read full story at Catholic News.Com

Sheryl’s comment:
According to this article, “more than 80,000 new organic synthetic chemicals have been introduced commercially since the 1960s”. The article goes on to say that “No basic toxicity information is publicly available for 43 percent” of those high-volume chemicals and “full information on toxicity is publicly available for only 7 percent,” The article specifically discusses the effect of phthalates (found in your shampoos and personal care items), PCBs and how chemicals such as methymercury can severely damage a fetus’s brain. Your child can be poisoned with Methylmercury while in your womb if you receive RH-negative shots, Flu-vaccines, have dental amalgams, or receive pitocin for a labor induction during childbirth.

This article underscores the dire need to avoid pollutants, chemicals inside and outside of your home, avoid plastics, pesticides, toxic personal care products, and all shots and amalgam related dental work. This is so important if you care about your innocent baby’s brain.

Why women eat sugar during pregnancy
The biggest problem with sugar intake during pregnancy is that it is socially acceptable, unlike drugs, alcohol or smoking. Many if not most women will quit drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine as soon as they find out they are pregnant due to social pressures and concern for their baby’s wellbeing. It is not only socially acceptable for pregnant women to eat sugar, but they are often encouraged by family members to eat more sugary treats and give in to their cravings.

Women also believe they are finally entitled to eat whatever they please as a benefit of being pregnant. While they may deny themselves Krispy Kremes and Haagen Daaz normally, during pregnancy anything goes because nobody will say anything and they plan on gaining weight anyway.

In addition to the lack of social restraint, pregnant women also experience powerful cravings for a variety of foods, and sugary treats are often on the list. The reason for these cravings is not a physiological need for sugar however, but a need for regular meals and snacks throughout the day. You have a much greater blood supply and extra hormones in your body during pregnancy and that means that you feel dips in your blood sugar more so than when you are not pregnant.

Skipping meals is a no-no for non-pregnant people because they will reach for the first candy bar or soda they can get their hands on a few hours later. This is even more true during pregnancy. It may feel like an overpowering craving but it is simply your body crying out for fuel. Regular, small meals are the answer, not a piece of chocolate cake.

Why Sugar is Worse During Pregnancy
Eating foods with refined sugar is bad for everyone. Even in healthy people, sugar causes weight gain, tooth decay, gum disease, rapid fluctuations in blood sugar that tax the body, reduced immunity, displaced minerals, elevated risk for cardiovascular disease and premature aging.

The sugar story gets worse for pregnant women. During pregnancy, sugar is rapidly absorbed into your blood and in order to regulate this sugar, your body requires larger amounts of insulin which is released by your pancreas. If you are eating excessive or even moderate amounts of sugar, your pancreas is going to have a difficult time keeping up. If your pancreas falls short of its job, then your blood sugar levels stay elevated. This is a problem even if you not develop full blown gestational diabetes (which is insulin intolerance).

Excessive sugar intake and elevated blood sugar levels will also cause you to gain excessive weight while pregnant. While you should gain a moderate amount of weight during pregnancy, it should be due to the weight of your fetus, increased blood volume and uterine contents, breast size and other pregnancy related weight, not just growing a fatter butt. When you are simply taking in more calories than you need, you are not the only one who gains excessive weight. Your baby may also grow too large.

Macrosomia is a condition where a baby grows excessively large due to a constantly high level of maternal blood sugar, generally due to gestational diabetes. This condition increases the risk of birth complications such as shoulder distocia and cesarean section. In addition, large babies of mothers with elevated blood sugar levels also have a higher risk of childhood obesity.

In addition to packing unnecessary pounds on yourself and complicating your pregnancy and birth with an overly large baby with a propensity for health problems, you will also run the additional risk of pregnancy related dental problems if you engage in excessive sugar consumption. Oral health during pregnancy is extremely important because toxins from periodontal disease have been proven to cross the placental barrier and reach your fetus, potentially causing both premature birth and birth defects. In fact, women with periodontal disease are seven times more likely to have a premature delivery than those with healthy gums.

