After having my babies, there are so many things I wish someone had told me before. This is my list of natural pregnancy and labor tips, to those few precious days after. The first two weeks are the hardest and most exciting, and exhausting. This list goes along with my pregnancy and labor tips and essential oils for babies posts. As always, take what feels right for you and talk everything over with your midwife or doctor.
Natural Pregnancy and Birth Tips: During Pregnancy
The Group B strep test. Near the end of pregnancy you will be tested for Group B strep. Some moms support their bodies beforehand to try and clear it but this takes months, so you have to be on top of it, and if you do not get it completely clear you will still need the antibiotic in labor. You can try clearing Group B Strep with garlic (you can get the kind that does not make you smell), a strong vitamin C like Sego- C, a good probiotic, and cutting out all sugar- even natural sugar. If you do test positive, talk with your provider. Antibiotics during labor are given to protect the baby, because Group B strep can make newborns very sick.
Support your immune system. Vitamin D, zinc and a good prenatal go a long way. Homeopathic remedies are a gentle option many
moms like, there is a Strep and Staph one that Professional Formulas offers. Always check with your provider before adding herbs or supplements while pregnant.
The glucose test. If the sugary glucose drink does not sit well with you, ask your provider if there are other options, like checking your blood sugar at home for a week or another form of the test. Gestational diabetes is important to catch, so find an option you are comfortable with.
Morning sickness. I have a whole list of ideas in my pregnancy and labor tips post. Raspberry leaf tea is a great option and helps support at the end of pregnancy as well.
Ultrasounds. Ultrasounds are wonderful tools, but you do not need one at every visit, some push or just automatically schedule it to be paid by insurance. Ask your provider which ones are medically needed, and research about any downsides.
UTIs. Drink lots of water, drink 1 cup of plantain tea a day, garlic, and Sego-C, try unsweetened cranberry juice and D-mannose, and do not hold it your bladder.
Natural Birth Tips for Labor
Hypnobirthing. Learn breathing techniques and how to go into a deeply relaxed state, where your body is almost asleep but your mind is awake. At the end, many women find that breathing the baby down feels better than forced pushing. Look into yoga nidra too. It is a wonderful way to practice this deep relaxation and going into trust that body knows what to do, let it flow and release fear. The fear is what clenches and tightens muscles and blood vessels, thus causing pain. Work through your fears and release them. This needs to be practiced for months before hand so you know how to do it and what it feels like. Trust me you will use it the rest of your life, so its worth knowing.
Let gravity help. You do not have to lie flat on your back. Ask about laboring and delivering in upright positions, like sitting up, squatting, on hands and knees, or on your side. Gravity is your friend.
Know your options for blood loss. Ask your provider about your iron levels during pregnancy and what their plan is if you lose a lot of blood. Building up your iron ahead of time is one of the best things you can do. If you have too much blood loss it can affect your milk supply coming in and ability to feed your baby- if that is the direction you are going. First option they offer is a transfusion. Getting an IV of Iron is another option to help the body replenish quicker.
If you have a C-section. Ask your doctor about closing each layer with stitches instead of staples. It is worth talking about ahead of time.
Newborn Choices to Research Ahead of Time
There are several decisions you will be asked to make in the first hours after birth. Research them before you go into labor so you are not deciding while exhausted, and talk them through with your pediatrician or midwife.
Vitamin K. Babies are born with very low vitamin K, which helps the blood clot. Their levels rise slowly over the first weeks, and reaches normal on its own in 6 months. Vitamin K is especially important to talk about before depending on choices going to be made. The vitamin K shot is given to prevent vitamin K deficiency bleeding. Since testing and circumcision is done right away, the Vitamin K is given to speed the clotting up. Some parents choose oral vitamin K instead, which needs several doses. If you are thinking about circumcision the first few days, then the baby boy will need it. If you choose no pricks, testing, and no bleeding to occur, then can you let the body build on its own? If you do not do circumcision for the boy right away or at all, then is it needed?
Hepatitis B vaccine. Hepatitis B spreads through blood and body fluids, which is why many people think of it as a dirty needle disease, but it can also pass from mom to baby during birth or from someone in the home. Know your own test result and talk it through with your pediatrician. If you are negative there is low risk.
Circumcision timing. If you are planning a circumcision, some families choose to wait until around eight days old, as in the biblical tradition, and Vitamin k balance for clotting. Talk with your doctor about timing.
Vitamin E for the first feeding. Some moms give a little vitamin E from a soft gel, just pop it and squeeze a bit into babies mouth then feed them. The Vitamin E may help get baby’s liver going, and may help prevent jaundice.
Natural Postpartum Care
An after-birth herbal bath. Have this prepped before labor. This is a large amount of herbs put together so that within the first day of getting home, you steep them and add to a warm bath, this herbal tea concentrate is so healing for your body. Steep the herbs into a very strong concentrate and pour it into your bath. Here is a great after-birth herbal bath recipe.
Sitz baths. A sitz bath helps with tears, bruising and swelling down there.
Helichrysum and enzymes. Helichrysum essential oil, is wonderful for bruising, tears and scar tissue. I also take digestive enzymes on an empty stomach morning and night to help NOT develop scar tissue.
Support your mood and nervous system. B vitamins, omega-3s and magnesium can help your body rebalance after birth. Make sure you have a good supplement to support you after. Saffron, holy basil, lemon balm, are all great as well- here is a mood stick to look into. And please reach out to your provider if you feel hopeless, cannot sleep or eat, or have scary thoughts. In the US you can call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262.
Pump and freeze extra milk. Pumping a little extra helps keep your supply up, and it is so nice to have frozen milk for later. Many moms also use breast milk for little things like a stuffy nose or goopy eyes, and its good to have on hand for pink eye later. Do not let yourself be in pain and get stretch marks from getting so huge too fast, just pump it out.
Rest for 40 days. So many cultures honor a 40-day rest after birth. In Chinese tradition it is called “sitting the month.” Rest for at least 40 days, or up to two months if you can. Go out less, get help with the older kids, and if you can, hire someone to make clean, nourishing meals and clean the house if only for that time. Your body just did something amazing and it needs time to heal.
I hope these natural pregnancy and birth tips help you feel more prepared and at peace. Take what feels right for you, ask lots of questions, and trust yourself, mama.
This post shares my own experience and is not medical advice. Please talk with your doctor or midwife before using herbs, supplements or essential oils during pregnancy, birth or nursing. *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
