Healthy Pregnancy

Healthy fats are the cornerstones of a balanced diet.  In fact, your hormones are stored in your fat and there is evidence that shows having either too much or too little may just impact your fertility.  Women who do not eat enough healthy fat sources often lack the necessary body fat to sustain a regular cycle and sometimes lose their periods completely.

It’s also important to recognize that all fats are not created equally.  Avoiding unhealthy fats was shown to protect fertility in the Harvard Medical Nurses Study that concluded the equivalent amount of trans fats “in two tablespoons of stick margarine, one medium order of fast-food French fries, or one doughnut” could negatively impacts one’s reproductive function.  Once you become pregnant, healthy fats are essential to your baby’s development in utero.   To get healthy fats in your diet each day include the following:

Cooking oils:

Organic, unrefined oils for cooking: extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil and high oleic sunflower oil.

Oils for drizzling:

Omega and GLA (Gamma Linolenic Acid) oils have countless health benefits. Drizzle the following oils on breakfast cereals and steamed vegetables: Usana-brand Optomega, flax oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, black currant oil, pumpkin seed oil and chia seed oil.

Food sources:

Omega 3 fatty acids: salmon, sardines, mackerel, flax seeds, chia seed, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and dark leafy greens.10

Monounsaturated fats: almonds, coconut, olives, walnuts, sunflower seeds and avocadoes.

Kathryn Flynn is the author of Cooking for Fertility: Foods to Nourish Your Fertile Soul. Kathryn supports men and women worldwide in achieving a healthy pregnancy through nutrition and lifestyle changes in her individual fertility nutrition consultations. For additional information, please feel free to email Kathryn.

Sometimes, despite doing all the “right” things, you may find yourself producing less milk than your baby needs. Here are some things you can try:

• Go to bed with your baby for a whole day and breastfeed and sleep. Arrange for help so that you are not getting up for anything but bathroom breaks. Sometimes getting more rest and a day of unrestricted breastfeeding can give your body a much-needed boost.

• Try pumping (double) immediately after feeds for 5 minutes or so. The purpose of this is to tell your breasts you want more milk. It’s ok if you don’t actually pump out any milk.

• Eat well! Now is not the time to try to lose weight. Losing more than 1 pound a week may interfere with milk production.

• Try a bowl of oatmeal every morning. Many mothers have found this delicious intervention helpful.

• Avoid hormonal birth-control methods.

• Discuss the issue with a lactation consultant. There are herbs and prescription medications that can help with milk supply but you need professional guidance. There is a possibility of side effects and incompatibility with just about anything!

• If your milk supply is truly inadequate for your baby’s needs, be sure to supplement as necessary with human milk or formula. Aside from normal weight loss in the first few days of life, it is never OK for a baby to lose weight. See your health care provider or a lactation consultant for guidance on supplementation.

See also: “Breastfeeding and Milk Supply.”

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

I recently re-read Walter Makichen’s book Spirit Babies which is offers an insightful metaphysical viewpoint of conception. I first met Walter while working at a Fertile Soul Retreat. At the time, I didn’t know much about him except that he was a clairvoyant and I had not yet read his book. There were twenty or so woman attending from all over the world and I have to admit that I wondered how they would receive the concept of spirit babies, since many of them had never seen a psychic. After seeing Walter speak, each of these woman was so moved by his description of working with spirit babies that almost all of them signed up for an individual consultation with him.

Walter’s belief is that many parents have been with their babies in past lives and that often there are lessons left to work through together. When working with infertility patients, he has noticed that there is often a blockage in physical circumstances or energetic vibration preventing the soul from entering the body. In his individual sessions, Makichen is able to speak to the spirit baby and offer insight to the parents about the needs or fears that are preventing conception. He often sees the spirit baby surrounded by an oval of light that corresponds with the chakra system, revealing which emotions need to be addressed to invite the baby in to what he calls the conception chalice:

“When couples with a conscious or unconscious desire to have a child make love, their kundalini energies flow up their spine and out the top of their heads. Their individual energies intertwine, forming a column. At the top the two energies merge into the shape of a bowl. The whole form resembles a large gold and orange goblet or chalice. This gold and orange bowl, which I call the “conception cradle,” floats above the top of the prospective mother’s head. The conception cradle calls and welcomes the spirit baby, drawing the spirit into the conception contract.” (page 186-187)

Spirit Babies offers practical solutions to teach prospective parents to speak with the spirit of their unborn child through meditation and breathwork. Walter also helps women and men to work through issues of past miscarriage, abortions and trauma through grief and self-forgiveness exercises. The key that he re-iterates throughout the book is to continuously return to nature to re-attune your system with the earth. Walter believes that spirit babies may be with their parents for many years before entering the body, often presenting themselves in the form of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Kathryn Flynn is the author of Cooking for Fertility: Foods to Nourish Your Fertile Soul. Kathryn supports men and women worldwide in achieving a healthy pregnancy through nutrition and lifestyle changes in her individual fertility nutrition consultations. For additional information, please feel free to email Kathryn.

