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The Importance of Taking a Little Time For Yourself

Sometimes, you can be overextending yourself without even realizing it until someone else brings it to your attention. I had no idea that I was doing it until I had an appointment with my midwife today. We are actively working on preventing my blood pressure from going up during this pregnancy because that was an issue with my first pregnancy, and we are approaching the issue from a few different angles. I’m exercising regularly, I have made some dietary changes, and I have incorporated some vitamins and supplements into my daily routine. Anyways, today she asked me to describe a … Continue reading →

Prenatal Vitamins (part II)

One doesn’t have to look very hard (especially with the Internet) to understand that pregnant women (and breastfeeding too) need to take prenatal vitamins. With the onset of the industrial revolution and the invention of chemical pesticides, our food just isn’t as nutrient dense as it used to be. This means that we are not getting all the nutrients that we need to be healthy. While being healthy should be an important goal for everyone, it is paramount for pregnant women. We know that a balance of nutrients are essential for expecting mothers. We also know that conventional foods cannot … Continue reading →

Are Vitamins and Supplements Necessary?

Part of a fitness routine may be including vitamins and supplements, however you might be wondering if they are necessary. A good multivitamin is always beneficial. It can help make up for the vitamins and minerals that your body is missing out on and help contribute to your overall wellbeing. In case you didn’t know, there are 13 essential vitamins that can significantly help. They include vitamins A, B, C, D, E, K, B12 and 7-B complex vitamins. If you eat a proper, healthy diet you can get most of these essential vitamins from it. However if you are lacking … Continue reading →

Do You Remember To Take Your Prenatal Vitamins?

I had a doctor’s appointment yesterday and he reminded me of the importance of taking a daily multivitamin, even when you are not pregnant. He said even if you are only taking a children’s chewable vitamin, it is really beneficial. It got me thinking about how diligent we are when we are pregnant. Does everyone remember to take their prenatal vitamin every day? If you are already in the habit of taking a daily vitamin, it’s probably no big deal, but I always had a hard time remembering. I am ashamed to say that I probably forgot to take my … Continue reading →

The Importance of Vitamin D in Pregnancy

Vitamin D is an important nutrient in pregnancy for the growth and development of the baby’s bones and teeth. In addition, vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphates. Proper nutrition during pregnancy, including adequate vitamin D, may help lower the risk of pre-eclampsia. In fact, not getting enough vitamin D during pregnancy can cause problems for mom and baby. A study in the UK showed that mothers who were given a supplement of vitamin D during pregnancy had children with greater bone mineral density. Children were followed and their bone density checked at nine years of age. … Continue reading →

The Importance of Zinc in Pregnancy

Once you become pregnant, you begin to pay a lot more attention to your diet than ever before. Mom and baby need a broad range of nutrients for health and proper development. One important and often overlooked nutrient in the prenatal diet is zinc. Zinc is important for every stage along the road to parenthood, including conception. Zinc is an essential nutrient for sperm production in the man and healthy and regular ovulation in the woman. Once pregnancy is achieved, zinc is important throughout the development of the baby for cell growth and for the immune system of mom and … Continue reading →

The Importance of B Vitamins

Folic acid is the B vitamin that gets the most attention during pregnancy. This is deserved considering the information about the role of folic acid in preventing neural tube defects. However, folic acid is just one of several important vitamins for mother and baby. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): Thiamine is important for muscle growth and tone, the functioning of the nervous and digestive systems. Food sources include beef, eggs, legumes, breads, whole grain cereals, brown rice, green leafy vegetables and nuts. Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): Riboflavin is important for digestion, immune system support and energy production. Food sources include milk, eggs, meat, … Continue reading →

The Importance of Folate

Folate is an important nutrient for the developing baby. A synthetic form of folate used in prenatal vitamins and as food supplements is folic acid. Studies have shown folate can help prevent neural tube defects affecting the brain and spinal cord. The most important time period for baby to reap the benefits of folate in the diet is when the neural tube is forming in the early weeks of pregnancy. In many cases, this is happening before a woman even knows she is pregnant or just after she discovers the pregnancy. For this reason, increasing the intake of folate in … Continue reading →

The Importance of Calcium for Your Pregnancy

During pregnancy, a variety of nutrients are vital to the development of the baby and health of the mother. One important nutrient is calcium. Calcium is important to both mother and baby and not getting enough can have serious consequences, particularly for mom. Calcium is vital for the development of the bones and teeth. This is how calcium is best known by most people. But that’s not all it does to aid in fetal development. This nutrient is also used in muscle growth in the baby and is important for maintaining a regular heart rhythm in both mom and baby. … Continue reading →

The Importance of Diet Before Pregnancy

You probably already know that good nutrition is vital to your growing baby. The foods you eat nourish your baby and provide nutrients needed for organ and tissue growth. Did you know that nutrition before pregnancy is critical to your baby’s health? There have been studies to show the diet of the mother impacts the baby as early as at the time of fertilization and in the early weeks of pregnancy. These studies resulted in the current guidelines which suggest women get extra folic acid and take vitamin supplements if they are trying to conceive. Newer studies have shown the … Continue reading →