Homemade pregnancy brew

image: www.openphoto.net
Adrian van Leen

This is a recipe for pregnancy tea that my doula, Karen Kelly (now a midwife!) shared with me.  I ordered the individual dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs and there were enough to last through my multiple pregnancies and several gifts to other expectant moms. It is much more cost effective than buying store bought pregnancy tea bags, you know that you have fresh organic ingredients, and you know that it is the right combination of herbs. This mineral rich tea is also a great tea for labor, after birth and lactation!


Pregnancy Brew

Ingredients

• 8 parts Red Raspberry leaf 
• 3 parts Alfalfa herb 
• 3 parts Peppermint leaf 
• 2 parts Nettle leaf

Simply add in 1 to 2 tsps of the premixed herbs to 1 cup of hot water. And let it steep for 5 to 10 mins. Sweeten with raw honey if you desire. Drink daily from 16 weeks on!


Red Raspberry leaf

• used as a basic herbal foundation for all female organs and problems.
• decreases profuse menstrual flow (when you are not pregnant!).
• strengthens wall of uterus and entire female reproductive system.
• good during all stages of pregnancy. It is used to relieve nausea, prevent nausea, prevents spotting, to tone the uterus in preparation for childbirth. Has been used as a preventative for hemorrhaging during labor. Assists labor, reduce the pain of childbirth, makes delivery easier and faster, and relieves after pains. Tones and regulates before, during and after childbirth. It is effective in restoring the womb after delivering.
• increases and enriches milk for lactation, can be combined with marshmallow tea.
• positive medicinal affects on men, like increase fertility.
• good for stomachaches, bowel problems, vomiting and flu in children. Fordiarrhea in babies.
• soothing to stomach and bowels and cankerous conditions of mucous membranes in the alimentary canal.
• high mineral and vitamin source. An excellent herb source of manganese.

Alfalfa

• means “Father of all Foods.” It has been called the King of plants because it is extremely rich in minerals including iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, sodium, potassium, silicon, and trace elements. And it is a good source of Vitamin C, niacin, Vitamin B-1, beta- carotene (Vitamin A, which strengthen the epithelial cells of the mucous membranes of the stomach) and Vitamin K (the blood clotting vitamin which has been known to help peptic ulcers).
• has eight of the essential amino acids and the highest chlorophyll content of any plant.
• contains natural fluorides, prevents tooth decay and helps rebuild decayed teeth.
• a folk medicine for all inflammations including arthritis and rheumatism.
• It is also thought to be hypocholesterolemic and hypoglycemic. It is most popular as a blood purifier.
• contains the digestive enzyme betaine, aid the process of digestion.
• a detoxifier of the blood. The high molecular weight alcohols (octacosanol) help to reduce cholesterol and serum lipids while the coumarin derivatives provide an antothrombotic effect.
• the flavonoids relax the smooth muscles and alkaloids reduce blood sugar levels. These systemic effects are accompanied by the regulating effects the saponins have on colonic flora.
• lower blood pressure and balance estrogenic hormones.
• used to treat debility, anorexia, arthritis, weak digestion, hypertension and gout.

Peppermint

• one of the oldest and most popular remedies for simple colic and minor bloat in children and adults. It promotes relaxation.
• good for all digestive problems, helps stomach pain caused by indigestion and is soothing to the stomach. It expels stomach and colon gas.
• excellent for fevers, flu, colds, diarrhea, ulcers, and colitis.
• strengthens nerves and heart muscles.
• cleanses and tones the body.
• can be used instead of aspirin for headaches. And it stimulates blood circulation.
• useful for relieving muscle cramps, menstrual cramps, nausea and loss of appetite.

Nettle leaf

• stimulate hair growth.
• a blood purifier.
• contains bitter compounds that increase the production of urine.
• has mild laxative effect
• increase the efficiency of liver and kidney function.
• treat imbalances of the mucous membranes.
• has traditionally been used to treat asthma, ulcers, bronchitis, jaundice, nephritis, hemorrhoids and spasmodic dysmenorrhea, urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections, inflammatory skin conditions, diarrhea.
• contains astringent compounds that shrink inflamed tissues and stop bleeding.
• a significant source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and minerals including calcium, silicon, and potassium chloride; protein, and dietary fiber.

You are pregnant!

Congratulations if you are pregnant.  From the day you find out that you are pregnant, life changes.  There is a whole list of things that you are not supposed to eat and if it is not your first pregnancy then you will probably feel your body changing immediately.  Below is my top list of what needs to change and some useful tips on what to do/use.


Prenatal Vitamins made from Whole-Foods
These are more than just multi-vitamins and it is best to start taking them before conception.  They are higher in folic acid and often contain omega-3s or other useful ingredients to pregnancy.  Most vitamins are made from synthetic chemical isolates that are hard for the body to identify and absorb properly.  There are a few brands like New Chapter and Nature's Plus Source of Life that make the vitamins using whole-foods so the phytonutrients appear in the vitamin the way your body is used to seeing nutrients in food.  You and the baby will better absorb your nutrients and you do not have to worry about chemicals.  All whole-food vitamins require 2+ pills to be taken per day; there is no such thing as a one-a-day whole-food vitamin.


