Treatment

Alternative medicine offers a variety of treatments for conditions ranging from morning sickness to stretch marks. Before starting any treatment, a pregnant woman should consult with her doctor or practitioner.

Prenatal care is vitally important for the health of the unborn baby. A pregnant woman should eat a balanced, nutritious diet of frequent small meals. Many physicians prescribe pregnancy vitamins, including folic acid and iron supplementation during pregnancy.

Herbal Remedies

Numerous herbs are believed to remedy a range of conditions experienced by pregnant women. Many remedies can be taken as herbal teas, and packaged tea bags are sold at health food stores. The following herbs are recommended for pregnant women:

      * Red raspberry leaf tea is regarded as an all-purpose remedy. It's a good source of iron, it tones the uterus, protects against miscarriage, and prevents infection, cramps, and anemia. Furthermore, red raspberry is believed to aid the birth process by stimulating contractions. The herb also prevents excessive bleeding during labor and afterwards.
      * For morning sickness, several forms of ginger provide relief. A cup of ginger tea, ginger capsules, ginger ale, or ginger cookies can ease the queasiness.
      * Lemon balm can be taken for nausea; it also helps with digestion.
      * Wild yam and burdock root are effective against morning sickness. Wild yam can be taken for pregnancy pain and cramping. The herb is taken to reduce the risk of miscarriage. Burdock root aids with water retention; it also protects against infant jaundice.
      * Peppermint can be taken after the first trimester to combat nausea. It helps with digestion, provides stomach relief, and serves as a body strengthener.
      * Echinacea boosts the immune system to fight colds, flu, and infection.
      * Chamomile provides soothing relaxation and can be used to help with sleep. It also helps with digestive problems and bowel difficulties.
      * Yellow dock also thwarts infant jaundice. The herb also helps with iron absorption.
      * Bilberry serves as a diuretic for bloating; it also strengthens vein and capillary support.
      * Nettles and oat straw are sources of calcium. In addition, nettles and dandelion reportedly prevent high blood pressure and water retention. Nettles contain Vitamin K and help to prevent excessive bleeding. Nettles can also be taken to avoid hemorrhoids and to enhance kidney function.
      * Blue cohosh is taken during the last weeks of pregnancy; this remedy is taken to induce labor contractions and ease spasmodic pains.
      * Lobelia works to relax the mother during delivery. The herb also aids with delivery of the placenta.

HERBS TO AVOID.

Some herbs can cause complications and should not be taken during pregnancy. Uterine contractions can be caused by angelica, lovage, mistletoe, mugwort, tansy, wild ginger, and wormwood. Other herbs to be avoided include cinchona, eucalyptus oil, juniper, ma huang (ephedra), male fern, pennyroyal, poke root, rue, shepherd's purse, and yarrow.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy involves the use of essential oils as remedies. The application of combined oils to the skin is said to counteract stretch marks. An aromatherapist can recommend specific oil combinations.

Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture

In addition to giving herbs for infertility problems, traditional Chinese medicine recommends herbal formulas for such problems associated with pregnancy as morning sickness, threatened miscarriage, and postpartum depression. One well-known formula, recommended to be taken three to six months before attempting conception, is called "The Rock on Tai Mountain Decoction." The formula is intended to build up both the woman's qi, or life energy, and her blood. In Chinese medicine it is thought that the mother's blood nourishes, the qi protects, and the qi in the kidneys holds the fetus.

Chinese practitioners use acupuncture to assist conception by clearing the stagnation of qi in the liver; to prevent miscarriage by conserving qi in the kidney; and to induce labor.

Traditional Chinese medicine recommends abstinence from sex during pregnancy in order to allow the placenta to develop normally and to prevent harm caused by sexual excess to the various organs and substances in the mother's body. Although the Chinese are not puritanical in the Western sense of that word, they believe that good health requires moderation in all things, including sex.

Hydrotherapy

Although pregnant women should avoid saunas and hot tubs, other forms of hydrotherapy can provide relief. To ease nausea, a warm compress is placed between the chest and abdomen 30 minutes before eating. The compress is a cloth soaked in hot water and wrung out. A foot bath can soothe swollen feet.

Homeopathy

Morning sickness can be treated by several homeopathic remedies. If a homeopathic remedy is a decimal potency, it is indicated by an "x" This indicates the number of times that one part of a remedy was diluted in nine parts of a diluent. Distilled water is the preferred diluent.

Ipecacuanha 30x is recommended if the woman feels worse lying down, has diarrhea, and is salivating heavily. If morning sickness is accompanied by queasiness about eating, Colchicum autumnale 6x is recommended. Nux vomica 6x is the remedy when a woman vomits in the morning, but her condition improves after eating. Phosphorus 6x is taken when a woman vomits after drinking water. For nausea only, Natrum phosporicum 6x may provide relief.

Each remedy is taken every 15 minutes until the feeling of nausea lessens. However, no more than four doses should be taken in one day unless specified by a homeopath.

Flower Remedies

Flower remedies are liquid concentrates made by soaking flowers in spring water. Also known as flower essences, 38 remedies were developed by homeopathic physician Edward Bach during the 1930s. Walnut, a Bach remedy for difficulty in adjusting to change, may be helpful to pregnant women. A 39th combination formula, the rescue remedy, is taken to relieve stress. A pregnant woman should, however, check with her doctor before beginning flower therapy. The essence, which contains alcohol, is taken in water and usually sipped.

Relaxation Techniques

Relaxation techniques can be used to cope with such conditions as stress or morning sickness. Helpful techniques include meditation, deep breathing, and listening to relaxation tapes. Another useful technique is guided imagery; the person does some deep breathing and then visualizes a positive image or affirmation.

Bodywork

Massaging sore areas of the body during pregnancy can reduce aches and stress. Another form of bodywork is the Alexander technique, developed by actor Frederick Matthias Alexander during the 1800s. An Alexander technique practitioner can show a woman how to release muscle tension, with emphasis on the neck. The technique focuses on posture and movement. It is said to reduce stress and relieve pain in such areas as the back.

Allopathic Treatment

No medication (not even a nonprescription drug) should be taken except under medical supervision, since it could pass from the mother through the placenta to the developing baby. Some drugs have been proven harmful to a fetus, but no drug should be considered completely safe. Drugs taken during the first three months of a pregnancy may interfere with the normal formation of the baby's organs, leading to birth defects. Drugs taken later on in pregnancy may slow the baby's growth rate, or they may damage specific fetal tissue (such as the developing teeth).

To have the best chance of having a healthy baby, a pregnant woman should avoid:

      * smoking
      * alcohol
      * street drugs
      * large amounts of caffeine
      * artificial sweeteners.

Expected Results

Pregnancy is a natural condition that usually causes little discomfort provided the woman takes care of herself and gets adequate prenatal care. Childbirth education classes for the woman and her partner help prepare the couple for labor and delivery.

Prevention

There are many ways to avoid pregnancy. A woman has a choice of many methods of contraception that will prevent pregnancy, including (in order of least to most effective):

      * spermicide alone
      * natural (rhythm) method
      * diaphragm or cap alone
      * condom alone
      * diaphragm with spermicide
      * condom with spermicide
      * intrauterine device (IUD)
      * contraceptive pill
      * sterilization (either a man or woman)
      * avoiding intercourse