The surprising truth. You can prepare your uterus for birth. And doing so will feel delicious

When I was preparing for my VBAC (vaginal birth after c section), I had moments when I was really scared. Getting educated about birth means that you have to face the fact that, even though birth is not a medical process, but a normal thing that has brought every human into the world, there are risks.

One risk that every VBAC mom is reminded of a thousand times is uterine rupture. Uterine rupture is rare, it can be not a big deal, but it can also be fatal. I’ve had one in a million things happen to me before, so even small risks, I want to be prepared for

There are some really great resources to help you understand and conceptualize the risk of uterine rupture during VBAC and normal birth.

Here’s two:

Making a Mountain out of a Molehill by Dr. Rachel Reed

and

Top Five Myths about Birth Debunked on by Rebeca Dekker PhD and founder of Evidence Based Birth

These resources are pretty thorough and excellently researched, so I won’t repeat what has already been said.

I do want to teach you what you can do to prepare your uterus for birth.

And I promise it will feel so yummy and delicious to do so.

Yes, it’s bold to say, that organ, inside of you, that is growing from the size of a pear to be large enough to hold your full term baby and placenta and waters, can be nourished. It can heal even from an incision. You can nudge its health, effectiveness and change your birth by taking care of it.

My first pregnancy, I liked to ask my OB about preventative care. What can I do to help my body do this huge thing of creating a new life?

I’d get back lots of silly answers like, don’t worry about it, just eat anything you can keep down, it doesn’t matter what it is. One doctor even told me that a nurse in his office was also pregnant and living off of coke slurpees when I asked what kind of diet I should be striving for.

The consistent message I received to all my questions was:

Don’t worry about it, your pregnancy is mainly out of your hands.

This was all before I realized that preventative care and disease management are different fields of study. Most doctors are trained in the disease management (yay, we need you for when we have emergencies).

But we also need our dietitians, herbalists midwives, aromatherapists and energy workers who can often prevent problems before they happen.

When my OBs told me my life was out of my hands, they were a little bit right, but mostly wrong. There are things that end up being out of our hands. But, Your life is mostly in your hands and there are things you can do to influence outcomes. Always.

Here are 3 delicious ways you can nourish your uterus.

1. Brew Yourself a Cup of Prenatal Tea

Find yourself a delicious pregnancy tea containing red raspberry leaves and nettle. Both have incredible health benefits.

According to acclaimed herbalist Susan Weed, red raspberry leaf tea has many benefits including:

Preventing miscarriage and hemorrhage. Raspberry leaf tones the uterus and helps prevent miscarriage and postpartum hemorrhage.
Easing of morning sickness.
Reducing pain during labor and after birth. By toning the muscles used during labor and delivery, Raspberry leaf eliminates many of the reasons for a painful delivery and prolonged recovery. It does not counter the pain of pelvic dilation.
Assisting in the production of plentiful breast milk. The high mineral content of raspberry leaf assist in milk production in most women.
Providing a safe and speedy parturition. Raspberry leaf works to encourage the uterus to let go and function without tension. It does not strengthen contractions, but does allows the uterus to work more effectively and so may make the birth easier and faster.

How does this work?

Raspberry tea is packed with vitamins and minerals. Including but not limited to vitamin C, vitamin E and easily absorbed calcium and iron. Red raspberry also has fragrine, a compound that helps tone your uterus

Yummiest way to prepare this drink

Find a prenatal blend tea, I like this one.
Boil water
1T honey
2T coconut milk
Let steep together for 10 minutes to overnight in a glass bottle. I like this one.

Traditional wisdom says drink 1 cup a day your first trimester, 2 cups a day your second trimester and 3 cups a day your third trimester.

Enjoy. You can read my experience about how a morning cup of tea transformed my pregnancy here.

2. Indulge in a Nightly Massage with Frankincense Essential Oil

Frankincense oil has many benefits, it is my favorite oil to use with pregnant mothers. Partly because of its sacred and historic value but also because it does so much good for the body and the uterus.

Frankincense tones the uterus, helping contractions be effective as they move baby into position and through your body. Frankincense oil also helps heal skin, and nourish every cell of your body while being calming and relaxing.

I love when I can nourish my body, heart and soul all with one remedy. Afterall, they are inseparably connected and we truly can’t heal in one area without healing in others.

One study even found that compared to antidepressant drugs, aromatherapy (Frankinsence was used in the study) and massage have been used to produce significantly greater improvement in reduction of anxiety during pregnancy.

The largest maternity-specific study was conducted by Burns et al.97 who offered aromatherapy to 8058 women in labour using ten essential oils, with no detrimental effects on mother and baby. The effect of aromatherapy reduced fear and anxiety by 62%, as well as relieving physical symptoms such as pain and nausea; lavender and frankincense oils being the most frequently used.

Here is the most divine blend for nurturing your uterus, heart and soul while pregnant. I recommend making a nightly practice of a tummy massage, check in chat with baby and maybe even a meditation using this blend.

Divine Pregnancy Blend

1 pump bottle

2 ounces organic almond oil

12 drops frankincense essential oil

6 drops lavender essential oil

6 drops tangerine essential oil

Combine in glass bottle. Massage on abdomen nightly.

If you don’t have lavender or tangerine, simply substitute with more frankincense.

3. Treat Yourself to a Mayan Massage

Mayan massage is a specific massage that is aimed at taking care of your uterus. It helps with correcting a prolapsed or tipped uterus and removing scarring from c-sections.

According to Rosita Arvigo in her book Rainforest Home Remedies: The Maya Way to Heal Your Body & Replenish Your Soul, 75 percent of women have a prolapsed uterus. When a uterus moves out of place, the normal flow of blood and lymph are constricted and can disrupt nerve connection. The circulation of blood the the uterus, ovaries , bladder and bowel can be blocked.

This can affect your birth!

If you’ve had a c-section, fall or suspect an out of place uterus, I highly recommend finding am Arvigo Mayan Massage practitioner near you.

See I told you it would feel good!

You see, the big choices in your pregnancy are actually a sum total of your small choices. There are many small things you can do to eat healthier, move more functionally, restore your body and nourish those 60 million cells being created daily in your body.

Taking care of yourself is about crafting a life that feels wonderfully nourishing. As you become present in your body, you will see that you are more powerful than you think. Most things will flow to you naturally and you do not have to live in a constant state of fear.

What will you do to nourish your body a little deeper today?