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Author: Kat Beechum

“Congratulations! You are pregnant!” That is probably one of best lines you will ever hear from your doctor!

There are so many things to think about when you are pregnant and one of the questions I hear often is “How much weight should I gain? What is a safe weight gain?” It can be so easy to just take the opportunity to eat lots of food and not worry about the consequences! While you are eating for two, it pays to remember that you ARE only eating for two, not three or four (unless you are of course!).

Weight gain is going to be different for each of you, so you just have to feel what is right for you. Fast weight gain is not good for you or the baby. Weight gain should be gradual over time as your baby grows inside you. If you find that your weight is increasing rapidly, see your doctor for some guidelines on what to eat and if at any stage during your pregnancy you feel that things are just not quite right, do go and see your doctor, it is not worth the risk to ignore your instincts.

As a rule of thumb, you should gain 2 to 4 pounds during the first three months of pregnancy and then 3 to 4 pounds per month for the rest of your pregnancy to equal a total of about 25 - 30 pounds over the whole pregnancy.

By slowly gaining weight throughout your pregnancy, you will decrease the risk of delivering a low-birth-weight baby. After all, you want a healthy, happy baby.

The weight you will gain includes 6 to 8 pounds for the weight of the baby. The remaining weight consists of a higher fluid volume, larger breasts, larger uterus, amniotic fluid, and the placenta. Phew, that is a lot to be carrying around!

Make sure you keep up with exercise during your pregnancy as well. If you don’t exercise, now is a good time to start! Light walks every day will keep your weight gain to a healthy amount and you will feel so much better for it.

Above all else, do what makes you feel good and keep in mind the health of you and your baby… with those things in mind, you can’t go wrong!

About the author:
Kat Beechum is a writer who loves to writer about her interests and passions, which are many and varied.

If you found this article useful, for further information visit Pregnancy without Pounds

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This short video clip shows the basic prenatal yoga positions including stretches, pelvic floor exercises (Kegels), strength building poses, standing poses and sitting poses.

This is an excerpt from Gaiam’s prenatal yoga DVD. You can follow along with these poses and if you decide you enjoy the poses you can sign up for a local pre-natal yoga class, get a book to follow along or buy a prenatal yoga DVD. Prenatal yoga is an excellent and safe way to maximize maternal and fetal health and prepare for childbirth.

Shop the Natural Pregnancy Store for natural pregnancy books, prenatal fitness DVDs, prenatal vitamins and supplements and organic pregnancy items. ]]> http://pregnancy.amuchbetterway.com/gaiam-prenatal-yoga-dvd/feed/ http://pregnancy.amuchbetterway.com/ultrasound-may-affect-fetal-brains/ http://pregnancy.amuchbetterway.com/ultrasound-may-affect-fetal-brains/#comments Mon, 28 May 2007 20:26:24 +0000 Natural Pregnancy http://amuchbetterway.com/pregnancy/2007/05/28/ultrasound-may-affect-fetal-brains/ Previously postedUltrasound may affect fetal brains: study

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CTV.ca News Staff

Scientists are investigating whether ultrasound scans during pregnancy may harm the brains of unborn babies.

The move follows a U.S. study which showed the developing offspring of pregnant mice suffered brain abnormalities when they were exposed to ultrasound waves.

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Sheryl’s comment

Some natural advocates recommend avoiding prenatal ultrasound altogether because of both the known and the unknown risks. Why subject to your child to damage that you might find out about twenty years from now?

I am torn on the issue quite honestly and I am not sure whether I will choose to have a prenatal ultrasound if I am fortunate enough to have another child. For the most part I believe they are totally useless. Gestational age is only an issue for the providers who are trying to make money off of your labor and delivery. If you are choosing a natural childbirth then the baby will arrive when he or she is quite ready.

I am aware however, that certain conditions like placenta previa can be life threatening for both the mother and the baby and that this type of condition would legitimately necessitate a C-section. Ultrasound is the best way to diagnose this condition and because it is potentially fatal, I think I would personally get one (and only one) very short ultrasound. Naturally I reserve the right to change my mind.

I once knew a woman who had access to unlimited ultrasounds because her husband happened to work in radiology and managed to sneak her in. She had an irrational fear of her children being born with a cleft palate. I am quite certain that she would not have aborted in either event, but the fact remains that she repeatedly exposed her helpless babies to damaging ultrasound rays because of her own vain and quite insane preoccupations. She brags about the countless ultrasounds she received during all of her pregnancies. This is what we are adamantly against. We are supposed to protect our children at all costs.

Check out The Center for Unhindered Living’s guide to prenatal care. She has a great list of common prenatal tests and why they are largely unnecessary. It is also arguably the best resource on the web for do-it-yourself prenatal care.

read full story at Babble.com

This is a sweet and moving story about a woman who becomes pregnant for the first time in her mid thirties. While it is very touching, the majority of the article focuses on the prenatal tests that she is “required” to take before she can enjoy her pregnancy or tell anyone about it.

