Flax Seed Oil
★★★★★
Folic Acid
Gall Bladder Attacks
★★★★★
General Feedback
(Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa)
07/27/2012
Hi Anne, It is advised not to use castor oil packs while pregnant. The reason being is it's a very powerful detoxifier. Just as one is advised not to do detoxing while pregnant, nor go on a weight loss program, the same holds for not using castor oil packs. It is always good to err on the side of caution during this time. Hope this helps, Lisa
(Somewhere, Europe)
07/28/2012
(Hamilton, N)
02/05/2013
Castor oil acts on baby as well. It can cause your child to expel meconium while in the womb, which is an aspiration risk. I would find something safer to use during pregnancy and labour.
(Fairmont, Wv (currently Working In Norway))
03/03/2013
Try Bentonite Clay for constipation. I put 1 Tablespoon in about 4 oz. water and leave it sit overnight (don ´t stir). In the morning, stir in some honey and you have natural Malox! I take about 1 T. or more every morning with lots of water and have had very little problems with constipation this pregnancy.
Gestational Diabetes
(Tennessee, Usa)
09/13/2013
Dear Anna,
I will share what I have done in case it would be of help to you. I have never been diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes (I pass the glucose test at 28 weeks) but my midwife suspects that I may have it mildly anyway after I had two ten pound babies in a row, after having had babies that were around seven pounds. Well, I really didn't want to have to deliver another ten pound baby. Recovery is harder, I think. So, for my last pregnancy, I prayed and prayed that my baby would be a normal size. And I took cinnamon. Now, I believe cinnamon taken in theraputic quantities might not be recommended for breastfeeding. However, since I have never had trouble with preterm labor or too many contractions in pregnancy, I took it anyway. I took 2 capsules before breakfast and 2 before lunch for the whole third trimester. Cinnamon is known to help with blood sugar. I had my baby around his due date (normal for me. ) And he was seven pounds and 12 ounces. Praise the Lord.
I eat a pretty healthy diet and gain a normal amount of weight in pregnancy. If I get pregnant again, I do plan to do the cinnamon again.
I hope you pass your test!
~Mama to Many~
(Köln,germany)
09/14/2013
Hi Mama to Many, Thank you so much for your reply, I am already expecting and waiting for your reply. Because I am daily visitor of Earth Clinic and reading your posts with great interest. You are very sympathetic and generous. Thank you so much for sharing your remedies. During my first pregnancy I took cinnamon but once a day 1/4 tea spoon. Might be it help that I did not need insulin to control my GD but now I will take two times and more in quantity as you described and see what happens. My weight is stable and I have been not gaining weight since the last three months and babys size and weight is also normal. Thanks for your best wishes. I will post and inform you about my test result and progress. Thank you Earth Clinic for providing us such a platform where we can help each other and share our experiences. Stay blessed.
(Tennessee, Usa)
09/14/2013
Anna,
Hi again... I had actually meant to write that cinnamon is not recommended in pregnancy. But it sounds as if you have successfully used it in the past (as I have.) Perhaps your previous cinnamon use (and all the other things you do--your careful diet and exercise) did help keep you off insulin last time... I will look forward to hearing how it all goes for you.
~Mama to Many~
(Emerald City)
03/31/2016
This webpage gives info on why there is advice not to use cinnamon whilst pregnant:
Cinnamon While Pregnant
Medically it is known that developing fetuses do not have mature detox systems, making them vulnerable to everyday toxins in foods and medicine consumed by the mother. Some research into glycyrrhizin found in cinnamon has shown that it disturbs the placenta, exposing the fetus to toxins and stress hormones from the mother. High levels of hormones known as glucocorticoids can affect fetal brain development and has been associated with behavioral disorders in children, and can affect the levels of IQ in children. Another element coumarin in cinnamon is considered harmful at large doses and has been linked in some studies (though not concretely) in triggering uterine contractions and stimulate preterm labor.
Source: http://www.curejoy.com/content/cinnamon-safe-pregnancy/
Grapefruit Seed Extract
★★★★★
Use 30 drops of Grapefruit seed extract per day in 1/4 glass of water. Drink and followed by eating a cup of live yoghurt (add pink salt to taste).
Intrauterine Growth Restriction
Many thanks, Shiva
Iron Infusions
Thank you in advance,
Michele M.
Lemon and Baking Soda Water
EC: This is one of Ted's alkalizing formulas: https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/alkalizing_formulas.html#REMEDY4
(Portland, Or Usa)
05/25/2011
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
Magnesium
02/05/2013: Pgrace from Hamilton, N replies: "Castor oil acts on baby as well. It can cause your child to expel meconium while in the womb, which is an aspiration risk. I would find something safer to use during pregnancy and labour."
and it made me wonder if magnesium could cause the same risk of the baby expelling meconium in the womb since magnesium tends to have a bowel loosening effect?
