Pregnancy Symptoms: Natural Relief for Morning Sickness, Heartburn and More

Pregnancy should be a happy time, but the symptoms can absolutely ruin it. If you're feeling rotten right now, I want you to know there ARE natural ways to feel better.

Today I'm walking you through 5 common pregnancy symptoms and how to ease them without reaching for medication (because let's be honest, most conventional meds aren't safe during pregnancy anyway).

In this episode, I'm covering:

Morning sickness: 80% of women get this - and it's the worst-named symptom ever because it happens ANY time of day! I'm sharing what actually helps, including the one thing you should keep by your bed and eat before you even sit up.

Cholestasis: This is itchy skin with no rash. Sounds simple but it can be maddening, especially at night when you can't sleep. I'm explaining when it's just annoying versus when it's dangerous and needs monitoring.

Piles: Incredibly painful and uncomfortable. Sitting becomes agony, going to the toilet becomes something you dread. I'm sharing a simple pharmacy solution that soothes and shrinks them.

Heartburn & reflux: When your growing baby pushes on your stomach sphincter and eating or drinking becomes misery. I'm revealing what helps keep that fire in your chest under control.

SPD (Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction): Some women say it feels like their pelvis is splitting in two. Absolutely agonising. I'm sharing the support options that actually work.

I'm also revealing the homeopathic remedies that are 100% safe at all stages of pregnancy and help with every single one of these symptoms - from Sepia for morning sickness to Aesculus for piles.

Pregnancy should be joyful. These symptoms wipe the smile off your face. But you don't have to just suffer through it - there's help available, and it's all natural and safe for you and baby.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to the Homeopath in Your Pocket, where I help busy working mums discover how to support their family's health with confidence. Hi, I'm your host, Neila Prabhu, a licensed homeopath with 20 years of experience as a pharmacist. As a mum of two girls, I totally understand the juggle of family life firsthand. Each week, I'll share practical, actionable tips that you can use today to support your family's well-being. So let's get started. Pregnancy should be a happy time, but symptoms can ruin it. If you're feeling rotten right now, there are natural ways to feel better. I'll be walking you through five common symptoms and how to ease them. So let's get started. Number one is morning sickness. 80% of women get this in their first trimester, but it's the worst named symptom ever. It can happen at any time of the day. It's exhausting and debilitating, especially at a time when you don't want to tell people. You might be trying to act normal at work while feeling absolutely dreadful. So what can help? Eating little and often, especially in the morning when it's worse. Keeping crackers or toast by your bed and eating them before you sit up. Chewing on a fresh ginger slice or drinking ginger tea. Ginger biscuits or crystallised ginger if the fresh stuff is too strong. Number two is coliostasis. Choliostasis is itchy skin with no rash. The pregnancy hormones can affect bile flow and it's those bile acids that then flow into the bloodstream and cause itching. So this is important because low levels can cause just itching, but high levels can be dangerous for the baby and it needs monitoring by a midwife or a GP. It usually happens in the third trimester, and this is even more frustrating because you can't reach the itchy bits because the bump is getting bigger. The hands and feet are the most effective, and in the middle of the night the itching can be absolutely maddening. So, what can you do? Keeping the skin well moisturized as this rules out dry skin being a cause of the itching, and using unscented moisturizer and applying as often as you can. If it's severe or widespread, speak to your midwife or GP to make sure they're keeping an eye on those bile acid levels. Number three, piles. Piles or hemorrhoids are very common in pregnancy. The hormones relax the rectal veins and the baby presses on the bowels and rectum, making it harder to pass a stool or go to the toilet when you're pregnant. Straining then pushes the rectal veins out, or it's just the weight of the baby and the placenta and everything else that's in there that makes the veins bulge. So they can be incredibly painful and uncomfortable, and sitting or going to the toilet can be agony. So, what sort of things can help? Which hazel solution applied on a clean cloth and applied topically to the area can really help? It soothes the area and can shrink the piles. It's quite cheap and you can buy it very easily from the pharmacy or health food shop. Number four, heartburn and reflux. So, what's happening is a growing baby is pushing on the stomach sphincter, which is the top drawstring of your drawstring bag of your stomach. So the acid in the stomach then comes back up, and some women suffer really badly when eating when eating and drinking, and it can make it a real misery. It feels like burning or a fire in your chest. So, what can help? Eating little and often, drinking milk, which coats the esophagus and can give temporary relief, not lying down right after eating, propping yourself up with pillows at night and staying upright helps to keep the acid down. And number five is SPD, sinphispubic dysfunction. So this is when an abnormal gap forms at the front of your pelvis. The joints become too loose because of the hormones and it leaves the woman in extreme pain, especially when walking. Some women say it's like their pelvis is splitting in two, and it can be absolutely agonizing. So, what helps with this? A pregnancy support belt that holds the pelvis together and provides stability. Putting a pillow between your knees when you're sleeping, which helps keep the pelvis aligned. Floating on your back in a swimming pool because the water supports your weight and takes the pressure off. And ask for a referral to a pregnancy physio who can give exercises and advice. So pregnancy should be a joyful time, but these symptoms can definitely wipe that smile off your face. Homeopathy can help with all of these issues and more, and more importantly, it is 100% safe in all stages of pregnancy. And many conventional medicines are not safe when you're pregnant. So my top remedies here are for morning sickness, sepia, nux vom, pulsatilla, and hippopec. For coliostasis itching, it's sulfur. For piles, you've got Aeschulus and Hamamalus. For heartburn, it's Nux VOM. And all of these are gentle, effective, and safe for you and your baby. Nux VOM and pulsatilla are in my blue kit. So what action steps can you do from today's episode? Step one, try natural remedies. Ginger for morning sickness, eat little and often, witch hazel for piles, milk for heartburn, and a support belt for SPD. So these simple things can make a big difference. Step two, have homeopathic remedies on hand so that they're right there when those symptoms occur and you can treat them immediately. And step three, if your symptoms are making you miserable, please do book in a discovery call to work with me one-to-one because constitutional treatment can support you throughout your pregnancy and you don't have to suffer through. I also have a pregnancy tissue salt program, so do get in touch if you'd like to know about how that supports you and your fetus from month two all the way through to month nine. So wrapping up, 80% of women get morning sickness, ginger helps. Coliostasis is itchy skin with no rash, but it needs monitoring. Piles are very common, and witch hazel soothes them. Heartburn comes from the baby pushing on your stomach sphincter, and milk helps. ASPD can cause severe pelvic pain, and a support belt works here. And finally, homeopathy is 100% safe and helps with everything. So don't suffer in silence. Help is available. Thanks for listening to today's episode. If you found this helpful, I'd be so grateful if you could leave a review as it helps other busy mums discover the show. If you want to dive deeper, book a free discovery call to see how we can work together one-to-one, or join me on Instagram at Homeopathic Harmony, where we can continue the conversation. And don't forget to grab your free guide to beating insomnia when you join my email list, because I know sleep is precious when you're juggling everything else. The links are in the show notes. I'll see you next week.