Building babies is a stress on your body and a big undertaking for the new little one. Extra attention to nutrient-intake can lessen the stress on both of you.
This is why nutrition is so important in pregnancy–your baby needs it to build her body, and you need it to keep yours going long enough to see her build more little bodies—or whatever she chooses to do with the nutrient stockpile you so graciously donated.
When I am pregnant I am willing to do things I am not otherwise equipped to handle, such as cease the consumption of sugar, talk about pooping in front of people, and drink herbal infusions.
I don’t mean tea. I mean these things the super herbalism people have going where you’re basically drinking compost. You let like 6 lbs of herbs steep for a week and then strain off the solid matter. (Ok, not really.) But they’re sooooooo healthy. And I sooooo easily forget to drink it. As the head of r&d at Kelloggs says, “It’s not nutrition if people don’t eat it.” True…true…a solid argument for the consumption of fruit loops.
Then I discovered that it’s not all or nothing with the herbs. I can just make tea, semi-normal, and still get a lot of the benefits from the vitamins and other nebulous compounds. Plus, you can add other things to make it taste good. Well hey, I like herbal teas! I can do this. And I did. Quick & “Easy” Birth, anyone? Worked for me.
Pregnancy Tea
2 cups nettle
2 cups red raspberry leaf
2 cups oat tops
1/2 cup peppermint leaf
1/4 cup rosehips
1/4 cup orange peel
Mix all together in an attractive container (very important for mineral absorption). Take 1/4 cup mixture and steep it in a quart of boiling water (heat-safe glass or ceramic with lid). Remove the herbs after about an hour, maybe less depending on your tastes. Then you can drink it warm, room temperature, or chilled over the next couple days. It’s good to get at least a cup of the stuff in each day, a couple cups throughout the day is better. You can also add honey or some other sweetener. Perhaps fruit loops.
You can find most of these in the bulk section of health foods stores, or of course online. I use one of those little baskets made for loose tea and steep it in a glass container made for sun tea.
Benefits of Nettle
- Full of Vitamins A, C, D and K
- High in calcium, potassium, phosphorous, iron
- Eases leg cramps
- Lessens pain during and after childbirth due to high calcium content
- Raises your stores of Vit K to prepare for breastfeeding (especially good for those who refuse the vit.K shot)
- Tighten and strengthen blood vessels (lessens hemorrhoids and varicose veins)
- Reportedly used regularly historically by Native American women during pregnancy to ensure a small, healthy baby and easy birth
Benefits of Red Raspberry Leaf
- Famous for its ability to tone the muscles of the pelvic region, including the uterus, due to an alkaloid called fragrine.
- Easily assimilated calcium and iron
- Rich in Vitamin C
- Contains many B complex vitamins
- Helps prevent miscarriage and hemorrhage (due to tonic properties noted above)
- Eases morning sickness
- Reduced pain at delivery due again to the toning of the pelvic muscles
- Allows the uterus to work without tension, contracting more efficiently, speeding birth
Benefits of Oat Tops
- Anti-depressant, nourishing, stress-relief
- Revives a libido lagging due to stress or overwork
- Balances hormonal cycles
- Beautifies hair, skin, nails, strengthens bones and teeth
Benefits of Rosehips
- Eases constipation
- Promotes skin elasticity
- Vit. A supports immune system