In addition, women and society in general like to use the term “eating for two” which is actually nonsense. During your first trimester you do not require any extra calories and your body only needs an extra 300 calories during the second and third trimester, which should consist of high quality protein, vitamins and minerals because your body is literally building another human being. If you are not eating the proper nutrients to build a little human being’s bones, blood, fingernails and hair, then the necessary nutrients will be sucked out of your nutritional stores, putting you at risk for lifelong health problems, osteoporosis, postpartum depression and a number of other health conditions that are entirely avoidable by eating well before, during and after pregnancy.

In addition, it makes sense to get the sugar out of your house before your child is born. Children who regularly eat sugar experience raised adrenal levels, hyperactivity, anxiety, depression, concentration difficulties, low immunity, crankiness, sleep troubles, tooth decay, obesity and weight problems and lifelong health problems and disease. Do you think it is easier to get the sugar out of your home before they are born or when they are 10 and addicted to Fruit Loops or other such nonsense?

“It doesn’t matter what disease we are talking about, whether we are talking about a common cold or about cardiovascular disease, or cancer or osteoporosis, the root is always going to be at the cellular and molecular level, and more often than not insulin is going to have its hand in it, if not totally controlling it.” Healingdaily.com

Forms of Sugar
Sugar is more than that white stuff you put in your coffee. Sugar is everywhere and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and it is imperative that you know the sneaky forms that sugar comes in if you plan on avoiding it. First and foremost, virtually anything in a bag, box or can has added sugar. There are a very few exceptions to that rule, such as a bag of frozen vegetables, but by and large, any pre-packaged, prepared food is going to have added sugar, period.

If you insist on buying packaged foods, read the labels. Anything with a label is bound to have sugar anyway, but read for yourself. Look for any ingredient ending in ‘ose’. Fructose, dextrose and glucose are all sugars. Bread has sugar. Pizza has sugar. Sodas, pastries, cakes, cookies, and other goodies all have sugar. Almost everything has some form of sugar in it.

In addition, other foods such as dairy and starches will convert to sugar in your body more rapidly than high protein foods and vegetables. It is important to become familiar with the glycemix index if you wish to lower your sugar intake.

Sugar Alternatives
Ideally you will simply forgo fast food, packaged foods, drinks and baked goods while pregnant for high quality protein and raw produce but it may be very unrealistic for you to change your eating habits cold turkey especially if your family and friends tend to indulge in the foods you are trying to avoid.

White sugar is processed with chemicals and all the good nutrients are stripped from it. It is nothing short of poison and you should not touch it. Whatever you do, do not under any circumstances, substitute chemical sweeteners. They are even worse than sugar. Nutrasweet, Aspartame, Sucralose and Splenda. Poison, poison, poison. They are man made, chemical toxins. Do not dream of touching them while you are pregnant if you value your health and the health of your unborn child. They are linked to a myriad of long term, health conditions. Don’t even think about it. If the package says, “low sugar” or “sugar free”, run don’t walk the other way.

If you would like to still have a little bit of sweetness in your life go ahead, in moderation, by choosing sweeteners made by mother nature. Enjoy these options in their raw, natural forms and keep in mind that they are still high on the glycemic index and can also contribute to tooth decay. Blackstrap molasses is exceptionally healthy and will add delicious maltiness to coffee and baked goods. Raw, organic honey with propolis is also considered an amazing health food and is an excellent sugar replacement. Stevia is another natural sugar alternative but has not been tested on pregnant women, so you may wish to err on the side of caution. Even sugar itself is loaded with nutrients if it is raw, organic and untouched. If is is just a sugar fix you crave, get some high quality organic, fair trade chocolate. It will load you up with antioxidants and potentially keep your stress level down if you are a real sugar addict.

Women quit smoking when they find out they are pregnant. Women stop drinking when they find out they are pregnant and women should also stop eating sugar when they find out they are pregnant if they value their health and the health of their beautiful, unborn child.

