Healthy Pregnancy

Doctor’s orders say bed rest. Your mind says another minute lying around will drive you crazy. Your body feels anything but rested. Try these pseudo exercises to keep your mind clear and your body comfortable.

BREATHING There are lots of fabulous ways to calm the body and mind through breathing. Here are two.

1) Take a deep inhale through your nose. Pause slightly at the end of the inhale, and then exhale through the nose, making the exhale last twice as long as the inhale. Think about sipping air in and out—long actions that engage the deep muscles of the core and that fill the lungs with as much air as possible. Slow and steady. Visualize oxygen penetrating every cell of your body, bringing life and health. Not only will this calm your body and ease tension, it will also help to improve your lung capacity.

2) If sleep is not coming easily, or if your body is tense, begin this breathing exercise by slowing and lengthening your breath (nose breathing). Take a few cleansing breaths, and then start sending breath to your toes—asking them to relax. Every exhale, let a body part relax, slowly moving up your body until you reach your forehead. Yes, it is the mental visualization as much as the physical relaxation of your breath that will calm you. Chances are you will be asleep before you reach your head.

MASSAGE Whether at the spa or in home, massage can be a great way to relax. It is excellent for increasing circulation and easing muscle tension, which will make lying down seem luxurious, rather than binding. If a full massage is not an option, try lying on your back with your legs and feet in the air (knees bent, legs to either side of body), and give yourself a foot and calf massage. Just having the feet in the air will improve circulation, and you may be surprised at the tension you can work out of your own feet, and how that will penetrate up the body.

STRETCHES Do ask your doctor if these stretches/exercises are right for you while on bed rest, but don’t be surprised when she looks at you as if you’re an A+ student going above and beyond. These stretches are simple, but will help to ease out the kinks of being sedentary, and therefore, will make you feel a little better! Remember, a good stretch is always accompanied with deep and steady breathing. Check out “Stretches For Bed Rest.”

Winter is a time of stillness and deep introspection. With the bare trees and colder weather, we are asked to go within and build up our reserves for a re-emergence come spring. Deep rest, quietude and contemplation help us to prepare for what we will be created when the sparse trees begin to blossom anew.

In Chinese medicine, winter is associated with the water element, the color dark blue and black and the emotions of fear and survival. The corresponding organs, the adrenals, kidneys and reproductive organs thrive when nourished and replenished through sleep, relaxation and wholesome foods. Stress, overactivity, toxins and noise increase cortisol levels, eliciting the stress response and taxing our reserves. Finding a gentle balance between outgoing holiday celebrations and time alone is especially important for health during the holiday season. To attune with the winter season, find ways to hibernate and nurture your deepest yin energies:

Sip tea
The ritual of drinking tea is calming and regenerating, not to mention a great way to warm up on the cold winter days. Licorice tea helps to build up the adrenals, supporting increased energy reservoirs.

Ease Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD)
Winter can big more dreary days, so be sure to stock up on sunlight when you can and supplement adequately with Vitamin D.

Eat soups and stews
Foods simmered slowly are warming during the winter season. Add small pieces of seaweed like kombu and wakame to soak up the minerals and build your inner reserves.

Choose black and blue foods
Since the corresponding color to the water element is black and blue, consume use black beans, black sesame seeds, blueberries and blackberries for kidney, reproductive and adrenal health.

Get more sleep
With the darker days you may be feeling an inclination to go to bed a little earlier and rise a little later. Follow your intuition and stock up on rest to attune with the winter season.

Sea salt foot soaks
Salt is the corresponding flavor and water is the corresponding element to the winter season. For deep relaxation, gently detoxification and grounding at the end of your day unwind with a warm candlelit soak.

Root vegetables
As Paul Pitchford says in Healing with Whole Foods: root vegetables “grow in cold climates and contain minerals and other elements that make it possible to survive in harsh weather and under snow. When eating, we take on their qualities and build resistance to cool weather and
disease.” (62)

With flu season upon us it is important to take preventative steps to stay healthy. Building up your immune system is an important element of keeping bacteria and illness at bay. Consider the following natural remedies to prevent illness during flu season:

1. Acupuncture
Oriental Medicine focuses on preventing illness and uses tiny needles inserted along the meridian lines to keep energy flowing freely and build up the body’s defenses or Wei Qi to stop germs and viruses from invading.

