Green Relief for Expectant Moms
By RSM Expert Doula Jill Wodnick, M.A., C.D. (DONA)

Looking to mother earth—and all that she has to offer you during pregnancy—is one of the best ways to support green thinking and a healthy body during pregnancy.
Here, a few simple tips:

• Kale, kale, kale. Kale is a great way to get aid calcium absorption during pregnancy. Make it a regular part of your diet by steaming, sauteeing or adding kale to soups. An added bonus: It also improves digestion and can reduce leg cramps.
• Nettle tea. Nettle tea has been applauded for increasing vitamin K levels, which aid in reducing post-partum bleeding. Brewed and used consistently in pregnancy, nettle tea is a tonic that reduces back pain. Try it sweetened with raw honey four times a day.
• Cucumbers. These green fresh veggies are the perfect antidote to help reduce swelling. Aim for eating one cucumber a day; add to a salad, snack on cucumber strips dipped in garlic yogurt, add slices to water with fresh lemon, and enjoy!
• Mantra meditation, a phrase that is used over and over again, is an ideal way to invite more emotional health into our self talk. A mantra meditation for pregnancy can be as simple as the Sanskrit phrase 'Sat Nam', a general phrase for peace and truth that is often used to connect pregnant women with the natural world. Used in correlation with your inhalation and exhalation, try this during your next prenatal non stress test or ultra sound as a tool to quiet the mind.
• Color the breath. Need to wait for a train? Stuck in traffic or standing in line a grocery store? You can consciously color your breath anywhere you are, no need to close your eyes. Infusing the inhale with a color, like green, helps to balance the respiration and increase oxygenation as when we focus on the breath, we do less shallow breathing. Deeper breathing is ideal for baby and for you.

Jill Wodnick is the creator of the relaxation CD Prenatal Peace & Calming. (www.cdbaby.com/cd/jillwodnick)