February 19th, 2010
Hypertension In Pregnancy – Wellness Guide
If you have been diagnosed with hypertension during your pregnancy, or even if you are looking for preventative measures to keep your blood pressure down, here are a number of recommendations to help keep you “calm and collected”.
1. Water. Water. Water. Drink some water. Then drink some more and then some more. At least 8 cups a day or more if you can. You’ll get to know the washrooms all about town.
2. Exercise and Stretching. Active women are less likely to suffer from high blood pressure. For those who are dealing with hypertension already, walking, yoga, tai chi and gentle stretching are beneficial to keep your blood circulating and heart pumping.
3. A Healthy Diet. A diet that includes plenty of fresh organic fruits and vegetables will help you feel good about how you are caring for yourself and for your baby. Some special considerations to help alleviate or prevent hypertension include:
a) Load up on the protein. Up your protein intake to 80-100 grams per day. So we are taking about eating A LOT of protein. There are roughly 25 grams of protein in three cups of milk, or four eggs, or two cups of cooked beans, or two ounces of nuts, or four ounces of fish, meat or cheese. (Susan Weed, Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, 1986).
b) Calcium is your friend! 1,000 grams of calcium daily during pregnancy is recommended. `The best source of calcium is seaweed! Other calcium-rich foods include fish, dairy products, almonds, broccoli, bok choy, brazil nuts, collard greens, dandelion greens, eggs, kale, blackstrap molasses, sesame tahini, soybeans, tofu, and sunflower seeds.
c) Potassium. Potato peels and fresh bananas are exceptionally rich in potassium. A banana a day keeps the cramps away.
d) A cucumber a day. Cucumbers are the food most renowned for lowering blood pressure. A whole cucumber per day will also relieve constipation and benefit your kidneys.
e) Other dietary recommendations include taking fish oil, eating large quantities of garlic, and avoiding stimulants such as spicy or peppery foods, black tea, cola drinks, coffee, and nicotine.
4. Tea for two. Drink nettle or raspberry leaf infusions daily. Other helpful herbal teas (to be taken under the direction of a herbalist) include hops, passionflower, skullcap, and Hawthorn berries
Making an Herbal Infusion: Use a jar that has a lid and holds at least 4 cups of water. Put one handful of loose leaves (or roots in the case of ginger) and pour boiling water into the jar. Leave for 4 hours or more It’s easy to prepare this before bed and have it ready at room temperature in the morning.
Long steeping extracts all the chlorophyll, as well as the vitamins and minerals. Drink your tea over the course of the day.
If you want to steep a fresh hot cup of tea, leave a teaspoon of herbs in a cup of water for at least 15 minutes.
5. Enjoy regular baths. Adding Epsom salts to your bath allows for magnesium absorption and this often aids in pain relief. Daily swimming in a pool is also recommended.
6. Express Yourself! Emotional stress can raise blood pressure. It is important to express difficult emotions as they arise, as opposed to holding them in. Talk openly to family and friends. Find non-verbal forms of expression (in art, movement, and singing).
7. Relaxation/Meditation/Visualization. Nothing is as centering and healing as a deep mindful breath. Search out activities or classes that resonate with you, be they prenatal yoga, or mindfulness meditation. Enjoy the journey with an open heart and smile on your face.
For information on using acupuncture as a support to self care, see Dawn’s blog post, Acupuncture for the management of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension.
December 27th, 2009
Does acupuncture really help women with Morning Sickness?
I have worked with dozens of women with Morning Sickness over the past 13 years. Some women have immediate dramatic improvements, while others do not. Most women find that acupuncture, in combination with lifestyle and dietary modifications, improves their quality of life and is a welcome support.