2. Eat colorful fruits and vegetables
Colorful foods contain the most nourishing antioxidants. To get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals and boost your immune system, create a plate with all the colors of the rainbow.

3. Take supplements
Supplementing your already healthy diet with vitamins is a sure way to stay healthy and make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need. Especially important for flu season are Vitamin D (sunshine), Vitamin C (oranges), Zinc (pumpkin seeds) and Selenium (brazil nuts).

4. Get lots of rest
Staying rested is one of the best ways to ensure your immune system stays in top form. Whenever possible, be in bed by 11pm and aim for 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Listen to your body if it calls for a nap.

5. Exercise for replenishment
Daily movement is one way to ensure fresh blood supply and oxygen to all your organs. Resist the urge to over exercise which can tax your system and leave you feeling depleted.

6. Wash your hands often
Many germs are spread through contact from your hands to your mouth. Make a point to wash your hands frequently through the day and avoid touching public door knobs and potentially infected areas like unnecessary flights.

7. Drinks lots of water and hot tea
Staying hydrated flushes germs and keeps the body healthy. Consider gargling with salt water and drink lots of hot tea to prevent bacteria from forming in the throat and nose.

8. Avoid sugar and processed foods
Sugar and refined foods deplete the immune system by wreaking havoc on your blood sugar levels and your adrenals. Limit or avoid overly sugary treats to keep your energy reservoirs at peak performance.

9. Take a probiotic
Probiotics build the immune system by introducing healthy bacteria to the gut. Take a quality probiotic or be sure to get a healthy dose of cultured vegetables or fermented foods each day.

10. Avoid those infected with the flu
Of course, whenever possible, stay away from those already infected to ensure they don’t pass the flu to you. Ideally those with the flu will stay incubated for 7-10 days until they are feeling better.

Breastfeeding has many benefits to mothers—one of which is a delay in the return of fertility. Many mothers enjoy a year or more without periods after the birth of their babies. Breastfeeding as a birth control method is referred to as the lactational ammenorrhea method or LAM. LAM is over 98% effective* when the following conditions are met:

Your periods have not returned. It is possible to ovulate before your period returns!

Your baby is under 6 months of age. Although you may remain infertile long after 6 months, the reliability of this method decreases with the age of the baby—probably because of the introduction of solid foods.

Your baby has nothing by mouth except the breast. In other words, the baby is not supplemented with other foods and is not using a pacifier for long periods.

Your baby is breastfeeding at least every 3 hours during the day and at least every 6 hours at night. There IS a benefit to waking at night with your baby! If your baby is up frequently during the night, you’re protected from another pregnancy!

It is important to discuss birth control options with your partner and your doctor. Keep in mind that for at least 6 months any additional birth control you choose will be a back up to LAM.

*Please note: It is unknown whether pumping your milk for your baby provides the same protection as exclusive breastfeeding.

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

Attention Ladies!!! You have HOMEWORK!!!! –Write down all the things you LOVE about yourself. Also, list out qualities you want to have (whether or not you have them already). This may sound remedial and unnecessary, but it is a great little cerebral exercise to let go of bad (mental) habits and embrace positive attributes. Remember: when you workout, you’re not just creating a better body, you’re creating a persona, a way of life. Any girl who lives on planet earth should do this homework periodically. Realizing our own potential is true GIRL POWER.

Think on this:

”Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. 
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. 
It is our light, not our darkness,
 that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves:
 Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? 
You are a child of God.
Your playing small 
does not serve the world. 
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, 
as children do. 
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us; 
It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, 
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. 
As we’re liberated from our own fear, 
our presence automatically liberates others.”

By: Marianne Williamson
(Often quoted as part of Nelson Mandela’s Inaugural Speech)

You may have read that it is necessary to restrict your diet in order to breastfeed. Or that spicy foods will upset your baby’s tummy. Perhaps you have heard that eating certain foods will make “better” milk. Thankfully, nature has ensured that we will make high quality milk for our babies no matter what we eat! In fact, when you eat a varied diet with a wide variety of tastes and aromas, your baby gets to experience a variety of tastes in your milk. This prepares her to enjoy the foods you love when she’s old enough to sit at the dinner table.

So where does this list of “bad foods” come from? It comes from well-meaning professionals and mothers like you who have seen a baby react negatively to a particular food or class of foods. When you see a list of foods to avoid while breastfeeding, use some common sense and consider the following:

If you have food allergies in your family, it may be a good idea to avoid those foods while breastfeeding.