(Denver)
01/30/2014
Alexa: You can get all the nutrients you need in their active form and in their proper ratios from raw organic and grass fed whole foods. Dallas and Melissa Hartwig, best selling authors of Starts With Food, Rob Wolf, best selling author of Paleo, Emily Deans, Harvard Medical School, Eva Twardokens, alpine coach and 2 times Olympian, Shannon Ford, Mrs. United States, 2011, Paul Jaminet, PHD, nutrition author, and Dr. Doug Graham, nutritionist to Martina Navratilovo, author of 80/10/10, do not recommend isolated supplements.
(Tennessee, Usa)
01/30/2014
Dear Alexa,
Over the years I have heard the warning of castor oil, but never heard a warning about magnesium. Although, I think it is an excellent question!
I checked with two herbalists who are very knowledgeable about pregnancy (via their books.) Both Shonda Parker and Rachel Weaver recommend magnesium during pregnancy for various reasons. Shonda Parker says pregnant women need 350-500mg of magnesium a day.
Rachel Weaver says that magnesium is used to stop-preterm labor, and recommends Natural Calm, which has magnesium, for muscle cramps.
Anyway, I trust these ladies as they have seen many women through pregnancy and birth. I am confident that if magnesium had a bad effect on the baby, they would both be aware of it and caution against it.
Hope that helps! Enjoy that baby! :)
~Mama to Many~
(Melbourne)
01/30/2014
(Tennessee, Usa)
01/30/2014
Hi Deepa, another mama!
Ideally, I think that women would get their magnesium needs met through diet, but I realize that the “ideal” just doesn't always work out, and sometimes we just need some extra help.
Shonda Parker recommends magnesium citrate or aspartate when a supplement is needed. She recommends 500mg for pregnant moms.
I have known many people who like Natural Calm, which is an ionic magnesium citrate. I have used it in the past, but find it to be expensive for regular use.
Rachel Weaver recommends red raspberry/nettle/alfalfa tea (2:1:1 ratios) for pregnant women and says that between that and dark leafy green salads, you should be getting enough magnesium. She suggests natural calm if not. I have found this tea to be wonderful - pregnant or not. I add peppermint to it, and actually use 3 parts red raspberry, 1 part nettle, 1 part alfalfa, and 1 part peppermint. A quart a day is wonderful, especially if you like herbal tea.
I think Blackstrap molasses is a super way to get some extra magnesium. Different brands have between 8 and 15% of the RDA for magnesium a day. While this number seems low, I think it is likely that the body is able to better use this than with an isolated supplement, since it is in a food with nutrients the way God made them, so they were meant to go together. Plus blackstrap is so good for so many things!
Epsom salt baths are a delightful way to get magnesium into the system, though again, this can get expensive.
So, perhaps with magnesium, it isn't a one size fits all…there are lots of options and people can do what fits their lifestyle, preferences and pocketbook! I have used each of the above at different times.
Do let us know what you find to be helpful.
~Mama to Many~
(Fl)
01/30/2014
I would recommend Magnesium glycinate.
Magnesium glycinate is commonly used to correct a magnesium deficiency, particularly when you may have difficulty absorbing adequate amounts of magnesium due to illness, or if you lack the enzymes that naturally facilitate magnesium absorption and transport.
The readily absorbable forms of magnesium are magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate--as well as malic acid
There are two aspects to magnesium:
1) Most forms have a laxative and can cause diarrhea so this can be a problem for may people. Magnesium glycinate is the exception to this so does not have this problem.
2) Knowing whether to take with or without food. This also applies to calcium forms also.
In my case I use a supplement containing magnesiumn oxide and calcium carbonate and D3 with my food since these absorb with food. I will use magnesium glycinate to supplement further especially if the restless leg symptoms act up. I can take this on an empty stomach.
What I said should apply to male or female.
(Melbourne)
01/31/2014
Thanks "mama to many"for answering my query in details. Bought organic Unsulphered molasses yesterday. I mix one tablespoon of BSM with 2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar organic and raw one with mother and drank it after I came back from my morning wslk.. Hopefully it will help with my very low iron levels and lowenergy because of hypothyroidcondition which has really made me feel so low and tired all the time..
Have been only using Himalayan salt instead of regular salt iodized and wondering if Himalayan salt cause low iodine condition . What do u think???
God bless this site. Truly amazing!!!!