Here are two very different stories of women that I have worked with:
Rosa- “Rosa” was a social worker pregnant with her second child. She was working full time and had a two year old son. Rosa was 10 weeks pregnant and had been constantly nauseated from the beginning of the pregnancy. She continued to force herself to work, with regular visits to the washroom to vomit. She was able to eat small meals, though often had to throw up soon after eating. She had never tried acupuncture before and had been encouraged to come by her sister-in-law. During the treatment, Rosa allowed herself to relax and to cry. She was exhausted and scared. When she stood up from the treatment, Rosa’s nausea was gone. She was thrilled. She began a pre-planned holiday the following day. I spoke with Rosa after her holiday to learn that the nausea did not return. She was doing well and had cut down on her work schedule. I did not see Rosa again, but was told that her pregnancy and birth were healthy and happy.
Dana – “Dana” saw me weekly throughout her pregnancy starting at 28 weeks. This was here third pregnancy in which she suffered from hyperemesis. It was difficult for Dana to get out of bed without being overwhelmed with nausea and vomiting. A care worker was called in to help her with her children. She was taking a large dose of Diclectin which did take the edge off somewhat but did not stop the symptoms. After we began regular acupuncture treatments, Dana rarely vomited. Her nausea subsided for a day or two after treatment, but regularly returned. Acupuncture was a welcome short term relief and helped her to feel well enough to eat more and enjoy her children. Dana was still nauseated throughout labour. She told me that she felt the nausea lift at the moment that her placenta separated (and was then born). She remembered feeling the same way at her previous birth.
Research
Dawn Aarons, Acupuncture Therapist in Toronto, Canada was interested in the following acupuncture research which she wishes to share:
Research conducted in Australia in 2002 concludes that “acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for women who experience nausea and dry retching in early pregnancy”. Here are more details about these studies:
Smith et al. in 2002 published two articles from their research on nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. The first looked at the effectiveness of acupuncture and the second at the safety of acupuncture treatment in early pregnancy.
Summary
The objective was to compare i. traditional acupuncture treatment, ii. acupuncture at Neiguan P-6 only, iii. sham acupuncture and iv. no acupuncture treatment for nausea and vomiting.
593 women who were less than 14 weeks pregnant and were suffering nausea and vomiting of pregnancy were randomised into 4 groups and received treatment weekly.
The acupuncture group, in which points were chosen according to a traditional acupuncture diagnosis, received two 20 minute acupuncture treatments in the first week followed by one weekly treatment for the next four weeks.
The sham acupuncture group were needled at points close to but not on acupuncture points and both the sham and Neiguan P-6 acupuncture groups were treated with the same frequency as the traditional acupuncture group.
All group received their treatment from the same acupuncturist.
The outcomes of treatment were measured in terms of nausea, dry retching, vomiting and health status.
When compared to the women who received no treatment, the traditional acupuncture group reported less nausea throughout the study and less dry retching from the second week. The Neiguan P-6 acupuncture group reported less nausea from the second week and less dry retching from the third week. The sham acupuncture group reported less nausea and dry retching from the third week.
So while all three acupuncture groups reported improvement with nausea and dry retching, it was the traditional acupuncture group that had the fastest response.
Patients receiving traditional acupuncture also reported improvement in five aspects of general health status (vitality, social function, physical function, mental health and emotional role function) compared to improvement in two aspects with both the Neiguan P-6 and sham acupuncture groups. In the no treatment group there was improvement in only one aspect.
Although there were no differences in vomiting found in any of the treatment groups the authors speculated that more frequent treatments might have produced greater benefits.
In assessing the safety of acupuncture in early pregnancy data was collected on perinatal outcome, congenital abnormalities, pregnancy complications and problems of the newborn.
No differences were found between study groups in the incidence of these outcomes suggesting that there are no serious adverse effects from the use of acupuncture treatment in early pregnancy.
Conclusion
Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for women who experience nausea and dry retching in early pregnancy.
Both my personal experience and research support the assertion that acupuncture is helpful for women suffering from nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. While there are no guarantees, acupuncture brings relief and improves the quality of life of most pregnant women that try it. It does not have side effects and is safe to use in pregnancy. Acpuncture offers new options to women.
Stay tuned for Morning Sickness III – self help suggestions and recommendations
