. Put the salt in a pillowcase or cloth bag.

3. Fold into a rectangular pad or small square, and wrap in a towel if too hot.

4. Apply directly to your stomach (not belly).

Always remember to wash your hands with soap after going to the bathroom, and use separate towels until you are well again.

Homeopathic remedies are remarkably effective and safe in treating common ailments like a stomach bug in pregnancy. You can consult with a classical homeopath, or refer to books like Homeopathy For Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby’s First Year by Miranda Castro for a remedy most specific to your symptoms. The remedy that works best for me is Arsenicum. Others report much success with Weleeda’s homeopathic combination Nausin (7–10 drops four times per day) especially for nausea. 

Do not take any medications (even the over-the counter-ones) without consulting with your practitioner, as many are not safe to use in pregnancy, slow your body’s attempt to heal yourself or mask important symptoms and give a false sense of reassurance.

If you need more personal guidance, schedule a consultation with me. If you are feeling overwhelmed, or do not even know what questions to ask, I can help you!

Contact your practitioner if these suggestions do not help and there is NO IMPROVEMENT in 24-36 hours, especially if:

• Diarrhea and/or vomiting is incessant and you cannot keep anything down. 

• You have severe abdominal pain.

• Your temperature is over 101.

• The vomiting material or stools is unusual (bloody, black tarry, grey, white or resemble coffee grounds).

• There is yellowing of your skin or eyes.

• You experience dark colored urine.

• You have unusual fatigue for more than a few days and your discomfort is in the right upper part of your abdomen.

• There is evidence of dehydration - your mouth is without saliva and your eyes are without tears, your eyes appear sunken and your normal skin texture is lost (if you pinch up some skin and it does not immediately snap back into place), and/or urination has reduced or stopped.

• Your symptoms occurred after an injury or ingestion of a drug or poison.

• Other family members or close contacts have been diagnosed with hepatitis.

• You suspect a bacterial or parasitic infection (like Shigella, for example).

• You experience regular uterine cramping or hardening, a new pattern of lower abdominal or back ache or pressure, vaginal bleeding or leaking of amniotic fluid.

• Your baby is not moving as much as usual.

• You are worried that something isn’t right.

Want a comprehensive holistic guide to the journey of getting pregnant, being pregnant, birth, breastfeeding, postpartum and beyond? Check out the second edition of my international and national best selling book Natural Birth Secrets.

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.

Skin Changes In Pregnancy

Skin changes in pregnancy can be a nuisance, but there are a number of home remedies available to alleviate discomfort and improve appearance. But, it begins with embracing all the normal changes as beautiful marks of blessing, wisdom and transformation to not only appreciate but also to celebrate.

The hormones in pregnancy cause a variety of skin changes, such as:

• Darkening of your nipples and areola

• Darkening of existing moles, freckles and birthmarks

• The development of dark patches on the face

• A dark line in the center of the abdomen

• Stretch marks

• Red palms

• Spider veins

• Dryness

• Sweating

• Itching

• Increased sensitivity to irritants

Skin Discoloration

To minimize skin discoloration, avoid tanning salons and excessive sun exposure, especially between 10 am and 2 pm. During these peak hours, apply low dose natural sunscreen containing an SPF of at least 15-30. Protect yourself with a big brimmed hat and light clothing as needed.

Make sure you eat foods high in folate, such as whole grains, fresh fruits, vegetables, and liver. Alternately, you can take a prenatal herbal supplement that provides 1 mg methylated folic acid which has other benefits as well, like prevention of fetal neural tube defects. It also comes in chewable form. 

Avoid hydrocortisone cream and coal tar preparations.

Red palms may be caused by a deficiency in vitamin B6 which is unlikely if your diet is healthy and well-balanced, as B6 is found in fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein foods, as well as in prenatal vitamins.

Consult your dermatologist if a mole develops changes other than simply darkening, such as becoming larger, irregular, discolored, or irritated.

Stretch Marks

Stretch marks are made worse by increased weight gain and skin stretching, like with large babies or twins. If you have a tendency to develop stretch marks, you can help to prevent or minimize them with a regular massage to the vulnerable areas with equal amounts of the essential oils of argan, bitter almond, gotu kola, pomegranate, lavender, bitter orange, rosehip, vitamin E and dragon's blood extract sap diluted in a container of almond, coconut and/or wheat germ oils.

Try experimenting with creams said to help, such as those containing cocoa butter or shea butter, elastin, vitamin E and any of the above essential oils. Massage them slowly into your body with love and honor for your goddess self, looking for and admiring the beauty inside and out. Take time to breathe in a sense of deep gratitude for the blessings in your life, including the ability to bring a new baby into your family.

Wear a supportive bra and a good maternity girdle, and watch your weight. Remember, you only need to gain 3-6 pounds during the 1st trimester and ½ -1 pound per week for the remainder of your pregnancy, for a grand total of 25-35 pounds.

