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Pregnancy Reflections: Diet

The word “diet” is derived from a Greek word that means “way of life.” As the New Year approaches many of us will reconsider out diets and make New Year resolutions to improve our “way of life.” When we consider our diets especially during pregnancy, we must keep in the mind the ancient origin of the word; a way of life, and not merely a temporary period of time used to lose weight, grow a baby, etc. I have learned a lot about the importance of diet as a “way of life” in the last few years. My first pregnancy … Continue reading →

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 →

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 →

Get your Daily Dose of Vitamin D

I don’t give my daughter the liquid vitamin supplement that many pediatricians recommend. I’m always in favor of doing less – less vaccines, less medicine, less supplements. To be honest, I don’t think my breast milk needs any supplementing. I take plenty of vitamin D, and I eat a healthy diet. I know that people say vitamin D doesn’t pass through breast milk, but I have hard time believing that alcohol passes through, eating lots of broccoli can make her gassy, but vitamin D won’t get into my milk. Anyways, none of these random thoughts are the main reason I’m … Continue reading →

Should You Limit Folic Acid Supplements in Late Pregnancy?

It really amazes me how much medical advice and knowledge surrounding pregnancy changes from year to year, even month to month. Just when you think you know what you need for a healthy pregnancy, someone throws a curve call. This time, that ball is coming from experts at the University of Adelaide in Australia who conducted a study on Folic acid supplements and their effects on children born to mothers who take the supplements late in pregnancy. They studied 557 expectant mothers and how many of their children had asthma three and a half and five and a half years … 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 →