Pregnancy Health

Pregnancy is an excellent daily spiritual practice - the ultimate sadhana from a
yogini perspective. The unity of a mother with her conscious prenate is an obvious
example of the same creative essence of the Universe. Carrying a completely new
life around in your most tender place, and right under your heart, is a sacred act
honored to the degree you honor yourself as a woman.

The discomforts that one may encounter in pregnancy offer opportunities to get in
the habit of adapting to the unexpected and embracing the unknown, with the love
of good self-care.

Root causes of pregnancy discomforts are varied. Emotional changeability induced
by high hormones can bring up personal issues about self and relationships and
symptoms can and do come along with them, often disappearing if the issue is
named and embraced. Sometimes a discomfort may be related to physical
detoxification, as the body experiences the state of optimalized physiology and starts
releasing what no longer serves it. Sometimes certain discomforts are just
considered hereditary, because of the family "story" that has been repeated so many
times that a woman believes she cannot avoid it. Other times discomforts may be
sourced in basic dietary and digestion issues, remedied once the mother attends to
her food and hydration habits.

Sometimes pregnancy discomforts may have to do with a woman's pre-pregnancy
level of fitness - extremely sedentary habits are debilitating to the digestive tract and
many other bodily systems. Other times discomforts may be related to current
ongoing stressors from negatively perceived life changes such as an overworking
partner or an unexpected relocation, or the subtle changes that happen from
exposure to television "news" or negative gossip.

Backache: Practice regal posture, use your thigh muscles when walking and lifting things;
squat when reaching down rather than bending forward; wear low-heeled shoes yet shoes
that have shock absorption in the heel area; exercise daily; move your pelvis with rocking
or dancing the belly, apply heat to the lower back; sit crosslegged on the floor or couch
rather than in a chair whenever possible; get a pregnancy massage once a month; have a
serious foot massage from your partner every night, do daily Yoga.

Body Image Insecurity: Focus on your new strengths and radiance; enjoy the
heightened arousal physiology of especially the 2nd and 3rd trimesters; celebrate your
partner's erotic attention to your even more sensitive, abundant breasts; look at artwork
and photography that honors the pregnant body; use Walnut Flower essence to help you
with the transitions of your body and mind in pregnancy; pamper yourself with regular
pedicure from top-quality spas (good hygiene) or pregnancy massages; only wear clothes
you feel beautiful and graceful in; make love freely with your partner in a relaxing,
comfortable, private setting; give yourself permission to be sexual, sensual, and spiritual at
the same time; stock up on sarongs in a variety of colors!

Constipation: Drink plenty of liquids and avoid drinking with meals; exercise daily; eat
raw or dried fruits, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables, drink Prune juice; take only
Floradix as an iron supplement; on an empty stomach drink a hot liquid to stimulate bowels;
relax when on the toilet, do deep slow breathing; raise your feet on a box or stool while on
the toilet so that thighs are even with hips; try squatting on toilet seat instead; do regular
pelvic dancing; imbibe your partner's seed (the hormones in it move the bowels and such
sexual activity enhances intimacy & communication).

Fatigue: Significant fatigue can occur with insufficient night sleep and lack of proper
breaks during the working day. The common-sense caution about avoiding lying on your
back in late pregnancy for long periods of time IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE (feeling
breathing discomfort or odd circulation) or IF YOU ARE NOT IN GOOD HEALTH has been
taken to absurd extremes (because of fear) and a surprising number of healthy pregnant
women, regardless of their gestation trimester, falsely believe they are NEVER to lie down
on their back to rest. This results in alot of unnecessary sleep loss due to not being able to
fall into a deep sleep! In the last month of pregnancy, t'is true, one may have discomforts
in many positions, however, lying on one's back for a short period of relaxation before sleep
occurs is essential for many women. In fact, the well-known yoga asana known as corpse
pose/savasana, when correctly practiced on the floor with spine straight and heels
touching or very close (heavily pregnant women can add a thick pillow under the knees), is
the equivalent of 4 hours sleep if done for 30 minutes. Short afternoon "awakened sleep" in
savasana (even for only 5-10 minutes if you are heavily pregnant) can make or break the
energy level of a pregnant woman (or a mother of young children!). Essential oil of
Rosemary in a tepid-warm morning bath is invigorating for a the day ahead, and can also
be inhaled directly in the late afternoon for a significant boost. Last but NOT least, be sure
to carry carb snacks like healthy crackers, chapatis, or potato salad with you for afternoon
snacking. A nice serving of carbs in the afternoon low is just what the brain needs to
recharge - the difference is amazing.

