Whether you’re someone who loves every minute of pregnancy, struggles through those ten long months, or lands somewhere in-between, I’m convinced that we all do the best we can to care for our babes and ourselves in that season.
I got pregnant three months after beginning my journey towards a more “all-natural” lifestyle, which started when I stopped taking birth control in an attempt to manage my endometriosis naturally (you can ready my full story here). You name it, I swapped it out for a cleaner alternative- everything including my skincare, deodorant, laundry products, and household cleaners.
So when I learned that babies in the US are born with an average of 300 toxic chemicals in their umbilical cord blood, I carried my desire to keep things as natural as possible into pregnancy as well.
But let’s be honest…caring for another human while they’re inside of you (!!!) means your body is not your own, which is bound to cause at least two (if not twenty) discomforts that leave us reaching for the easiest and most effective remedy. Because everyone’s experience is different and some have complications that require more extreme intervention, you must do what’s necessary for the situation you’re in.
I was blessed to have an overall smooth pregnancy, but when issues did arise, I made it my goal to try the most natural option first…and they all worked! If you have the ability and means to attempt the alternatives below, I 23909824839% recommend giving them a go.
MORNING SICKNESS
To be honest, my morning sickness wasn’t bad at all. Brushing my teeth made me gag (with an occasional trip to the toilet that forced me to brush again), but otherwise I did alright. On the rare occasion that my nausea lingered, sucking on these ginger chews resoled my upset stomach almost instantly.
I was also proactive throughout the day and ate regularly (including as soon as I woke up and right before bed) and stayed hydrated. I also feel taking these prenatal vitamins (formulated with lemon) at night helped me tremendously.
RACING MIND + SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
I had a two-week stretch in my second trimester where I only slept a few hours a night because my mind was going a million miles a minute. I called my midwife in an exhausted, emotional mess and she recommended skullcap and passionflower tinctures. I slept ten hours the night I got these in the mail, and took them every evening for the rest of my pregnancy.
~TINCTURES HOW TO~
Put a full dropper of both the skullcap and passionflower tinctures in a small glass with water and shoot it back. I took this mixture an hour before bed, but you can use this up to five times a day to support your nervous system and reduce stress and anxiety.
These provided a calming effect without the drowsiness or lethargy, and I honestly still use both tinctures if my sleep is off due to stress or overwhelm. Sleep is soooooooo important during pregnancy, and this is thee top pregnancy hack in my book.
BACK, HIP, + PELVIC PAIN
Aches and pains are common during pregnancy because ligaments are stretching and joints are moving to prepare your body for birth. We need this to happen, and the best thing you can do to limit discomfort in the process is keep the body strong— specifically your core and hips. I did this hip strengthening regimen and these core exercises two to three times a week and stayed virtually pain-free during pregnancy, no medication required.
As a pelvic rehab therapist, I also regularly recommend an SI belt like this to my pregnant patients when extra joint support is needed. You wear this around your hips (not belly) when up and moving to help hold the pelvic joints together.
PS- I wrote an entire blog post on how to proactively manage pain during pregnancy, and it’s a must read that you can find right here if this remains an issue for you.
STRETCH MARKS
Stretch marks are a common side effect of pregnancy and nothing to be ashamed of, but if you’re looking to avoid them, this combo worked for me—
– Primally Pure Baby Balm (Use code MANDM10 for 10% off *wink wink*)
– Apply both (balm first, oil second) morning and night.
I started using these from the moment I found out I was pregnant (I already had the baby balm and we literally drove to the store for the oil [and celebrated with pizza] after hearing baby’s heartbeat for the first time) and I continued to apply them twice a day until Lolo was born. I attribute my stretchmark free belly to a mix of consistency, amazing products, starting early, and of course…genetics (thanks, mom!).
ACID REFLUX / HEARTBURN
I had AWFUL acid reflux in my last month of pregnancy to the point that I was sleeping sitting up, avoiding acidic foods like the plague, and still finding myself leaning over the toilet in the middle of the night.
Again I went back to my midwife (bless that woman) and she recommended trying slippery elm bark and papaya enzymes which gave me about 80% relief. The heartburn didn’t fully resolve, but these all-natural remedies made a huge difference in the frequency and severity of my symptoms.
