Pregnancy Facts

• Pregnancy occurs when a females egg (ovum) is fertilised by a male cell (sperm) in the fallopian tubes.
• The fertilised eggs are called the embryo.
• At 12 weeks the baby is referred to as a foetus.
• At 6 weeks the foetus is approx. 5mm long.
• At 12 weeks, approx. 5cm long.
• At 16 weeks the baby is about 10 cm long.
• At 24 weeks the baby is about 21cm and at 32 weeks about 25cm.
• At 40 weeks the baby will be around 33cm long or roughly the length from your elbow to your fingertips.

You may first start to feel the baby move between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. These first movements may only be slight and can be confused for wind until the baby grows and the sensations become stronger.

Morning Sickness

• Morning sickness may occur throughout the day or night and in some cases throughout the pregnancy.
• If you are suffering from severe morning sickness you should seek advice from a naturopath or your GP.
• Supplementation with Vitamin B6 has been found to be of benefit in treating morning sickness.
• Peppermint and ginger tea can be taken to help relieve morning sickness in many instances. 
• For stronger prescriptions seek advice from a Naturopath.

Vitamins & Supplements

• Folate is an essential supplement during pregnancy to reduce the incidence of neural tube defects such as spina bifida in the offspring.
• All vitamins and mineral requirements will increase with pregnancy. 
• The Pill, Stress, Alcohol and Caffeine will all deplete nutrients stores. Dietary advice for pregnancy is available at Moontides.
• When used for 3 months prior to pregnancy, through to the end of the first trimester, multivitamins have been associated with a 70% reduction in the risk of multiple birth defects.

Not all herbs are safe.

Some herbs may cause miscarriage or birth defects. Always seek advice from a qualified naturopath or herbalist before taking any herbal preparation during pregnancy.

Childbirth

A partus preparator is a herbal mixture prescribed by a Naturopath or Herbalist around the 34th or 35th week of pregnancy. While many herbs need to be avoided during pregnancy, the herbs used in a partus preparator are specific for preparing the uterus for labour.

The partus prepator helps to ensure labour is on time and there is adequate uterine tone so that the contractions are well coordinated.

At Moontides, we offer a full range of services from natural fertility and preconception care, naturopathic guidance and treatments throughout the pregnancy, partus prepators for labour, pregnancy massage, counselling services and referrals for midwives.