Get 30 minutes 5 days per week of moderate exercise like brisk walking, dancing, swimming, cycling, and low impact aerobics, as well as muscle toning through floor work exercises, light weights, Pilates and/or prenatal yoga. 

Drink 8-10 glasses of water daily. And eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and lean protein (like organic eggs, tofu, wild clean water fish, turkey or chicken), and use olive or coconut as your primary oil. Avoid products high in refined white flour, sugars and saturated or partially hydrogenated fat. 

Be sure to supplement your diet with prenatal vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and other nutrients needed to sustain a healthy pregnancy. 

You can also try homeopathic remedies called Calcarea fluorica, Graphites and/or Silicea to prevent stretch marks. It is usually given in low doses, several pellets of the remedy most specific to your symptoms a few times daily. Homeopathic remedies are safe and amazingly effective in treating common skin issues during pregnancy. You can consult a classical homeopath, or refer to books like Homeopathy For Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby’s First Year by Miranda Castro. 

Most skin changes resolve during the early postpartum months, but stretch marks are often referred to as one’s mark of motherhood since they never completely disappear. Try to think of them as reminders of the gifts that have been bestowed upon you, to be thankful and appreciative of your ability to bear children. Try to see the beauty in a pregnant belly. As one wise African midwife once remarked at a midwifery conference, there are many infertile women who would do anything just to have those stretch marks.

Renowned holistic MD, midwife and herbalist, Aviva Romm, in “The Natural Pregnancy Book” views stretch marks as “silvery jewelry on the belly of a woman adorning her and reflecting her ability to grow and change.” She further states that contrary to the values of American society, we need to “take pride in our individual form, shape and markings…to love ourselves with awe and admiration at the amazing accommodation your body is giving to your growing baby.”

Rashes and Itching

If you develop a local itchy rash, it may be the result of a mild allergy to something that never bothered you before. You need to experiment by paying attention to everything that comes in contact with the affected area of your skin. Eliminate possible culprits one at a time. Common causes include:

• Bath soap

• Laundry detergent

• Synthetic cleaning soaps

• Household and workplace chemicals

• Environmental toxins

• Synthetic clothing

• Cosmetics

• Metal on watches and jewelry

• Poison ivy or poison oak 

• Certain foods (like cow dairy, gluten, soy, certain fruits, nuts, or chemical additives)

Watch for improvement after switching to all-natural hypoallergenic products available at most health food stores, wearing only cotton close to your skin, putting the laundry through an extra rinse, taking off your metal, gardening with gloves and protective clothing and avoiding these plants altogether, or cutting out a specific food item for a few days. 

Try to avoid scratching as this makes the rash worse. If your skin is irritated, take a hot or cool water bath as often as you need and add a packet or ½ cup of Aveeno colloidal oatmeal or cornstarch to the water. Once your skin is completely dry, apply aloe vera gel, a few drops of lavender oil or calendula salve, or herbal combination lotion or cream to the affected areas. Ointments or creams containing Tigar Balm, Ben Gay, or Vitamins A, E, and C may also help, as well as a homeopathic remedy specific to your symptoms. If you do touch the poison ivy or oak plant again, you have 20-30 minutes to wash the oil off with soap and water, or up to 24 hours to wash it off with Tecnu lotion or Zanfel, which is more effective. 

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 skin changes 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.

For itching skin without a rash, make sure your diet is high in organic whole foods, with plenty of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans. Minimize processed, refined, chemical laden, and deep fried foods. Drink at least a half gallon of water daily.

Keep cool with loose comfortable all-cotton clothing. Try soaking in a hot or cool oatmeal or cornstarch bath, and apply calendula oil or rub cocoa butter on the itchy part of your body. Prevent skin dryness with almond or coconut oil. You can add to the oil a few drops each of the above mentioned essential oils of lavender, rosehip, bitter orange and pomegranate.

Try aqueous cream with aloe vera and/or collagen, and consult your homeopath for a remedy specific to your individual symptoms. Supplement with 1000-1500 mg evening primrose oil and 400-600 mg DHA/EPA essential fatty acids commonly found in fish oil tested free of common pollutants.

A wonderfully effective herb that helps with generalized itching and is one of the finest nourishing tonics in pregnancy is stinging nettles. You can make your own tea by adding a handful of the dried herb to 1 quart of boiling water. Steep covered in a mason glass canning jar for 4-8 hours and drink several times daily. Or, you can take 1-2 of Gaia’s or Eclectic Institute’s capsules of freeze dried extract every 2-4 hours as needed. 

Another effective remedy recommended by Dr. Aviva Romm in “The Natural Pregnancy Book”, is made by combing ¼ -½ ounce each of bulk echinacea root, burdock root, licorice root (only if blood pressure is normal, and not high) and dandelion root. Steep in 1 quart boiling water for 4 hours, strain and drink ½ cup twice daily until condition improves. You can try adding lemon or lime juice, fresh mint, and or honey to taste.

Women who suffer from chronic allergic skin complaints often find that they clear up in pregnancy, but occasionally they do get worse. 