(Tennessee, Usa)
01/31/2014
Dear Deepa,
I am quite hopeful that the Blackstrap Molasses will be very helpful to you with your anemia. It has helped me this way so much in the past. You can even take 2 Tablespoons a day if you don't mind it, while you are trying to build your iron back up.
Himalayan salt will not cause low iodine. I consumed regular iodized salt for my whole life and was iodine deficient and had hypothyroidism. (Though I didn't know that for a long time.) Now I use Celtic Sea Salt and Realsalt. I also take Lugol's iodine. I have been taking iodine for a few years and feel much better.
Are you doing anything for your hypothyroid condition?
I hope you will be feeling great soon!
~Mama to Many~
(New York)
02/01/2014
Thank you to everyone who responded to my question. It is so nice to be able to ask questions and have people who have had personal experience (or more study) give help and advice! What a wonderful source! I found it even more helpful than I expected when the "conversation" turned to hypothroidism...that was the original topic I was reading about because my husband is struggling with that and adreanal fatigue. I was also wondering what brands or companies anyone finds particularly good and trusted...and not too expensive. Thanks again!
Natural Alternatives to the Rhogam Shot
Hello. Does anyone here know of what I can take as a natural preventative instead of getting a Rhogam shot? I am blood type RH- and experiencing a miscarriage. I was told that RH- women who are pregnant or have a miscarriage should get this shot so that if the baby is RH and the baby's blood somehow mixes (rare) with the mother's blood, the mother's blood will build up antibodies to 'attack' the foreign blood.
I have since read online that Rhogam is classified as a vaccine, which I am against. In any case, I am committed to using natural methods of healing and prevention.
While I do have the option of simply going without the shot, this could endanger future pregnancies/babies. And I did read that there are natural ways of decreasing incompatibility. Vitamin C was mentioned (apparently referenced from a book by author Susan S. Weed, which I will try to locate) but I did not get the dosage or timing of it. I am supposed to get the shot within 72 hours of bleeding. Any insights are much appreciated.
(Coloma, Mi)
09/24/2009
I too have RH- blood. I have had three Rhogam shots. I had my first one around 37 years ago. We weren't absolutely sure but thought I had a miscarriage and got the shot. I received the second shot after my first baby was born and the third shot after my second baby was born. I have had no side effects that I know of. I usually don't get flu shots or vaccines but this was to protect the baby. Both of my babies were born with positive blood, so there was not a problem but I believe if the baby is born with negative blood they may have to have a blood transfusion and that sounds a lot more dangerous than a shot. I'm not real sure how all that works anymore (it's been a long time) but I just wanted you to know that I got the shots and all is well. God bless you.
(Dubois, Pa)
09/24/2009
You've got it the wrong way around. If the mother is Rh- and she has an Rh+ baby, she needs a rhogam shot.
When a mother is Rh- and she is carrying an Rh+ fetus, the mother's blood makes antibodies to the fetus's blood because the mother's immune system "sees" the fetus's Rh+ blood as a foreign invader and responds by making antibodies. The rhogam shot functions to "mop up" the antibodies that the mother made to the Rh+ baby she just delivered so that the NEXT fetus isn't harmed by the anti-Rh antibodies floating around in the mother's system from her PREVIOUS pregnancy.
If the mother is Rh- and the fetus is ALSO Rh-, the mother's body does not see the fetus as a foreign invader and so DOES NOT make antibodies to it, so no rhogam shot is needed after an Rh- mother delivers an Rh- baby. In the event of a miscarriage, a rhogam shot is administered just in case the miscarried fetus was Rh+ . If it was not Rh+ , no harm is done by giving the woman the rhogam shot.
p.s. As far as I know, there is NO "natural remedy" to replace a rhogam shot. The only "remedy" to the problem is for an Rh- woman to only have children with an Rh- man, or NOT have children with an Rh+ man. Rh- and Rh+ blood types are incompatable, even if they are of the same ABO group.
p.p.s. I am Rh- also.
(Dubois, Pa)
09/24/2009
EC's programing seems to have dropped the positive sign that signifies a positive Rh status, e.g. "Rh+ ". This could lead to alot of confusion amoung readers.
EC: Thanks for noticing that! Will alert the programmers. Will you please re-submit your first rhogam shot post so I can see which + signs are missing? Thanks.
Deirdre
(Dubois, Pa)
09/24/2009
(Maryland, Usa)
09/25/2009
An Rh-negative mother should have the RhoGAM shot during pregnancy, and also after birth if the baby is Rh-positive (for a miscarriage the shot would be taken regardless). This is the case for each pregnancy she has. RhoGAM doesn't have thimerosal in it, so no worries on that count. I would not endanger future children by refusing the shot. Vitamin C isn't going to make your blood somehow more compatible. This is one case where the allopathic way really is the wisest thing.