More resources about sugar dangers:
Healingdaily.com
Pregnancy: High-Normal Blood Sugar Risky - WebMD.com
Sugar in Urine During Pregnancy - Drspock.com
Dr. Greene recommends blood test for glucose, called HgA1C

Image source: http://flickr.com/photos/pinkspleen/471510638/

Miscarriage by definition is a pregnancy that spontaneously aborts or terminates and always means that the fetus is unable to survive outside of the womb. Once a fetus becomes “viable” usually after the 20th week or so, early delivery is usually termed preterm labor and all efforts are made to save the baby.

By: Nilutpal Gogoi

Spontaneous abortion or miscarriage can happen due to two main reasons. Miscarriage may occur if the mother has a physical condition or suffers an extreme injury that will not allow the pregnancy to continue to term. Miscarriage can also happen if the fetus fails to develop as it should within the womb. Repeated miscarriage can reduce the likelihood of a woman carrying to term in future pregnancies.

When Do Most Miscarriages Happen?
The vast majority of miscarriages take place during the first three weeks of pregnancy, before many women even realize they are pregnant. Some also happen between the fourth to 12th weeks of pregnancies. Medical researches have ascertained that miscarriages account for approximately 15-25% of all pregnancies.

Why Do Miscarriages Happen?
Some women have a natural tendency to miscarry for a variety of reasons including health conditions, prescription or illicit drug use, smoking, nutritional deficiencies or even being hostile to “foreign DNA” from the baby’s father. Multiple miscarriages reduce the likelihood of carrying future pregnancies to term so it is best to seek the advice of a professional if you have suffered more than one miscarriage.

If you experience any or all of these symptoms, it is important to contact your doctor or a medical facility to evaluate if you could be having a miscarriage:

• Mild to severe back pain (often worse than normal menstrual cramps)
• Weight loss
• White-pink mucus
• True contractions (very painful happening every 5-20 minutes)
• Brown or bright red bleeding with or without cramps (20-30% of all pregnancies can experience some bleeding in early pregnancy, with about 50% of those resulting in normal pregnancies)
• Tissue with clot like material passing from the vagina
• Sudden decrease in signs of pregnancy - Americanpregnancy.org

Causes of Miscarriage
Miscarriages happen for many reasons. 50 per cent of the miscarriages have been attributed to either or both the unnatural development of the placental issue or of the embryo. These abnormalities can be due to three main reasons:

• Faulty sperm or egg cells (germ cells)
• Defective budding of the fertilized egg
• Other maternal problems such as psychological shocks including acute trauma or/and anxiety, diabetes and other systemic diseases like those of the kidney (nephritis).

Premature expulsion of the fetus can also take place also due to malfunctions of the uterine tract, the presence of cancerous tumors or specific health conditions in the mother such as toxemia or fifth disease.

Toxemia
Toxemia is an extremely serious condition which can result in the death of both the mother and the baby and it usually occurs late in pregnancy. Toxemia can degenerate into seizures, coma or death. The symptoms of preeclampsia (which leads to toxemia) are presence of protein in urine, excessive swelling (edema), rapid weight gain and high blood pressure. If severe toxemia happens, doctors generally opt for immediate deliveries to save both the child and the mother. Toxemia is cured automatically with birth.

Fifth Disease
Fifth disease is caused by parvovirus B19 and it can also lead to miscarriage. Though Fifth Disease generally affects children, it can happen in adults too, including pregnant women. Its effects are arthritis and joint pains and the most vulnerable adults are those who suffer from sickle cell anemia.