Please understand that none of the tests are “required”. They are scare tactics plain and simple. If you are a healthy female with a good diet and a minimum level of fitness then for the love of God, don’t let them stick a needle in your womb! Think of your baby. Trust your instincts. It just does not make any sense. These “diagnostic tests” are only for parents who will chose to abort a fetus that does not meet their criteria for joining their family. If you will not hold your prospective child to such high standards, then refuse the tests. You have every right to do so and your baby will thank you.

Vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy has also been linked to preeclampsia, rickets and other musculoskeletal and health complications in children, lower bone density and smaller babies.

Beef up your Vitamin D levels with contaminant free cod liver oil, such as Carlsons, raw, organic dairy products, take a food based prenatal and get plenty of sunlight if you are able. Learn more at Sciencedaily.com, eurekalert.org and webmd.com.

A developing fetus is highly susceptible to outside influences. Most people know for example, that smoking and drinking can have serious adverse effects on a fetus, some permanent. Unfortunately many women are not as aware of the effects of common household chemicals and how they can affect not only their baby but even their great, great grandchildren.

What can affect a fetus? There is very little that a pregnant women consumes, breathes, or slathers on her skin that will not affect her fetus in one way or another. Some chemicals are clearly dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. An excellent starting point for a pregnant woman is to consider how natural a substance is. If something grew out of the ground it is quite likely safer than something developed in a lab. There are obviously exceptions to this rule such as poisonous mushrooms and certain herbs but for the most part it holds true.

The hard part is not determining what is safe as much as what is unsafe during pregnancy. Many substances have never been tested on pregnant women and their unborn children so the truth is, you may never know what is safe and what is not. So as a conscientious mother you may choose to err on the side of caution and avoid substances that may potentially be harmful to your baby. This is not feasible all the time but it is certainly worth the attempt.

What is potentially harmful to a fetus?

DRUGS & CHEMICALS
First you should evaluate all drug use including prescription, OTC, and illegal. The FDA has Use-In-Pregnancy ratings for drugs based on their known or unknown dangers. Perinatology.com has a fairly comprehensive list of prescription drugs, vaccines and illegal drugs and includes the class and the potential effects on a fetus or newborn.

What chemicals should you avoid if you are pregnant? Honestly, all of them. Some are clearly more toxic to your fetus than others and some may be totally safe but nobody knows for sure. Some of the dangerous chemicals which are proven to cause miscarriage, birth defects, developmental problems, and stillbirth are:

Pesticides, phthalates (found in some plastics, cosmetics, and bath products), paint, carpet, nail polish, gasoline fumes, routine dental procedures, some household cleaning products, polyurethane foam, hair dyes, and tap water (which can contain fluoride & chlorine). Read Pollution in Newborns by the Environmental Working Group to learn more.

You shuold also research your skin and hair care products at skindeep.org. The almost 15,000 beauty products in the Skin Deep database will tell you not only the safety rating of your products but what questionable chemicals your favorite beauty products contain. Skin Deep provides brand by brand comparisons and safety ratings. Search by product name, product type, brand, or even look up the highest concern brands. They will even give you a personalized shopping list of the safest beauty products.

PRENATAL TESTING (prenatal “scare”)
Additionally, prenatal testing carries inherent risks and potential benefits which must be weighed by each couple. In many cases the testing is totally unnecessary and can even result in miscarriage. What is the answer? Educate yourself. Thoroughly research prenatal tests prior to agreeing to them. The Center for Unhindered Living has a number of articles explaining the pros and cons of Ultrasound, Dopplers, Alpha Fetoprotein Test, Glucose Tolerance Test, Amniocentesis, Chorionic Villus Sampling, and Prenatal Rhogam.

If the test is not absolutely necessary then you have the right to refuse to have it done because it could potentially jeopardize your unborn child. Only you can decide if a test is necessary or not based on your physician’s advice, your research, and your instincts. Please do not take a “medical professionals” word for it. As a responsible adult do some research first.

Nutrition, exercise, and mental health.
Proper nutrition means avoiding processed foods, sugar, commercial meat and dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, among others. Soy, wheat, sugar, and caffeine should be avoided.

There are so many books available about pregnancy nutrition and if you need a bit of guidance then by all means get a book. Dr. William Sears has a great page on prenatal nutrition as well. In addition to avoiding negative food items, you need to accentuate the positive. Certain vitamins and minerals are vital to a healthy pregnancy. The RDA of most vitamins and minerals increases substantially during pregnancy. Folic Acid, calcium, and iron are essential. Organic produce should be your best friend. If this is all new to you then you are probably overwhelmed and confused. If you are committed though, making sensible food choices will be second nature in no time.

Lack of exercise generally will not result in direct harm to your baby but it will make your pregnancy and labor substantially more difficult. The increased blood flow from regular exercise will enhance your child’s development and some studies link prenatal fitness with increased apgar scores and mental development. A walking routine or prenatal yoga course is ideal. You certainly do not want to overdo and many fitness routines need to be modified for pregnancy. The key is to avoid inactivity and increase blood flow. So whatever you do, get off the couch and get moving.

