Naturopathy During Pregnancy

How Naturopathy Can Help You Through Your Pregnancy?

Let’s take an in-depth look at how Naturopathy during pregnancy can help support your pregnancy though every trimester.

1st Trimester – During your first consultation, our practitioners will always do a thorough assessment of your medical history, medications you may be on and all your presenting symptoms in order to decide on the best holistic prescription. Some of the most common symptoms experienced by women during their 1st trimester include: morning sickness which generally lasts until the 14th – 16th week of pregnancy (although for some it can last the entire pregnancy) and breast tenderness – one of the more uncomfortable symptoms of pregnancy caused by changing hormone levels.

2nd Trimester – Throughout your pregnancy, our practitioners will continuously assess your presenting symptoms as they change and develop along with your growing bump. Some of the most common symptoms experienced by women during their 2nd trimester include: backache – mostly caused by the growing bump, enlarging pelvis and stretching of the ligaments in the pelvic, sacral and lumbar region constipation is incredibly common in pregnancy caused by the added pressure on the bowels from the growing baby.

3rd Trimester – While your body is actively getting ready to deliver a baby, our practitioners are available to help you manage the range of changes your body is going through. Heartburn and indigestion which is caused by the pressure of the expanding uterus pushes upwards on to the oesophagus and stomach cystitis or UTIs which can sometimes be missed because the symptoms of infection are common general side effects of pregnancy.

Emotions During Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be an overwhelming time, partly because of constantly changing hormones and partly because of the impending changes to your lifestyle and routine. Emotional changes are fairly common during pregnancy but they can be very upsetting. Naturopathy can assist in providing gentle support and our practitioners are able to prescribe remedies which can greatly assist and help you cope.

Naturopathic Remedies Designed For You

Our practitioners can prescribe customised herbal or nutritional supplementation that has been developed to treat your individual symptoms. We have supplements available to treat a variety of different complaints that often appear during pregnancy including, but not limited to:

Nausea and Morning Sickness including:

• Nausea that is worse after movement of any kind or if the nausea starts as soon as you lift your head off the pillow
• Nausea that is triggered by travelling in a car of by feeling tired and exhausted
• Nausea that is triggered by the smell of certain foods

Breast tenderness including:

• Slightly lumpy, tender breasts
• Breast swelling, tenderness with hard palpable lumps in the breasts and in the underarm area

Muscle Aches and Pains including:

• Weakness and pain in the lower back
• Backaches affecting the lumbar region which are relieved by firm pressure or massage
• Muscle aches and stiffness during pregnancy, particularly where there is a bruised sensation or if there has been a strain or sprain

Constipation including:

• When stools are small, hard and difficult to pass and leave you feeling like you haven’t properly emptied your bowels
• Obstinate constipation where there is no urge to pass stools at all or even a soft stool is difficult to pass
• When stools are hard, large and difficult to pass, with a sensation of a ball in the rectum

Heartburn and Indigestion including:

• Gnawing pain in the stomach region, when it’s worse around mid-morning and is caused by drinking milk or eating milk-based foods
• Indigestion that results from eating large meals
• When rich, fatty foods disagree and you feel bloated after meals and need to loosen clothing
• Burning sensation behind the sternum

Cystitis or UTIs including:

• Constant desire to urinate, which burns and is often passed drop-wise
• Burning/aching in the bladder region, and possibly where the urine is retained or cannot be passed but then is voided involuntarily when walking or doing exercise

It is important to use any natural supplement under the advice of a naturopathic practitioner to ensure the correct dosage and understanding of the possible side-effects or interaction with other medication you may be taking.