Herbal Allies For Pregnancy Problems - Healthy Pregnancy and Birth
Wise women believe that most pregnancy problems can be prevented by paying attention to nutrition.
Morning sickness and mood swings are associated with low blood sugar; back pain and severe labor pains are often caused by insufficient calcium; varicose veins, hemorrhoids, constipation, skin discoloration and anemia are evidence of a lack of certain nutrients; Preeclampsia.
The most serious problem in pregnancy is a form of acute malnutrition.
Excellent nutrition includes clean water, controlled breathing, abundant light, loving and respectful relationships, beauty and harmony in everyday life, happy thoughts and important foods.
During pregnancy, nutrients are needed to form the cells needed to make two extra uterine muscles, nerves, bones, organs, muscles, glands, and fetal skin, several pounds of amniotic fluid, placenta, and 50 percent blood proliferation volume.
In addition, more kidney and liver cells are needed to treat the waste of two creatures instead of one.
Wild foods and organically grown products, grains and herbs are the best source of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed during pregnancy.
Even better, if the expectant mother gets out and collects her own herbs: stretching, bending, breathing, moving, touching the ground, taking the time to talk to plants and open herself to their spiritual world.
TONICS DURING PREGNANCY.
Wise women have been recommending herbal tonics for fertility for thousands of years.
These herbs are empirically safe and particularly effective. Tonic herbs improve overall health by balancing and maintaining energy flow and concentration in the body.
Tones relieve irritation and prevent major problems. They can increase the supply of vital minerals and vitamins, increase energy and improve uterine tone.
Some uterine tonics are contraindicated during pregnancy or limited to the last weeks of pregnancy.
Pregnancy tonics should be used regularly; Tonic is for cells as much as exercise for muscles: not much use when done wrong.
Of course, even the occasional use of tonics during pregnancy is beneficial because they contain nutrients. The better benefit comes from using them 5 times a week or more.
Some simple suggestions on how to use tonics: pregnant women could replace the morning cup with a rich nettle infusion.
Or he could cook raspberry leaves and put it in the fridge to drink instead of soda, wine or beer.
Wild greens can be added to the diet. In many cultures, women have used the following herbs for centuries for a healthier pregnancy.
RED RASPBERRY LEAVES (Rubus spp.)
Raspberry or infused raspberry is the best known, most used, and safest of all uterine and pregnancy tonic herbs.
It contains a fragrance, an alkaloid that gives tone to the muscles of the pelvic area, including the uterus itself.
Most of the benefits associated with regular use of raspberry tea during pregnancy are due to the nutritious source of vitamins and minerals present in this plant as well as the fragrance alkaloid, which gives tone to the pelvic muscles, including the uterus itself.
Of particular note are the abundant vitamin C content, the presence of vitamin E, and the easily absorbed calcium and iron.
Raspberry leaves also contain a complex of vitamins A and B and many minerals, including phosphorus and potassium.
The benefits of brewing raspberry leaves before and during pregnancy are as follows:
Increasing fertility in both men and women: Raspberry leaf is an excellent fertility herb combined with red clover.
Prevention of miscarriage and bleeding: Raspberry leaf tones the uterus and helps prevent miscarriage and postpartum bleeding from the relaxed or atonic uterus.
Relieving Morning Sickness: Many testify that raspberry leaves alleviate nausea and stomach upset throughout pregnancy.
Reducing pain during and after childbirth: A raspberry plate softens the muscles used during and after childbirth. However, it does not prevent pelvic enlargement pain.
Assisting in the production of rich breast milk: The high mineral content of raspberry leaf helps in milk production, but its contraction may counteract it in some women.
Providing safe and fast delivery: Raspberry leaf encourages the uterus to let go and function without tension.
It does not strengthen contractions, but allows the constricting uterus to function more efficiently and can thus make birth easier and faster.
NETTLE LEAVES (Urtica Diotca).
