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.

Numbness and Tingling (Paresthesias) During Pregnancy

Numbness, tingling, pain and other unusual sensations in the fingers and toes during pregnancy are quite common. Termed paresthesias, these sensations are related to the pressure on local nerves from the growing uterus, fluid retention and/or your altered posture.

To Reduce the Frequency of Paresthesias in Pregnancy

Periodically check the way you are sitting and standing, making sure that you are erect, using your abdominal muscles instead of your back muscles. Keep your pelvis tilted forward so that your back is straight, not arched, and your shoulders relaxed down but not slumped.

Pay scrupulous attention to good body mechanics, meaning that you should use your arms, legs, and abdominal muscles to do your work, never your back. Get close to an object to move it rather than pull or pick it up towards you.

Exercise regularly at least 5 times per week for 30 minutes. Good options are:

• Brisk walking

• Cycling

• Dancing 

• Swimming 

• Pilates

• Prenatal yoga 

• Low impact aerobics

Try a prenatal class in one of the above modalities to help you to work on correct posturing, flexibility and building of muscle strength. Exercise, stretch, elevate and massage the affected extremity as often as you can.

Avoid movements that are jerky or painful, and make sure you are also getting regular daily rest periods off your feet. Sometimes lying down, pelvic tilts on your hands and knees, or assuming a yin, gentle or restorative yoga posture may help.

Drink at least 64 ounces of filtered, spring or well water a day between meals, at least 20-30 minutes before or 2 hours after meals. This is especially important if your hands and feet are a bit swollen with fluid.

Make sure your diet is healthy and nourishing, and includes lots of: 

• Fresh organic fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains

• Nuts and nut butters

• Beans

• Seeds and seed products like tahini 

• Organic tofu and tempeh 

• Organic whole eggs

• Chicken or turkey

• Beef, lamb, and wild game

• Wild Alaskan salmon

• Organic fresh raw whole dairy foods—ideally goat or sheep

• Organic cold expeller pressed extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil or goat butter

• Use plenty of fresh ginger and tumeric in your cooking

Avoid highly processed white flour sugary foods, unhealthy refined vegetable oils and partially hydrogenated fats.

If the sensations are mainly in your hands, this is often termed carpal tunnel syndrome. Periodically elevate your arms, flex and extend your fingers and roll your shoulders to see if this brings relief. Try hanging your arms out of bed at night. Avoid or modify repetitive activities like typing. Try a special wrist brace to wear. Take 100-200 mg a day of Vitamin B6. 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 carpel tunnel syndrome 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.

Practice authentic yoga regularly, to ensure proper body alignment and full use of your lung capacity. Poor posture and shallow breathing have a ripple effect and negatively impact your health, even carpal tunnel syndrome.  

Do the following wrist exercises several times per day.  When home, get out your yoga mat and support your body with props like blankets, bolsters or blocks  as needed. 

Wrist Flexes

Sit or stand straight and hold your arms out in front of you with palms facing down. Flex one wrist so that your fingers point towards the floor, and use the other hand to increase the stretch. Hold for 20-30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. You can also hold your hands in namaste or prayer position, move each hand forward and backward using the other hand for resistance.

Then press the palms and fingers firmly together in front of your chest, and hold for a few minutes. Finally, reverse your hands so that the back of your hands are pressing together, fingers pointing down. Hold as is comfortable. 

Hand Circles

Circle your fisted hands in each full circular direction, then shake them out for 15-30 seconds.

Wrist Stretch

Place a folded yoga blanket in the middle of your mat for extra knee padding. Get on your hands and knees, with your feet flexed, and your fingers facing backwards, towards your knees. Press down evenly on your hands as you move your hips back enough to feel the wrists stretch. Stretch for as as long as comfortable.

Then switch it up so the backs of your hands are on the floor, palms facing upward, with your fingers now facing forward.  Lift up as you evenly press the backs of your hands into the floor, and move your body to feel the stretch in your wrists. Again, hold for as long as comfortable. You can also do this with your fingers pointing inwards, and again with your fingers pointing outwards, palms up and palms down. 

For those with any sort of chronic symptoms, including carpal tunnel syndrome, in which serious causes have been ruled out and none of the natural or allopathic remedies help, consider Clarity Breathwork. Read the book The Mindbody Prescription By Dr John Sarno, MD. He is an amazing pioneering physician whose brilliant approach has helped hundreds of thousands of people without drugs, physical measure or surgery. Also 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.

Seek out a classical homeopath to find a remedy specific to your symptoms. A chiropractor, osteopath, acupuncturist, or massage therapist may also be helpful.

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

If none of these suggestions work for you or your paresthesias become severe, persistent, or worrisome, or they are associated with other unusual symptoms, consult a specialist in orthopedics or neurology. 

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

Try Bellefit’s prenatal support wear. You can purchase here.

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.

Prenatal & Mindful Hatha Flow Yoga Class Series Online Course

$147.00

This course has 16 yoga classes plus bonus material:

• Seven ~ 60-80 minute Prenatal Yoga classes

• Seven ~ 60-80 minute Mindful Hatha Flow Yoga classes

• A soothing Gentle Slow Flow Yoga class

• A Restorative Yoga class for deep relaxation

• Bonus videos of an hour Live more advanced Vinyasa Class, shorter breaks of yoga anywhere anytime, use of props - like the wall, a chair, yoga blocks, yoga belts, yoga blankets and bolsters to enhance your practice, and practicing with your baby or pet.

The prenatal yoga 7 class series will invite you to grow, strengthen, focus, train and enhance your mind, body, heart and spirit. Discover for yourself the calming, healing and transformative power of yoga - intentional meditative movement with breath. Classes begin with meditation made simple using breathwork, gradual warm up, increasing difficulty as well as yoga play, gentle cool down, and end with restorative practices in deep relaxation. They are slow flowing, with space to explore specific poses but are meant to challenge you. Classes are different each session, with classical fundamental alignment based asana fused with modern postures and their many modifications and varied creative transitions. The classes are taught with modifications for pregnancy, incorporate positions for positively influencing baby’s position and active birthing as well as those to relieve common discomforts in pregnancy. They also are fused with meditative, breathwork and visualization techniques and tools for coping with and easing sensations of labor and birth, which will transform your childbirth experience with regular practice.

The seven classes are there for you to practice a different class each day of the week or according to your own frequency, then start over again from the beginning of the series. Each class ranges from on average 60 minutes to 80 minutes, and they build on each other; following the sequence from class 1 onward is advised if it is your first time taking the series or are a beginning practitioner. Classes are mindful, at a slow safe pace, gentle but challenging, so that you build strength, flexibility & agility. They start with the basics but are for all levels, and beginners too are welcome! If you are not pregnant, you can use the prenatal classes as beginner classes, just modify as needed and use any mention of pregnancy and labor as it pertains to any labor of your own life. The need to relax into intensity and the multiple benefits of yoga practice pertain to everyone. Or simply take the general Mindful Hatha Flow Yoga Class Series online course.

Once you hone your skills, you can take the Mindful Hatha Flow 7 Class Series that follows, doing your own modifications as needed - for pregnancy or wherever you are on your yoga journey, or simply start them after you are recovered postpartum. They also build on one another and can be practiced successively until you are ready to mix and match and create your own classes and practice schedule.

Additional videos are included to enhance your practice with use of the various props, as well as a soothing gentle slow flow class and a restorative yoga class for deep relaxation (great for evening!), shorter breaks of doing it anywhere and anytime, and a live bonus video of a more advanced class.

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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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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.