Vary your diet. Don’t eat a lot of one food in the course of a day. I knew a baby who was quite fussy until his mom stopped drinking 8 glasses of orange juice a day! He handled one glass a day just fine.

Go ahead and eat that spicy Thai food. Thai mothers do!

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

This is a test! Please read the following statements and respond “true” or “false” to each one.

1. If I breastfeed, I have to eat a bland diet.

2. If I eat broccoli, my baby will have gas.

3. If I have a glass of wine, I have to “pump and dump.”

4. I cannot drink coffee while breastfeeding.

5. If I eat chocolate, my breastfed baby will get diarrhea.

6. I have to drink lots of milk to produce milk for my baby.

7. I can’t eat spicy foods and breastfeed my baby.

If you answered false to each question, congratulations! Your score is 100 percent!

1. Babies love a varied diet. One study demonstrated that babies nurse longer after their mothers ate garlic.

2. It is a rare baby who doesn’t like nutritious vegetables. On the other hand, if your baby seems to be gassy after a particular food, try avoiding it for a few days and then re-introduce it just to be sure.

3. Drinking alcohol when breastfeeding is NOT the same as drinking while you’re pregnant. An occasional drink is just fine while breastfeeding.

4 and 5. Caffeine and chocolate in moderation are fine for mom and baby.

6. When was the last time you saw an adult cow or any other adult mammal drink milk?

7. Spicy foods? Mothers all over the world breastfeed and enjoy the foods of their culture.

So, indulge in the nutritious foods you love. Enjoy the occasional pleasure of a glass of wine or some yummy chocolate. You deserve it!

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

The diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy is given when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus. Most of the time, ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tube, but they can also be found in the ovary, pelvic cavity and cervix. An ectopic pregnancy is never viable and immediate treatment is essential to protect the mother from the possibility of internal bleeding from a burst fallopian tube and preserve future fertility. Ectopic pregnancy is the leading cause of maternal death in the first trimester. Women with a history of pelvic inflammatory disorder (PID), previous ectopic pregnancy, past pelvic surgeries or endometriosis have a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy.

Ectopic pregnancies can be somewhat difficult to diagnose since it is generally early in the pregnancy and a woman may exhibit “normal” pregnancy symptoms until gestation is at a stage where the growth of the fetus puts pressure on the tube. An ectopic pregnancy may include any or all of the following symptoms and warning signs:

• Positive pregnancy test
• Tender breasts
• Spotting or bleeding
• Dizziness or fainting
• Low back pain
• Pelvic pain centered on the right or left side
• Shoulder pain

An early ultrasound will look for the presence of a gestational sac in the uterus to determine whether there is an intrauterine pregnancy (vaginal ultrasounds are quite accurate as long as the pregnancy is far enough along that the sac has developed). The ultrasound may also show whether or not there is fluid in the pelvic cavity, another sign of ectopic pregnancy. A blood panel can ascertain current HCG levels to find out the stage of pregnancy and whether the numbers are doubling each day as they might in the average pregnancy. An ectopic pregnancy may show an unusual pattern of HCG and lower lingering levels. In some cases, dropping numbers may indicate that the ectopic pregnancies will resolve like a natural miscarriage by reabsorbing in the body. Others can continue to pose problems even with low levels of HCG particularly when the numbers are not dropping sufficiently as they might in an average miscarriage.

Treatment Options:

Lingering HCG numbers and pain indicate a need for immediate treatment. If the ectopic pregnancy is caught early enough, a doctor can administer the drug methotrexate, an anti-folate that stops cellular replication, helping to end the ectopic pregnancy. With methotrexate, HCG levels are tested in regular intervals thereafter to ensure numbers are dropping sufficiently. Depending on the outcome of the initial treatment subsequent injections may be required. Methotrexate is a popular treatment because it can avoid surgeries that are inevitable once the fallopian tube has burst, risking internal bleeding. Another option is reparative surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy through laparascopic surgery or removing the portion of the tube affected and fusing the remaining parts together. The chance of having subsequent ectopic pregnancy increases about 15% after the first case.

Do ask your doctor if these stretches/exercises are right for you while on bed rest, but don’t be surprised when she looks at you as if you’re an A+ student going above and beyond. These stretches are simple, but will help to ease out the kinks of being sedentary, and therefore, will make you feel a little better! Remember, a good stretch is always accompanied with deep and steady breathing.

