Do you want to have a Baby?

Natural Therapies for Colds During Pregnancy

Pregnant women catch colds just like everyone else, but over-the counter drugs for congestion relief and antibiotics are not a good choice during pregnancy. They tend to drive the infection deeper and some can affect the baby. Natural therapies, in contrast, help restore immune strength while reducing symptoms. 

For cold prevention, avoid contact with people who are sick, practice relaxation therapies to cut pregnancy-related stress, and focus on a balanced, whole foods diet.  For acute colds, avoid antibiotics and over the counter drugs unless your doctor is absolutely sure they’re necessary. Try homemade chicken soup instead; it works wonders! Add garlic and onions for anti-infective qualities. Eat vitamin C foods for immune response: citrus fruits and juices, broccoli, greens, papaya, potatoes, tomatoes. Vitamin C chewables help reduce runny nose and allergy eye symptoms. Elderberry syrup (use berry only-not the root) is a specific for flu. Try a very dilute eucalyptus or tea tree steam treatment to ease coughing or respiratory symptoms. Just add a few drops to a vaporizer and breathe in for relief. Have hot herbal teas, especially peppermint or ginger to promote sweating, and miso or nutritional yeast broths often. Use Maitake D-Fraction extract as directed to rebuild immune strength. 

-Sarah

A special note to Moms on bed rest

Women who have signs of early labor or who are pregnant with multiples may be advised to go on bed rest. Bed rest takes advantage of the healing power of gravity. Lying down reduces pressure on the cervix, which helps prevent uterine contractions and preterm labor. By limiting physical exertion, bed rest limits stress on the heart, kidneys and circulatory system. Lying down also improves blood flow to the uterus, so the babies will receive even more nutrients from your food. Many moms-to-be dread the thought of so much idle time in bed, but you can use bed rest to your advantage by exploring new hobbies that challenge your mind instead of your body.

• Get creative: While we admit we love Netflix, we don’t recommend watching TV or movies 24/7 during bed rest. Bed rest is a great time to explore your inner artist. Try craft projects like scrapbooking (setting up scrapbook photo album pages for baby’s arrival is one idea). Knitting, coloring, and artwork are other fun craft projects to try.

• Read: Experienced moms remind us that after the baby is born you’ll have less time for reading. It’s a great time to finish that novel you’ve been putting off. I recommend perusing Mothering and Parenting magazines for tips that you can really use after the baby is born. Reading our special section “After Your Baby Is Born” is another good idea.

• Get connected: Use a laptop to connect with other pregnant women on bed rest. Babycenter.com, Parentsplace.com and Yahoo.com all have online groups you can join to share your pregnancy experiences.

• Be patient and stay centered: Spiritual practices like prayer, meditation and guided imagery help ease fears and help you visualize a healthy delivery.

• Focus on your health: drink plenty of fluids, eat foods recommended in the pregnancy diet section and remember to take your pregnancy supplements and prenatal vitamins.

-Sarah

Bodywork for Two

Try these pregnancy bodywork suggestions.

1. Get some mild daily exercise, such as a brisk walk for fresh air, more tissue oxygen and circulation. Take an early morning, or half hour sun bath when possible for vitamin D, calcium absorption and bone growth.

2. Consciously set aside one stress-free time for relaxation every day. Yoga stretches and pregnancy massage are especially helpful. The baby will know, thrive, and be more relaxed, too.

3. If you practice reflexology, do not press the acupressure point just above the ankle on the inside of the leg. It can start contractions.

4. Rub cocoa butter, vitamin E oil or wheat germ oil on the stomach and around the vaginal opening every night to make stretching easier and the skin more elastic during delivery. Many women swear that it makes an enormous difference. Gently stretch perineal tissues with your fingers to prepare for the birthing experience.

5. Get adequate sleep. Body energy turns inward during sleep fo repair, restoration and fetal growth.

-Sarah

How to take your basal body temperature

Your body temperature is a reflection of your metabolic rate, governed by the thyroid gland. Imbalances in thyroid hormone production reveal themselves in changes in basal body temperature. Normal basal body temperature is 98.6°. If your basal body temperature is chronically low, it can be a sign of low thyroid function or Wilson’s syndrome. If it is chronically elevated, you could be pregnant or have a hyperactive thyroid gland (Graves disease). A visit to a physician can confirm either diagnosis. 

