Collected resources from Camille Mulchi, BS, RYT, CCE
Drink Your Tea
(excerpted from Colette Crawford, Seattle Holistic Center)
Red Raspberry Leaf tea has been known for centuries as a healthy tonic for pregnancy. It has the right ratio of calcium and magnesium, is rich in vitamin C, has vitamins A, B complex and E, iron and other minerals. Benefits include increasing fertility in men and women, decreasing nausea and toning the uterus, thus making for an efficient labor and more.
Nettle leaves are high in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sulphur and iron, along with vitamins A, C, D and K (baby also gets vitamin K in utero, which increases their blood clotting factors). Along with toning the uterus, kidneys, liver and other organs, Nettles can help reduce leg cramps, prevent hemorrhoids and prevent hemorrhage after birth.
Raspberry Leaf and Nettles used together make an ideal pregnancy tea, and help promote a speedy and efficient birth—so, drink your tea!
Leg Cramp Prevention Tea Infusion
From Kate L. Short, Holistic Health Counselor (& former MotherWise YOGA mama!)
I recommend using the herbs in bulk, which you can buy at either Herb Shoppe on SE Hawthorne Blvd. or another favorite spot of your own. The pre-packaged teas usually don’t have as much “bang”, and they are in small quantity–but it’s better than nothing! The herbal blend I recommend is: nettles, red raspberry leaf, oatstraw, and alfalfa. You can add in peppermint for better taste. Get about a cup of each. I mix them all together either in a big plastic ziploc or a glass jar. **This is what stopped the cramps for me, instantly after starting to drink it daily!!
To make tea infusion, I scoop out about a 1/2 cup of mixture and put in bottom of glass pint-size jar (leftover applesauce jars, etc. work just great!), pour boiling water over mixture, put on tightly-fitting lid, then let infuse for 4 hours. After that, I strain out the herbs and drink over the course of the day. You can refrigerate for up to 2 days.
In addition, make sure you’re drinking enough water a day (half your body weight in ounces; i.e. if you weigh 140 lbs, drink 70 fl.oz of water/day). Exercise also helps, especially swimming, to get the blood in your lower extremities really pumping.
Also: consider taking a liquid calcium/magnesium (or even just magnesium) supplement, include foods rich in vitamin E and elevate your legs frequently throughout the day.
Good luck lovely mamas—MotherWise sends strong intentions for NO MORE CRAMPS!!
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