What to take while Preggo

Probably the most common question I get is "What do you take while you were pregnant?" I think people ask mostly because I had 3 crazy fast births. How fast do you ask? Well, Baby #1 came in about 45 minutes, Baby #2 in about 2 hours, and Baby #3 in around 45 minutes. The one common factor I had through all 3 births were the Red Raspberry Leaf capsules I took. Personally, I think my births were so fast because Jesus was more than kind to me, although the red raspberry helped I'm sure.

The red raspberry pills I took were Solaray brand. I took 2 a day 1st trimester, 3 a day 2nd trimester, and 4 a day the 3rd trimester. Red Raspberry can help prevent miscarriage, tones the uterus and helps with smoother contractions in labor.

I also took a prenatal vitamin, of course. During my first pregnancy I experimented and took just about every different one that a Health food store carries. My favorite by far was New Chapter and I got a nice discount on it since I worked there. I could take it on an empty stomach and had no problems! It's typically pretty darn expensive. Another new one that looks great and has extra D in it, is the Garden of Life Raw prenatal. If these are outside your budget, a good one for your money is the Rainbow Light Prenatal one daily.

Another thing that I took was fish oil. It's very important you get adequate DHA for the baby and yourself. My favorite by far are Carlson's fish oil. If you get it, just make sure it's certified to be free of metals and PCB's.

The last month I while pregnant with the girls...I took Evening Primrose oil (I didn't take it during my last pregnancy because the hubby was out of town a lot of the month and I didn't want labor to be too early). Evening Primrose will help soften the cervix. You can also insert it vaginally if needed. I took two capsules a day...500 mg each. Country Life was the brand I used. Primrose is also great to take afterwards. It helps you burn off that stubborn fat and is also great for your skin! It has many other benefits too and is quite inexpensive.

I took some blue cohosh the last month as well. I took Solaray's brand and took 2 pills a day. Blue Cohosh helps with regular contractions and gives the uterus a final toning which makes labor easier.

Alfalfa is great to take the last trimester. The natural Vit K in it helps with clotting and it's rich in Chlorophyll which builds blood, improves blood oxygenation & helps cleanse the body. Take 5 or more pills a day. It's food, so it's not something that needs an exact dosage.

Another great thing to take throughout the pregnancy is Coconut Oil. You can rub it all over your body and your belly to prevent stretch marks. It also has Lauric acid which helps kill bacteria and viruses. You can also eat it while breastfeeding to increase the Lauric acid in your milk. 1 tablespoon and day works. Spread it on toast or mix it in your smoothie...or even eat it straight. I just found out that my favorite ND Anne Louise Gittleman recommends 3 Tbsp and day...so go for it! And don't worry about it making you fat...it actually helps you lose weight! For more info on coconut oil, read my blog post about it.

Last, but certainly not least is Vitamin D. Unless it's summertime and you're out in the sun 20 min a day, you should take 35 IU of Vitamin D per lb of body weight. Same goes for when you're breastfeeding. You'll be amazed with how much better you feel and how much less you'll get sick with colds and the flu.

With my girls, I also induced myself with castor oil and pressing the accupressure points. I wouldn't recommend the castor oil induction unless you midwife tells you you could go at anytime. I wanted a little more control with when I went into labor... I didn't want to be surprised I guess.

With my little guy...well, let's just say I barely made it to the birthing center. I was dialated to 7 and wasn't even in labor yet. No need for castor oil with him!!

If you have any questions please let me know. I'd be happy to help! I know most of the herbs and supplements that are safe and not safe to take during pregnancy. Thanks for reading:)