In most cases, there are no serious complications for an expectant woman who has fifth disease, and her unborn baby usually has no problems. In rare cases, however, fifth disease during pregnancy can cause the unborn baby to have severe anemia and may cause the woman to have a miscarriage. There is no universally recommended approach to monitor a woman dealing with both fifth disease and pregnancy; however, some healthcare providers may increase the frequency of doctor’s visits and perform tests (such as blood tests and ultrasound examinations) to monitor the health of the baby. Kids.emedtv.com

When Termination of Pregnancy Becomes Necessary
There is a vast difference between the connotations of the two terms: miscarriage (spontaneous abortion) and induced abortion. While the former happens naturally, the latter is carried out artificially. Induced abortions are brought on deliberately.

Periodically, a pregnancy has to be terminated intentionally simply because the pregnancy may be life threatening to the mother, the baby or both. If the fetus is mature enough then all efforts will be made to help the infant survive. Sometimes a pregnancy is intentionally terminated because the fetus died in utero and did not deliver naturally. If the pregnancy is less than seven weeks along then a chemical abortion may be performed. Terminations that happen later in pregnancy have to be performed surgically and they are commonly known as a D&C.

Mifeorustone & Chemical Abortions
If chemical abortion is chosen as an alternative to surgical abortions in the first seven pregnancy weeks, then many doctors prescribe Mifepristone or RU-486 to the patients to induce abortions. Nonetheless, chemical abortions cannot be possible if the pregnancy has entered the seventh week. On the other hand, surgical abortions can be done faster. They are completed in two visits to the hospital and do not pose problems in future pregnancies.

Miscarriage Treatment
The generally prescribed treatment to avert threatened miscarriages is bed rest. In cases of repeated miscarriages, total bed rest for the entire pregnancy term becomes indispensable. Often, hormone and vitamin therapy is also suggested. In extreme cases, the patient may even have to undergo surgeries to correct the uterine or cervical abnormalities.

Coping with Miscarriage
It is important to allow yourself time and space to grieve if you have suffered a miscarriage. Many people on the “outside” have no idea what you are going through and may make insensitive or even cruel remarks. If you lose a child, that pain will be with you forever, no matter how far along you were. Many women find internet support groups very helpful and will place banners and tributes to their “angels” online. Other women may plant a flower garden, create a memorial or have some sort of service to mark the passing of the child they will never hold.

Buy the Book: Something Happened: A book for children and parents who have experienced pregnancy loss.

About the author:
Nilutpal Gogoi is a writer and a freelance journalist having more than 18 years of service in several audio-visual and print media reputed organizations in North East India. He has published more than 1000 articles and a popular adventure book for children. For more information log on to
http://www.wellbeingwork.com/ http://www.awellnesshealth.com/
http://www.abouthealthonline.com/

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/_f1guy68_/1643679095/

A recent study in the UK suggests heavy use of cleaning products during pregnancy can increase the unborn baby’s risk of developing asthma. The study looked at the link between childhood asthma and cleaning product use in pregnancy, particularly bleach and spray air fresheners

The study found that babies of mothers who frequently used bleach and air fresheners during pregnancy had a 41 percent higher risk of developing asthma compared to mothers who did not use these products.

Read the full story at: Pregnancy.Families.com

Sheryl’s comment:
Adverse reactions during pregnancy are a natural, protective mechanism that keeps babies safe. If a chemical smells particularly bad to you while pregnant, then by all means do not use it. Keep in mind that even if you have someone else do the cleaning, the chemicals remain in the air and on surfaces. The safest way to go natural during pregnancy is to simply stop using chemical cleaners. You can clean your entire home with a combination of vinegar, baking soda and salt. If that does not appeal to you, there are tons of green cleaners on the market today but none are as safe (or inexpensive) as homemade. Will it make a difference to your baby? Potentially, possibly, probably…..who knows. Why risk it?

Omega3 - Nutrition for the Pregnant Mother and Child
It is widely accepted that your nutritional needs change when you become pregnant. This includes both an increase, as well as a decrease of certain foods, drinks and supplements. We all know that an increase in nutrients during this time is beneficial for fetal development to prevent nutritional deficiencies of a number of nutrients that can lead to birth defects or complications.