Other Medications
I find it useful to have references at my finger-tips for when I am under the weather or if something comes up.  The Whole Pregnancy Handbook has a decent list of alternatives.  This is where I learned 5 years ago that my seasonal allergies that I had since childhood were triggered by dairy (later I found it to be from pasteurized dairy). Especially in my first trimester, I get heavy mucus unless I avoid dairy.  For medications, I go to Kellymom.com although this website is geared for breastfeeding moms, it has very helpful information.


Avoiding Foods That You Want
By now, you have found the lists of foods that should be avoided during pregnancy.  I find these lists to be extreme and they ignore some unlisted and often obvious exceptions:

1. Avoid all nitrates because they are proven dangerous to the baby.  These are found in most deli meats, bacon, sausages (including hot dogs) and ham.  If you crave them then go to your natural store and buy some without nitrates. These meats are sold in sealed packages so you don't have to worry about them being contaminated with those unhygienic deli counter bacteria like listeria.
2. My husband is famous for bringing home brie without thinking that it is on the "soft cheeses not to eat" list.  If we bought it fresh from a farmer, I would trust it but we don't.  So when it tempts me in the refrigerator I find ways to enjoy it heated like in a toasted brie and arugula sandwich.
3. Egg yolks are healthiest when they are uncooked yet pregnant women are supposed to avoid raw egg yolks.  I found the exceptions!  Salmonella is on the outside of the eggshell so if you wash the egg first then you can do anything that you want.  Soft boiled eggs are not a risk.  Salmonella is mainly a factory farming problem so if you can buy your eggs from a reputable farmer who has free range chickens, then you should not have any worries.
4. In America NO alcohol is considered good for a pregnant woman while other countries such as France are fine with a pregnant woman having a glass of wine with dinner.  I am just throwing this out there... Personally alcohol tastes gross to me while I am pregnant except for a few sips of beer now and then.
5. Why does this list not have sugar on it?  Sugar is just empty calories and pregnant women need to have calories with high nutritional value.  So if you crave something sweet, figure out why you are having a craving (because cravings tell us that our bodies are lacking something that we did not eat earlier in the day) and try to pacify yourself with fruit or something with nutrients. I will write a blog on nutrition in the near future.
6. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and zero calorie sweeteners are far worse than sugar. They trick our digestive system in unnatural ways that lead to future digestive and blood-sugar issues.  Zero-calories sweeteners either contain carcinogenic chemicals or are made using such chemicals. These are not chemicals that you want going to your baby.
7. They also forgot to have artificial food coloring on this list.  Countries such as Germany have banned them due to their adverse health affects. You will know them on the ingredient list because they have numbers after them like Red #40.
8. BPA has been removed from plastic baby bottles because of the known negative effects to babies and children yet it is still in the liners of most canned foods, store receipts, plastic containers and dental sealants.  It is proven to increase hyperactivity, depression and more in girls who were exposed to BPA in the fetus according to Harvard School of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. BPA is transferred from the mother to fetus through the umbilical cord so why expose yourself to it?  Don't. Try to cook from scratch and not use canned foods or stick to brands that are BPA free. I gave up buying any cans in 2011 and found it much easier than I thought it would be.  

Kegals
If you don't already know what these are, read this and start doing them everyday.  If you do them daily (somewhere between 50 and 100) then you will have a strong pelvic floor that does not make you run to the bathroom every 5 minutes in you last months.  Continue these daily well after giving birth.  For some reason doctors and midwives often don't talk about kegals but they are so important!


Lesson your EMFs
Electromagnetic Forces (EMFs) are getting more and more attention.  These are everywhere in our society so it is hard to avoid them but we can lesson them around ourselves and not put them directly up against our baby.  Avoid heated mattress pads, hot blankets, heated car seats, cell phones close to you (use speaker phone at a distance), laptops on your laps (oops I was just doing this!), etc. Note that some of these things cause extra heat and are supposed to be avoided due to their high levels of heat near the baby (like avoiding hot tubs while pregnant).


What would you make sure that people start doing from day one of pregnancy?

Are you trying to get pregnant?

There are so many women out there trying to get pregnant and I know that some will stumble on this blog so I am throwing this one post here for these women. I spent time cleansing my body before trying to get pregnant.  I read more and more and even signed up to become a Health Coach at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. My body became the type of place that I would want for a new baby. It meant doing things such as changing my diet to whole/non-processed foods, eating healthy fats, avoiding hormones in meats and dairy by buying organic and grass-fed, avoiding medicines, and I avoided things such as preservatives and artificial food coloring.  I have also heard many wonderful success stories of "infertile" women becoming pregnant after prolonged acupuncture and/or following a blood type or metabolic type diet.

I started paying attention to my body in a whole new way. I read Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition: The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health and was blown away that I had made it to this mature age without knowing all the details of female reproduction. My cervix changes! My fluids change! My body temperature changes! No one had ever told me this. No one had ever told me that I could figure out WHY I never had regular menstrual cycles! My doctor ran hormone tests on me that all came back normal so she wanted to put me on fertility drugs to regulate my cycles. Instead I read the book The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies. My poor body had hormones from food and other sources influencing it for many years and it needed to heal itself. I learned more and more about Weston A. Price through Nutrition and Physical Degeneration and included some of the high fertility foods in my diet by following some great recipes in Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. I believe that this cleanse and healing time was a key factor for my body to conceive when I was ready.