Important Nutrients During Pregnancy

Nutrition is always an important equation for your optimal health, and in Pregnancy, it’s can easily be argued that nutrition is more important than ever since it impacts both the mom and baby.

Calcium for Strong Bones

• Dairy Foods

• Canned Sardines/Salmon

• Fortified Cereals/Breads

• Oatmeal

• Orange Juice (fresh squeezed/juiced)

• Collard Greens

Carbohydrates for Energy

• Whole Grains

• Vegetables

• Brown Rice

Folate (Folic Acid) for Preventing Birth Defects

• Lentils

• Fortified Grain Foods

• Dark-green leafy vegetables

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Green Peas

• Oranges

• Melons

• Chickpeas

• Spinach

Healthy Fats for Boosting Baby’s Brain Function and Health

• Fish

• Olive Oil

• Avocados

• Wild Pacific Salmon (low in mercury)

Vitamin A for Baby’s Skin, Eyesight and Bones

• Liver

• Eggs

• Vegetables (green and yellow)

• Milk

B Vitamins for Baby’s Brain and Vital Organs

• Beef

• Nuts

• Beets

• Chicken

• Potatoes

• Spinach

Fiber for Regularity

• Whole Grains

• Beans

• Water

• Fruits and Vegetables

Iron for Red Blood Cell Production

• Lean Red Meats

• Spinach

• Green leafy vegetables (such as Kale and Turnip Greens)

• Liver

• Molasses

• Canned Oysters

Vitamin C for Preventing Preterm Delivery

• Strawberries

• Red Peppers

• Cantaloupe

• Broccoli

• Citrus Fruits/Juices

• Mangoes

• Tomatoes

Vitamin D for Utilizing Calcium

• Sunshine!

• Milk

Vitamin E for Baby’s Muscle Development

• Sunflower Seeds

• Nuts

• Spinach

Protein for Cell Growth and Repair

• Chicken

• Yogurt/Greek Yogurt

• Nuts

• Beans

• Eggs

• Low-Mercury Fish

• Lean cuts of Beef/Pork/Lamb

• Seafood

• Dairy Foods

• Peanut Butter

Zinc for Enzyme and Insulin production

• Oysters

• Dairy products

• Meat

During pregnancy – as before and afterwards –  your diet should consist of healthy foods. Every food you eat has a purpose, whether it’s directly for you, your developing baby, or both.

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Image Credit: Rodale.com

Tags: Nutrition, Prenatal

Pregnancy Weight Gain: Not All Baby

Pregnancy Weight Gain

When women get pregnant, they will typically gain anywhere from 25 to 35 pounds. It’s not all baby in there, so what exactly is all that extra weight gain for anyways?

Here’s a look at what pregnancy weight gain entails:

Baby: 6-8 lbs

Placenta:1.5 lbs

Amniotic fluid: 2 lbs

Enlarged uterus: 2 lbs

Increased body fluid: 4 lbs

Increased blood: 3-4 lbs

Breast growth: 1-2 lbs

Maternal stores of fat, protein, and other nutrients: 7 lbs

TOTAL: 26.5 – 30.5 lbs

Something to Think About

I think it’s interesting to note that there really isn’t a lot of fat that needs to be gained for a healthy (singleton) pregnancy. Just 7 pounds of fat. That’s it! So how is that possible? If you are already at a healthy weight before you become pregnant, you are only supposed to consume an additional 300 calories a day. That’s really not a lot if you think about it. It’s adding a tablespoon of peanut butter with your daily apple (yum!). It’s an extra 8 ounce glass of milk. It’s not an extra full-sized meal. Maybe an extra healthy snack, but that’s it. Oh, and you don’t really need those extra calories until after your first trimester. Only 7 pounds of fat is starting to make a little bit more sense.

Focus During Pregnancy 

During pregnancy, the ultimate focus should be on the health of the baby and the health of the mom. When pregnant (and any time before and after), it’s important to live a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy, exercise regularly, and enjoy your health!

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Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Tags: Pregnancy, weight gain

Jessica Alba uses HypnoBirthing

It was recently announced that Jessica Alba used hypnobirthing for her first pregnancy, and plans to use it again for her next child – apparently it works well!

I have been investigating natural child births for a couple of years now, and when I first learned about HypnoBirthing used as a technique to reduce pain, I immediately began research. Anything that naturally reduces the pain during child birth has my attention!

What is “HypnoBirthing” ?

HypnoBirthing is a method that is typically used for natural childbirth, and it focus on relaxation by using self-hypnosis techniques. Another way to look at it is meditation.

Jessica Alba, who is currently pregnant, was on the Ellen DeGeneres show and talked about her plans to use HypnoBirthing to help her remain calm during the labor. She used it with her first pregnancy and HypnoBirthing was able to help her stay relaxed during the contractions.

