If you choose to tell people that you are planning a pregnancy you will hear many old wives tales to help you conceive. Over my six years trying to conceive our children I think I have tried every single one of these old wives tales, even the really obscure ones!

Most are just for fun, while others may have some actually effect on your ability to conceive. Either way here is a list of some of the old wives tales I’ve come across to help you conceive.

Herbs / Flowers / Food

• Carry a bag full of hazelnuts. Whilst they are a great food for regulating blood sugar and insulin, in ancient times it was believed that hazelnuts were so effective that as well as eating them, carrying them in your pockets was enough to increase your chances of conceptions dramatically.
• Have a close friend give you a parsley plant & nurture. This comes from centuries ago when the belief was that sowing, picking or eating parsley would increase a woman’s chance of falling pregnant.
• Eat Honey. Ancient Egyptians offered honey to the god of fertility and it is known as the ultimate food of love.
• Put a pouch of fresh rosemary under your bed. This comes from an ancient witches spell to aid in conception. It also recommends wearing the pouch around your neck each time you have intercourse & then placing the pouch under the bed when you are in labour to help ease labour pains.
• Put 6 grains of rice just inside the doorway of the bedroom. This is an odd one I heard from a friend but I can’t find any reason for it! Perhaps it has something to do with the common reference of a newly conceived baby being the size of a grain of rice.
• Carry Jasmine Flower. Jasmine flower has an aphrodisiac effect, so carrying it with you can help get you in the mood. Perhaps burning jasmine flower oil in the bedroom would help as well.
• Put a "Lucky Bamboo" plant in the bedroom, for luck of course.
• Burn patchouli incense/oil when making love. Essential oils that have calming influence such as patchouli and sandalwood are likely to have beneficial effects on the reproductive system through their influence on the hypothalamus and the autonomic nervous system.

Crystals / Stones

Places the stones in your bedroom or under your pillow overnight. During the day carry the stones with you. Most women chose to keep them in their bra, close to their hearts.

• Moonstone is said to have powers that aid in nurturing receptivity and balancing of the emotions.
• Rose quartz are the beads of love and fertility. They are said to help promote pregnancy and to protect the mother and unborn fetus from miscarriage.
• Smokey Quartz increases fertility & balances sexual energy.
• Jade increases longevitiy & fertility
• Unakite can be used in treatment of reproductive systems & stimulate healthy pregnancies.

Fertility Symbols

These fertility symbols can be warn as a pendant on a charm or bracelet or used as a statue of some kind in the bedroom or around the house.

• Turtle – sea turtles lay between 50-150 eggs at a time so the hope is she will bestow her good fertility on the wearer
• Unicorn - promotes fertility & sexual magnetism
• Fish - increases fertility & virility
• Bull - increases fertility
• Ankh - physical and eternal life

Others

• Don't dust or move anything underneath your bed, because that's where the baby dust is gathered!
• Place a pair of mandarin ducks in the bedroom as they are a feng shui love symbol.
• Let a pregnant woman comb your hair.
• Hang lead crystal in the double drop cut in a sunny window.
• Have a statue of prosperity in your bedroom, again from a feng shui point of view
• Rub the belly of a Buddha or a fertility Goddess
• Place a pair of yellow booties under your pillow
• Mythology also calls for a female statue to be stood in the bedroom somewhere visible

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When you get to the end of your pregnancy you are generally uncomfortable, tired and a little bit over it all. Mostly though, you just want your new baby out in the world with you. There are a few natural induction methods that you can try to get labour started.

Please remember that any attempts at inducing labour should be supervised by a health care professional. Please don't try any of these methods without consulting your doctor first.

Following are six of the dozens of options you have to try and induce labour naturally, in no particular order.

Sex

As I’ve heard some midwives say, “the best way to get the baby out is the same way you got it in there!” While you might be skeptical, there is actual evidence that having sex can help with inducing labour naturally. Semen contains prostaglandins, which is on of the hormones that help labour to begin. In fact, when you go into hospital to be induced medically, often it will involve having a prostaglandin gel placed near the cervix to help it to ripen.

Nipple Stimulation

Another natural way to induce labour is through nipple stimulation, either by yourself or have your partner help you. This method of induging labour naturally relies on the release of oxytocin. As with prostaglandins mentioned above, oxytocin is another one of the hormones needed to start labour. During labour, if you are given an IV medication to help a stalled labour or to induce labour, it is a synthetic version of oxytocin used.

