Natural Remedies for Labour and late pregnancy

Natural Remedies I'm trying for late pregnancy, labour & after birth:

TEAS:

• From 6-8 weeks before due date: Blend in teapot – drink 3 or 4 x daily: Stinging nettle, Ladies mantle, Golden rod, raspberry leaf & Lemon balm (raspberry leaf is the most important ingredient as it tones and softens the uterus in preparation for labour, don’t worry if you can’t get the rest.)
• From 4 weeks before due date and for duration of breastfeeding (for milk production): Fennel/ caraway/ anise/ coriander tea (Fennel is easy to get and delicious)

Homeopathic remedies:

• From 4-6 weeks before – Pulsatilla 30c (2 x day) for aches and pains
• From 2 months before - Mitchella Repens(Squaw Vine) tincture -for nerves and softening cervix (available from Neals Yard)
• From 1 week before – Aconite 30c (2 x day) – for fear of labour
• During labour – Aconite 200c (every 2 hours)– for fear or panic
• During labour – Pulsatilla 200c (every 2 hours) – for pain
• During labour – Caulophyllum 200c (Health store will probably have to order it) – take 2 ONLY if labour is progressing too slowly, followed by another 2 an hour later if still no effect – softens womb and speeds things up
• During labour -Rescue Remedy - if stressed or in shock
• From 4 weeks before – Arnica 30c or 200c (2 x day)- for bruising, tearing, shock and to stabilise emotions
• I was kindly lent a Helios Homeopathic childbirthing kit which comes with full instructions. It is fantastic! See http://www.skylarkbooks.co.uk/Shop/media/Helios_Childbirth_Homeopathic_Remedy_Kit.htm

After birth –a glass of red wine with St Johns Wort tincture helps regulate and replace hormones for the baby blues (about 3 days after birth)...but St Johns Wort and red wine will go through your breast milk to baby...so small quantity only!
Otherwise Cocoa beans in rice milk or oat milk is good for lifting the mood.

Neals Yard has an excellent website http://remedies.nealsyardremedies.com/ with an online store and has a customer advice line, which is excellent if you're having any doubt about what to buy or take...

Customer Service Advice Line
The advice line is open Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm. Trained staff can give advice and information on products and remedies, help you find a local practitioner, as well as help you with complaints or feedback about a product or service.

Tel: (+44) 01747 834 634
E-mail:advice@nealsyardremedies.com
Address:
Customer ServicesPeacemarsh
Gillingham Dorset
SP8 4EU

Opening Times
Monday - Friday 9am - 5.30pm

Best of luck xxx

Natural Remedies for Pregnancy

Some things I have found helpful and interesting during pregnancy:

• Chamomile(tea): Lifts spirits, calms nerves, great for heartburn, high calcium content
• Ginger Root : Use for morning sickness, digestive problems, colds, sore throats and congestion
• Nettle (tea): rich in iron(fight fatigue & exhaustion), vitamins & minerals, stimulates flow of milk...good for throughout pregnancy
• Floradix: Iron supplement packed with herby goodness
• Red Raspberry leaf (tea/tablet): tones and nourishes uterine muscles, rich in vitamins and minerals, enriches milk flow, restores system after childbirth...good for entire pregnancy though should only be drunk in large quantities (2-4 cups a day) in the last 2 months.
• Bee products (honey, royal jelly, propolis, bee pollen): many nutritional benefits
• New Era Calc. Fluor. Is a homeopathic remedy available in pharmacies and health stores. It is a “biochemic remedy for maintaining tissue elasticity, and for impaired circulation, varicose veins and piles”. In other words it helps to prevent stretch marks, varicose veins and piles (all common in pregnancy). It cannot harm you or baby and I’ll let you know after the birth how it faired on the stretch marks...but so far, none of the above and 6 weeks to go!
• Mummylicious (by little me baby organics) is an organic stretch mark oil. A fab pregnancy gift...thanks Kitty! It makes your skin feel lovely, gives you an excuse to rub your belly (always clockwise!), talk to your baby and has a gentle rosehip, lavender and sweet orange fragrance. Great before bedtime!
  

