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. . . Natural Choices for Good Health!
| From exhaustion and nausea, to Charlie-horses and heartburn, there are a lot of things to deal with, and that's not including all the emotional roller-coasters! While changes like widening of the hips and enlarging of the heart (it increases in size by about 20%) are necessary, many everyday discomforts of pregnancy can be reduced or eliminated. |
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Alleviating Discomforts Healthy Mom & Baby |
Other Pregnancy Symptoms |
Reasons for Concern Emotional Issues |
Alleviating Discomfortsbackache - most backache can be at least reduced by a few simple exercises. The most common is a pelvic rock. I found that whenever I did even 15 or 20 of these for 3 minutes before bed, I didn't get the backache the next day. Try a Prenatal Yoga or Exercise class to learn this and many others--it feels so good to stretch! Lots of books have special exercises for you, like Sheila Kitzinger's classic The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth (see right column), or ask your health care practitioner.muscle pulls - avoid straining to reach something, remind yourself to stretch more slowly and take classes to stretch out. Flex your feet when you stretch in the morning, never point your toes! If it is in the groin area, lean forward and breathe slowly until the pain recedes. leg cramps - if you get these regularly, add a good Calcium-Magnesium supplement (see below) heartburn/Reflux - there are lots of healthier options than Tums. There are chewable calcium-magnesium tablets that don't have all the other chemicals in them, like Cal-Snacks. A-B Calm is a supplement that you take in liquid form, and works well. Some women get relief from standing while eating, others from not drinking liquids during a meal. Some do better sleeping fairly upright, like in a recliner chair. And squat, don't bend over! exhaustion - take extra Vitamin B complex (all of the B's), ideally in liquid form, also try suggestions below to help you get more sleep: insomnia/not sleeping well - 1. Take a rather warm bath (keep it below 100 degrees). If you don't fit well in a tub, put your legs and feet up the wall and slide your back down in the tub as far as possible, getting some of the baby weight off your stomach and chest for a few minutes. If you enjoy baths, buy a special cover for the overflow drain that allows you to fill the tub deeper, to at least partially get that belly in the water. (Check at a specialty bath shop.) 2. A good Calcium/magnesium supplement before bed, especially as a warm liquid, can do wonders. 3. Try some different positions that are more comfortable for you, including lying on your stomach! Well, mostly on your stomach, with one leg and hip raised up on a pillow. Remember, the baby is well-cushioned and protected, so if anything gets squished, it's your organs and you'll feel it. So if it feels fine to you, go for it. Sleeping on your side, put a pillow between your legs. A body pillow can be nice, also cushioning your breasts if they are tender. tender breasts - try a stretchy cotton (sports-type) bra at night to sleep (just for the first months, it usually lets up at about 4 or 5 months). But try to give your breasts a little rest from bras some time each day (and going bra-less helps prepare you for breast-feeding ). hemorrhoids - work on reducing constipation; pelvic rocks and Kegel exercises can help; Adelle Davis in Let's Have Healthy Children recommends adding 25mg of Vitamin B6 at each meal–I used a Vitamin B complex, and it worked well for me! Healthy Mom & BabyHere is a Pregnancy TeaIn addition to the supplements that are specific for pregnancy (like folic acid), you need the basics as well. These 3 Necessary & Neglected Supplements for Health are important for everyone, but doubly so for you as your baby developes. Other Normal Pregnancy Symptomsfrequent urinationoccasional diarrhea constipation or infrequent stools nausea (especially mornings, but any time of day) some vomiting vivid, disturbing dreams (especially starting 4th month) occasional nosebleeds or bleeding gums mild cramps occasional headaches some edema food cravings Braxton-Hicks, which are practice contractions (hardening of the uterus) in your 3rd trimester - these normal contractions are beneficial for you and the baby. The way to tell the difference between these and true labor is to change positions. If you are sitting, try standing or laying down; if that doesn't work after a few minutes, try the other option. Braxton-Hicks contractions will stop, labor won't. Reasons for ConcernThis is when to call your doctor or midwife immediately!premature labor - contractions that don't stop when you change positions abdominal pain - on-going, not a short-lived muscle or ligament pull vaginal bleeding painful urination fever dizziness persistent vomiting edema (puffiness) in face or hands in addition to other symptoms lack of movement by the baby for 24 hours (during last trimester) Also, a sudden gush of water out of the vagina can be cause for concern-- this is a normal beginning of labor for many women, but if the baby's head is not engaged, then there is a great danger of the cord coming out first and then the head pinching it against the side of the vagina and cutting off the flow of blood and oxygen. If this happens, your best bet is to put your bottom in the air, immediately, then get emergency help. Stay in that position all the way to the hospital. More often there is a medium-sized gush, or a heavy trickle, since the bag of waters often gets a tear that is small or high up in the uterus. Emotional IssuesWomen often have raging hormones during pregnancy, especially the first trimester, which makes us very emotional. Many women also experience a time of wonderful calm, especially starting the second trimester. But even with the calm, most of us have unexpected moments of pure emotion--like crying at a sad television commercial!There is just so much going on emotionally, even without the hormones: We feel excitement and concern about the baby, a combination of excitement, concern, and fear about ourselves as parents and/or about older siblings, and often a huge assortment of emotions about how our families will react to the baby. Our relationships with everyone around us are also changing, and will never be the same. There is a certain amount of selfishness that happens in pregnancy, naturally, as your whole perspective shifts and focuses inward. This is necessary now, as well as after the baby comes. Then it shifts to the baby, and becomes a fierce protectiveness. It's part of our jobs. The husbands/fathers often experience the same feelings of protectiveness towards mother and child. With close friends and especially relatives, it's much harder. If they have had children, they may understand, intellectually at least. They may still feel forgotten or left out. And with those who have never had a baby, it's a whole lot tougher. This is a heck of a lot going on! A thoughtful, loving message to everyone at this time may help. See also the Post-Partum page and many books and products for Babies on the Baby Care page. |
 The Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying Birth
This famous couple has eight children, and since he's a pediatrician and she's does labor support, they've assisted myriad other births. Although they both come from typical medical backgrounds, through their incredible personal experiences, they have become proponents of birthing choices. They give the most balanced perspective on using medical technology wisely that I have ever read.
This classic by the world's foremost childbirth educator (and author of numerous related books), is a detailed resource for preparing physically and emotionally to give birth. It has many photos and illustrations of exercises during pregnancy, the baby's development in the uterus, labor positions, and a variety of different births. My only complaint about this great book is that the table of contents doesn't list the dozens of sections within each chapter.
"In an ‘active birth,' a mother moves about freely, finds comfortable positions for labor and delivery, and seldom needs drugs or obstetrical interventions." Develop your bodily resources, follow your own instincts, and take full control of the childbirth experience.
An amazing book of beautiful photographs of babies developing in the womb, taken with special equipment and cameras. Although the text is factual and informative, this is not so much a reference book as an incredible visual tour of pregnancy. If you don't buy it, at least check it out at your local library.
An incredibly thorough book, blending her years of experience as an OB/GYN with a very intuitive, holistic perspective. She covers all areas of women's health from menstruation to menopause, including birth control options, chapters on pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, info on cysts, fibroids, breast health, exercise, and sexuality. Highly recommended for any woman of any age! |
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