Maternity Support Protocol
Maternity Support Protocol
My intention is to best support YOU! During my three pregnancies and more than a decade in maternity chiropractic practice, these suggestions have emerged to help with your pregnancy, birth and postpartum optimal wellness. Along with these recommendations, emphasis on self care is always important. Proper rest, nutrition, and physical care such as chiropractic, craniosacral therapy and massage are encouraged.
This paper is not intended to replace professional advice and it is always advised to consult with a licensed professional before taking new remedies/ supplements.
All supplements are sold at our office and online at www.heatherhuntdc.com
Support for Pregnancy
My video on How to eat! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWnexiQ1JC0
My video on LOW BACK and pelvic pain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfDtqpO70_0
Adrenal/Stress/Fatigue: (if you feel abnormally tired, are not sleeping well or depending on sugar/caffeine to get your energy up to make it through the day)
Cytocyme AD by Biotics, 1 with breakfast, 1 with lunch, can build up to 2 in AM, 2 with lunch
Drenamin- by Standard Process 2-4 a day (feeds the adrenal glands)
Daily Fundamentals Adrenal Health- Standard Process, one package a day
Anxiety/Stress Calming Support: Adrena-Calm from Apex Energetics. A cream that literally lowers your adrenaline/cortisol levels. ½ to 2 pumps, apply onto soft skin (underarms, thighs, belly). Can use in middle of night if wake up with mind racing. Safe for kids and babies at reduced doses.
RelaxMax- by Zymogen. An easy powder to mix for a calming drink. Safe for kids at reduced doses.
Zen- Allergy Research 2 caps when feel stressed
Acid reflux/ heartburn: Gastrex by Standard Process 3 caps on empty stomach 2x a day. Can also take with food. Zypan by Standard Process, 1-2 before each meal if it does not increase acid. Use only under direction of a health care practitioner.
Blood Sugar Support and Gestational Diabetes SP Complete protein powder mix from Standard Process (2 scoops a day, in a smoothie or milk substitute product is best)
Collagen Powder- 11g of protein in a tasteless powder that dissolves in tea/coffee/water. My fav!
Diaplex or Cataplex GTF (glucose tolerance factor)- 2-4 caps/day
Adrenal support is necessary, too, please refer to adrenal section of hand out
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/pain in wrists/hands. B Supreme by Designs for Health. Up the Omega 3s (2,000-3,000 mg a day, but discontinue one week before the due date as it can thin blood and thus increase bleeding). Add adrenal support too.
Constipation: 400-600 mg of Magnesium Citrate mixed with 1 TBS Calcium Lactate at night before bed as needed. I digested this combo much better than Calm Cal/Mg due to better bioavailability and I am not a fan of cheap calcium forms, only whole food calcium like from Standard Process.
Gall Bladder (right shoulder blade pain, pain under right/midline ribs), Cholestasis: pain under your right rib cage or under your right shoulder blade, especially after eating fried foods or other fatty foods. Pain can also travel from right shoulder blade to right neck and create a right sided headache. Usually due to thickened bile from increased hormone levels. Gall bladder can also manifest as upper GI pain and sharp cramp pains and nausea. Please tell your doctor/birth provider if you have this.
AF Betafood, Zypan, and Cholacol by Standard Process, 2 of each with each meal, 3x a day at least
Drink water with Lemon to start the day and any other time (through a straw to protect enamel on teeth). Eat bitters (arugula, dandelion leaves, grapefruit, drizzle lemon over food, broccoli rabe, etc) with each meal. Eat beets, drink fresh beet juice (start with small amounts and increase slowly).
Avoid/test aggravating foods: Fried foods, pork, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, coconut products
If try all of this and gall bladder symptoms persist: Add Standard Process Choline and Inositol (2 caps with each meal of each)
Headaches/Migraines: Riboflavin (B2), 400mg at night and B Supreme in morning. Magnesium Glycinate (up to 600mg/day, broken into 2 doses). Omega 3s (Cod Liver Oil). Hot bath with Epsom salt, cold washcloth on forehead. Avoid caffeine. Consider Adrenal support.
