General Pregnancy & Postpartum Ailments

This module was so much work! I started working on it about three years ago, when I enrolled in school. I've been adding little bits to it ever since. The module is basically a comprehensive list of natural remedies for all kinds of common ailments that occur in pregnancy and postpartum, including:

Heartburn

Gas and intestinal cramping

Constipation

Diarrhea

Loose stools

Backache

Leg cramps

Round ligament pain

Sciatica

Edema

Varicose veins

Hemorrhoids

Nosebleeds

Stretch marks

Itchiness

Anxiety

Mood swings

Insomnia

Fatigue

Breathlessness

Coughs and colds

Sinus headache

Flu

Headache

Yeast infections on skin

Vaginal yeast infection

Urinary incontinence

Tender breasts

Goodness. At least now I would feel much more confident recommending particular remedies to clients.

One of my favorite sources for remedies was a book called The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Jill Romm. The author is a midwife and an herbalist and she's one of the first authors I've read who is able to explain herbal remedies in a way that even I can understand them and I don't feel afraid to use them. I'm still the least herb-knowledgeable of all the midwives I know. I'm definitely working on it, but it's so foreign to me. I didn't grow up hippie, so all these natural remedies took me some time to learn.

A couple other things I really liked about this book are the chapters on pregnancy as a rite of passage (including good info on how to do a proper Blessingway) and the chapter on the changing family, which includes the man's point of view and is written by the author's husband. I'm glad I have a copy of this book in my lending library to recommend and loan to clients.

Here are a couple of the herbal recipes she includes in the book:

Muscle Ache Oil

To 1 cup of olive oil, add 1/2 teaspoon of each of the following: cinnamon oil, spearmint oil, rosemary oil, and lavender oil. Shake vigorously and apply as needed. These oils stimulate circulation in the area to which they are applied, relieving circulatory congestion, promoting warmth, and inducing gentle muscle relaxation.

Calming Tea

Combine 1 teaspoon chamomile flowers, 1 teaspoon lemon balm, and 1/2 teaspoon lavender flowers, steep in 1 cup boiling water (covered) for 10 to 15 minutes, strain, and drink warm, with honey if you prefer, as often as you wish throughout pregnancy for stress, indigestion, sleeplessness, and anxiety. You can also use take this tea during labor to help you ease discomfort from contractions.

Garlic Lemonade (for colds and flu)

Steep 4 to 6 cloves of chopped raw garlic in 1 quart boiling water (cover the jar while you steep) for 30 minutes. Then add the juice of 1 or 2 lemons and honey or maple syrup to taste. Drink warm, up to 1 cup every two hours. If you don't find the tea palatable, try steeping the garlic as above, but add a couple bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon of miso to the tea instead of lemon and honey. This is a warming tea if you have chills but can be used at any time of the year.

All the remedies she lists in her book call for fresh or dried herbs, which I can get at the Berkeley Whole Foods, and/or essential oils and/or homeopathics. I like ordering my oils from a company called Young Living, but in a pinch I buy them at Whole Foods or the health food store at the Pelton Center in San Leandro.

I cannot believe how far I've come in this process. When I started school, I had no idea this whole natural world existed. I still have so much more to learn, but that's part of what keeps life exciting. I love being able to take such an active role in health care.