Bladder Problems

Cystitis, an infection of the bladder, is not uncommon during pregnancy. This is due to the added stress placed on your bladder because of the increased volume of fluids in your body.

Suggestions
Avoid junk food, refined starches, sugar, coffee, tea and foods high in acidic content. Eat live yogurt daily. Drink plenty on fluids, especially water. Wear cotton underwear. Avoid using soap to wash your genitals or using bubble bath or bath salts. After intercourse emptying your bladder and washing with water may help reduce the risk of infection. Wipe from front to back after using the bathroom. Include garlic and cabbage in your diet. Try taking 500g daily of Vitamin C until symptoms improve.

Headaches

Resulting from hormonal changes or stress, headaches can be familiar during pregnancy.

Suggestions
Get plenty of rest. Exercise regularly. Excessive caffeine can cause headaches, as can caffeine withdrawal. If you have been totally avoiding caffeine, a cola or cup of caffeinated tea may help. Try relaxation exercises. Soak a washcloth in cold water containing a few drops of essential oil of lavender. Apply to forehead and rest in darkened room. Massaging the neck and spine may help.

Anemia

Anemia is very common during pregnancy. We try and ward it off by prescribing iron tablets, this can be ineffective and actually cause other problems. However, there are times when we check for anemia’s that aren’t appropriate. We tend to want to check for anemia right after an expanse in blood volume. When this occurs it will take a bit for the red blood cells to “Catch up” to the rise in volume. This can look like anemia, when it’s really not. Here are some other methods of getting the iron you need.

Suggestions
Eat lots of iron rich foods (liver, leafy greens, beets, oysters, heart and tongue). Avoid caffeine, it prevents absorption of iron. Avoid excessive bran, alkalinizers and phosphates, they inhibit absorption. Drink something with vitamins C with your iron supplements (tablets or herbal), Vitamin C aids in the assimilation. Cook with cast iron. Good herbal sources of iron: Parsley, Nettles, Amaranth greens, Dandelion root, and Kelp Yellow Dock root Prevention: 1T of decoction or 25–40 drops of tincture daily Presenting with anemia: Same dosage as above but three times a day.