Herbal Remedies for Pregnant Women

Being pregnant is not an illness but hormonal imbalances that occur in a womans body during pregnancy bring with them some annoying and often uncomfortable problems.

The most common of these problems is morning sickness, vomiting or just feeling the need to be sick without actually bringing anything up.

From day one until the day the new baby is brought into the world women can suffer from many different ailments along with aches and pains and it can prove to be a very trying and testing time for any mother to be.

Some chemicals and drugs can help with many of the ailments of pregnancy but great care must be taken and advice from your doctor or midwife is a must.

There are also some natural herbal ingredients that women can take to help with the ailments caused by pregnancy but again care must be taken which herbs are used because even though the ingredients may be natural some can be dangerous to the unborn baby.

Morning sickness is one of the first signs that you are with child and it is one of the most commonly reported ailments that midwives are questioned about. Although you may not actually be sick during this time the feeling that you want to be sick can be very overwhelming.

Prevention is often better than cure and the same can be said about morning sickness, avoiding things that can bring on the feeling of nausea can make your life a little easier.

Fatty or greasy foods can not only leave you feeling sick but it can leave you feeling bloated or give you heartburn, The same applies with heavily spiced foods.

Caffeine can also bring on the feeling of nausea, Try to cut down on hot drinks like tea or coffee and fizzy cola drinks which are High in caffeine.

Try to keep your cool, warm environments can leave you feeling lethargic and nauseous, open windows or turn on fans or airconditioners if they are available.

If all of this fails then it may be time to get a little help from mother nature.

Ginger biscuits or even a small glass of ginger ale are a well known and well used remedy and they really do help.

Instead of tea or coffee a peppermint tea or a ginger tea not only prevent nausea but they also help to prevent heartburn too, lemon tea has also been proven effective.

Drink plenty of Raspberry leaf tea each day, it supplies plenty of B vitamins and needed minerals to balance your body's needs. You can drink one cup of tea everyday throughout the pregnancy to tone and prepare the uterus as well as relieve nausea.

Vitamin B6 has been shown to help with pregnancy induced nausea.

Another common problem women face during pregnancy is tender or sore breasts, this is because her body is beginning to get ready for the baby that is inside her, milk glands are beginning to develop and the breasts begin to swell and get bigger.

This can be uncomfortable all through the pregnancy but there are some things that you can do to help ease the problem.

Get yourself fitted with a good bra you may even want to visit a maternity shop. A supportive bra will allow room for pregnancy growth and decrease the tightness and that overfull feeling. The important thing to remember is that your bra choices during pregnancy should allow room for growth and clasp fastening options that can be easily adjusted.

Make sure your partner is aware of the situation and proceeds with caution during lovemaking and even hugging. Let him know what's okay to touch, and how.

Wear a cotton sports bra to bed if your breasts are uncomfortable while sleeping.

Herbal Help for Tender Breasts

Take a herbal supplement like Black Cohosh or Macafem. Many woman find that one or the other of these supplements is an effective way to relieve breast tenderness. Herbs such as these are used to help balance the hormones in the body.

Cabbage leaves have been used for many years to ease the tenderness of womens breasts during pregnancy.

Soften the leaves by removing the hard veiny membranes and then take a meat tenderising mallet and tenderise the leaves by pounding them with the mallet, then put the leaves into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Once the cabbage leaves have been softened, you should wrap them around the areola and the breast. Make sure that the nipple is left exposed. You should experience some relief right away, as the cold often feels good on engorged breasts.

After about 30 minutes the cabbage leaves will have began to wilt at this point it is time to change them for fresh ones from the refridgerator.

Lower back pain is a common problem during pregnancy especially during the last three months. Back pain is quite unavoidable but can be eased by a gentle massage. get your partner to rub using a circular motion on the affected area.

Note this works best if you are standing bending over with your arms stretched out holding the back of a chair.

Prevention

Squat to pick up something versus bending over.

Avoid high heels and other shoes that do not provide adequate support. High heels also shift your center of gravity forward.

Avoid sleeping on your back.

Take a warm bath, or apply a warm jet of water from a showerhead to your back.

Get plenty of rest. Elevating your feet is also good for your back. Sleep on your left side and use a support pillow under your knees and/or your tummy.

Warning Pain relief pills and herbal pain reief are not recommended at any stage of pregnancy, consult your doctor if back pain becomes too much to bear.

Heartburn

Many women suffer from heart burn especially in the last three months before the baby is born
by avoiding Spicy foods, and eating lite meals it can help you to prevent the onset of heartburn, of course Smoking is never good especially when you are pregnant and it can be a considerable factor of heartburn.

Peppermint tea, milk, Ginger or chamomile tea, The herbal remedy, slippery elm, is considered safe in pregnancy and can also help relieve heartburn.

Hemorrhoids

Hemorrhoids are quite literally a pain in the ass, they can occur at anytime during pregnancy to some women.

Butchers Broom This herb is similar to the asparagus, and can be used to effectively treat hemorrhoids by eating the shoots. Butchers broom has been used to improve blood flow, circulation, and relief constipation

Aloe This herbs contains amino acids, calcium, folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc; as well as vitamin A, C, and E. It can be taken as a juice, to help relief pain, imflammatory and help the digestive system

Before taking any of the above remidies it is recommended that you consult your doctor or midwife, for your safety and for the safety of your unborn baby.