Finally, if you are seeking a natural pregnancy, it is very important to avoid stress. Stress has been linked to miscarriage, autism, and other many other fetal developmental problems. Unfortunately it is unlikely you can quit your job and move to an island for nine months so you need to play the cards you have been dealt. In other word if you are prone to stress you can learn to identify your stress triggers and avoid stressful situations. You can also learn how to handle stressful situations once you are in them.

Both meditation and yoga are proven, fabulous ways of lowering stress levels. Counseling may also help with current stressors in your life. Even a ten minute walk has been proven to reduce stress levels considerably. In any event, please do not resort to drugs or alcohol which don’t reduce stress, they only numb you temporarily and they will certainly cause harm to your child.

You may also want to try other stress reducing techniques include biofeedback, EFT, or a mantra such as “This too will pass”. And never underestimate the value of a good friend or family member that you can call if things get rough.

If you are committed to an organic pregnancy you can certainly do it. Having a partner and family who support your decision will certainly help but even without their help you are certainly capable of trusting your instincts and standing your ground. Your body and your baby will thank you.

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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

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Prenatal belly dancing is also an excellent exercise during early labor to help move your baby into position, relax and energize you for the coming event.

Can Preeclampsia be prevented?

Preeclampsia is a condition that affects 5-7% of pregnant women, most often first time mothers. It is a potentially dangerous condition that must be monitored once it is detected. Although preeclampsia can strike rapidly and with no symptoms, there are generally a number of warning signs to be on the lookout for including:

• Protein in urine
• Sudden weight gain
• Headaches, dizziness or fainting
• High or elevated blood pressure
• Excessive edema or swelling
• Ringing in the ears

Pre-eclampsia often causes preterm birth and can also compromise the blood flow to the uterus which can result in growth problems before the baby is born. More extreme cases of pre-eclampsia can result in serious health problems to the mother including stroke, coma and death. This is why urine and blood pressure are tested weekly or bi-weekly during prenatal wellness visits.

“Preeclampsia and other hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a leading global cause of maternal and infant illness and death. By conservative estimates, these disorders are responsible for 76,000 deaths each year. ” Preeclampsia Foundation

There is no cure for preeclampsia. It can only be managed once it is diagnosed and doctors will have to weigh the health of the mother against the term of the baby to decide how to best handle it because birth or death is the only way to end preeclampsia. A recent study did find that low doses of aspirin may be useful in the treatment of preeclampsia but you should only take aspirin under the supervision of your doctor since aspirin has its own side effects.

Preeclampsia is a potentially deadly condition once it develops and no one will argue that point. The real question is whether or not preeclampsia and other related conditions can be prevented with proper diet. We believe the answer is yes, based on the actual cause of preeclampsia in the first place.

Protein spilling in the urine is one of the first signs of preeclampsia. That would lead many people to believe that women with the condition have an excess of protein in their diet but the reverse is actually true. Pregnant women who do not consume enough protein will actually begin to breakdown their own body tissues to provide protein for their growing baby.

“Very simply, if you are not getting enough protein (80 to 100 grams per day), and if you are not getting enough calcium/magnesium, your liver cannot function properly, and the tissues of the body begin metabolizing themselves to provide for your protein needs, specifically kidney tissue. Some of the protein that is broken down is excreted into the urine, which is why there will be protein in the urine. Blood pressure and edema (swelling) are due to poor mineral balance, specifically calcium/magnesium imbalance. ” Unhindered Living.com

This is why proper nutrition and protein intake is extremely important during pregnancy. Here are some tips to stay on track nutritionally during pregnancy:

1. Get 80-100 grams of protein a day. Some excellent protein sources are whey protein, hemp protein, beans, peas, nuts and nut oils and butters, seeds and their oils, organic whole raw milk from grass fed cows or goats, organic vegetarian eggs from free range chickens (safe to eat raw), wild Alaskan salmon, organic whole milk dairy products & cheese (preferably raw), brewers yeast, wheat germ, wheat grass, aloe vera juice and of course animal meat if you are not vegetarian but please choose meat that is organic, free range, grass fed for the sake of the animal and to avoid feeding unnecessary antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals to your baby.

If you eat these items on a regular basis then not only will you have no problem meeting your protein requirement but you will also be getting a slew of other vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that are crucial for proper fetal development.

2. Take a food based prenatal supplement, green superfood or both.

3. Take coral calcium with magnesium and take epsom salt baths for extra magnesium absorption

4. Drink tons of filtered water and do not limit your salt intake. Never use table salt whether you are pregnant or not. Always use sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt.

Even if you do everything right nutritionally, it is still very important to monitor your blood pressure and urine protein whether you are doing your own prenatal care or you are under the care of a midwife. If your levels or readings become elevated, it is important for you to remain vigilant as preeclampsia can quickly develop into a very dangerous, life threatening condition.

Buy the Book: Pre-eclampsia, Etiology and Clinical Practice
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