Healthy Pregnancy, Childbirth Herbs, and Products for Mother and Newborn Baby

Listen to your baby's heartbeat, prepare for a Lamaze delivery, learn how to get your body back into shape after pregnancy.

For a healthy pregnancy and childbirth with ease, please explore these pregnancy resources, the #1 prenatal vitamin, pregnancy symptoms and more.

Early Pregnancy Symptoms

Pregnancy is a glorious event for most but not without it's challenges. As the body takes care of an entire new person inside you, hormones change drastically which can cause uncharacteristic irritability.

It's not just all in your head. It's based in physical reality. Other symptoms include nausea, heartburn, frequently urination, uncharacteristic fatigue, nausea, vomiting and constipation. You may also experience light bleeding. Bleeding during pregnancy is not always a sign something is wrong but you should always check with your doctor whenever bleeding occurs, whether light or not.

Unable to Breastfeed?

You can provide extra nutrients to your baby if unable to breastfeed, although breast milk may be best. But there are two studies which suggest that women who can't breastfeed can give their babies a nutritional boost by feeding them formulas fortified with the omega-3 fatty acids.The baby formulas, which contain the fatty acids DHA and ARA, have been available in the United States, in some formulas, since 2002.

You can click here to read the entire article on Fox News.

Find new parent information and healthy baby supplies along with helpful products for childbirth and after-pregnancy fitness. If you are looking for unique gifts for the mom and newborns keep reading!

Pregnancy Herbs

Fennel: Fennel seed has been used for centuries as a tasty culinary herb and also for its health properties. It can help to ease flatulence, assist with colic and aid indigestion. For the nursing mom, Fennel can help to increase the body in producing breast milk, It also works as an antispasmodic and has anti-inflammatory properties. In children, it helps dissolve mucus that can form in the upper respiratory tract.

It is also a well known medicinal tea used for dyspepsia in Germany. You can find it in cough syrups, and in natural remedies for the stomach and bowel.

Aniseed and fennel are often combined together, however during pregnancy it is best to keep consumption in culinary amounts.

Also beneficial for ailments such as indigestion, coughs, and even gas. For women who are in labor fennel can help, and women can use this herb to help stimulate the flow of breast milk. Pretty awesome for a tasty little licorice-flavored seed,

Red Raspberry: The leaves from the red raspberry plant contain healing benefits and also offers preventative properties that are very helpful during pregnancy. The red raspberries are good to eat, and drinking a tea from the leaves, or taking capsules can help tone the uterus, help to prevent miscarriage, improve labor contractions to help with childbirth, and also reduce and often alleviates morning sickness.

Susan Weed, who is a well known herbalist comments that "Red Raspberry is the safest of all uterine and pregnancy tonic herbs." It helps promote speedy postpartum recovery and during childbirth is made easier because it helps the contracting uterus during the birth making childbirth a bit easier and also faster. It can also help in the prevention of miscarriage and reduce postpartum hemorrhage.

Other benefits from pregnant women are a reduction in morning sickness and pain during childbirth. Also, this herb along with Fennel support the production of breast milk.

We all know the importance of prenatal vitamins. Now the expecting mother can include Red Raspberry leaf herb because it is rich in vitamins and minerals. Some of the nutrients found in Raspberry leaf are:

Vitamins C, E, A and B complex
Minerals
Calcium
Phosphorous
Manganese
Potassium
Iron

Baby Monitors

Baby Sound Monitor's allow you to listen to the developing baby's heartbeat while in the womb. Just place the unit on mom's tummy and use the headset. Using your own tape recorder and the recording cable, you can record your "womb sounds" or your own heartbeat to calm your newborn after birth.

Childbirth Hypnosis

The mother to be can use childbirth hypnosis to create an ideal birth experience. A women's body is designed for giving birth and sometimes fear, the mind, along with confusing emotions complicate things. But that doesn't need to be the case, because you can use childbirth hypnosis to support the mind, which in turn assists the body in creating an easy and comfortable birthing experience.

Of course, a hypnosis CD cannot and should not replace pre-natal care. Consider it a tool for creating an intention and a path for the mind to flow with the childbirth experience. In summary, you can use your own mind to create an easy and comfortable birth.

Stretchmark Reduction - Stretta for Stretchmark Reduction, A Body Serious Formula

ZENMED™ Stretta™ combines science and nature as it gently removes dead skin cells on the outermost layers of the skin. Also, the natural and organic ingredients benefit the skin by nourishing deep down. This helps remove stretch marks and also promote the healthy regeneration of the skin at a cellular level. Glycolic Acid combined with medicinal botanical extracts minimize and even remove stretch marks. The skin structure can actually rebuild and rejuvenate.

Pregnancy Exercising Videos - Yoga

Great Pregnancy Yoga

This is a wonderful collection of 98 poses created by Laura Armenta who is the originator of Ollin Yoga. The series of poses incorporates influences of several different yoga forms: Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Kundalini. They are blended with the energy of martial arts which is very powerful along with the gracefulness of a variety of dance styles. Some of the included poses stem from traditional pregnancy poses. The complete collection is joyful, contemporary and revitalizing!

Click for Yoga Guide Yoga Software with Great Pregnancy Yoga

What do you think? Please enter your comments below.
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By Ruthanne

2010-07-29 02:28:02

I am thirty-two weeks pregnant and just discovered I have Gestational Diabetes. My diet is healthy. I walk daily, and avoid processed foods and eat flax etc. I do not want take insulin if I can avoid doing so, and I have planned a gentle, natural hypnobirthing experience. I have been told I am high risk and need an obstetrician without my midwife, and may need a c-section. What can I do to allow my birthing companion, myself and my baby to continue with our plans? Thank you.

By Dr. Leia

2010-07-29 02:32:30

Hi Ruthanne, thank you for asking this most important question. Gestational Diabetes is found during pregnancy and is more common in women who are obese, who have gained a lot of weight during pregnancy, and who may be eating an unhealthy craving foods diet. Since you were diagnosed at 32 weeks, this leaves little time for you to change your body chemistry if you have been eating junk foods and lots of sugar or simple carbohydrate foods. Please try to eat healthy foods if you aren't already. The pancreas during pregnancy can be overtaxed or stressed, and unable to handle the sugar processing that normally goes on in the body. You are at high risk because your baby may be too large to come down the birth canal, so your doctor should be carefully monitoring your baby's weight and size. This means that your baby may be at risk during a vaginal birth, and you owe it to your baby to have safeguards available if anything should go amiss. I understand your wanting a natural birth, however, you should heed your obstetrician’s advice and be prepared to follow his/her advice, and make sure that you are being continuously monitored during this last part of your pregnancy. Tell your obstetrician of your desires for a natural birth, and see if maybe there can be a compromise of some sort, with both your midwife and your obstetrician available, if needed, or use your midwife to calm you beforehand for the events which may follow. I am including a link with more detailed information about Gestational Diabetes in hopes that it will help you understand the gravity of the situation so that you can be prepared. Good luck and best wishes. You may also want to check out this website > Resources on Gestational Diabetes.

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