4 Tips for Surviving Pregnancy the Natural Way

One of the big things I never thought about before I got pregnant was how to get by while avoiding harmful chemicals. There are so many things we use in our daily life that are potentially harmful to unborn babies. Many of these were things I didn't even consider until suddenly I couldn't use them anymore. And of course there have been other pregnancy side effects that need to be treated that left me wondering, how?
So here is my list of things that have helped be survive the last 6 months. I don't claim to be an expert; these are just suggestions I received from my midwife or other older women. It's amazing how the generations past have so many survival secrets that we rarely think to ask about.

4 Products to Repurpose for Pregnancy Survival
*please clear these with your prenatal care provider before use as each person and pregnancy is different

• B6 & Unisom for Morning Sickness - My first trimester was plagued with all day nausea. The only thing that helped was sticking to a religious schedule of B6 & Unisom. I would take half a Unisom tablet with 25mg of B6 in the morning and in mid afternoon (basically 8 hours apart). I would also take a ginger root capsule in between those doses (so at lunch and dinner). And before bed I would take a whole Unisom.
• Mentholatum for Sinus Congestion - Living in Texas, I get sick almost every season. Its a combination of allergies escalating and the extreme temperature changes from one day to the next. Well not being able to take cold medicine has made coping very hard. And then I finally remembered the trick my mom used from when I was little - put a little bit of Mentolatum around each nostril. This seriously feels like magic! It takes you from not being able to breathe at all to having completely clear nasal passages.
• Coconut Oil for Dry Skin & Stretch Marks - I have always had terribly dry skin and being pregnant during cold weather has been so much worse. As soon as my belly started popping the itchiness was unbearable. It didn't mater how much cocoa butter I used, there was no relief! Finally I got the bright idea to pour some coconut oil (I just buy the cheap cooking kind from LouAna) in an old screw cap container. The cooler temperatures means it's the perfect consistency for scooping out each morning and it melts into my skin as I rub it on my belly. So much relief! I only have to use this once a day to every other day and my skin feels so soft now :)
• Vanilla for Bug Spray - This was a tip from an old lady friend of the family and I am so happy she shared it. Since we live close to the Mexican border, we can pick up the real vanilla for super cheap. All you do is buy some of the clear vanilla, pour it into a travel-size spray bottle, and spray it all over your skin before going outside. This literally repeals mosquitos and gnats. It's amazing! One day I used it, and missed a spot on my arm and that is the only place I got bit. I love that it has no harmful chemicals and it even makes you smell delicious all day. Plus it will be safe for using on Minion long before I'd be comfortable with commercial bug sprays.

What natural home remedies have you found to help you through pregnancy and life in general?