Your nervous system includes your brain, spinal cord and nerves. The autonomic, or involuntary, aspect of your nervous system has a sympathetic division responsible for "fight or flight" and a parasympathetic division that helps your body rest and...
According to Sutter Health, some women have Braxton-Hicks contractions during their pregnancy; a Braxton-Hicks contraction is an irregular, non-painful tightening of the uterine layers. However, if a woman is having painful contractions every 10...
Preterm labor occurs in or before your 37th week of pregnancy. While everyone is anxious for the baby to arrive, early birth can possibly cause problems for the baby such as impaired brain function and respiratory and digestive trouble. The...
During pregnancy, a woman's body works hard to fill the needs of not one, but two separate individuals. Maintaining adequate hydration can be difficult to accomplish when dealing with morning sickness or a busy schedule. According to the American...
Premature labor refers to going into labor before a fetus is 37 weeks gestational age. In the United States alone about one in eight babies are born before 37 weeks. Unfortunately, premature labor and delivery is the leading cause of death in...
Despite its name, rooibos tea is not made from the tea plant. It is prepared from the dried leaves of the redbush, Aspalathus linearis, a plant native to South Africa. Rooibos tea has a long history of use as a beverage and traditional medicine....
Weight gain during pregnancy is a big concern for many women. Those who start out a pregnancy overweight or obese may be particularly interested in losing weight, or minimizing the total weight gain. Natural fat burners, including herbs and teas,...
Premature rupture of membranes is the early rupture (tears or bursts) of the amniotic sac, after 37 weeks gestation. Typically, a mom-to-be's water will break (or rupture) after the first stage of labor. When the membranes rupture prior to the...
Native Americans discovered 200 years ago that black cohosh was an effective medicine, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. This herb was traditionally used in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. Today, medical research has...
Your nutritional needs change during pregnancy and when trying to conceive. Prenatal vitamins provide a supplemental source of essential vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, iron and vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12 and C, to aid in...
Menstrual cramps are a common occurrence for women that are in their menstruating years. The medical term for menstrual cramps is dysmenorrhea. According to Mayo Clinic, uterine fibroids and endometriosis may be the reason for menstrual cramps in...
Magnesium is a mineral found in the body that is essential for good health. Approximately 50 percent of the total body magnesium is found in your bones and teeth, and it is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. Only 1 percent of the total...
Muscle tension can be painful and disabling. There are three types of muscles in your body: smooth muscle, skeletal muscle and cardiac muscle. These muscles can spasm, cramp or become tense due to stress, dietary deficiency or underlying disease....
Remifemin is the brand name of a medication containing extract of the black cohosh root, cimicifuga racemosa or Actaea racemosa. Historically, various American Indian groups have used this herb to treat kidney diseases, malaria, sore throat and...
Perimenopause can cause hot flashes, mood swings and bodily changes that often are uncomfortable. It is a transitional period in a woman's life that results in lower production of estrogen and progesterone, slowing of ovulation and eventually the...
Due to substantial stretching that occurs during pregnancy, some achy muscles or mild pain is considered normal. Each stage of pregnancy has an assortment of typical reasons for mild pain or discomfort related to stretching. However, due to the...
You may use black cohosh as a remedy for menstrual cramps or menopause symptoms. If so, you are joining two centuries' worth of women who have done so. This treatment for mood swings, irritability, hot flashes and sleep problems was originally...
Goldenseal and other herbal supplements are popular, because many prefer so-called "natural" remedies or treatments to maintain good health. Goldenseal is generally used as a natural antibiotic and can be used to treat some infections. Not enough...
At some point during pregnancy, your breasts will begin producing colostrum. Colostrum is a thick, yellowish liquid that will serve as the first food your baby will need, before your milk comes in. Some women will not notice colostrum until after...
According to The University of Virginia Health System, premature labor is labor that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy. While most babies are born after this time, premature labor can pose many health risks for infants. These risks vary...
If you are approaching, or currently experiencing, menopause, you may wonder if the herb black cohosh root will alleviate or eradicate some of your menopause-related symptoms. Although black cohosh root shows promise in reducing menopause-related...
Black cohosh is a member of the buttercup family commonly found in wooded areas of eastern North America. The fresh and dried root was an important medicinal to various Native American tribes, who first discovered the plant's analgesic and...
Many pregnant women question the safety and efficacy of taking herbal supplements during pregnancy. Cinnamon bark and cinnamon oil have been used for seasoning and medicinal purposes for centuries. Although cinnamon as a kitchen spice is...
Castor oil use dates back to ancient times, when records indicate that Egyptians used the oil from the castor seeds as a fuel for lamps. The American Cancer Society indicates that over the years, people commonly relied on castor oil as a folk...
The root and rhizome, or underground stem of black cohosh, is an herbal remedy mainly for women. This flowering plant in the buttercup family is native to eastern woodlands of North America, and has the Latin botanical names Actaea racemosa and...
Constipation is common during pregnancy. You may experience infrequent bowel movements or stools that are hard to pass and require straining. This can cause pain and discomfort. According to the American Pregnancy Association, 50 percent of women...
The common cooking herb sage may do a lot more than add a sweet, earthy flavor to favorite foods. Sage contains several medicinal properties that make it a folk treatment for a wide variety of conditions, reports the University of Texas at El Paso...
Feverfew's name comes from its purported power to make fevers disappear, but medical science suggests feverfew might have different benefits, including the ability to treat migraine headaches and relieve inflammation caused by rheumatoid...
The seventh month of pregnancy is the last month of the second trimester, and just as you've experienced for all of the months up to this point, your baby is growing and changing. As a result of this growth and change, you are feeling and looking...