Essential Fatty Acids (omega3 and omega6) in the correct ratio and quantity can offer exceptional benefits in terms of fetal development, the health of the mother-to-be and the health of the baby after being born.

“Fish oil omega 3 supplements during pregnancy and nursing are so vitally important that they’re recommended by the Food Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The unified recommendation for pregnant and lactating women is 1200mgs a day. To eat that much fish would mean consuming more than a daily serving of salmon – which is the highest source of the omega 3 fatty acids.” Omega3.us

How Can Omega3 Fatty Acids Help During Pregnancy?

Overall Wellbeing
It is becoming common knowledge that omega3 fatty acids are exceptionally important for human health. Unfortunately in most Western lifestyles our diets include dangerously low levels of omega3s and a level of omega6 fatty acids that is far too high. This shift in our diet can be very closely correlated with the increase in incidence of degenerative diseases over the past hundred years.

Omega3 and omega6 fatty acids are labeled ‘essential’ because the body cannot synthesize them on its own. It relies upon a food source, and unfortunately, given the nature of the average, modern western diet – the majority of us severely lack a natural source of omega3 fatty acids, with omega6s are provided at damagingly high levels through cooking oils, butter etc. To compound this, the omega6 fatty acids that we do intake are often cooked or spoiled by heat, light and oxygen and have therefore become toxic to our bodies.

Hundreds of research studies have now proven, beyond doubt, that a diet including optimal levels of omega3 and 6 (in the correct ratio) on a regular/daily basis can lead to a myriad of health benefits, and can also help to prevent (and reverse) the symptoms of degenerative diseases such as cancers, cardiovascular disease, arthritis as well as Type 2 diabetes.

Other benefits that are gained from including omega3 and 6 essential fatty acids in your diet include a stronger immune system, stronger bones, an increase in energy, weight loss and healthier hair, nails and skin.

It is important to remember that it is easier for pregnant women to experience a deficiency in omega3 fatty acids because more essential fatty acids are required to build a growing baby. This deficiency can be compounded in subsequent pregnancies due to the fact that maternal stores can become further depleted with each pregnancy, rarely returning to pre-pregnancy levels.

Omega 3 oils are especially important during the final trimester. It is during this time that your baby uses Omega-3 to form approximately 70% of her brain system. She is also working on the rest of her nervous system. Pregnancyinfo.net

Fetal Development
Omega3 fatty acids are vital to healthy fetal development. A deficiency can easily occur with modern, Western diets and supplementation has been recommended by many researchers, health experts and doctors (not only for pregnant women, but for everyone!).

During fetal development, omega3 fatty acids are especially important for neural development and cell growth. Throughout pregnancy, omega3’s supply ‘brain food’ to the fetus, as important brain and eye development takes place during fetal development, continuing well into the child’s infant years. In fact, the lack of omega3 fatty acids during pregnancy and during the formative years after birth have been discovered to be a critical element for both the neurological and visual development of the baby. DHA is especially vital, as fetus cannot produce DHA efficiently independently.

In fact, research has shown that by adding omega3 and omega6 fatty acids to the mother’s diet during pregnancy can almost certainly have a very positive effect on the child’s cognitive abilities. These effects have even been proven to exist in the development of the child until the age of four!

Perhaps, even more critically, studies have shown that effective supplementation of omega3 fatty acids during pregnancy can greatly decrease the likelihood of complications such as pre term labor, and pre-eclampsia (toxemia) – a significant contributor to maternal mortality.

Research is proving beyond doubt that omega3 supplementation is almost vital during pregnancy and can greatly increase the health and development of both the child and the mother. However, it is recommended that these fatty acids are not added solely to the diet through consuming fish or fish based supplements. There are growing concerns regarding the toxicity of fish, particularly from mercury poisoning. A safer option would be to seek specific pre-natal supplements, or those such as Udo’s Choice which contain only plant based fatty acids.