Start by sitting up, with head reaching for the ceiling (spine is lengthening), and an engaged core. Begin with the neck—looking up to the ceiling, and down to your belly button. Inhale as you look up, exhale as you look down. Continue for several breaths. Then look over each shoulder, moving head side to side (always following your breath), then drop ear to shoulder, alternating sides. Finish stretching the neck by taking a few head circles in each direction.

Moving down the body, begin to stretch the shoulders by bringing a straight arm across the body, and pulling the elbow toward the body with the opposite hand. Take a few breaths, and then change sides. Do shoulder rolls, shrugging both shoulders up toward the ears, and then sliding the shoulder blades down the back. Then do arm circles in the same manner, reaching toward the back. Reach one hand behind the head, while the other comes up from underneath and behind the back, clasping hands together. If this stretch is too deep, grab the ends of a sock or a towel to give yourself a bit more slack. Next for the shoulders and chest (still sitting tall), place your hands behind your sit bones on the bed or floor, with your wrists touching, and press palms downward, letting your upper body open.
Focusing on the torso and lower back, gently twist side to side by sitting tall, grabbing opposite knee with opposite hand, and gazing over the shoulder. Hold stretch for 10-20 seconds, and alternate sides as many times as your back and body need. From there, lie down and perform the same twists again, this time reaching the same side arm and knee in opposite directions. The knee comes across body toward bed, and the arm/face/torso reach in the opposite direction.

Focusing on the lower body, hold behind calve, knee, or thigh, and roll ankles. If you have the flexibility and your tummy is not in the way, cross one ankle over the opposite knee, and pull the legs into the body to open hips and stretch the outer thigh (which in turn may help release lower back pain). Take time here, leaving feet in the air to aid blood flow back to the heart. (In fact, prop feet up often to have more energy, lessen edema, and to reduce the chances of varicose veins.)

Once again, focusing on the mobility of the back, come into a bridge pose. Lying down, knees bent, the feet will press into the mattress and gluts will engage to lift the body up, one vertebra at a time, until your body makes a bridge. Raise and lower slowly, letting your breath move the body, and making sure to articulate the spine.

Last stretch. Touching the corners of the universe, lie on your back and stretch the limbs as far as they will go in their respective directions (including fingers and toes). Take several deeps breaths as the body reaches longer and longer, and then take several deep breaths as the body melts into the mattress. (if this is the only stretch you do. It is well worth it. It alleviates postural discomfort by lengthening the spine, opening tight chest muscles (typically manifest in the form of slouching shoulders), and releases tight hip flexors (which in turn releases back muscles and eases back pain).

And there you have it! Do these stretches everyday, and you should be feeling great! Your body will be happy, and bed rest will seem more of a luxury!

There is nothing more comforting than a hearty, nutritious bowl of homemade soup especially as we head into the cooler months of fall and winter. Not only are soups known to promote healthy digestion, but they also support the reproductive organs, which correspond to the Water element in Chinese medicine, favoring cooked foods, slowly simmered in liquid. As an added bonus, the corresponding flavor of the water element is salt, so to build your fertility, immunity and combat stress, I recommend cutting up pieces of dried seaweed like kombu and wakame and adding them to any soups, stews, hot breakfast cereals and casseroles. You will be getting a healthy dose of minerals without compromising on taste!

Adzuki Bean stew

This soup delights the palate and includes healthful onion and garlic which help to build immunity and keep blood flow moving. Spinach, rich in chlorophyll, combines with tomatoes to fortify and purify the blood. Make a big batch of this flavorful soup on a Sunday and enjoy throughout the week! To make this dish suitable for vegetarians make this stew with vegetable stock and omit roasted chicken.

Serves 4
Cooking time: 60 minutes

3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme
2 cups adzuki beans, pre-cooked
32 ounces organic chicken stock or veggie stock
4 whole stewed tomatoes
8 ounces spinach
1/2 cup edamame
Optional: 1 cup roasted chicken (main attraction) or brown rice
Sea salt or dulse flakes to taste

Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil until softened. Add thyme and adzuki beans.
Slowly stir in chicken stock. The longer you allow this soup to simmer, the better it tastes. Finish by adding stewed tomatoes, edamame and spinach, until wilted.