Iron Deficiency Anemia Fatigue (Low Iron Levels and increased tiredness): Fatigue, pale skin, foggy brain. We have a few great options at our office or retired midwife Alison Osborn’s recommendation at Briarpatch is HemePlex
Leg Cramps: Magnesium Glycinate, 400-600 mg at night before bed
Liver support: If you have swelling, nausea, itchy skin, extreme hormonal mood swings, etc. Herblore Liver Tonic for Pregnancy- can dose up to 2 droppers-full 3x/ day or Livaplex by Standard Process 2 caps, 2x/day. Do gall bladder protocol.
Prenatal vitamin: Designs for Health prenatal vitamin (3-4 capsules/day). This has methylated B vitamins. Never take vitamins with folic acid. It is a cheap synthetic B9 source and can be harmful.
Rash of Pregnancy/Itchy skin: (Itchy skin or rash especially on the trunk of the body, please tell your doctor/care-provider if you are experiencing this). Itch Relief by Herblore, work up to 2 droppers full 3x a day. Do Liver and gallbladder support (see above) as this rash manifests with liver congestion/thickened bile.
Sinus Pressure/congestion: Craniosacral Therapy, Echinacea, Vitamin D, Omega 3s. Can also do Glutathione cream on the sinuses themselves- Oxicel SE by Apex Energetics 2x/day
Sleep: Magnesium Glycinate 300-600mg. Unisom. Adrena-calm cream. Eat a protein/fat/carb snack before bed. If wake up with mind racing, try Adrena-calm and a protein/fat snack.
Uterine Cramps/Braxton Hicks: Calcium Lactate powder (1 TBSP before bed with a splash or lemon/orange in it) is like “rocket fuel for the uterus.” Crampbark by Herblore.
Support for Birth/Directly after birth
Cervical preparation for birth: 2,000mg evening primrose oil orally in the mornings. 2,000mg capsules in the evening as a vaginal suppository. Poke a hole in capsule(s) and insert vaginally before bed. Start no earlier than 37 weeks.
Postpartum Sitz Bath by Herblore or Fat and The Moon has great versions. So good for healing!
Cramps of uterus shrinking back to size after birth: After Pain Tincture by Herblore and Calcium Lactate powder from Standard Process (1 TBS)
Homeopathic Remedies: Arnica Montana 1M (for muscle injuries, musculoskeletal trauma) and Aconitum Napellus 1M (for shock). 3 pellets of each 3x/day. Rotate them for the first three days after birth. I love giving the baby a dose.
Herblore has remedies for labor support and more, check on their website
Support for Postpartum
Mastitis/Clogged Milk Ducts: pain in milk duct(s) in breast, redness can result in fever and flu like symptoms. Often occurs with increased stress/doing too much, so take Poke Root when you travel to introduce the baby to family. I recommend buying a poke root and keeping it in a diaper bag for the first 6 months. Works amazing!
Poke Root by Herblore, works usually in 1 day. Directions on bottle.
Stay on PreNatal and fish oil support, consider adrenal support
Increasing breast milk supply: Nursing Tea or tincture by Herblore (the tincture is much stronger than the tea). If you are having consistent problems with milk supply, please come in and we will test your thyroid levels. Low thyroid is the most common cause of decreased milk production.
Adrenals: Cytozyme AD is safe for nursing but I like to transition to an herbal support like Ashwagandha Complex by MediHerb or ADB5 Plus by Biotics Research. Adrenal Health Packs by Standard Process are also great. Ideally though, please do some testing and see how your adrenals are doing. We can do that easily at our office.
PostPartum Depression: Postpartum Support International has a free hotline with counseling help. Keep on prenatals or female multivitamins. Adrenal support. Omega 3/Fish oils. Methylated B vitamins. Check your thyroid, talk to Dr. Heather about hormones. Also, consider bio-identical progesterone.
Support for Baby
My video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paMd-Z_3m1E
Start Tummy Time at Birth: Tummy time ½ hour a day in small bits. Laying baby on your chest counts. If your baby is immediately fussy in tummy time and doesn’t like it, this is an indication that the baby may have musculoskeletal or cranial restrictions and needs to be seen for chiropractic and/or craniosacral therapy.
