Prenatal Complaints, Natural Therapies

Published on 4 December, 2018 | Holistic Therapy

Natural Therapies for Common Prenatal Complaints

The need for prenatal care during the entirety of a woman’s pregnancy is widely understood. 2016 findings from the Centers for Disease Control show that over 77% of women in America begin formal prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy. With about 25% of women wanting to have a natural childbirth, more women than ever are turning to natural choices to alleviate common prenatal complaints.

Easing Morning Sickness and Nausea

Morning sickness is one of the most common pregnancy complaints. Symptoms vary in severity and many women battle nausea throughout the day, not just in the morning. It may surprise you to know that eating a little something may help avoid these uncomfortable feelings. The trick is to eat small amounts as often as needed to avoid the nausea in the first place.

When nausea strikes and you can’t stomach the idea of eating, try chewing on a bit of ginger or drinking ginger tea. Mint can also have a calming effect on the stomach and can be ingested as herbal tea or diffused for comforting aromatherapy.

Fighting Fatigue

Particularly during the first and third trimesters pregnant women can feel extremely tired and fatigued. There is nothing more natural and healing than rest and it should be a top priority throughout your pregnancy. Kathy Lee, professor of nursing at the University of California San Francisco, has done extensive research on the impact of sleep on pregnancy. She found that inadequate sleep during late pregnancy leads to a greater chance of having a C-Section and an increased average labor time. Short naps of less than 40 minutes can be very restorative and should be taken as long as they do not interfere with nighttime sleep.

Enzymatic Heartburn Relief

Heartburn happens for most women during pregnancy. Hormonally, the increase in progesterone, which relaxes your muscles, also relaxes the valve at your stomach and allows stomach acid to enter your esophagus more easily and cause irritation. Physically, as your baby begins to take up more space in your body, your stomach becomes crunched which forces acid up and results in that unpleasant burning sensation. Papaya extract can be very effective in combating heartburn. The chewable tablets are most effective when taken before eating or several times per day. The enzymes help your body digest food more rapidly to avoid heartburn.

Back Pain and Bodily Discomfort

As the weight and size of your baby increases and your bump begins extending further out it is typical to experience discomfort and pain. Though often localized to the back, it can affect you all over. As things shift internally to make way for baby, nerves can become compressed leading to tingling and pain.

Along with a host of other well known benefits, yoga can be very effective in reducing bodily discomfort during pregnancy. Most poses can be modified for safe prenatal practice. Squats, child’s pose, wide legged forward bend and others are great for relieving back pain. Down dog, cat cow, and pigeon are excellent for relieving pain due to nerve compression.

The forty or more weeks of pregnancy are a beautiful time for a woman but they are not without their challenges. In order to keep yourself and your baby happy and healthy, seek natural therapies for common conditions.

Source: Sally Writes