Dill is a frequent guest on our table. This aromatic greens complements the taste of the first and second courses, salads, and is also widely used in folk medicine. Some people like fresh dill twigs just like that - as a pleasant treat. And many pregnant women admit that they like the smell of the plant, and there are those who are drawn to eat it almost in bunches. However, this plant with a mass of medicinal properties and pleasant taste characteristics, generally allowed for women during pregnancy, requires careful attention. Some expectant mothers, in general, cannot eat it.
Beneficial features
Thin needle-like dill leaves are rich ascorbic and nicotinic acids, thiamine, carotene and flavonoids. There is a certain amount of pectins, a whole set of mineral salts - iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium. It is this composition that determines the beneficial properties of the product. Dill fruit contains fatty oil and proteins. In fairness, we note that all parts of the plant are rich in oil - both greens and seeds. It is the essential oil that gives dill that very special aroma that cannot be confused with any other. The main substances in this oil are D-carvone and D-α-pellandrene.
These substances activate the work of the digestive glands, which begin to produce more secretions, due to which digestion improves, the digestive tract contracts better, the appetite increases, and a normal and healthy metabolism stabilizes. therefore infusion of seeds or herb of dill - the so-called dill water - helps against bloating in the abdomen, reducing the amount of intestinal gas by normalizing the entire gastrointestinal tract. Dill can be added to the diet of pregnant women who are shown special dietary nutrition, for example, with diabetes mellitus, overweight or pathological weight gain.
The fresh product is also recommended for women who have problems with diseases of the liver, gallbladder, kidneys, who have previously been diagnosed with anacid gastritis. In these cases, the plant is included in the composition of medical nutrition as an effective choleretic agent that improves digestion and metabolism.
Infusion of leaves and stems is recommended for women with gestosis - this product will help with edema, lower blood pressure, and will "work" as a diuretic. A decoction of seeds is an excellent sedative and an effective antispasmodic, especially relevant for pain in the abdominal organs.
Another advantage of the essential oil of this plant lies in its ability to irritate the secretory cells of the bronchial glands. This helps to get rid of cough faster if a woman in an "interesting position" suddenly catches a cold and falls ill, which is not such a rare case, given the reduced immunity while waiting for the baby. In this case, a decoction of dill will be the best mucolytic agent, which will help to quickly remove phlegm from the bronchi and cleanse them.
Infusion of seeds - long known and effective remedy for hemorrhoids, and all pregnant women are at risk of enlargement of hemorrhoidal veins, especially in the later stages, when a large and heavy uterus compresses the intestinal loops, disrupting emptying, and compression of the lower veins causes impaired circulation.
Besides, it is not necessary to eat fresh dill or drink brewed - the broth can be used externally as a remedy for wound healing, as well as for allergic itching and skin erythema... Dill infusion added to the foot bath will help reduce sweating.
Moderate and regular use of dill helps relieve headaches, blood vessels become stronger and more elastic. A woman in a "position" is more impressionable, anxious, and therefore it is possible to eat dill in order to achieve sedation, its sedative effect has been known for a long time. It improves sleep, increases stress resistance.
If the expectant mother suffers from toxicosis, then dill will help her fight off bouts of nausea, if she, of course, loves the taste and smell of this product, will help to establish an appetite.
Dill practically does not cause allergies in anyone - this is a great rarity, including during pregnancy.
Possible harm and contraindications
Dill will not cause any harm to most pregnant women if the woman does not violate the permissible amount of the product. It is considered reasonable one small bunch of greens a day. If there is a need to take seeds, then they should be brewed in strict accordance with the recommended recipe. During pregnancy, you need to be careful with dill essential oil - in its pure form it is too concentrated, and only its external use is allowed - one or two drops in a bath to calm the nerves or a drop of oil on a handkerchief to breathe in if an early nausea attack occurs at the wrong time.
Use should be abandoned altogether if a woman has low blood pressure - with hypotension, a large amount of dill can cause increased nausea, weakness, an even greater decrease in pressure, the development of severe dizziness.
If the doctor says that a particular pregnant woman has a high risk of premature birth, the product should also be discarded.
The main harm of dill for pregnant women is not at all in the chemical composition, as it might seem at first glance, but in danger of becoming infected with parasites - eggs of worms, ascaris, as well as the causative agent of E. coli are very often transmitted through water and soil, and even if you have lovingly grown dill on your own personal plot, it cannot be considered completely safe. Thorough washing of greens before eating will help to cope with the problem.
How to use it correctly?
All parts of the dill can be consumed, with the exception of the root. Moreover, different life situations have their own ways of application that will help get rid of many of the troubles of waiting for the baby.
Nutritional use of greens should not cause questions - a woman can add dill to soups and stews, to salads according to her usual and favorite recipes, not limited to the period of pregnancy.
If a woman is tormented by constipation, bloating, spasms, cystitis, nausea, then a decoction of dill will come to the rescue. For him you need a tablespoon of seeds and a glass of boiling water. In a water bath or just in a non-metallic container, you need to boil the mixture over low heat for about a quarter of an hour, strain and cool the drink. Take half a glass warm 3 times a day - and the drink will quickly help relieve unpleasant sensations in the intestines, improve stool, which will also be an excellent prevention of hemorrhoids.
For those suffering from gestosis and edema of expectant mothers, another recipe is recommended. Pour two tablespoons of seeds with a glass of boiling water and leave under a glass lid to infuse for 6 hours. It turns out a more concentrated form - an infusion, but you also need to take it in smaller quantities than a decoction - just a tablespoon three times a day. This will activate the kidneys, increase urination and help quickly cope with swelling.
Dill during pregnancy previously played an important role as a generic stimulant - the broth was given to the woman in labor if the contractions were weak, and it did not work out in any way to give birth. Today, stimulating labor in this way seems ridiculous and untenable, since completely different substances are used for this. Rather, ancient healers and sorcerers relied heavily on the sedative effect of the plant - the more calm a woman is in childbirth, the easier and faster her cervix opens.
Doctors allow women not only brew fragrant dill seeds, but also chew them dry, naturally, in limited quantities, since they are almost half of essential oil. It perfectly helps against toxicosis and nausea, freshens breath, helps to fight against pathogenic bacteria in the oral cavity.
Dill should not be combined with other types of greens, as some expectant mothers mistakenly do, inspired by the fact that dill and parsley can, while acting simultaneously, have a double benefit in the fight against edema.
Dill, in general, does not "like" neighborhoods in the form of other types of greens too much, but if it is still acceptable in a salad, since the amount of plant components in it is moderate, then the broth of parsley should not be mixed with the broth of dill under any circumstances.
There are peculiarities when using dill at different stages of pregnancy:
- in the 1st trimester in the early stages, it is not recommended to lean too much on dill, limiting the use of this greens to several branches a day;
- in the 2nd trimester if desired, a woman can increase the amount of product in the diet, but essential oils should be avoided;
- at a later date spicy and tart dill tea can be introduced in the last weeks in the amount of 1 cup per day as a preparation of the female body for childbirth.
Do not be afraid - such an amount of the drink will not cause premature birth, will not affect the onset of labor pains and their strength, but this warm drink will help maintain a complacent and calm mood during the period when a woman needs it most.
