Natural remedies for common pregnancy complaints

* Morning sickness afflicts millions of pregnant women to some degree. Fortunately, several natural remedies offer relief.

Nutrition. Eat small, frequent meals and sip warm liquids. Foods rich in vitamin B-6 (whole grains, meats, and blackstrap molasses) are said to alleviate nausea of all types, and clinical studies have shown relief with B-6 supplements. Because morning sickness is often worse when your stomach is empty (especially when you first wake up in the morning), keep snacks on hand.

Herbs. Ginger is probably one of the best anti-nausea remedies around. It is also an emmenagogue (initiates menstrual flow in non-pregnant women), not an abortifacient (induces miscarriage). If a woman is not pregnant but her period is late, and she takes ginger, she's likely to start bleeding. If she is pregnant and has morning sickness, ginger can ease nausea and vomiting. In one clinical trial of women with severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, namely hyperemesis gravidarum, 250 mg. of powdered gingerroot four times a day significantly reduced discomfort.(7) A review of ginger's use as an anti-nausea remedy concluded that ginger is safe in pregnancy "provided normal doses are consumed."(8)

What form of ginger should you take? Whatever form you can tolerate. Choose from fresh, dried, or powdered ginger, ginger tea, or crystallized ginger. Find your favorite type and place it by your bed-side to sip or nibble first thing in the morning. A recipe for ginger tea is as follows: grate one to two teaspoons of fresh gingerroot, simmer in a cup of water for a few minutes, and add honey and lemon to taste. Mindy Green, herbalist and co-author of Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, recommends an herbal tea of meadowsweet, spearmint, ginger, and chamomile. (Note: If you're allergic to ragweed, you may also be allergic to chamomile.) Red raspberry leaves are also said to soothe nausea.

Aromatherapy. Pregnancy tends to heighten your sense of smell, and foul odors may make you sick to your stomach. Pleasant aromas, on the other hand, such as oil of lavender, lemon, or spearmint, may alleviate nausea. Green reminds you not to apply essential oils undiluted to your skin and never to take them internally, adding, "The safest essential oils to use during pregnancy are those from flowers." For safety, she also suggests you wait to use essential oils until after the first trimester.

Homeopathy. Dana Ullman, MPH, author and director of the Homeopathic Educational Services in Berkeley, California, says that homeopathic medicines are safe to take during pregnancy. His list of remedies for morning sickness includes Sepia, Ipecac, Tabacum, Nux vomica, Bryonia, Ignatia, and Cocculus. To choose a remedy, Ullman suggests you read about them in a homeopathy self-help book.

* Insomnia. Sleeplessness typically strikes in the third trimester, when a womb full of revolving elbows and knees interferes with comfortable repose.

Herbs. Herbs high in calcium, "nature's tranquilizer," soothe the nerves, promote restful sleep, and also ease muscle cramps. Some good ones for pregnant women are skullcap and oats (oatmeal, oatstraw, or oatseed). For relaxation, add a cloth bag full of chamomile and lavender blossoms to a warm bath before bed.

Aromatherapy. Inhaling essential oils of neroli, ylang-ylang, lavender, rose, and jasmine are said to calm the nervous system.

Homeopathy. The following remedies are often recommended for occasional difficulty sleeping: Coffea, Pulsatilla, Arnica, and Chamomilla. Consult a homeopathic self-help book to choose the correct one for you. Combination remedies for insomnia are also widely available.

* Stretch marks. According to Green, massaging a pregnant belly (and breasts) with aromatherapy oils can help the skin expand and thus prevent stretch marks. She says that topical use of diluted essential oils is generally safe for healthy pregnant women, especially after the first trimester. She combines 15 drops lavender oil, 5 drops neroli oil, 2 drops rose oil, and 800 IU vitamin E in 4 oz. carrier oil. One recipe for belly oil combines 1/2 cup cocoa butter, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 20,000 IU vitamin E oil, 2 tsp. grated beeswax, 1 tsp. lanolin, and 1/4 cup apricot, almond, or grape seed oil. Melt the ingredients together and rub this oil over belly and breasts two to three times a day. Or purchase a prepared oil product containing comfrey, calendula, mallow, raspberry; and vitamin E in either olive oil or a beeswax and lanolin salve. Another purchased belly oil product contains elderflower, comfrey, and bee pollen in olive and sweet almond oil.

* Hemorrhoids. Try a salve made of comfrey root, calendula, yarrow, and plantain in olive oil and beeswax. Also effective is a Sitz Bath combining comfrey, yarrow, uva-ursi, and sea salt in a muslin bag, to infuse into warm water. Used after the birth, this remedy helps heal tears and sore muscles of the pelvic floor. Another effective salve contains comfrey and St. John's wort. Because cold temperatures constrict swollen veins, try keeping the salve you use in the refrigerator and applying it two to three times a day. Homeopathic remedies include Nux vomica, Belladonna, Muriatic acid, Aloe, Pulsatilla, Aesculus, and Hamamelis.

* Heartburn. You can chew or make a tea of the seeds of digestive herbs such as fennel, anise, or dill.

* The Common Cold Herbs. Echinacea (when not combined with goldenseal) is fine for any pregnant or lactating woman. Garlic, which is antibacterial, antiviral, and expectorant, may also be safely taken. Ginger, which is warming, can ease cold symptoms. Helpful herbs are echinacea (immune boosting and antimicrobial), mullein (demulcent, expectorant), and elderberries or flowers (expectorant, diaphoretic, helpful in the early stages of cold and flu) alone or in combination. More than anything, it's important to treat yourself to a day in bed.

Vitamins. Because it is water-soluble, it's all right to take 1 to 2 grams of vitamin C a day.

Homeopathy. Self-care homeopathic texts list a number of homeopathic medicines. The choice depends on your symptoms. Alternatively, you can go with the shotgun approach of homeopathic combination remedies for colds.

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