To release oxytocin, the recommendation is to massage your nipples by rolling them between your thumbs and forefingers for approximately two minutes and then rest for three minutes. Repeat this pattern for around 20 minutes.

Fresh Pineapple

The newest craze for inducing labour naturally is to eat freshly cut pineapple. There is an enzyme in pineapple (and also papaya, kiwi fruit and figs in a lesser amount) called Bromelain, which is believed to work in the same way as prostaglandins. The catch is that the enzyme is only found in fresh pineapple, so canned and cooked pineapple and pineapple juice aren’t going to help get things moving.

Spicy Food

The reason why spicy foods are suggesting as a way to naturally induce labour is because the food can cause spasms in the intestines. With the uterus being located close to the intestines, it may begin to contract at the same time. This induction method is usually classed in the realm of old wive’s tales but as long as you’re not suffering from heartburn it’s worth a try.

Castor Oil

Castor oil induction works on the same theory as spicy food, intestinal cramping causes uterine cramping and therefore a start to labour. This method will also cause your bowels to empty within a few hours of taking it. The biggest concern here is that your baby will empty his or her bowels as well which is quite dangerous, so please use this method only with strict medical assistance.

Acupuncture

To naturally induce labour with acupuncture, several acupuncture needles are placed in particular spots on the lower legs, feet and hands. Sometimes these needles will be stimulated with an electrical pulse, depending on the acupuncturist. You must be overdue before and have a doctor’s permission before attempting acupuncture to induce labour as it is quite effective and a lot of women will go into labour 6-48 hours after their first session.

While the following two things won’t necessarily induce labour naturally, they are both uterine tonics and will help with preparing your cervix and uterus for labour and birth.

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil is a great source of prostaglandins and can be used to naturally induce labour from around 34 weeks. There are two options for using evening primrose oil, orally or internally, and both are quite effective at ripening the cervix.

The recommended oral dosage is two 500mg capsules every day from 34 to 38 weeks, at which time you can increase to 3-4 capsules per day.

It isn’t recommended to use the capsules internally until 36 weeks. At which time, one or two entire capsules can be inserted vaginally as close to the cervix as you can reach. It’s best to do this at bedtime, as the oil will pool at the cervix overnight while you are sleeping. You may have some excess oil discharge in the morning, so wearing a pad is recommended.

Raspberry Leaf Tea

The aim of raspberry leaf tea is to tone the uterine muscles and is thought to help your contractions be more efficient when labour starts. So whilst it isn’t a direct labour induction method, it can be quite useful. You can start taking the tea as a drink, which is quite bitter, or you can take capsules orally from around 28 weeks.

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It is also great on scars, because a scar develops when the deep, thick layer of skin is damaged and the body can’t rebuild the tissue exactly as it was before, the scar tissue has a different texture and quality than the surrounding normal skin tissue. Rosehip oil greatly diminishes the appearance of scars and with daily use scars, pits and blemishes become softer and less prominent. It stimulates metabolic change in the skin by accelerating normal cellular growth in the epidermis, without inducing any side effects. The antioxidants and essential lipids present in rosehip oil aids in skin rejuvenation and quickens healing.  

The other benefits of using rosehip oil are:
• Nourishes and moisturies dry or very dry skin for softer, smoother skin
• Assists with normal skin renewel and repair
• Helps skin elasticity and resilience
• Restores a healthy, glowing complexion
• Smoothes fine lines and wrinkles
• Improves the appearance of fine lines, skin tone, pigmentation and other signs of premature ageing
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• Assists in the healing of acne scarring
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The arts of reflexology, yoga and osteopathy all consider the feet a crucial part of wellbeing. Good posture begins at our feet. Dead skin, unkempt nails and foot odour are all signs of neglect that may develop into more serious problems if left unchecked.

Foot Soak

4 litres warm water in a bowl big enough for both feet. Add 2 drops of lavender essential oil.
Dry feet, and apply olive oil to cuticles.

Beachsand Scrub

To remove dead skin cells and enliven your feet.

• 2 tablespoons beach sand from your favourite beach
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 drops essential oil of mandarin

Mix in a small dish.

Apply to feet and exfoliate.

Foot Oil

A soothing massage oil to relax your tired feet.

• 2 teaspoons Aloe Vera gel
• Drops lavender
• Drops of arnica tincture

Blend and massage until absorbed.

Finish with your favourite nail polish.

Now relax with a good book or curl up for an afternoon nap…enjoy!

