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Ginger is a spicy, aromatic herb with which many of you are familiar for cooking. Did you know it has been shown to be safe and effective in treating morning sickness? There are several ways to use ginger in pregnancy. Tea and capsules are commonly recommended in books and other sources, but my experience is that drinking warm or even cool tea when you are already sick to your stomach is not fun, and may even make you hurl! Ditto on capsules sitting in your stomach and the water or juice you need to take to chase them. Try these ginger products instead: Ginger candies and crystalized ginger: Reed's makes great ginger products. I learned to keep a small stash of ginger candies, or pieces of crystalized ginger in my handbag at, all times. It's not 100% fool proof — sometimes that nausea can outsmart even ginger — but it really can cut the edge and ease your tummy. It can be nibbled in small amounts throughout the day; large quantities are not needed and in fact, up to 1 gm of what would be equal to the dried powder is the recommended daily dose. Ginger Ale: while drinking soda is not ideal in pregnancy, treating nausea trumps and ginger ale is a great way to get in some ginger. The carbonation also helps many pregnant women with nausea symptoms. You can make your own ginger ale by grating 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger root and squeezing the juice into some carbonated water (plain or lemon flavored), adding some honey, cane sugar, or maple syrup to sweeten it, or you can get a good quality ginger ale with real ginger. Reed's makes a good one of those, too. Note: persistent or repeated vomiting in pregnancy can be a medical problem. Consult your midwife or doctor if you experience anything beyond typical morning sickness symptoms. Red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) for an easier labor This herb is a mineral rich tonic, traditionally used to support a healthy pregnancy and tone the uterus to help a woman prepare for birth. Some studies have shown that it can help to expedite labor and reduce complications and interventions associated with birth. Since it doesn't have the most pleasant taste when taken as a tea by itself, I generally recommend mixing it with some spearmint and rose hips for a delicious tea that can be taken daily, 1-2 cups throughout the second and third trimesters. The recommended dose is from 1.5 – 5 gm daily in tea. Pregnancy Tea 2 tbsp. red raspberry leaf 2 tsp spearmint leaf 2 tsp rose hips Mix together and place into a reusable tea bag. Steep in 8 oz. of boiling water for 20 minutes, strain and drink 1-2 cups daily. Echinacea (Echinacea spp) for colds Pregnant women get colds just like everyone else, and because natural hormonal changes in pregnancy already make your nose feel stuffy and a big belly can make it feel harder to breathe, colds and coughs can be extra miserable. Echinacea has been shown to reduce the length of colds and also prevent them from recurring. It can be used either during a cold or to prevent them. It does not actually help with cold symptoms, but our friend ginger does! Ginger can reduce chills, coughing, and aching muscles when taken as a hot tea using 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger per cup of boiling water, 1-3 cups daily. Echinacea is best used in the form of a tincture, which does contain a small amount of alcohol, but this tiny amount is not considered dangerous when taken in the recommended dose of up to 5 mL of the tincture (about 1 measured teaspoon) up to twice daily. Capsules can also be used according to recommended package dosing for individual products, if you are uncomfortable with using a product containing alcohol during pregnancy. Cranberry (Vaccinium Macrocarpon) for UTI prevention Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common during pregnancy. Medically they are treated with antibiotics the first time, and if a second infection occurs, the medical recommendation is to place Page 48 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com