Sending you a hug, Jane...I am sorry for your loss.
(Dubois, Pa)
09/24/2009
Natural Antidepressants
Question:
Are there any SAFE all natural Antidepressant remedies available to take during pregnancy?
Thank you for your help.
EC: Your question was quickly answered on Yahoo Answers! http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081213191652AAaYFa6
To Shelley from Antioch, Ca:
Hi Shelley, sorry you are having all this depression with your pregnancy, but has your doctor checked your electrolytes/creatine levels to rule out a UTI or kidney infection? One thing you can check for yourself real fast, is your potassium level. If your problem is low potassium, drinking about 3 l2-ounce glasses of fresh or frozen orange juice in a short period of time should make you feel much better for a short period of time. If this proves true for you go to visit your doctor and ask him to check you for a kidney problem.
If it is just depression, St. John's Wort of Sam-e should be safer than the typically prescribed antidepressants. A sluggish thyroid can also make you feel a lot of what you are describing, and a good stress tab (B Complex + Vitamins C & E) can help activate a sluggish thyroid. The bottle will say l a day but until you feel a difference I don't think one at meal times (notice I said meal times, not when you eat, because everybody doesn't eat the usual 3 meals per day) will cause you any problems.
(Lynchburg, Va)
12/23/2009
★☆☆☆☆
WARNING!
I'm afraid that advice about ST. John's wort being a safe antidepressant is not correct. As a matter of fact, I know from numerous herbalists and a midwife, that it is dangerous. It's also online if you just look. I've also looked into Sam-e for pregnancy, and it's unproven. The only thing I know that is completely safe and natural is Omega 3 supplements. Also Doctors will tell you that Prozac is safe in Pregnancy, but I for one am sceptical as I had my first mid-trimester miscarriage soon after taking it myself. In the end, what I should have done is get out of a stressful situation, eat better so I could deal with the stress better, and have faith in God. . .not take something to mask it.
Hello Angela from Lynchburg, Va,
Magnesium has to lot to do with our nervous system and nerves. Since magnesium is a necesary mineral that our body requires the same as potassium, sodium, calcium, etc. it should be the safest of all remedies for nerves or depression during pregnancy.
For those of you who think you might be low on magnesium, to bring it up in a hurry without getting its laxative effect of it when taking it orally, the transdermal method works fine. Look up Deirdre's praise for it on EC. You will also find her place where she located it at a reasonable price and the sense of peace & contentment she got after using it.
If you don't understand how absorption through the skin works, Dr. Sircus at IMVA (International Medical
Veritas Association) has an excellent article on it, as well as excellent articles on sodium, madnesium and iodine. While you are there you might as well sign up for his free newsletters, which I find helpful.
EC: Joyce is referring to my magnesium oil feedback on this page! https://www.earthclinic.com/remedies/transdermal-magnesium-therapy.html
Deirdre
Pickle Juice
★★★★★
Pregnancy Rash: Dandelion Extract, Witch Hazel
★★★★★
Hi, I've wanted to help other women with this for 6 years but could not find a forum until now. While pregnant with my daughter I developed an unbearably itchy and unsightly rash on my stomach and face. Dermatologists, Obgyn and GP could not help. After hours of internet searching I found a forum on Pregnancy Rashes. Most of the over 500 entries said NOTHING helped but delivery of the baby and I was still 5 months away! I found about 5 woman who had used either topical Witch Hazel or Dandelion Root Extract. I checked every source I could find to make sure neither of these would be dangerous to the baby and then proceded to do both. I took twice the suggested dose on the Dandelion root (based on health food store recommendation) and applied Witch Hazel to the affected areas 3 times a day. By the time I returned to the dermatologist 2 weeks later for a biopsy appointment, the rash was gone! I was so thankful for those 5 women who posted. I hope this will be helpful to some other woman out there who is experienceing this awful side affect of what otherwise is a wonderful time in a woman's life.
Peace and Blessings
Pregnancy Sickness Remedies
★★★★★
- 1 c. any green leafy vegetable
- 1 c. water
- 1 inch of FRESH ginger (has to be fresh)
- 1/4 c. or so of FRESH parsley (has to be fresh)
- Juice of one or two limes (I use bottled lime juice as well if I don't have fresh limes on hand)
- 1 or 2 organic apples or 1/2 c. to 1 c. organic applesauce
I blend this in my Vitamix blender and store in 1/2 c. containers in the fridge. I drink some first thing in the morning and whenver I start to feel cruddy. I never leave the house without it. It has worked wonders for me. I hope it helps you!!!
Note: The recipe sounds gross, but it has a surprisingly fresh taste to it that I quickly became accustomed to.