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Smoothies

Feel like a snack? Smoothies are a fabulous and nutritious option to fill the gap with little preparation. Invest in a blender now so you can whip up a treat at a moment's notice.

Grape-peach Smoothie

1/2 cup soya milk
1/2 cups apple juice
1 small peach, peeled, pitted and cut
1/2 cup seedless grapes
Juice of 1/2 lime
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend thoroughly and serve.

Pineapple Smoothie

1/2 cup yoghurt
1 cup chopped pineapple
1/2cup pineapple juice
Fresh mint leaves
Combine yoghurt, pineapple and pineapple juice in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into tall glass and garnish with mint leaves.

Apricot Smoothie

1/2 cup yoghurt
1cup fresh apricots
1/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup apricot or apple juice
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Juices

To prepare fresh juice, you will need an electric juicer. If you haven’t already got one, it’s worth the investment. Juicing is a quick and efficient way to get all your essential nutrients. Always drink the juice within half and hour of making it as the longer you leave it, the greater the loss of enzymes and nutrients. All juices can be diluted with water if desired.

Digestive Blend

Helps heartburn, constipation, flatulence and other digestive ailments.
Combine two slices of fresh pineapple, two apples, half a cucumber and fresh ginger.

Refreshing Blend

A good morning wake-up call!
Combine four carrots, stick of celery, half a peeled lemon, two apples and up to three centimetre piece of root ginger to taste.

Sugar Rush

Cleansing and sweet.

Combine three apples with a cluster of washed grapes (stems removed).

Herbal Tea

Raspberry Leaf Tea

Prepare a raspberry leaf infusion. This tea contains levels of oxytocin to balance hormones and prepare the muscles of you womb for labour.

Chammomile Tea

Chammomile flowers to soothe and calm before bedtime.

Peppermint Tea

Refreshing tea and useful to allay sensations of nausea. Use fresh Vietnamese mint and infuse.

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For maximum benefit, begin by removing nail polish, and lightly filing nails with an emery board to a smooth curve.

If you have time, combine the three treatments.

Hand and Nail Soak

A simple concoction containing buttermilk and almond oil will exfoliate, condition your hands and stimulate nail growth.
Store preparation in a glass container in the refrigerator. Gently shake before use.

• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup warm distilled water
• 1 teaspoon almond oil

Combine ingredients with a whisk. Soak hands for 15 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.

Softener

Mix:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vitamin E oil

Combine ingredients and massage into nails and cuticles.

Store remaining preparation in a glass container in a cool, dark place.

Apricot Hand Mask

• 1/4 cup dried apricots
• 1/4 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon honey

Blend ingredients until smooth. Spread mask onto hands and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry.

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Some very special facial treatments

The following treatments may be used individually or combined as the ultimate facial experience.

Soothing Facial Scrub

Prepare yourself a soothing apple-oatmeal scrub.

You will need:

• 2 tablespoons rolled oats
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 medium apple peeled, cored and cut into chunks

In a bowl, mix the first three ingredients into a paste using a fork. Combine the paste and apple in a food processor and blend until smooth. Apply the mixture generously to face; leave for a few minutes then gently scrub in circular movements. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

Cucumber Toner

Refreshing and gently astringent, this blend can be prepared in advance and stored in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator.

• 1/2 cucumber cut into chunks (do not peel or seed)
• 1 tablespoon witch hazel (available from a health shop)

Liquify cucumber in a blender or food processor then strain, reserving the cucumber juice. Combine with witch hazel. Soak cotton pads in the mixture and gently wipe face. You may feel a tingling sensation.

Moisturising Mask

Good for dry and dehydrated skin.

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 soft ripe avocado, peeled
• 1 tablespoon plain yoghurt

Combine ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Massage mask evenly onto the face and leave for 5-10 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and pat dry.

Herbal Steam

• 1 litre of distilled water
• 1/2 cup of favourite mix of fresh herbs
  (chammomile/peppermint/rosemary/thyme/lavender)

In a covered pot, bring the herbs to boil. Remove from heat and uncover to let it cool a little. While it is still steaming, lean face over pot and drape a towel over your head, trapping the steam. Relax and breathe deeply for 3-5 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times. Discard preparation when finished.

OR

Aromatic Steam

Boil 1 litre water in a pot then remove from heat and let it cool a little. Add one drop of both lavender essential oil and neroli essential oil. While it is still steaming, lean face over pot and drape a towel over your head, trapping the steam. Relax and breathe deeply for 3-5 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times. Discard preparation when finished.