Various sources of Omega 3:

• Krill Oil
• Walnuts & Oil
• Flax & Oil
• Wild Alaskan Salmon
• All oily fish (be cautions of contamination)
• Chia Seeds
• Hemp
• Marine algae (where do you think the fish get Omega 3s?)

Infant/Child Behavior and Development
Modern research is showing a strong link between infant/child behavior and nutrition. Over the past thirty years, the focus of this research has turned to omega3 fatty acids and their role in the behavioral development and learning skills. ADHD, in particular, has been very closely associated with omega3 fatty acid deficiency both in terms during pregnancy and in the infants diet until at least the age of four. Research has shown that infants with lower omega3 levels are more likely to suffer behavioral problems including hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, temper problems and unsettled sleep patterns. Interest in this area was first shown following a breakthrough study in 1981 which hypothesized that children with ADHD are more likely to have a diminished nutritional status of EFAs due to them showing greater thirst than non-ADHD children.

This study was further strengthened two years later, when EFA levels were measured in 23 children diagnosed with behavioral disorders and 20 average children. The results showed clearly that the children with behavioral problems were significantly deficient in EFAs.

More recently, a UK-based study has been undertaken and monitored by the BBC to show the effects of nutritional supplements of omega3 fatty acids on the behavior of children. The study has focused upon both infants (as young as 20 months) and children up to the age of 12. The children were assessed on their reading skills, IQ, spelling, behavior and motor skills over a period of six weeks. The study was led by Dr Madelene Portwood of the Durham Local Education Authority and the Durham Sure Start trial and she concluded that ‘The performance of almost 60 per cent of the children has improved dramatically…some two-year-olds went from having a vocabulary of 25 single words to being able to use whole sentences while others were able to sit down and concentrate for the first time in their lives’.

“Babies born to mothers who had higher blood levels of DHA scored better on the attention tests until 6 months of age, and they scored better on different tests designed to measure visual learning in older babies at 1 year and 18 months.” WebMD.com

Post Natal Depression
It has long been accepted that using supplements of omega3 fatty acids can play a vital role in treating and preventing depression. When considering the increased requirement for omega3s during pregnancy and the depletion of a mother’s omega3 reserves after giving birth it is no surprise that an omega3 deficiency may play a role in post-natal depression.

A major UK study on over 11,000 women has found that the more omega3 fatty acids consumed by women during the third trimester, the less likely she was to suffer from depression both during pregnancy and for the eight months after giving birth.

The reason behind EFAs being so effective at reducing depression is that they are used extensively by the brain through many different functions. Omega3s are converted by the body into both EPA and then DHA. The majority of the human brain is comprised of DHA, and a deficiency of DHA has been linked to the Alzheimer’s epidemic. Low levels of EFAs are also highly associated with low levels of serotonin, the major brain chemical that is responsible for our mood levels. Low serotonin levels almost always results in depression.

Summary

Pregnant women and new mothers should definitely consider supplementing their diet with omega3 fatty acids. The nutritional benefits are manifold both during pregnancy and in everyday life. Most significantly, the intake of omega3 fatty acids during pregnancy can prevent pre term delivery, improve the babies neural development, retina development, skin and cell health, reduce the likelihood of behavioral problems and can also help prevent the mother from experiencing prenatal and postnatal depression.

On top of the non-pregnancy related benefits, this subject is certainly worth further research and consideration.

Energize for Life offer free guides and resources for those looking to achieve optimal health and energy. With a slant towards the alkaline diet approach to health they offer a huge range of nutritional supplements, health equipment, superfoods and essential fatty acids. The aim of Energize for Life is to give you every resource you need to reach your own individual health goals.