Teething/Fever: Teething Tincture by Herblore and Calcium Lactate tablets (break them up for the baby to swallow) from Standard Process. 1 to 3 tablets, up to 2x/day
Colic: Read BabySense Secret by Meg Faure to make sure baby is not overstimulated. Craniosacral Therapy. Block Feeding (3 hours on one breast, then 3 hours feeding on the other. Ideally ask a lactation consultant about this). Infant massage. Have mom take probiotics and Omega 3s. Have mom take Zypan (2 tabs with each meal) to help her break down her own protein so undigested protein does not go into breast milk and cause irritation to baby’s gut. Consider removing nightshades and chocolate from diet. Watch my video on my website on Baby’s Sleep and Senses.
Reflux: Dietary changes for mom if baby is breastfeeding. Craniosacral. See Colic. Have mom take Zypan (2 tabs with each meal) to help her break down her own protein so undigested protein does not go into breast milk and cause irritation to baby’s gut). Consider removing nightshades and chocolate from diet. Dairy is also a trigger.
Gut Disturbances/Gas: Follow Reflux protocol. If you add probiotics, start with mom taking them. If not enough, I recommend Klaire Infant probiotics. There will be an aggravation for the first few days as there is a “die off” of bacteria in the gut, so push through and stay on them. Don’t go on and off.
Diaper Rash: Weleda Calendula Diaper Cream with zinc. If yeast rash (you will know if it is yeast because it is “fire engine red” and does not respond to regular diaper creams) then you go to the pharmacy and buy athlete’s foot cream with clotrimazole. Apply to rash 2x/day until it clears. We have an additional handout on RASHES
Dr. Heather recommends not vaccinating on the day of birth with Hepatitis B as this is a blood-born illness and transmitted like HIV. It can wait till your child’s immune system becomes more robust.
Recommendations throughout pregnancy and postpartum
Blood Sugar Support/General Nourishment Smoothie a day with SP Complete by Standard Process or Clearvite by Apex Energetics. These help stabilize blood sugar, are a mild liver detoxer, have great vitamins and more. Also, Collagen is a great way to get 11g of protein in your morning tea or coffee.
Increase Fiber Intake Whole Food Fiber or Gastro Fiber by Standard Process (to clear out extra hormones and toxins through the digestive tract, and to increase stool transit time). Eat more foods with fiber.
Omega 3 Fatty Acids/Fish Oils. Essential for the developing nerves/brain of the baby. For mom they are a good immune, brain and mood support, anti-inflammatory, great for skin and eye health and more. Fish oils do thin your blood so refrain from taking any from two weeks before your due date to birth. 2000mg a day. Can get in vegan form from Algae. In my mind Omega 3s are a forever supplement (take them lifelong) and absolutely essential for vitality and health in the long term.
Vitamin D. Vitamin D is necessary for the immune system, hormonal health, mood stability and more. Take 1000-4000 IU a day. I recommend getting your Vitamin D level tested before supplementation so we can best dose you. We can order a test to check Vitamin D levels easily.
Probiotics: Eat them (yogurt, keifer, sauerkraut, kombucha, etc) and/or take them in supplemental form. If you are eating them, a therapeutic dose is about 1-2 Cups of yogurt/kefir a day. If you have a yeast infection, you can use probiotics vaginally as a suppository for a few weeks and up to the birth (but obviously not after your water breaks!). Get the vaginal canal ready for baby inoculation! We have a few to choose from. Strengtia by Apex Energetics includes a yeast strain so is helpful for people suffering or who have suffered with yeast infections/overgrowth. Also, Vitanica makes a good vaginal probiotic.
Consider B Vitamins—for hormone support, nausea in pregnancy, energy levels, mood, etc. Many people cannot absorb regular B vitamins, so a methylated form is recommended. We have a handful of different choices at our office. My favorite is B Supreme by Designs for Health.
Electrolyte Water- Make your own. Get a glass quart jar and fill with clean (filtered) water. Put in ¼ tsp celtic sea salt, ½ fresh lemon or dash of organic just lemon juice. If desired, put 1-2tablespoons of maple syrup. YUM!
Reading List
The Baby Sense Secret by Meg Faure. A must read for all new parents! My all time favorite baby book. It explains a baby’s sensory development and how to take care of a baby knowing where they are developmentally. www.babysense.com
Dr. Aviva Romm MD website (she was a homebirth midwife and herbalist and went to Yale to become a doctor) https://avivaromm.com/
Anything by Ina May Gaskin and Dr. Sears Great body care products made locally by Fat and the Moon