“I’m just concentrating on breathing and staying relaxed because it’s when you get tense that makes the whole labor worse and more painful.” -Jessica Alba speaking to Ellen during the Ellen DeGeneres show.

Is HypnoBirthing Right for Me?

I have personally spoken to a lot of moms who have given natural childbirths, and I always ask them what helped them make it through the pain and the entire experience. Surprisingly, I hear these women say that giving natural childbirth has a lot to do with “mind over body”. I believe HypnoBirthing is a technique that could possibly help with this.

Side Note: I personally think that too many women hear all of these horror stories about giving birth and I just don’t see how that could be of any benefit. I think those stories do more harm than good. Create your own stories…the good kind, of course! ; )

Perhaps HypnoBirthing is easier said than done (forget the pain during labor contractions!), but I don’t see how trying this it out would negatively effect the labor experience – whether you decide to go natural or not.

Would you give HypnoBirthing a try? If you know of any other techniques to help reduce the pain during childbirth, please share!

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Image Credit: latina.com

Tags: Celebrity, Jessica Alba, Natural Childbirth, New Mom, Pregnancy

Maca: Natural Solution to Infertility

Are you or someone you know trying to get pregnant, but not seeing any results yet? If so, you need to know about Maca Root, which may help with any infertility concerns.

What is Maca Root?

Maca Root is a South American herb that is considered to be a powerful superfood. Maca is an adaptogenic herb, which means it aids in restoring the body’s normal homeostatic functions. Maca is used to increase energy, boost libido, increase stamina, stimulates blood circulation,  and even helps with hormonal balance in young women. Maca Root has been known to promote reproductive health in both men and women.

How Maca helps with Fertility

There’s no denying that Maca Root helps both men and women with fertility, which is why I might suggest that both spouses take Maca Root.

Maca Root helps with increasing a man’s libido, regulating estrogen levels, which ultimately increases healthy sperm production. All very good things for fertility.

For women, it’s important to have optimal estrogen levels. If estrogen levels are too low or too high, it can prevent a woman from becoming pregnant or remain pregnant until full term. Maca Root helps regulate the estrogen levels in a woman’s body, helping a women become pregnant.

How soon can Maca Root work? Many see positive results in the first few weeks of taking it. I found a Maca Root fertility “success story” which really tells you how beneficial this herb is with fertility: “How Maca Root Got Me Pregnant”.

In addition this that women’s story, I have personally known couple’s who have tried to get pregnant but couldn’t. Once the women started taking Maca Root, within a month or two, she was pregnant!

It seems so simple, right? That’s actually a reason why many won’t take Maca Root! It just seems too simple. I believe that herbs are on this earth for a reason, and they are here to benefit and heal our body! If you and your spouse are trying to get pregnant, you have nothing to lose by trying Maca Root.

How to Use Maca Root

You can use Maca in a powdered concentrate form, which can be mixed with flour for baking or blended in with smoothies or shakes. If you prefer not to mix it in with your meals, you can also try taking Maca Root in capsule form.

I found Organic Maca Root Powder at my local health food store, but if you can’t find it locally, you can easily buy the product online.

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Tags: fertility, Health, herb, infertility, libido, Maca, Maca Root, natural, Pregnancy

Stop Morning Sickness

You were so excited to get pregnant – that is, until the Morning Sickness crept up on you.  Don’t let the morning sickness ruin the fun of being pregnant. Here are some tips that can help you get rid of that sick feeling…

Acupressure- This technique is different from Acupuncture. A huge plus is that there are no needles involved. Acupressure involves working with specific pressure points to relieve the morning sickness. Women who put pressure on the area above the wrist on the inside of the forearm (it’s called the Neiguan or “P6″ point) have been shown to help with Morning Sickness. Try this technique several times a day to help with the nausea.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) - This technique has some similarities with Acupressure, where you end up tapping on different pressure points on your face, upper body, and hands while saying specific affirmations aloud. You don’t have to understand exactly how or why this works – just know that it does.

Natural Remedies – There are plenty of proven Natural remedies that you can take for your Morning sickness. You can choose among Ginger, Raspberry Leaves, Chamomile, Peppermint, and Vitamin B6.  You can also try taking Vitamin K  - just be sure to take Vitamin C with it.

Eating Habits – Sometimes a pregnant woman just needs to eat on a more regular basis. Instead of 3 regular sized meals a day, perhaps 6 small meals a day can help relieve some of that morning sickness.

Some pregnant woman try to go on a “diet” – you shouldn’t be on a diet while you are pregnant, but you should focus on eating healthy foods that will provide nutrients to your baby’s body as well as your own.

Sources: The Journal of Reproductive Medicine September 2001; 46:811-814, 835-839

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Tags: acupressure, chamomile, EFT, Ginger, Health, Healthy, Healthy Eating, morning sickness, Natural Remedies, nausea, No Diet, peppermint, Pregnancy, pregnancy sickness, Raspberry leaves, vitamin B6, vitamin C, Vitamin K