Sheryl’s comment:
There are many ways to take Omega 3s. They are vital for every animal and human being but especially important for pregnant women. Purchase Wild Alaskan Salmon and eat it religiously throughout your pregnancy. If you cannot afford that, munch on flaxseeds or walnuts every day as a snack or get krill oil. Take a spoonful of Vitamineral Green in your OJ in the morning. There are tons of ways to get your Omega 3s but algaes and krill oil are probably the best. Take what you can afford and are comfortable with, but make sure to get tons of it every single day.
Uberarticles.com

“Vitamin A supports our reproductive organs and the developing baby. For men, it assists in the development of healthy sperm and for women it acts like a hormone during pregnancy, regulating the cell growth and development of her new baby.” Vitamins - Birth.com.au

By: Vincent

Beta carotene is converted by the human body into vitamin A and unused amounts are stored in the liver. The level of nutrients, including vitamin A, in newborns is largely dependent on the levels of nutrients the mother ingested during pregnancy. Vitamin A is important to the growth and motor development of infants and the lack thereof may contribute to infant mortality, especially from infectious disease, in developing nations.

Beta carotene is not teratogenic and is recommended over vitamin A which has the possibility of teratogenicity. Teratogenesis is anything that is potentially harmful to a developing fetus. It is also now believed that various micro nutrients affect the way in which other micro nutrients are utilized by the body. This is sometimes not a desirable result but in the case of iron ,which is frequently supplemented during pregnancy, there seems to be a positive result.

The only form of vitamin A you should be taking while pregnant is beta carotene. High levels of synthetic vitamin A (and certain acne medications such as Accutane) during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy can be toxic to a fetus and can cause a number of birth defects. Play it safe with a food based prenatal vitamin or choose fruits and vegetables with high vitamin A content.

Supplementation of vitamin A together with supplementation of iron seems to preclude the incidence of anemia better than when only iron is used. Some researchers have also concluded that vitamin A deficiency is less common when both vitamin A and zinc are supplemented simultaneously. It is also now believed that supplementation of beta carotene during pregnancy will result in higher retinol levels in breast milk after delivery.

It is also believed that carotenoid levels found in foods may not now be as high as once thought. For instance, the tropical diet may be inherently low in beta carotene. It does seem to be the case, however, that increasing consumption of a variety of fruits and vegetables increases a person’s over-all nutrient levels. The standard recommendation is to eat five one-half-cup servings of fruits and vegetables per day for optimal health.

Unfortunately, very few westerners now eat the way that the experts suggest. When the average American is honest with himself, he soon admits to avoiding some meals entirely and using empty calories to an excessive degree. Although flour is enriched by regulation, it is often omitted from the diet. Persons with low carb diets, in particular, will probably not benefit from the enriched breads that others consume.

Pregnant women who have been advised above all other concerns to keep their weight gain to an acceptable level may turn to diets that do not contain the necessary nutrient levels. The use of prescription prenatal vitamins is commonly recommended by obstetricians. Nothing new should be added to the diet during pregnancy without consultation with an obstetrician. Anything potentially harmful that is currently being used by pregnant women may need to be discontinued upon an obstetrician’s advise.

The time to think about the nutritional health of pregnant women and their developing babies is before becoming pregnant. Improving over-all health and addressing existing health concerns before pregnancy, while still in the process of preconception planning, is the best way to ensure that things go as well as possible during pregnancy.

A healthy start in life is the best advantage. It is worth the extra effort.

“Beta-carotene can be found in concentrated amounts in a variety of foods including sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, spinach, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro, fresh thyme, cantaloupe, romaine lettuce and broccoli.” whfoods.com

Buy: AIM Just Carrots

Author Vincent Platania represents the Stanley Home Products. Stanley Home Products has been in business since 1936, and offers high quality home and personal care products to keep your home and your body clean. Visit www.stanley-home-products.com

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/chrismetcalf/343554033/

The word ‘Mother’ is synonymous with care, love and all good things on the earth. Mothers who smoke, however, can be inadvertently killing and maiming their children – born and unborn. Shocked? It’s true. Mothers who smoke are potentially gifting their children with lung cancer and many other similarly devastating diseases through second hand smoke. Women who smoke during pregnancy harm their unborn babies directly in the womb.