The following Aromatherapy oils are safe during pregnancy (there are many that are unsafe!)...use a couple of drops in your bath or blended with natural carrier oil such as wheatgerm oil for massage:

• Lavender oil: For heartburn, headaches, sleeplessness, raised blood pressure, pain relief during labour, postnatal perineal care and engorgement
• Mandarin oil: Constipation, sleeplessness, stretch marks
• Chamomile: Heartburn, thrush, anxiety, raised blood pressure, pain relief during labour
• Tea tree: Thrush
• Sandalwood: Anxiety
• Orange: Constipation
• Eucalyptus: Pain relief during labour
• Clary sage: ONLY USE DURING LABOUR for slow labour
• Cypress: Postnatal perineal care
• Jasmine, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit: Postnatal depression
• Fennel, Rose: Postnatal engorgement

Useful Complementary treatments and therapies for pregnancy & childbirth:
I have used meditation, visualization, shiatsu, aromatherapy, yoga, homeopathy and herbalism and have found them all amazing. The baby responded immediately to shiatsu which really helped me to put any scepticism aside.

• Reiki – Means “universal life energy” based on ancient Tibetan Buddhist Teachings, healing energy is thought to flow through the hands of the practitioner to wherever it is needed in your body. Very relaxing.
• Meditation and visualization: Use for morning sickness, threatened miscarriage, sleeplessness, stress & anxiety, raised blood pressure and during labour. A great way to connect with your unborn baby.
• Colour Therapy – blue relieves stress. Good colours to visualize are red, orange and yellow entering at the feel and green entering at heart level.
• Aromatherapy massage: massage with aromatherapy oils to release tension and fight symptoms.
• Acupuncture: Balances your body, using acupoints. Good for morning sickness, threatened miscarriage, heartburn, migraine, varicose veins, postnatal depression
• Acupressure: Acupuncture without needles. Good for morning sickness, backache, sciatica, stress, anxiety and fatigue
• Tai Chi: Non combative martial arts using movements combined with breathing techniques to improve the flow of qi in the body. Good for stress, anxiety, fatigue, exercise and relaxation.
• Reflexology: Reflex points on the feet that act as nerve receptors for all organs of the body are massaged. Good for Morning sickness, backache, migraines, constipation, cystitis, raised blood pressure. There are also reflexology points which can help speed up labour.
• Yoga: (hatha) Uses postures and breathing techniques to encourage calm, relaxation and balance between body and mind. It is used for strengthening, toning and relaxing; to open the pelvis before the birth and recover good muscle tone after it. Also good for morning sickness, backache, haemorrhoids, varicose veins, depression, breech baby and respiratory problems.
• Hydrotherapy: for gently exercising before birth and easing discomfort and pain of contractions during labour.
• Hypnotherapy: Helps pregnant women deal with common ailments and problems as well as fears about labour and birth. Can be used during labour.
• Osteopathy: Uses manipulative techniques and massage to restore and maintain balance and the healthy function of bones and muscles. Great for relieving aches and pains, increasing energy levels, oedema and carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Chiropractic: Any action of the spine affects all joints and muscles and hence body systems. Manipulation is used to correct misalignment.
• The Alexander Technique: teaching people to stand, sit and move in the way nature intended. It may ease back pain and neck problems in pregnancy
• Homeopathy: Remedies are derived from plants, minerals and animals. There are remedies for all the pregnancy, labour and postnatal conditions.
• Western Herbalism : herbs have been used for thousands of years to ease labour pain and speed recovery from childbirth. It is also useful for treating morning sickness, constipation, stress, anxiety, sleeplessness, skin problems and breastfeeding problems.
• Flower remedies: first recorded use was in ancient Egypt. Mainly used for emotional problems such as stress, depression, anxiety, postnatal depression, sleeplessness, overwhelming feelings of responsibility, shock of a traumatic birth. Rescue Remedy!!
• Shiatsu: “finger pressure”. Based on improving the flow of vital energy through the internal organs of the body and their meridians. Good for morning sickness, backache, sciatica, sleeplessness, raised blood pressure and oedema.

Hope someone finds this useful! xxx