Vinegar Friday -- For you pregnant mamas out there

TGIVF!

One of the things I love about the Green Grandma community is that it's filled with pregnant mamas! So, this VF is for you.

Did you know that apple cider vinegar can help stave off morning sickness? At least 50% of pregnant women experience morning sickness. It usually starts during the second month of pregnancy and eases up somewhere between the fourteenth - sixteenth week. Some of us aren't so lucky. When I was pregnant with my first, it wasn't morning sickness for me. It was all-day sickness. And it didn't wrap up a few months into the pregnancy. Nope. It was there for the duration. Back then, there was medication, and I eagerly jumped at the chance to take it. After throwing up in a cab, on a sidewalk, and on a bus, I wanted relief. So I took Bendectin and it worked. When I forgot to take it, I was back to puking. So, naturally, when I found out I was pregnant with my second child, I requested a prescription for Bendectin. But I was told I couldn't have it. "Why?" I fretted in an almost panic. Simply because it was taken off the market. Apparently babies were being born without limbs and they blamed it on the drug. Good reason. But I still panicked a bit.

Well, guess what? After 30 years of being off the market, the FDA has approved basically the same drug under a new name: Diclegis. After all I learned about the reasons for pulling Bendectin off the shelf, I would be hesitant to take Diclegis, but in some cases, I suppose it might be necessary. There is speculation that Charlotte Bronte died from hyperemesis gravidarum, the extreme form of morning sickness that plagued Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, with her first pregnancy. Apparently, the duchess is not doing so well with this pregnancy either.

So, suppose you're suffering from mild to moderate morning sickness and certainly don't want to take a potentially harmful drug. What can you do? According to Cal Orey, in his book, THE HEALING POWERS OF VINEGAR, you can simply start your day with a glass of water with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed in. Of course, as always, you want to stick to organic, raw, unfiltered ACV. The other kind will not work when it comes to health remedies. Your ACV has to have the "mother" in it... that's the slimy stuff on the bottom that doesn't look too appealing. But that's where the magic is, so make it's there.

Let's say you're past the morning sickness stage... Hooray!.. but now you're suffering from heartburn. Yikes! Here's where ACV can save the day once again. I've found it to work for me with my own acid reflux issues. As a matter of fact, I've been able to stay off Nexium, a medication I took for years for my ulcer, with this simple remedy. Community member, Courtney, let me know how well it was working for her during her pregnancy. ACV and water = NO MORE HEARTBURN! Here's what I wrote concerning this in my 2011 book, VINEGAR FRIDAYS (now on sale for just $6.29!):

Acid Reflux Disease -- Wait a minute! I hear you protesting. Why would you take something acidy like apple cider vinegar when your stomach is already burning up? The unfortunate fact is hydrochloric acid backs up into the esophagus from the stomach and the traditional approach to dealing with this painful condition is to take acid reducing drugs.

Of course, pregnant women, who often suffer from heartburn, should not take any of these meds. So taking a tablespoon of ACV straight up or diluted in a glass of water is a safe alternative that will often work. My best advice for any of you suffering from an inflammation of the esophagus is -- try it. While many of us assume it is an excess of stomach acid that causes acid reflux, the reality is it is a lack of acid in the stomach, resulting in a fermentation of undigested foods. Adding the ACV will help cleanse your system and prevent the heartburn and pain.

That's my advice for this month's Vinegar Friday. Check back on the first Friday of November for more vinegar tips. With all the wonders of vinegar, why not make every day a Vinegar Friday?

Keeping it healthy with vinegar,

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and my posts are not meant to be taken as medical advice. Please consult your physician if you have a concern.