Less than two weeks to go!

You probably thought I had the baby!  No such luck, but I have gone into nesting overdrive in the last week, hence the lack of blog posts. I have lots of great posts coming up, and I have no intentions of the blog “going dark” while on maternity leave, but I will definitely let myself slow down for a little while.  🙂

Since preparing for Baby Girl’s arrival has basically consumed me lately, I thought I would share a few “alternative” modalities I have been using to prepare my body for childbirth.  There are so many natural, easy things women can do to prime ourselves, and I have found that unless you seek out an alternative medicine practitioner, midwife, or doula, you will never, ever hear about these tips!

The fine print: I am not a doctor.  Talk to your healthcare provider before you take any of my advice!

My very awesome Naturopath, Dr. Sherri Jacobs, swears by red raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy.  Apparently, red raspberry leaf has been used as a uterine toner for thousands of years and it helps to promote a “fast and easy” (those are relative terms, people) labor.  The increased vitamin A intake, in the form of carotenoids of RRL can aid the woman’s immune system as well as facilitate healthy skin and bone development for the baby. The Vitamin E helps to promote better circulation in the mother whose blood volume dramatically increases during pregnancy. RRL contains an easily assimilated form of calcium. An increased availability of calcium is necessary in controlling nerve response to pain during childbirth and in aiding bone development in the baby. The presence of fragrine allows the uterus to contract more powerfully and effectively during labor. The high vitamin and mineral content helps to replace those that are lost via blood loss in delivery. The alkaloids that are present will also aid in toning the uterus after birth as it returns back to its usual size.  A plus: it tastes very mild, a lot like green tea.  I drank one cup per day during my second trimester and two cups per day during my third trimester.  There are no guarantees in having a “fast and easy” labor, but I figured drinking caffeine-free herbal tea can’t hurt.  Cost: about $8.  Purchase it here or at Whole Foods.

Wise Woman Herbals makes a Mother’s Cordial Elixir, also suggested by my Naturopath.  From week 36 on, I have taken a teaspoon three times per day.  My husband thinks it smells like Jaegermeister.  I don’t think it is so bad.  The magic ingredients are partridge berry, blue cohosh and false unicorn root (uterine toners) and cramp bark (cramp/pain reliever).  I swear I feel a Braxton-Hicks Contraction-like tightening when I take it.  Coincidence?  Cost: about $50 for 8 oz.  Purchase it here.

 A 75 cm exercise ball has made life more comfortable.  I sit on it while at my computer and just kind of roll my hips around.  It opens up the hips and pelvis and strengthens the abdominals without directly hitting them (as women are not supposed to do direct abdominal work while pregnant).  I will also bring this with me to use while in labor; I hear it makes things more comfortable there, too.  Cost: about $20.  Purchase it here.

Load up on your DHA (Omega 3’s).  I don’t have the link to this study, but it goes something like this:  When researchers were studying postpartum depression, they wondered how badly women in Iceland were hit by it, considering that in the wintertime, there is next to no sunlight there (we all know sunlight = Vitamin D = happiness).  They were shocked to learn that postpartum depression in Iceland is virtually nonexistent .  Eventually, the researchers found it was the high consumption of Omega-3-rich fish like salmon and cod that kept the baby blues at bay.  I love salmon, so that is easy, but I have also doubled my dose of 1000mg of fish oil daily to 2000mg.  Cost: about $25 for 60 gel caps.  Purchase it here.

After I read a few articles like this one, along with the knowledge that I have a slightly slow thyroid (low iodine levels), I decided to take action.  You can throw some kombu into a pot of rice or your soup while it is cooking (the mineral with leach into the food and then you just throw away the seaweed) or you can look up kombu recipes on Pinterest, I suppose….  Either way, get some Iodine into your diet!  Cost: about $11 for 2 oz.  Purchase it here.

I’ve had a lot of trouble sleeping during the second half of my pregnancy, and not because I am uncomfortable.  I just can’t sleep.  Meanwhile, everyone’s advice is “load up on your sleep while you can”.  May I rant, please?  First of all, give me some real advice.  “Loading up” on sleep is impossible and doesn’t work.  Second of all, I already know that the first three months of my child’s life will be a bit sleepless, and I am okay with that.  It is normal!  Anyway, I’ve been told by a few OBGYN’s that Benadryl is okay to take to help with sleep, but it just sounds icky to take something that strong on a semi-regular basis.  I have confirmed through several homeopathic sources that melatonin is okay to take as long as it is 1/2 mg or less.  It has helped.  Cost: about $14.  Purchase it here.

Magnesium also helps with sleep and keeps things moving, if you know what I mean.  Most doctors tell women who are expecting twins to load up.  During the last few weeks, I have taken 400 mg before bed each night.  Cost: about $9 for 240 capsules.  Purchase it here.

Everyone should be taking a probiotic, but I think it is particularly important that pregnant women take a good one.  It strengthens your immune system and keeps things moving without making you dependent on laxatives.  Invest in a quality probiotic; it makes a difference.  Cost: about $38 for 120 grams.  Purchase it here.

Okay, I think that is about enough.  In addition to all of this, I have found that basic things like drinking at least 3 liters of water per day and exercising at least 4 days a week helps me so much.  I also try to drink a green smoothie or juice every day.  If you have any rituals or physical modalities that you swear by while pregnant, or even postpartum, please share!  I know I would love all the information I can get and I think my readers really appreciate these types of posts as well.

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