Try eating prunes or raisins regularly. I would especially advise eating prunes immediately after delivery as your intestines may be a bit blocked up due to the excessive pushing of labor. The last thing you want to do when you finally get to the bathroom is strain yourself and cause hemorraging or hemorrhoids. Fluid retention can be especially troublesome and your doctor will probably keep a close eye on your legs and ankles for signs of swelling. Should your ankles swell up to the size of baseballs, you need to get off your feet immediately and drink 2 to 3 cups of dandelion and alfalfa tea.
Dandelion rids the body of excessive fluid and cleanses the liver, as does alfalfa.
Your ankles should return to a relatively normal size in a few hours. Dandelion also prevents jaundice in the baby when it is born. Most all babies are born jaundiced, which means their liver just isn't functioning well yet. If you drink a dandelion and alfalfa mixture everyday during the last two months of your pregnancy, your baby will be born without jaundice. Plenty of moms have.