Surviving the 1st Trimester

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The first trimester is always extremely difficult for me just to get through. And it hasn't gotten any easier with subsequent pregnancies. I thought last time, pregnant with my first boy, was the worst I'd ever felt. This time it was even worse. The extreme exhaustion and constant nausea hit me with a vengeance and I had to keep reminding myself to keep breathing and that I would survive this again. At least, I hoped I would! Each day I couldn't wait until (a very early) bedtime when I could escape my misery for several hours in sleep.

With that said, I know women who are so sick (some of them the whole pregnancy) that they have trouble keeping any food down and sometimes end up in the hospital with IV fluids. I am very grateful never to have been that bad off and greatly admire those who somehow survive such experiences.

Having used essential oils for years, I was hopeful I could combat some of the nausea with ginger, peppermint, or lemon this time. But I found out in a hurry that any smells, no matter how good or natural, didn't help at all. My sense of smell was just too heightened. So that remedy was out.

Every pregnancy, in my efforts to get myself feeling better, I learn a lot about what my body needs. Last pregnancy I learned that I was hyper-sensitive to MSG and that if I avoided it (in all its many forms), I would feel a whole lot better (see post here). After pregnancy I was no longer as sensitive but because I had already developed the habit of avoiding MSG, it was easy to maintain that healthy change to my family's lifestyle.

I am now officially in the second trimester (phew!) and have felt considerably better the last couple weeks, which has been the greatest relief in the world! But I'm noticing that certain things in foods still affect me and if I'm not vigilant I may pay for it for a day or two afterward. I'll get into that a bit later...

Because the first trimester this time around was so terribly yucky, I learned a lot about what is happening inside the body and what the body needs to recover from everything required to grow a baby. Many thanks to my friend, Emily, who supplied me with the needed information to start me on this journey! I offer these insights, suggestions, and tips in an effort to help others. I realize not everything will help everyone, but I feel compelled to share, hoping these ideas may improve another expectant mother's quality of life. (Note: The below remedies were in addition to my healthy, whole foods diet--although, during the first several weeks, diet becomes a matter of whatever I can tolerate, which isn't much):

1- First of all, in my frequent, small snacks I learned I needed salt! Often. I craved it many times a day, which is not normal for me (except during the first trimester of pregnancy). Interestingly, I learned that at about 5 weeks (see this site) the placenta begins to fill with amniotic fluid, which is of the same makeup as ocean water, even with the same minerals in the same amounts! Suddenly I understood why my body needed extra salt during those few weeks.

2- Besides salt, my body needed lots of water, of course, since it was producing that amniotic fluid. And this will continue to be the case throughout pregnancy, as the fluid changes and increases over time. I always stay very hydrated, but I noticed that water wasn't helping me feel better or more hydrated by itself. I still felt a lack of something. So learning that the amniotic fluid also contains electrolytes taught me that I needed to add electrolytes to my diet somehow. I was happy to learn that instead of guzzling sugary Gatorade or other sports drink I could get  a small bottle of electrolytes to add to my water, a mere drop per glassful. It doesn't have a taste or smell, but it has made a difference for me, so I continue to drink it in all my water. (You can easily find Elete online on Amazon.)

3- I found myself craving orange juice and potatoes every day for a while there, so it was no surprise when I found out that both foods contain lots of potassium. It was therefore logical to conclude that my body was deficient in Potassium, which is an electrolyte. I felt better when I drank orange juice and ate potatoes, even though otherwise I was mostly surviving on Saltine crackers. :(

4- Another thing I learned a lot more about was cell salts. These are mineral salts that can be absorbed directly into our own body's cells to help repair cell dysfunction and restore the balance of minerals in our cells. (See this article for more information on how cell salts work.) For expectant women who can't keep food or water down, cell salts can be particularly helpful. For me, they did lessen my nausea--in fact, I'm still taking them every day for a while longer. I purchased all 12 of them (Hyland's brand) online. If you would like to know the proper daily regimen for morning sickness, please leave a comment or email me. It's a little involved but very worth it.


5- Even after doing all of the above, I was feeling more stable, though not perfect, and was concerned that with all my food aversions I wasn't getting the nutrients I needed from my food. And for the first time I also wasn't taking a prenatal vitamin because they make me sick during the first trimester and I've been trying to weed out synthetic vitamins from my family's lifestyle. So I talked to my friend, Tonya, an herbalist at the School of Natural Healing. She recommended that I take a certain number of Dr. Christopher's Vitalerbs capsules as well as wheat germ oil capsules every day. (Leave me a comment or send me an email if you would like to know my prescribed regimen.) It took me a couple weeks before I was able to swallow as many of them as I was supposed to, since I had an overactive gag reflex for a while, but once I started I could tell they were helping me. I felt a little more stable, reassured that I was getting much of the greens I needed but couldn't tolerate eating yet, and--hallelujah!--they were even helping my constipation.