You will need a thermometer to perform this test.
1. Before bed, shake down a thermometer to below 95°F and put it in a safe place for the night.

2. On rising, place the thermometer in your armpit for 10 minutes. Try to lie down and stay still while performing the test.

3. After 10 minutes, read your temperature and note it with the day’s date. 

4. Repeat your temperature test for 3-5 consecutive mornings.

-Sarah

Pregnancy Diet Tips

Limit junk foods, fats and refined foods. Avoid high sugar foods. Just the amount of sugar equal to 1 1/2 cans of soda daily increases risk for preeclampsia (pregnancy toxemia and high blood pressure) 17 times! Focus on a whole foods diet. Shop the parameters of grocery stores where the real food is, or shop in a health food store. 

Eat a wide range of healthy foods to assure the baby access to all nutrients. Avoid cabbages, onions, and garlic. They can upset body balance during pregnancy. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onion, milk and chocolate (the worst!) can aggravate colic in nursing babies. Avoid red meats.

Work with a qualified health practitioner to help determine which herbs and supplements are right for you.

Don’t fast—even for short periods where fasting might be helpful, like constipation, or to overcome a cold. Food energy and nutrient content may be diminished too much.

Avoid chemicalized, smoked, preserved, and artificially colored foods. Eliminate deli meats like ham, bologna and salami since they contain numerous chemicals and are a common cause of food poisoning.

Avoid caffeine (5 or more cups of coffee daily is linked to spontaneous abortion) and tobacco (linked to pregnancy complications, low birth weight, stillbirths, and SIDS- see below).

Avoid chemical solvents, and CFCs such as hair spray, and cat litter. Your system may be able to handle these things without undue damage; the baby’s can’t. Even during nursing, toxic amounts occur easily.

There’s evidence which suggests using non-stick pans may cause birth defects or infertility. Consider stainless steel, glassware or cast iron pans for your cooking needs during pregnancy.

Avoid smoking and secondary smoke. Your baby, like you, metabolizes the harmful cancer-causing residues of tobacco. The chance of low birth weight, SIDS and miscarriage is much more likely if you smoke. Smoker’s infants have a mortality rate 30% higher than a non-smoker’s. Nursing babies take in small amounts of nicotine with breast milk, and become prone to chronic respiratory infections. Research shows smoking during pregnancy may also double your child’s risk of having ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).

Alcohol exposure is the most common cause of mental retardation in the U.S. More American babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) than with Down Syndrome. Don’t drink to prevent FAS, mental retardation and motor-skill problems. Even small amounts of alcohol (3 to 6 ounces daily) may increase your child’s risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. We recommend no alcohol at all during pregnancy.

-Sarah

Stretch Marks & Post Pregnancy Tummy Bulge

Stretch marks can be a pregnant woman’s worst fear. Women long for the days when they could wear bikinis and baby-doll t-shirts. Stretch mark severity depends on genetics and nutrition. Pregnancy stretch marks tend to fade with time, and some women don’t get them at all. Don’t dwell if you do get them. Be proud of your hard work “growing” your little miracle. Almost all women will have a little tummy bulge after they give birth that may hang on for some time. Severe cases of diastasis, caused by the separation of the outermost abdominal muscles during pregnancy, can benefit from an exercise program, a lean plant based diet and thermogenic herbs. Plastic surgery works well as a last resort, but be aware of the risks.

