Healthy Pregnancy

Expert moms and ob-gyn Dr. Christiane Northrup, challenge traditional stereotypes on the pain of childbirth and encourage us to enjoy the experience– a concept well worth considering in this 20/20 segment: Labor Orgasms Called ‘Best-Kept Secret’

“The human body begins its development in a saline solution in the womb and is nourished and cleansed by blood that has almost the same composition as sea water” (Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods, 580)

Each of us is made up of about 70% water.   Apparently, we could survive up to six weeks without food but we wouldn’t last a week without water.  Beyond keeping us alive, water regulates our body temperature, clears toxins from our system, nourishes our cells and vital organs and it makes our skin glow.  How much to drink?  The rule of thumb is at least 64 oz per day adding an additional 8 oz for each hour of activity.  Your water intake increases when you are pregnant and can almost double during breast-feeding.

Baby making requires a healthy dose of nutrients that alot of us aren’t getting from our food.

1. Many foods are highly processed

2. The soil is not as nutrient rich as it was in the past

To get adequate nutrition for both you and your growing baby, eat foods as close to nature as possible by including a colorful array of produce, protein and grains and choose quality prenatal supplement.

Getting pregnant involves an intricate balance of hormones.  The ebb and flow of these hormones orchestrate ovulation, implantation and our ability to carry a healthy baby to term.  When we ingest inorganic foods, we are consuming a slew of foreign chemicals, pesticides, hormones and antibiotics.  There is no doubt that young girls are developing through puberty at unprecedented rates and it’s estimated that one in every six women experiences infertility.   Ideally, choose organic hormone free, meat, dairy and produce and consider a gentle detox to prepare your body for pregnancy.

I don’t remember asking my husband to lift up his shirt when I met him, but apparently some of us choose our mates based on whether they have  an “innie” or an “outie”?  According to the article Belly Button Cues Potential Mates, most prefer “innies” and if you don’t like what you’ve got, you can opt for belly button plastic surgery?!?  Just remember, when you get pregnant your belly button may pop in or out– consider it a less invasive way of experimenting with different belly button styles…

I have a tendency to try to do at least 5 things at once:  on my computer, text messaging, cooking dinner while all the while having a meaningful conversation with my husband. Sound familiar?  Now that I am seriously thinking about getting pregnant, I am turning over a new leaf.   Here’s a few tricks I use to unwind:

#1 Breathing into my belly:  when we are stressed we have a tendency to breathe into our chests (or even worse, not breathe at all– think tough ab crunches).  Stressed out shallow breathing leaves our body in a state of fight or flight.  Fertility is about expanding the belly and reducing the release of stress hormones.

#2 Foot soaks with sea salts are an amazing  way to bring a little bit of the spa home with you.  Foot soaks are both gently detoxifying and replenishing, perfect for bringing you back down to earth at the end of the day.

#3 Acupuncture: I was a needle skeptic for the longest time and now I’m addicted.  Beyond the fact that you can’t move and therefore have to be still and calm,  there is something remarkable about Chinese Medicine and the way re-calibrates your nervous system, while improving your fertility.  To find an acupuncturist specializing in fertility check out The Fertile Soul’s Clinical Excellence in Fertility Program.

A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology has linked bacteria with up to 80% of pre-term labor cases.  While an average pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, “pre-term labor” occurs prior to 37 weeks and can result in a range of serious health complications. The bacteria in question travels from the mouth through a cut, cavity or wound via the bloodstream creating an immune response that inflames the uterus, triggering pre-term labor.  A good reason to visit your dentist when you are planning on getting pregnant…

The first time we gave my nephew a taste of frosting he was just under one.  Within minutes he went from calm and serene to bouncing intensely like a screeching monkey to completely crashed out on my lap.  This is the exact sugar rollercoaster we experience, but most of us are so used to having it in our diets we don’t really notice.  Instead, we eat more sugar and caffeine to revive our energy and continue the cycle.  For the most part, our blood sugar levels can rebound, but it’s alot different when you’re eating for two.  A baby is far more sensitive to the effects of caffeine and sugar.  Whatever goes in your mouth when you are pregnant or breastfeeding has a direct line to your baby.  Ideally, eating regular protein/ carbohydrate balanced meals and snacks throughout the day and minimize your sugar and caffeine intake will keep you both feeling steady.  Of course, indulging in sweets from time to time is  important too– so choose items without artificial sweeteners (try agave nectar– a delicious low glycemic sweetener) and high quality dark chocolate to receive all the health benefits.

…and happier.  Remember the kid in Jerry Maguire who knew the circumference of the human head at 3?  Most likely his mother was taking Omega 3 fatty acids while he was in utero, during breastfeeding and fed him cod liver oil as soon as he could swallow it (not very tasty, but still a good idea).  Including omega 3’s in your diet improves your mood, heart health and brain function, while ensuring the proper neural development of your baby (this is especially important in the 3rd trimester when 70% of the brain is formed).  Consider taking a high quality omega 3 supplement and include the following foods in your diet:  wild salmon, flaxseed, soybeans, walnuts and sunflower seeds.

Loading up on folic acid before and during pregnancy (suggested dosage is at least 800 micrograms) will protect your baby from serious birth defects of the spinal cord (spina bifida) and the brain (anencephaly).  All the while regulating the cellular replication that is literally creating your baby and propping them up with some great DNA.

Take a quality supplement and load up on folate rich foods: beans and lentils, peas (black-eyed peas, chickpeas, green peas), juices (orange, tomato, grapefruit, pineapple), fruits (oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, avocado, papaya, raspberries), soymilk, vegetables (green leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, turnip greens, mustard greens, collard greens, and Chinese cabbage; broccoli; Brussels sprouts; asparagus; artichokes; okra; corn; cauliflower; potato; beets; green onions; sweet red peppers), nuts and sunflower seeds.