Soothing Moisturiser

• 2 tablespoons aloe vera gel
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

Whisk ingredients and apply mixture evenly in gentle circular motions. Aloe Vera is delicately soothing and sesame oil helps reduce puffiness.

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Chill Out at HomeThis is time set aside for you to relax and treat yourself to a few hours of luxurious home spa. Because it uses natural, readily available ingredients in your own home, it is easy to prepare in advance. Any chance of a few hours rest can be used productively with little effort.

Preparing Your Environment

Prepare your environment so you feel comfortable and able to relax. If you are already a mother, arrange for a friend to have your children for a few hours. Enhance the ambience by playing soothing music, lighting candles, letting some fresh air circulate and burning essential oils. Switch off the phones and claim this time as your own. Begin with some stretches and deep breathing, shutting your mind off from the realities of the day. Surround yourself with plants and flowers. Did you know that houseplants remove pollutants from the air and provide fresh oxygen for you to breathe?
Ficus and spider plants are good air filters. Lilies, roses, daffodils, jasmine, freesias and gardenia are all cheerfully fragrant blooms. Treat yourself to your favourite.

Relax Your Eyes

Tired eyes? This recipe is great during pregnancy and even better for when your newborn comes home and sleep deprivation takes over. Prepare the following recipe in advance to reduce stinging and puffiness of tired eyes. Chammomile, a soothing herb to reduce inflammation, is mixed with rose water to tone the skin and tighten pores. Store in a glass container in a cool, dark place.

• 1 bag chammomile tea
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2cup rose water (available from a health shop)
• Steep teabag in boiling water for five minutes.
• Remove bag and allow tea to cool.
• Add rosewater to tea.
• Soak two cotton pads, recline and place over closed eyelids.
• Leave for 5-10 minutes.

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Preconception

Although not medically proven, many women have found reflexology has helped them to conceive. This may be partly due to the treatment reducing stress levels. However reflexologists believe it is possible to access the endocrine system through the foot reflexes and therefore help balance the hormonal system.

Pregnancy

Reflexology is not advisable during the first trimester. If you have had ongoing reflexology treatment, tell your reflexologist that you are pregnant and arrange to resume your sessions in the second trimester. A trained reflexologist will be aware of the points to avoid and understand the need to reduce the pressure during pregnancy. Reflexology can treat back and neck pain, stiff joints, constipation, early morning sickness, restless legs, migraine and headaches, insomnia, fatigue and help induce an overdue labour. Many people comment on needing a bowel movement immediately following a treatment.

Labour

According to studies in England, regular reflexology treatments from mid pregnancy seem to lead to shorter, easier labours. It is believed reflexology stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin that helps contraction of the uterus. Some midwives in Australia are familiar with the reproductive reflex points located around the ankles.

Post Natal

Can be useful for balancing the hormones in post natal depression, loss of libido, exhaustion, insomnia and stress.

Caution

The reproductive reflex points should be avoided during the first eight months of pregnancy.
The Reflexology Association of Australia stipulate that reflexologists do not diagnose, treat specific conditions, or prescribe supplements or medication
Tell your practitioner if you are on medication

Self Help

Reflexologists believe the shoes you wear can determine your health. Ill-fitting shoes can cause blisters and hardened skin affecting the reflex points and influencing wellbeing. It is thought small shoes aggravating the big toe can induce headaches and confusion.

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Reflexology is based on the concept that the entire body is reflected in the feet. Originally used as a diagnostic tool to identify areas of dysfunction, it dates back to the ancient Egyptians and Romans. Last century it was revived by American Dr William Fitzgerald, a practising ear, nose and throat specialist. He noticed that parts of the body could be anaesthetised by pressing certain points at other locations in the body. Dividing the body into ten vertical zones, he published his idea as a system of zone therapy.
This idea was further developed and refined to focus treatment on the feet. Some schools also teach hand reflexology.

Non-invasive

Reflexology is viewed as an effective but non-invasive method to stimulate our natural healing process, balance our body’s systems and raise energy levels. Although it has not been possible to successfully explain why it should work, there is proof that it does. Studies at a hospital in Manchester, England demonstrate the benefits of reflexology in stress-related ailments. Results revealed pain reduction and improved function of the internal organs.
An initial consultation with a reflexologist will incorporate a detailed case history being taken followed by treatment. A treatment can be surprisingly relaxing, grounding all your thoughts, apprehensions and energy at the end of a day.

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