 Improve your chances by pacing your weight gain and eating plenty of collagen building vitamin C foods like broccoli, cauliflower, citrus fruits, greens, papaya and potatoes. Drink plenty of water throughout your pregnancy to prevent skin dehydration. Apply wheat germ, avocado, sesame oil, vitamin E, or A, D & E oil to make skin stretching easier. A comfrey-calendula beeswax salve also works well. Take vitamin C 500mg 2-3 times daily for collagen development. Highly recommended for stretch mark prevention: Earth Mama Angel Baby Stretch Oil, a high quality, absorbable herb-infused oil. Use on bellies, bottoms and breasts throughout pregnancy for best results, (used by Gwyneth Paltrow during her two pregnancies). Mother’s Intuition Tummy Honey is another effective product (I used this through my whole pregnancy and did not get any stretch marks). Magia Bella Ultra-intensive Anti-stretch Mark Concentrate can help prevent stretch marks during the third trimester expansion.

For post pregnancy tummy bulge and weight loss: After you wean the baby, try Tummy Control caps with Calcium Magnesium Source caps. Pilates abdominal strengthening exercises can help you get back in shape. Julie Tupler’s Lose Your Mummy Tummy is a great resource for dealing with post pregnancy diastasis. Note: Don’t push yourself to lose your pregnancy weight gain too fast. Allow your body at least nine months to stabilize and return to your pre-pregnancy weight. Focus on a healthy plant-based diet and regular exercise to lose weight the healthy way.

-Sarah

Skin Problems During Pregnancy

Hormonal changes, increases in blood volume, stretching skin and new allergies all present challenges to your skin during pregnancy. Pigmentation issues, itching skin, new moles, skin tags and pregnancy acne can all be a problem.

Use a mild cleanser like Yoanna skin care Cucumber Cleanser or a fruit enzyme cleanser. To reduce skin discoloration patches, try a cucumber pearl cream. Itching skin may be caused by an overtaxed liver, trya dandelion (root and leaf) or yellow dock tea 3-4 times a week for relief. Take an oatmeal bath for almost immediate relief of itching and skin rashes. For pregnancy mask (cloasma), avoid sun exposure; it worsens  the condition. If you have pregnancy skin tags, schedule their removal with a dermatologist after you give birth.

-Sarah

Sample Step-by-Step Diet for Nutritional Needs During Pregnancy

You can customize a diet like this with the vegetables, whole grains and healthy protein foods that you prefer. Important: Drink 8-10 glasses of pure water daily to help keep the body free flowing. Take your prenatal vitamins with meals or as directed. Have 1-2 tsp. of ginger syrup added to drinks daily if you suffer from morning sickness (clinically tested and good reports for nausea reduction from our testers).

On rising: Do yoga stretches and have a glass of herbal tea or room temperature water to encourage regularity.    

Breakfast: have oatmeal or whole grain pancakes with yogurt and fresh fruit (sliced cantaloupe or blueberries are especially good); or poached or baked eggs on whole grain toast with a little clarified butter (ghee) and a glass of tangerine juice. If you prefer a light breakfast, try a whole grain cereal in apple or cranberry juice, a protein drink, or a fruit smoothie with added yogurt.

Mid-morning: have a few handfuls of organic, unsulphured dried fruit for extra iron; or have a green drink like Energy Green as a fast alkalizer (great for pregnancy toxemia and heartburn); or have a glass of carrot juice (a high calcium source) or watermelon juice (a high silica source).

Lunch: Have a chef’s salad with turkey and avocado, and a baked potato with a little ghee or kefir cheese; or tuna or chicken salad sandwich with light mayo with a mixed baby greens salad with extra carrots and watercress; or a lightly seasoned red beans and rice dish with steamed or sauteed vegetables (use olive oil).

Mid-afternoon: Have an apple or pear and handful of of nuts and seeds; or have fresh, crunchy vegetables with natural peanut butter or hummus. Have a pregnancy tea: like red raspberry, nettles and yellow dock  blend or Earth Mama Angel Baby Heartburn Tea for pregnancy-related indigestion. Or, try our friend Leah’s favorite mid-afternoon pregnancy snack: NutraBella Belly Bars (highly recommended).

Dinner: Have a vegetable lasagna (use whole grain or spinach noodles) and a steamed artichoke; or have Asian stir fry with seafood, brown rice and vegetables; or have a hearty vegetable and lentil soup with steamed greens (dandelion and spinach are especially good) for extra folic acid.