Lesser known as a pregnancy tonic, but deserving of a friendlier reputation and use, Urtica is one of the finest nourishing tonics.
It is said to have more chlorophyll than any other herb. The list of vitamins and minerals in this herb contains almost everything that is known to be essential.
Some pregnant women vary the doses of nettle and raspberry weekly; others drink raspberries until the last month and then move to the nettles to ensure large amounts of vitamin K in the blood before birth.
The benefits of nettle infusion before and during pregnancy are as follows:
Kidney Help: Nettle infusions were important in rebuilding the kidneys of a woman who was told she needed to be put on a dialysis machine.
Because the kidneys must cleanse 150 percent of the normal bloodstream for most pregnancies, the ability of nettles to nourish and strengthen them is very important.
Accumulation of minerals such as gravel or stones in the kidneys loosens, dissolves, and is eliminated continuously using nettle infusions.
Increasing female and male fertility.
Nourishing mother and fetus.
Relieving leg cramps and other cramps.
Reducing pain during and after birth: High calcium levels, which are easily absorbed, help reduce muscle pain in the uterus, legs and elsewhere.
Prevention of postpartum hemorrhage: Nettle is an excellent source of vitamin K and increases the available hemoglobin, both of which reduce the likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage. Fresh nettle juice, in teaspoons, slows down postpartum bleeding.
Hemorrhoids Reduction: The mild contraction and general nourishing effect of nettles tightens and strengthens blood vessels, helps maintain arterial flexibility, and improves venous tolerance.
Increasing the richness and quantity of breast milk.
CALCIUM.
Of course, calcium is a mineral, not a herbal tonic, but it is so important during pregnancy and throughout our women’s lives that I consider it a tonic.
Lack of adequate calcium during pregnancy is associated with muscle cramps, back pain, high blood pressure, severe labor and delivery pain, osteoporosis, dental problems, and preeclampsia.
Calcium uptake is regulated by exercise, stress, acidity during digestion, the availability of vitamins C, A and especially D, and the availability of magnesium and phosphorus in the body and diet.
Getting 1000-2000 mg of calcium daily is not difficult with Wise Woman herbs:
The best sources of calcium for food are fish, dairy products, but there is controversy over the assimilation of calcium from pasteurized, homogenized milk.
My preferred food sources are goat’s milk and goat cheese, salmon, sardines, mackerel, seaweed (especially kelp), sesame salt (gomasio), Tahini, and dark leafy greens such as turnip, beetroot greens, and kale.
Calcium contains about 200 mg in two ounces of nuts (excluding peanuts), one ounce of dried seaweed, two ounces of locust bean powder, one ounce of cheese, half a cup of cooked greens (kale, pans and especially dandelion), half a cup of milk, three eggs, four ounces or one tablespoon of molasses.
Most wild greens are exceptionally rich in calcium and the factors needed for calcium absorption and utilization.
A quarter of lamb, mallow, galinsoga, shepherd’s purse, knotweed, bidens, amaranth and dandelion all leave more calcium per 100 grams than milk.
Bones dipped in apple cider vinegar release calcium into acidic vinegar.
A tablespoon of this vinegar in a glass of water needed calcium and also relieved morning sickness.
Many fruits are high in calcium (although they are not as rich as the foods above). Dried dates, fig rosin, plums, papaya and elderberries are the best source.
Raspberry leaf infusion contains calcium in its most equivalent form. Assimilation is further enhanced by the use of phosphorus and vitamins A and C in raspberry leaves.
Fresh parsley and watercress are available at most grocery stores year-round. They are both good sources of many minerals and vitamins, including calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A and vitamin C.
Nettle infusion delivers calcium and phosphorus, vitamin A and vital vitamin D in an easily comparable form.
Foods that are believed to interfere with calcium absorption should be avoided: spinach, chocolate, rhubarb and brewer's yeast.
Do not use bone meal or oyster shell tablets as a source of extra calcium. They have been found to be high in lead, mercury, cadmium and other toxic metals.