6- The next thing I found that helped was having an NAET treatment (see my article about NAET here). During that treatment I wasn't at all surprised to find out that my minerals were "all out of whack." My provider balanced my minerals and I felt considerably better. Since then I haven't craved salt like I did and only need orange juice a couple times a week instead of every day. I also feel like I'm doing much better getting the nutrients I need from my food and assimilating them properly, which I wasn't doing before.

7- While I was at my NAET provider's, she also did some Emotion Code work on me (see my article here). That always helps, without fail. It also reminded me that I need to be doing the Emotion Code on myself more regularly, since I can and it works.

8- A couple weeks later I went back for another NAET/Emotion Code/Energy treatment as a follow-up to my last appointment. I was doing much better by then but was still having trouble assimilating protein. I felt like anytime I ate protein other than dairy, my whole body shut down to digest it. That is a very uncomfortable, unnerving experience! Plus, it's not convenient for a mom of three young children. My provider helped with that and I've been concentrating on adding more varied proteins back into my diet, such as (fresh) eggs, chicken, turkey, red meat, nuts, and beans. (I haven't done well with the latter yet, which used to be one of the staples of my diet, but I did successfully eat and enjoy hummus last week, so we're making progress!) I really do feel much more stable when I eat the proteins my body needs.

© Remyrw | Dreamstime Stock Photos

9- Finally, I've been noticing that I don't have a good reaction to products with processed soy, corn, or other GMO foods. We don't eat many processed foods, but for those we do eat I've been watching labels even more closely for soybean oil and ingredients made with corn--which are in almost everything. I've had to pay extra for non-GMO tortilla chips and even forego eating the delicious corn on the cob we've receive that isn't organic and therefore almost certainly GMO. Sadness... But it's worth not feeling crappy the next day.

10- The last thing that has helped recently, on days when the nausea returns, is the Sea Bands my sister sent me. I'd never used them before a few days ago and I've been impressed! They really do work to reduce nausea, and quickly. My sister-in-law wears Psi Bands during pregnancy, which are another type of acupressure band, and they really help her also. I wish I had known about them 10 years ago, when I was pregnant with my first!

So there's the saga, forever documented before I forget! I hope at least one of these ideas helps you or a woman you love who is suffering with the effects of "morning" sickness. And if it's you, hang in there! You're not alone and you will get through this. :)

Nutrition and Intuition

Last week I was honored to be a guest author at A Peace of Soul, an inspirational blog written by my friend, Leslie. She is an RN, a Simply Healed practitioner, and an NAET provider who also uses the Emotion Code. (I first mentioned her here.) Her incredible gift for healing has blessed the lives of my immediate and extended families, and there is a very peaceful spirit about her. I love reading her messages because they uplift me and make me think about things in a different way. You can find my post about the connection between good nutrition and good intuition here.

Improving Your Emotional Health in 2013

So many of us--particularly women--do a lot of negative self-talk on a daily basis. Most of us probably aren't tuned in with this or realize how often we cut ourselves down, but we do it a lot. What if there were a way you could undo this and learn to be kinder to yourself and spread that positivity to others?

In modern Western society as a whole, we not only neglect our physical health, but also our emotional health, which gets even less attention--and I'm not talking antidepressants. Yet, how can we be truly whole or feel completely healthy if we are not emotionally sound?

For the last couple years I have heard of  "Tapping" from a few different people but didn't really know what it was. So I recently looked into it and realized I've already done it while being treated with NAET and the Emotion Code. But I didn't know I could do it on my own and that I don't have to go to an alternative medicine practitioner to experience the benefits--much like the Emotion Code. So I decided to try it to improve how I feel about myself in a specific area (and who can't use a little of that?). So far, so good!

"Tapping," or the Emotional Freedom Technique reminds me of the Emotion Code in its use of positive thoughts and energy, its focus on letting go of negative emotions, the way it works in concert with prayer (if you are religious), and how it teaches you to accept and love yourself while you do all of the above. One thing that makes Tapping different from the Emotion Code is how it uses the psychological acupressure points "based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles" (Source). This helps you retrain your emotions to think and feel positively about yourself, instead of reverting to all that negative self-talk. Doing this improves your emotional health but can also:

• Reduce Food Cravings
• Reduce or Eliminate Pain
• Implement Positive Goals (like weight loss or diet/lifestyle improvements)

There are other websites that detail the Emotional Freedom Technique, but the Mercola website (linked above) is the one I have been learning from the most. If you are tired of thinking and feeling negatively about yourself, I invite you to learn about this technique and try it for yourself!

I also recommend reading this article, Drops of Awesome, by a regular mom who came to what I think was an epiphany about how to recognize the daily good she does, one little drop at a time. This way of making our self-talk positive is something I've been trying to work on ever since I read the article. 

I hope you will join me as we work together to improve our emotional health this year!

The Emotion Code

I am reading this book right now and my moderate skepticism and non-understanding is turning into enlightenment and excitement. Welcome to a whole new world of health and healing!