Before bed: Have a cup of miso soup or a Red Star nutritional yeast broth. Add a few pinches of kelp granules for extra minerals.

-Sarah

STD Recovery Diet

Diet is an essential component of recovery. Emphasis must be on optimal nutrient foods that can strengthen your body and build strong immune response. Reduce dietary fats, caffeine, sugar, and alcohol. Don’t smoke. It seriously depresses immune response.

Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, especially high chlorophyll, blood cleansing leafy greens. Have a salad every day with flax oil or olive oil dressing for essential fatty acids.
Have a glass of fresh vegetable juice (any blend) daily.
Eat only whole foods. No junk or heavily processed foods.
Eat about 2 tablespoons of dried sea vegetables daily.
Eat yogurt or other cultured foods for friendly flora.
Add neutralizing superfoods for detoxification support: chlorella, 2 pkts. daily, Systems Strength broth mix, aloe vera juice 1-2 tbsp. daily.
Drink purified water, about eight 8-oz. glasses daily.

Some supplements and superfoods we work with to help build immune strength aagainst STD infection:
Use Blood Detox capsules for one month as a blood cleanser (with red clover, licorice root, hawthorn, sea buckthorn, hawthorn, rose hips, burdock, pau d’arco, sarsaparilla, fo ti, alfalfa, buckthorn, echinacea, garlic, goldenseal, astragalus, kelp, dulse, American ginseng, bladderwrack, Oregon grape, poria cocus, yellow dock, prickly ash, dandelion, ginger, capsicum, milk thistle seed, Irish moss): followed by Herbal Laxa caps to rid the colon of re-infection (with butternut, triphala, cascara sagrada, turkey rhubarb, psyllium, fennel, slippery elm, barberry, licorice, ginger, Irish moss, capsicum).

Use enzyme therapy to help break down protein pathogen invaders in your blood supply so they can be destroyed by your immune system. A formula like Dr. Enzyme with Protease & Bromelain or Purezyme helps cleanse the bloodstream and address infectious viruses, pathogenic bacteria, funguses and parasites.

Olive Leaf Extract has been used with remarkable success against every infective organism type—viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan (parasitic) infections. New clinical experience shows that olive leaf extract is an effective treatment for an incredible list of serious modern health problems. Herpes I and II, human herpes virus 6 and 7, HIV virus, flu virus, the common cold, meningitis, Epstein-Barr Virus, encephalitis, shingles, chronic fatigue, hepatitis B, pneumonia, tuberculosis, gonorrhea, malaria, severe diarrhea, blood poisoning, and dental, ear, urinary tract and surgical infections all respond to olive leaf. Recent lab tests have found that olive leaf extract kills 56 pathogens. Amazing!

Eat fermented foods like yogurt or take protective acidophilus; UAS Labs DDS-Plus, Pure Essence Flor-Alive, especially if you are taking a long course of antibiotics for an STD. Detoxify your liver with Milk Thistle Seed extract or Liver Cleanse Flushing Tea.

-Sarah

Relieving Bladder and Yeast Infections during Pregnancy

UTI’s and yeast infections can go hand in hand during pregnancy. Higher glucose levels in urine can trigger bacterial overgrowth. In addition, more urine collects in the urinary system, leaving women more susceptible. Yeast infections are also more common in pregnancy than any other time in a woman’s life, especially in the second trimester.

Avoid powerful anti-fungals and antibiotics; they are too harsh for the baby’s tiny system. Try simple home remedies instead. For UTI’s: the simple sugar, D-mannose flushes out bacteria for fast relief, 1 teaspoon every 2-3 hours until symptoms clear (ok for diabetics, too). Drink a lot of water, 48 to 64 ounces daily, and have cranberry juice with no added sugar. For candida yeast overgrowth: Avoid sweets, fruits and fruit sugars, and yeasted breads until infection clears. Have organic yogurt daily and apply plain yogurt topically to the external vaginal area for relief. Supplemental probiotics fight candida. Finnish research shows probiotics like acidophilus  also enhance immune response during pregnancy and may even prevent childhood eczema in your baby.

-Sarah