Last night I went out late, yes I am 38 weeks pregnant, but it was a friend’s birthday and I thought what the hell, I feel good. I got home around 2AM and my daughter had just woken up so it took a few minutes to put her back to sleep. Then I decided I fancied a snack and since I am a bit of an insomniac at the moment I went downstairs to surf on the net (great for sending me to sleep) and have a slice of toast which then lead to a few handfuls of walnuts and some raisins. I then swigged back a glass of water and went back upstairs to cuddle my massive tube pillow (I might even miss that thing in a couple of weeks).

About 15 minutes later I started to feel a burning sensation in my throat that was travelling all the way down my esophegus - because I was drifting off to sleep I tried to ignore it but around 3.30AM I realized I was actually in pain. In the end, my 2AM glutton fest resulted in my inability to fall asleep until 6AM after glugging back some milk which seemed to do the trick.

Heartburn is really unbearable and I have some friends who have suffered continually throughout their pregnancies. It seems the increased size of the uterus and relaxed sphincter muscles allows stomach fluids to reenter the esophagus.

- Give up spicy or greasy foods, alcohol, coffee, baking soda, or antacids containing sodium bicarbonate (such as Alka-Seltzer).

- Remain active and upright, esepcially after meals (oh dear!! what was I thinking??)

- Drink water (at room temperature) regularly throughout the day to relieve acid

- Phyllis Balch recommends using Acid-Ease from Prevail Corporation or chewable papaya tablets. These products found in health food stores, contain natural plant enzymes and can be taken with meals and/or between meals, as needed. They are safe and effective for reducing heartburn.

- Drink a glass of warm soymilk, rice milk or warm goat milk with a pinch of nutmeg.

- Avoid eating for a few hours before going to bed and add another pillow to avoid lying flat.

- If you do regularly suffer from heartburn, then consider a high-carbohydrate diet (my friend this morning when I told her about my terrible night said, “you should have eaten a bowl of oatmeal instead!”).

A stuffy nose (AKA nasal congestion and/or rhinitis of pregnancy) is due to an increase in blood volume and estrogen which causes the inner nasal passages to swell. It seems to come and go and can last the whole pregnancy. Don’t be confused by congestion associated with other symptoms such as a sore throat, sneezing and coughing which would probably indicate you have a cold or allergy which can be heightened during pregnancy. Sometimes, the stuffy nose can lead to nosebleeds which rarely are full blown bleeding sessions. Normally when you blow your nose you will also see blood which is caused by tiny capillaries rupturing in the nasal passage

Phyllis Balch says a lack of vitamin C and the bioflavenoids may be a contributing factor so increase your fruit intake especially broccoli, cabbage, grapefruits, lemons, oranges, peppers and strawberries (remember to give them an extra special wash especially if they are not organic since stawberries are covered in pesticides).

Other recommendations include limiting the amount of dairy you consume and increasing your calcium and magnesium supplements (but be careful too much magnesium can cause diarrhea). Finally use a humidifier (especially in the winter when houses become really dry) and avoid using nasal sprays which can cause rebound congestion. Instead, spray using warm water in an empty nasal spray bottle which will help to moisten the nose and shrink the membranes.

Onto another favorite of mine….

Hemorrhoids can come as a bit of a shock if you have never experienced them before. In my case, they did cause some discomfort but I have found having lots of baths and the use of wipes when I have had a bowel movement to be most effective in keeping those critters in check. Hemorrhoids are a swollen or inflamed mass of tissue that look like a blister causing discomfort or itching around the rectum. An increase of blood circulating in the body together with higher levels of progesterone can soften the wall of veins around the rectum causing them to function incorrectly.

It seems constipation and strain during a bowel movement and the pressure of the uterus as the fetus grows can be causes for hemorrohoids but in my case I found loose bowel movements have also been responsible ie. too much use of toilet paper on an ill-functioning rectum can cause the tissue to become inflamed.

So if the “rhoids” are getting you down, try the following, usually you can get rid of them fairly quickly:

- Once again a high fiber diet comes high on the menu. Increase your intake of roughage including fruits (prune juice), vegetables, dried fruits, bran and whole grain bread.

- Try a sitz bath to soak yourself and include 20 drops of cypress essential oil or just give yourself a couple of warm baths every day.

- Drink more than 8 cups of water a day including herbal teas and juices

- Buy some medicated wipes including Witch Hazel to relieve local itching, irritation and burning sensations associated with hemarrhoids. Or try out this natural Rhoid Balm.

- Try not to strain to have a bowel movement and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to avoid constipation (stay away from bananas).

- Walk at least one mile a day

- Wipe gently when pregnant, to avoid irritation and prevent bleeding.

- In Ayurveda, a woman is encouraged to wear a pad soaked in warm olive oil and lie on a plastic mat for 1 hour a day.

- Dr. Motha’s creative healing treatment involves drawing up a skin fold using the flats of your thumbs. Place each thumb horizontally on either side of your coccyx about a centimeter width apart, using virgin olive oil as a lubricant, push the fold of skin directly upwards wtih firm pressure to the top of the sacrum. this is done repeatedly for about 10 minutes per day.

I feel like I have only really started to suffer from swollen legs in these last few weeks of my pregnancy and it seems some swelling is normal but if it starts to feel abnormal it may be a precursor sign for preeclampsia and you should contact your health care practioner immediately.

- Avoid all salt and highly processed foods and maintain a well-balanced high protein diet

- Sit with your feet up when you are relaxing.

- Walk at least one mile a day to reduce swelling.

- Try reflexology and focus on lymphatic drainage and stimulating the kidneys and intestines.

- Some good homeopathic remedies recommended by Dr. Motha (take each once a day for three days).
- Zinc 30c
- Apis Mellifica 6c - can be used to reduce swellings in ankles/feet or hands/fingers that are shiny and rosy-red in color. This may be accompanied by restlessness.
- Nat. Mur. 30c when swelling is accompanied by a desire for salt and thirst

I have had bleeding gums all the way through both of my pregnancies. In my last pregnancy I even had a pregnancy tumor or pyogenic granuloma (it was a small piece of tissue that sat above the tooth on the gum) which was absolutely painless but bled a lot when I flossed and then the hygienist removed it very simply when I went to get my teeth cleaned. As for the bleeding gums, they seem to come and go but regular dental care and flossing are essential. Again those glorious estrogen levels are causing the gums to swell and become soft making them more prone to bleeding and infection.

- Make sure you are getting enough calcium (around 1000mg a day combined with magnesium) in your diet and high quality proteins
- Brush your teeth regularly (3 or 4 times a day)
- Increase your foods rich in vitamin C

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January 17th, 2007 | Permalink