My mother found out about this method a few months ago from the NAET specialist she is being treated by (who has almost completely cured her chronic headaches!). It struck a cord with her and after reading the book and learning how to detect and release trapped emotions, she began treating herself and family members. It sounded a little weird to me at first, but I was open to the idea, since I had read the NAET book and was acquainted with the ideas and truths behind non-Western ("alternative") healing*. And I was further intrigued when I learned how it had helped my parents and young siblings in surprising ways. As Mom told me more about it, I realized it was definitely worth trying on my oldest daughter, in particular, and on myself. So I was quite excited when I got a hold of a copy of the book over Thanksgiving.

I love how Dr. Nelson explains the real science behind trapped emotions and all the havoc they can cause on the body, and why his methods work to heal people. On first glance, I'm afraid this sort of thing looks bizarre to a lot of people and psychic-like. But it's really not like that at all. It's real, powerful stuff that everyone needs!

I keep thinking of people I know who had something terribly traumatic happen to them when they were young and are still suffering the affects of it. Or adults who have experienced failed marriages or long-term job loss and are inwardly hurting from their perceived failures. Or individuals who are suffering from chronic pains or allergies that continue to baffle doctors and for which no treatment has alleviated their symptoms. Or teenagers who are just having a difficult time with life. Or children with irrational fears or behavior problems. Honestly, since everyone experiences trials and difficulties, there probably isn't anyone who hasn't developed one trapped emotion or another. And it's intriguing how many of these emotional blockages are causing chronic and serious health problems.

The coolest thing about the Emotion Code for me is that I was able to actually experience it firsthand over the Thanksgiving break, thanks to a treatment by my mom one day, and then more intensively another day by the nurse who is treating her. At the conclusion of both sessions, I felt lighter--even thinner--and happier and more content. (My husband even commented on how happy I seemed afterward.) But the biggest difference I noticed was the improved nature of my relationship with my oldest daughter and her improved response to me, other adults, and different situations. And though things aren't perfect or completely free from difficulty, that improvement has been permanent. My belief is that, due to the difficult nature of my pregnancy and labor with her, and the very dark and difficult few weeks following her birth, some of those negative emotions I felt during that time were trapped inside my body and hampering my relationship with her. It is so good to be free of them after all these years! (Don't get me wrong, though: I'm sure there are many others I need to work on.)

Even without knowing at the time if I completely believed in the Emotion Code or the idea of releasing emotions, I discovered that it does work and it is powerful. I look forward to continuing to learn how to find and release trapped emotions in myself and my family to improve all of our health and well being!

I encourage you to feed your curiosity and learn more at the following websites:

The Emotion Code Introductory video
Dr. Nelson's official website
The Emotion Code website
Pure and Simple Healing (another blogger's review and explanations)

*NAET and the Emotion Code are not affiliated with each other but have some similar elements.

Allergy Elimination

"We now know that most illnesses (i.e.headaches, back aches, joint pains, addiction, PMS, indigestion, cough, body aches, etc.) are caused by undiagnosed allergies. When left untreated, allergies can become serious life threatening illnesses."

"Up until now we have looked at diseases as certain annoying symptoms due to poor function or non-function of certain organs or body parts. Medical professionals all over the world are taught to look for symptoms and treat them rather than look further to find the cause of these symptoms. If we did, most of the causes could be found easily and symptoms could be reduced or eliminated permanently."

So says Devi S. Nambudripad, the discoverer of NAET, an allergy elimination technique that literally cures allergies for good. She is an M.D., acupuncturist, chiropractor, and PhD, just to name a few of her qualifications. Her method uses techniques from all parts of her background and professional expertise that work together to heal the body physically, physiologically, and emotionally from every imaginable allergy. And you don't have to have the typical allergies to be allergic. If you are in pain, are uncomfortable at times, or simply don't feel yourself, there is a reason for it that can be traced to sometimes surprising allergies. With NAET, a doctor in your area will diagnose your allergy/allergies and effectively eliminate them one at a time, whether it be lactose intolerance, hypersensitivity to cold, allergy to cotton, chemicals, gluten, specific foods, etc, and eliminate them without using medication or invasive procedures.

Sound too good to be true? Even with my homeopathic background, I kept having that thought as well, as I was reading the book, Say Goodbye to Illness. But I kept realizing how western my thinking is and how far western medicine has gotten from helping the body heal itself--and not just cover up the symptoms. And while I appreciate all the modern medical advances and the benefits of medications and invasive procedures to help people, I think our reliance on such things has made us expect to need them when we aren't feeling well, though that may not be necessary.

Over the last few years a few of my friends and associates have, in desperation, turned to NAET specialists to see if they could help them in their illness, pain, and/or allergies. And they have been cured. In the first years of his life, the son of one of my friends was allergic to practically everything and was constantly very sick. After trying everything she possibly could, my friend finally found out about an NAET doctor in her area and when her son's treatments were complete (a process which can take weeks to years, depending on the severity and extent of the case), he was cured of everything. Now he can eat whatever he wants and has no negative reactions to anything else in his environment. And from my other friends' experiences, this is a typical story of how NAET helps people.

After learning all I have, I hope to find an NAET specialist in my next area and see if we can't eliminate my child's lactose intolerance, my environmental allergies, and my secondary infertility. It's exciting how limitless the opportunities of this method are!