Here are more unsettling reasons to bear in mind when smoking during pregnancy or around your newborn child. It will not only interfere with your health, it will also interfere with the health of your child:

1. First of all, smoking makes it hard to conceive. Reports show that fertility in both men and women are heavily affected by smoking. In women, smoking interferes with the egg movement toward the fallopian tubes as well as the hormones that are produced during pregnancy; while in men, it lowers the semen count, and the motility of the sperm. In many cases smoking also affects the shape of the sperm making it incapable of penetrating the egg.

2. Children born of smoking parents potentially inherit a low fertility syndrome and suffer from a great number of infertility problems.

3. Smoking in many cases is the main cause for impotency in men as it interferes with the blood supply to the penis.

4. The baby in the womb of a pregnant smoking woman gets its nicotine addiction right from pre-birth as its blood imbibes the nicotine that the mother’s blood shares with it; hence it is more likely that when born they would become a smoker – and also contract all smoking related diseases.

5. In rare cases the placenta is directly affected by smoking causing a miscarriage of the fetus, or death in the womb.

6. Babies of smoking mothers will be most likely to be born premature and under weight.

7. Babies are also likely to have less developed vital organs than their counterparts (babies of non-smoking mothers) – there is a great likelihood that these babies have an undeveloped liver which will affect them throughout their lives.

8. The babies of pregnant smoking women have poor lung functions right from birth.

9. These babies are twice as prone to die from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) than the babies of non-smoking women.

10. The babies of those women who smoked 15-20 cigarettes a day are more likely to be sickly.

Any one of the above causes should be sufficient enough to make you quit smoking – if not for yourself, for your little miracle that is being formed in your womb. Read the above lines again, and then once more – is that what you want to give to your most precious creation? Would you really be comfortable thinking that you are voluntarily and consistently harming your child even before childbirth? These are some questions that you should seriously consider.

Get in touch with your doctor today and enlist his/her help to quitting smoking. You owe it to your child to be healthy and give them a healthy beginning to the start of their life. As a mother, you are the nurturing contact of the child – do not become the poison in your own child’s life.

Jared Mitchell manages websites in the field of quitting smoking such as http://www.gumauctions.com. Using nicotine gum reduces the negative health consequences of cigarette smoke inhalation and cigarette by-products.

Article Source: http://www.uberarticles.com/articles

Sheryl’s comment:
Smoking and children simply do not mix. As this article suggests, smoking can keep you from becoming pregnant in the first place, can cause spontaneous miscarriage, can cause a number of potentially deadly childbirth complications such as placenta previa, can cause infant death from SIDS, and can lead to a myriad of health problems that will haunt your child for life.

Even if you conceive and everyone survives ok, do you really want a child that is never as healthy as other kids, has asthma, is never quite as smart and seems to get sick all the time? Do you want to wonder why your baby got some form of cancer in her thirties or was never able to conceive?

It is not OK to start smoking the second you are finished with childbirth either. Nicotine passes through breastmilk and will create an addiction in your little one. Forget about co-sleeping because you will release toxins in the air as you sleep increasing your child’s risk of SIDS even further. Think you can smoke outside and get away with it? Nope! Toxins will cling to your clothing and be released into the air around your baby when you come back in. You can try to rationalize, justify or find a way around it, but there is no way around it. If you smoke - you are harming your child. Period.

Even if you cannot quit totally due to stress or some other influence, then cut back. Start by doing prenatal yoga every single day. At least you will not be smoking while you are watching the video. Start meditating for 15 minutes a day and work up to 30 minutes. Both yoga and meditation will also reduce your stress levels and should allow you to cut back further. Start taking a brisk walk every day on your lunch or first thing in the morning. Make sure to leave your cigarettes at home while you workout. Take up swimming, tai chi or prenatal pilates. If you do all of these things, you will feel great, look fantastic and you will not have the time or the inclination to smoke (at least not as much).

Do it because you love yourself and your baby.

Buy the book: Smoking and Pregnancy
Buy the book: The Easy Way to Stop Smoking