Here's my story, what I did for my varicose veins ;)

My first pregnancy turned out to be very stressful on my body. Although I wasn't eating any refined sugar, or foods with refined sugars in them, and wasn't eating any refined flour, I didn't know anything about vegan diet, or eating raw foods, or juicing. I didn't know I needed to exercise, so I went from extreamly active to doing nothing when I started into the morning sickness. I thought I was doing enough by taking a pregnancy multi-vitamin.

I was underweight due to my terrible morning sickness, even though I was taking lots of raspberry, alfalfa, and comfrey tea which should help morning sickness. It took me about 5 months to figure out that I threw up every morning after taking this iron fortified multi vitamin that my midwife insisted on, and that on the few mornings I missed it some how, I didn't get so sick.

I kept having this pain in my groin from about 5 1/2 months on, it got worse and worse as the weeks went on. I kept complaining of the pain to my family, but they kept telling me that it was normal to have some pressure and a little pain down there. I told them that it was a lot of pain, but my aunt repeatedly cut me off, and told me that I was the one who decided to have a baby, and that pregnancy meant pain, so I should just suck it up and deal with it.

After putting up with the pain for a few weeks more, and trying to tell myself it was normal I decided that my aunt didn't know what she was talking about, and that she had no idea how intense my pain was, besides I could feel that there was a lot of swelling down there, and it was only getting worse. I went to my midwife with the complaint at 7 months, and insisted that she do an exam (she didn't do pelvic exams until the last 6 weeks) and boy am I glad that I did!!! She found that I had a huge mass of marble sized varicose veins in my groin, all over the vulular area. She was horrified (she had thought I was just a pansy before when I told her I was having pain). She told me that I couldn't go into labor that way, that the labor would rupture them, and that I would hemmorage to death. She said if we couldn't clear them up by the time I went into labor that I would have to go to the hospital.

She gave me some ginger powder, and told me to put 2 tablespoons in a hot sits bath, and soak in it for 20 minutes every day. She also upped my vitamin c from 3 grams, to 5 grams, and gradually over 2 weeks up to 10 grams. She also upped my vitamin E from 400 IU to 1200 IU, and had me take 1 teaspoon of 180 HU cayenne 3 times a day.

She told me that I needed to walk at least a mile a day, which I did from then on 3 to 5 days a week.

She had me sleep whith my feet elevated, and rub a mixture of Olive oil, and vitamin E into my veins after each sits bath.

The veins went right down, and by the time the baby was born 8 weeks later,(2 weeks early) my veins were not a risk, and gave me no trouble durring the birth.

The next pregnancy when I started to feel that these veins were swelling, and giving me a little pain (about 4 months along)I talked to my midwife and by this time she told me that she heard that sits bathing in oak bark tea would do wonders. I tried this, (2 tablespoons of powdered oak bark in a hot sits bath) and it worked wonders. From the first I time I tried it, it took out the pain! I also took alfalfa, and other nutritional herbs this pregnancy, along with my teas instead of a multi vitamin. I also started walking a mile or more 6 days a week.

I contiued with 6 grams of vitamin c, 800 IU of vitamin E, and the cayenne. I also started taking butchers broom, WOW!!! Butchers broom combined with the other things was fantastic! I also added Dr. Christopher's Lower Bowel.

With each pregnancy my veins have gotten better and better. I always took my vitamin C, E, cayenne, and butchers broom, and oak bark sits baths. My veins just didn't bother me much after that, as long as I kept active, and took my vitamins and herbs.

Then with my last pregnancy (number 7)I went on a vegan, mostly live food diet, lots of juicing, (especially grapefruit, and carrot, and 1/2 pound of greens in green drink daily) lots of avocadoes, soaked nuts, big leafy green salads, fruits of all kinds, extra virgin olive oil, sprouts, and took super food. I also took cayenne, and wheat germ oil, and had combined my butchers broom with hawthorn, ginger, and cayenne. No refined Vitamin C, No refined Vitamin E. I kept up with a little of the Lower Bowel as needed.

I worried a little that taking the leap of faith and not using refined vitamins that I could have a flair up in my veins, but I didn't. I didn't have any problems with the veins at all. It was the first pregnancy where my tummy didn't itch and hurt, and feel like my skin would split. It was the first pregnancy where I didn't get any new stretch marks. It was the first pregnancy where my veins didn't bother me at all.

I still did my sits baths the last 2 months to prepare everything down there for the delivery, in which I used ginger (pretty standard) and oak bark for good measure.

I delivered a healthy beautiful content baby at full term, 8 pounds 6 ounces, and 20 inches long. He was perfect!

Varicose veins aren't supposed to get better with each pregnancy, or age for that matter, they are only suposed to get worse. Mine got better, and I know it was the vitamins, and herbs, and exercise, and in my last pregnancy the whole foods and herbs and exercise. Will they ever be completely gone? Who can say? But they have never bothered me between pregnancies, and I know how to prevent them durring pregnancy.

I hope this helps,

KT Tweet