I took the papaya enzymes during the day after every meal and the slippery elm bark at night before falling asleep. DO NOT take these together at the same time. I got violently ill the night I combined these and would not wish that experience on anyone, espeeeeecially a pregnant mama.
GLUCOSE SCREEN
It’s become common practice for doctors to prescribe a glucose screen to women around 28 weeks pregnant to test for gestational diabetes. The orange drink (Glucola) that’s commonly given, however, contains brominated vegetable oil (banned in multiple countries and patented in the US as a flame retardant), cancer-causing food dyes, dextrose from genetically modified corn, and more.
I personally didn’t want that anywhere near my or my baby’s body and am so glad I educated myself on my options.
Instead, I used an at home blood glucose testing kit to track my body’s response to the normal foods I was eating every day (rather than a chemical-filled sugar bomb) and recorded my blood sugar five times a day for a week.
– Once in the morning as soon as you wake up, fasted (normal is <100 mg/dL)
– One hour after your first meal of the day (normal is <140 mg/dL)
– Two hours after your first meal of the day (normal is <110 mg/dL)
– Repeat at one and two hours after another meal later in the day.
Some women also opt to eat “regular” sugary foods prior to their diabetes screen instead of Glucola, but I personally wanted to see my numbers in real time. This was right for me because I was eating healthy and exercising regularly, which is what they prescribe for women who test positive for gestational diabetes anyway.
SPEEDING UP LABOR
I planned for a home birth, meaning I was on the clock and needed to deliver my baby within 48 hours after my water broke to keep baby and myself safe. My water broke on a Thursday night and nearly thirty hours later I still hadn’t had any contractions. In order to keep my home birth dreams alive, my midwife recommended this mixture to get baby movin’, and boy did she ever…I had Sloan in my arms eight hours later.
~THE DRINK~
– 2 oz ingestible castor oil
– 2 Tbs nut butter (I used peanut butter)
– 1 cup juice nectar (I used mango)
– ½ inch chunk of peeled, raw ginger
– Blend until castor oil is emulsified
– Drink every 4 hours, not to take more than twice in a day
I drank half of this (it does not taste good and I still can’t eat anything mango-flavored to this day) and my contractions started almost immediately. I do believe it contributed to an intense and fast labor…[you’ve been warned]…but it got the job done without chemical or medical intervention.
LABOR PAIN
I wanted a home birth for many reasons, but primarily because I knew the hospital would bombard me with treatment measures that went against my desire to keep my pregnancy as natural as possible. I didn’t want an epidural, Pitocin, unnecessary monitoring or cervical checks, and I honestly just felt safer at home.
Knowing I was on my own with labor, I started practicing the hypnobabies meditation tracks halfway through my pregnancy and feel that “the bright orange hypno-anesthesia” (iykyk) truly helped with pain management.
This technique is a little woo-woo and the concept was out there even for me, but I was willing to try anything that would help with labor pains, and I definitely recommend giving it a try for anyone who’s curious.
BABY BLUES
My hormones tanked on postpartum day three, but thankfully that was my only “bad day” mentally and emotionally. I attribute my overall smooth transition into the postpartum phase to supporting my body and mind with rest, good food, and the combination of vitamin D supplements, postpartum vitamins, and the pills I had made from my placenta.
I don’t have another pregnancy to compare this to without these vitamins and supplements, but even if the opportunity arises again to experiment, I don’t think I want to!
We all do the best we can during pregnancy with the resources and information we have at the time. Many women aren’t aware of the alternatives to help with typical prenatal issues, and it’s my goal to shed light on the less popular, but more natural options available.
This is my personal story. These choices worked for me. I went to bed every night confident in my medical decisions, at peace with my efforts, and knowing that I had my baby’s best interests at heart. I believe that as long as you can say the same, you’re doing what’s right for you and your babe.
Now I have a favor to ask…
If you have experience with other natural, pregnancy-related remedies, will you share below? The more we know and the more options we have, the better equipped we all are to care for ourselves and our babies in the most natural way possible. And that’s a beautiful thing.
– Amanda
Disclaimer: The content provided here does not constitute medical advice, nor is it a substitute for personalized healthcare. If you have concerns about a medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment, you should consult with a licensed healthcare professional.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. No pressure, but I have a feeling you’re gonna like what I’ve taken the time to put my recommendation behind.
