A Natural Prenatal Pregnancy Plan

I recognize that this resource won’t resonate with all of my subscribers (some of whom are men); however, many of you have asked for this article from Living Whole, so I have updated it and made it available for you here.

So, you either just found out you’re pregnant, are thinking about becoming pregnant, or are simply obsessed with all things baby and love reading pregnancy posts for funzies—whatever category you fit into, this post is for you.

Whether you got here easily or it took years in the making, there are some pretty big changes ahead. Chances are you did a little planning and cleaned up your act before you got pregnant. You know . . . ditched the bad habits, sat up a little straighter, ate a little better, did a little detox, and tried a superfood or two? But now that there’s actually toast in the toaster, it’s time to up your game.

Unless your diet has been almost perfect for the five years leading up to your pregnancy, you’ll want a little more than the once-a-day prenatal you’re not going to absorb very little of to get the job done. In natural medicine, we don’t mess around with making healthy babies.

Here’s a natural prenatal plan to help you grow a healthy baby and support your body while you’re doing it:

1. Red raspberry

Red Raspberry is a female remedy known for its ability to support the uterus. It prevents cramping, false labor, and morning sickness, reduces postpartum bleeding and swelling, shortens labor, promotes tissue repair, can contract (if needed) or relax the uterine muscles, increases lactation, and has anti-fungal and antiviral properties. One study suggests women who take red raspberry during pregnancy are less likely to receive an artificial rupture of their membranes or require a c-section. You can take red raspberry in herbal form or regularly as a tea.

2. Hawthorn

Hawthorn is an herbal remedy that supports the mother and baby’s heart and circulatory systems. It may also benefit those who struggle with high blood pressure during pregnancy.

3. Calcium

There’s really no way around it — you need a lot of calcium during your pregnancy. You’re creating a tiny human with hundreds of bones, and you need it for yours too. For maximum absorption, take calcium with vitamin C and do not take it at the same time as iron. I like raw calcium, liquid calcium, or calcium citrate.

4. Vitamin C or rose hips

Vitamin C helps prevent sickness, reduces varicose veins and hemorrhoids, strengthens the perineum, reduces labor and recovery time, and decreases the risk of infection. It also increases the absorption of calcium and iron. There are many different types of vitamin C supplements you can take, but the best form is raw vitamin C, rose hips, or lypospheric vitamin C...