Headache: Eat at least a snack every few hours; give yourself a 15 minute footbath to
relieve sinuses and head/neck muscle tension; lay down in perfect Sivasana pose for 10-15
minutes with an eye pillow(being on your back for short periods of time is perfectly healthy
in late pregnancy, contrary to widespread fear about lying on one's back at any time!);
apply a cool, wet cloth to your forehead and neck; ask someone to massage your
neck/shoulders/face; ensure that you are having regular fresh air; sleep with an air purifier
in your bedroom; if using central heat have a humidifier in your bedroom, get an
acupuncture treatment; put a few drops of an Essential Oil (Lavendar for relaxation,
Rosemary for invigoration) onto a handkerchief and put it on your face while resting,
inhaling the aromatherapy; stimulate the acupressure point in the webbed area between
the thumb and index finger for 5-10 minutes.

Heartburn: Avoid spicy or deep fried foods; if you eat something spicy, eat some cooling
avocado,. cilantro, or coconut along with it; eat many small meals a day rather than a
couple of big ones; do not drink beverages with your meals, drink them before or a half
hour after; reduce your intake of iced drinks; never lie down with a full stomach; sip
sparkling water with a squeeze of lemon; slowly chew and swallow Cashews or Filberts,
breathe slowly and deeply; drink some warmed organic milk with some Rosewater or a
drop of Fennel Oil, along with Maple Syrup of Honey, and butter or ghee in it.

Hemorrhoids: Avoid constipation; avoid sitting on the toilet for long periods of time; do
pelvic floor exercises every day; apply Witch Hazel (keep a wide-mouthed jar filled with
soft gauze squares and Witch Hazel near the toilet); insert a suppository of raw Garlic or
raw Potato; use Comfrey, Plantain, and/or Yarrow ointment; alternate hot and cold
compresses with baking soda or Comfrey in the hot water and Witch Hazel in the cold.

Itching: Lots of pregnant women get itchy legs and belly! Apply calamine lotion or Oat
paste/Oat milk, try Dandelion root tincture 10 drops twice a day; see an acupuncturist. Do
not use any preparation containing Benadryl or Cortisone.

Leg Cramps: Exercise and stretch your legs each day (half-lotus pose and rock pose are
excellent yoga postures for pregnant legs; keep legs warm; see if you're eating enough
calcium rich organic cheese, yoghurt, and other foods; when having a cramp, sit on the
floor and straighten knee while flexing toes to the ceiling; massage the muscle; apply moist
heat.

Nausea: Use acupressure wrist bands found at health food stores; eat a few crackers
before getting up in the morning; avoid sudden movements; eat a little yoghurt or organic
cheese when you get up in the night to pee; eat several small meals a day instead of a
couple large ones; avoid greasy or fried foods; sip mineral water with a good squeeze of
lemo; drink Red Raspberry Leaf tea every day; take 4 or more capsules of Ginger upon
arising; sit and sip a cup of Ginger tea throughout the day; take 50 mb of vitamin B6 before
bed.

Old Episiotomy Scar: Add vitamin E to almond or avocado oil and apply to scar during
perineal/vulva massage 6 times daily (have your partner help do this at night); notice
what your scar tells you about who you were and who you are now, attend to any
unprocessed grief; take 30 mg Zinc daily, take 1-2 grams of quality vitamin C daily.

Swelling: Eat plenty of organic/free-range protein; avoid standing for long periods;
elevate legs several times a day resting up against wall while laying down with your butt
near the wall (ideal) or just elevate them any way you can so they are higher than your
hips; drink Watermelon juice; eat Watermelon and/or Asparagus; take 4-6 Garlic capsules
a day; take 4-6 Alfalfa tablets daily; work up a sweat once a day; drink plenty of room
temperature water; avoid clothing that binds; lie on your left side .

Yeast Infection: Avoid all sugars in the diet (including fruits and fruit juices); avoid yeasts
and molds (including yeasted breads and baked goods, and any fermented products like
pickles, mustard, vinegar, beer, wine etc.); wear no underwear or only cotton ones; eat
active culture organic yogurt products; add a pinch of Goldenseal root powder to yogurt
and insert into vagina every 10-12 hours' abstain from sexual intercourse until infection is
completely cured; treat partner by applying yogurt to penis, being sure it gets into all the
creases; fill a 00 capsule with Boric Acid granules, and insert vaginally at bedtime for two
consecutive nights, skip one night, then insert one capsule on each of two more nights.

Varicose Veins: Exercise regularly; elevate legs as above; when you must stand for long
periods of time wear support knee-highs; don't cross your legs when you sit in a chair; wear
shoes with well-padded heels for shock abosorbency; continue shoulder stand asana in
pregnancy if you did it regularly preconception; use homeopathic Hamemelis 30x 3times a
day.

Weird Dreams/Nagging Anxieties: Write them out on paper and see how you feel
afterwards; express them to your midwife, therapist, doula, or minister; wait them out and
see what they reveal to you about your birth preparation process - it's the women who
DON'T have any anxieties or weird dreams that traditional midwives consider higher risk.
Apparently weird dreams and anxieties are brain functions to prepare you for big changes
to come.