Vertigo is a common pregnancy complaint during the first trimester. A new mom, on top of all the other pregnant side effects, may often feel a little light-headed and dizzy. This is most likely because the blood flow in the body is changing, as it is diverted to the growing uterus and fetus. Vertigo is typically not something to worry about (although if it feels unusual or extreme, talk to your doctor). The biggest concern is not dizziness itself, but rather that your likelihood of falling and injuring yourself increases. To avoid vertigo/recover from vertigo, follow these tips:

• Breath deeply
• Don’t make fast, jerky movements
• Take time transitioning when sitting up or standing up
• Use handrails when using stairs/escalators, etc.
• Wear stable shoes with good support (toppling off your Barbie heels would be dangerous and embarrassing)
• Don’t hesitate to ask for help carrying things or doing strenuous tasks
• As you experience dizziness, stay home and relax (if possible).
• Putting the feet up sends blood (and oxygen) back to the heart and head

You CAN combine working and breastfeeding. It just takes a little preparation and some extra planning. Here are some helpful tips from moms who have done it.

Purchase the best breastpump you can afford. You will need a double pump. Avoid used pumps.

Make sure the pump fits you well and you know how to use it! You should be able to get enough milk for a typical feeding in about 15-20 minutes.

Learn about milk storage guidelines.

Talk to your employer about your plans to pump your milk at work. Agree on where you will be pumping and storing your milk.

Find a co-worker who has combined working and breastfeeding. You will need support!

Make sure your baby is comfortable with a bottle or other alternative feeding method. Give her at least 2 weeks to get used to the idea.

Stockpile a few bottles of milk in the freezer “just in case.” It will make you feel secure. You do NOT need a freezer full of milk. Remember you will be replacing the milk your baby drinks each day and storing it in the refrigerator.

Consider going back to work on a Thursday or Friday. It’s not as overwhelming as starting off with the entire week in front of you.

Do a practice run to see how long it will take to get you, baby and milk ready and where you need to go. Be sure to do this practice at the time that you’d actually be going to work.

Remember that providing milk for your baby when you’re at work serves everyone. You will be happy and productive and your baby will be healthy. This translates to fewer sick days for you and a grateful boss!

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

See also “Are Used Breastpumps are Bargain?” and “Storing Human Milk“

I am a lactation consultant in private practice. I see many moms struggle with milk production. As you can imagine, (and as many of you know!) it’s very frustrating to do everything “right” and still not have enough milk for your baby. Moms know that breast milk is the best thing for babies, yet when supply problems exist, it can be difficult to give baby 100% breast milk. I have found that moms will do just about anything to help increase their milk production—prescriptions medications, strenuous pumping regimens or drinking bitter herbal concoctions.

Recently I was approached by the founder of Milkmakers. She enthusiastically told me about her product—a cookie—that reportedly helps with milk production in breastfeeding moms. Some of the ingredients in Milkmakers are known to support milk production, but I was skeptical, to say the least.

Since this is a new product and an interesting idea, I decided to do a little research. Seattle moms with concerns about milk supply agreed to eat these delicious, nutrient-dense cookies for a week and let me know how they “worked.” Much to my surprise, the vast majority of the moms called with positive results. Many of the moms had returned to work and found that a nutritious cookie was the perfect complement to pumping.

I will continue to offer herbs, medications and other proven protocols for my clients with serious milk production issues. I will also offer cookies as part of the solution—particularly for moms who may need a boost when returning to work.

If you are having problems with supply, contact a lactation consultant for help. In addtion, give Milkmakers a try. They may be part of the solution!

Milkmaker cookies can be found at www.milk-makers.com.

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com

One of the beautiful things about breastfeeding is that there are no worries about cleaning containers, refrigeration or expiration dates! Even so, many moms find it necessary or convenient to express milk for their babies when they’re away. In those situations, it’s important to know how to properly store milk so it stays fresh for baby.

Most of us are used to storing milk that has been pasteurized. Pasteurization is a method of heat-treating the milk so that harmful bacteria are killed. Unfortunately, all of the beneficial cells are killed as well. Because of this, we have learned to always keep milk and other dairy products refrigerated so that it won’t spoil.

Your freshly pumped milk, however, is dense with live cells—cells that kill nasty germs and keep the milk safe for your baby. Freezing the milk kills many of those beneficial cells. Previously frozen milk is, therefore, less stable than fresh milk. Whenever possible, feed your baby fresh milk, saving the frozen milk for emergencies.

Simple rules for milk storage:

Room temperature: 3-4 hours or until the next feeding. (Research indicates that milk can be safely stored up to 10 hours at room temperature—depending on the temperature of the room.)

Refrigerator: 5 days (Many sources quote 8 days, but that research was conducted under laboratory conditions not typical in a home situation)

Freezer: 3-4 months (varies according to temperature, frequency of opening freezer and location in freezer.)

Deep Freeze: 6 months or longer. (varies according to frequency of opening freezer)

Written by Renee Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC. Renee is a lactation consultant in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She is available for home/hospital visits and phone consultations. Renee can be reached at www.second9months.com