If you have eczema that is not improving, try eliminating all cow’s milk and gluten products from your diet for 2 weeks to see if that helps. If you see improvement, resume dairy or one grain at a time for 2 days and note if the symptoms recur. If so, you will need to avoid that food completely. But, if they do not recur, then you can safely eat that particular food item. Other common allergen triggers to experiment eliminating and resuming one at a time include soy, corn, eggs, and yeast. 

Increase intake of other foods high in calcium (like dark green leafy vegetables, sesame seed dip/tahini, wild clean water salmon and sardines) or take supplemental 500 mg Calcium Citrate with Magnesium 2-3 times per day. Cook with fresh turmeric and ginger. Dr Andrew Weil recommends taking 500 mg evening primrose or black currant oil twice daily, and applying chaparral salve or aloe vera gel to the affected areas when skin is still moist after bathing. 

Reduce inner stress and increase inner calm with regular practice of yoga, meditation and breathwork, and do what you can to reduce stressors in your life. This includes unplugging from your smartphone and computer as much as possible to connect more with life, yourself and others, and doing what you really love. Doing this is probably the most important remedy, as the mind and body are exquisitely connected, and inside stress is a major cause of health problems, especially chronic allergic skin issues.

If you have psoriasis that is not improving, increase sunlight exposure to affected areas. Weather permitting, spend at least 20 minutes in the early morning or late afternoon sun. Take 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed daily. You can add to hot or cold cereals, baked goods, smoothies or yogurt. 

Apply topical applications of aloe vera or chaparral lotions or salves, take a good prenatal multivitamin and mineral supplement (like New Chapter or Innate Response) with omega threes. Dr. Weil advises additional antioxidants that include:

• 10,000-20,000 IU mixed carotenoids (a safe source of Vitamin A)

• 400-800 IU Vitamin E

• 200 mg Vitamin C

• 100-200 mcg selenium

• 60 mg coenzyme Q10 softgel capsules

And you can try 2 capsules of Gaia, Wish Garden or Eclectic Institute’s Milk Thistle twice per day if needed. Allow at least 3 months for optimal effects.

For both psoriasis and eczema, explore wonderfully effective alternative modalities such as hypnotherapy, visualization, breathwork and guided imagery therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Read Dr. Andrew Weil’s Natural Health, Natural Medicine, which provides information on improving nutritional habits and practical ways in which you can reduce inflammation, as well as internal tension, and enhance your own health and well-being safely and naturally.

Increased Sweating

If you perspire a lot, make sure you replace fluids by drinking extra water. Bathe or shower 1-2 times daily as needed. Wear all-natural roll on deodorant from the health food store or just use plain alcohol, scented as you wish with a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Avoid antiperspirants, as you do not want to interfere with the sweating your body needs to do.

Sweating is made worse by being overweight, as well as over dressing and wearing clothing made from synthetic material like nylon and polyester instead of cotton. Dress in layers of loose cotton clothing, and eliminate coffee and other sources of caffeine from your diet.

Slippery elm bark powder or marshmallow root powder can be your applied creases, to reduce chafing or rashes from heat or increased sweating.

Consult your provider if your skin changes become severe or associated with other unusual symptoms not related to pregnancy. For instance:

• Your rash is spreading all over your body

• General itching without a rash, especially on your palms and soles 

• You have a sudden appearance of hives and your throat feels constricted

• You develop a fever, chills and/or muscle aches

• The above mentioned suggestions do not help and your symptoms persist or worsen 

Many of these changes respond well to homeopathy, especially if they bother you. Seek out a classical homeopath, who can prescribe a homeopathic remedy specific to your individual symptoms.

For those with any sort of chronic frequent skin problems, from acne to eczema and psoriasis, to hives and allergic rashes, 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’s an amazing pioneering physician whose brilliant approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people without drugs, physical measure or surgery. Also schedule several Clarity Breathwork sessions to clear inner repressed stress, trauma, anger and grief from your body and increase your inner calm and joy. Check out Brandon Bays’ book The Journey, and her intensive workshops for extremely effective mindbody cutting edge methods that have also lead to transformational healing for thousands of people around the world.

If you need more personalized guidance, you can make an online or in person appointment with me. I am happy to help.

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

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

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

Posterior Position: Practical Steps for Prevention and Remedy

Art by Katie Atkinson @spiritysol

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

• Has given birth before

• Is carrying a baby of average or smaller size

• Has an adequate sized pelvis

• Is committed, relaxed and prepared

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

• Has the ability to eat and drink freely

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

Art by Katie Atkinson @spiritysol

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

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

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

Art by Katie Atkinson @spiritysol

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If Your Baby Is Posterior

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

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

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

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

• Scrub your floors or do some gardening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

If Going Into Labor With a Posterior Baby

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

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

• Rock and dance from side to side.

• March or tread in place.

• Step on and off a step stool.

• Climb in and out of the birth pool.

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

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

During the pushing stage of labor:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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