Better nutrition = longer gestation?

[Full Heart]

So the thread on better nutrition = bigger babies got me thinking. Perhaps we are seeing longer gestations now, which would lead to bigger babies and more inductions because of better nutrition? Is there any truth to that theory? I read this older maternity book (from the 40's I think) and it said that only 10% of pregnancies go past their due date. It seems like a lot more than that these days. And would that explain the natural induction techinque of fasting to bring on labor? Maybe where we got the notion that placentas fail after a certain date is because of that poor nutrition and the thought has perpetuated even though nutrition has improved? Just seems like an epidemic these days of big babies going late

[Persephone]

My midwife told me that she thought I would go into Feb even though my due date was Jan 19, because my diet was so good. I do think better nutrition= longer gestation= bigger, HEALTHIER babies!

(Of course, I ended up being induced for pre-e, and according to my midwife, it was because of my crappy diet.

[Patchfire]

Hmmm. It's an interesting theory. Personally, I think I ate better during pregnancy #1, but she came at 39w4d, and then pregnancy #2, he came at 40w2d! Then again, I'm not sure that difference is statistically significant.

It does seem that if a baby truly wasn't getting adequate nutrition, s/he would be born 'early' in order to ensure better nutrition...

It's too bad we don't have statistics on length of pregnancy from other eras, cultures, etc.

[Oana]

For whatever it's worth I remember reading that increasing protein intake strengthens the amniotic membrane, so we can expect fewer water breaking type of labor onsets, I guess...

Good question.

Oana

[BelgianSheepDog]

Vitamin C also strengthens the amniotic sac.

[jenmamahen]

It does make sense that there could be a correlation. I'm also a firm believer in the fact that every woman's body follows its own time table when it comes to labor and birth. My mom had all 3 of us a week or more beyond our due dates, and so far both my births have been almost 2 weeks past due. There's a wide variety of normal gestational periods, docs just can't seem to get beyond the "magical" 40 week mark.

[Llyra]

It sounds reasonable. I know that right now I'm hearing from everyone that the best way to get my twins to stay put until past term,and thus be big and healthy and stay out of the NICU, is to eat an extremely good diet, high in protein and with enough calories. It stands to reason that it applies to singletons, too.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by Oana

For whatever it's worth I remember reading that increasing protein intake strengthens the amniotic membrane, so we can expect fewer water breaking type of labor onsets, I guess...

Good question.

Oana

That makes me feel guilty. I am a veggie and my water broke at 38 weeks. (38 weeks according to my period, 35 weeks according to ultrasound) I wonder if I wasn't getting enough protein. I know I didn't always eat the greatest, since I had nausea issues, and was still overcoming an eating disorder at the beginning of my pregnancy.

[bobandjess99]

I totsally believe this!!!

PRactically everyone that i know who does a Bradley class/brewer diet/uses a GOOD midwife for a homebirth or even hosp, tends to go "overdue" and have a "large baby" I think that of course better nutrition leads to a healthier, bigger, hardier baby.


And yes, i have noticed that regardless of how GREAT their diet might be, i tend to hear about veggies having less awesome outcomes..i really do think that during pregnancy, you need MORE protein than one can generally get out of a veggie diet.....WEll, actually, i think that vegetarianism is not good for people period, in terms of the health "benefits"..we personally are more Weston Price people (i.e. LOTS of meat and animnal products)....but that is of course my opinion.....

[midwifetx]

Nutrition affects everything, why wouldn't it affect gestation?

[Full Heart]

Well at least now when people bug me about going 2+ weeks past my edd I can tell them I am just feeding the baby so well he/she doesn't want to come out

[Godiva]

My diet musta been fantastic my dd went to 45 weeks.

[kerikadi]

This also makes a great deal of sense to me.
With my first two I was your average 23-25 year old Mama that was seeing an OB and being a good little sheople I was told I could eat whatever I wanted - there was NO emphasis on protein or limiting sugar, my babies were born at 38 and 37 weeks.

Fast forward to my age of enlightenment When I was 32+ years old and seeing a MW that strongly suggested a higher protein diet with low/no sugar. Both of those babies went to 40+ weeks. I ate more protein and had a much better diet in general.

Keri

[TinyFrog]

That makes a lot of sense and it definately something to keep in mind. I have heard the bit about Vit-C strengthening the amniotic sac though.

[nonconformnmom]

GooeyRN wrote:
That makes me feel guilty. I am a veggie and my water broke at 38 weeks. (38 weeks according to my period, 35 weeks according to ultrasound) I wonder if I wasn't getting enough protein.

Don't feel guilty! I'm a vegetarian and all 3 of my pregnancies went over. 5 days with the first one (actually, I wasn't veggie then, in fact, I didn't eat all that healthfully at that time); 12 days past due with the second one 15 years later (I had been vegetarian for 3 years by that time and ate quite healthfully at that time in my life and continue to do so); and 11 days past due with my third. I did the Bradley method and it does emphasize increased consumption of protein in the first trimester and I focused on that, not sure if it makes a difference.

It does make sense to me. I think there are a lot of factors, not just one; certainly our individual bodies is the primary variable.

[GooeyRN]

Originally Posted by nonconformnmom

Don't feel guilty! I'm a vegetarian and all 3 of my pregnancies went over. 5 days with the first one (actually, I wasn't veggie then, in fact, I didn't eat all that healthfully at that time); 12 days past due with the second one 15 years later (I had been vegetarian for 3 years by that time and ate quite healthfully at that time in my life and continue to do so); and 11 days past due with my third. I did the Bradley method and it does emphasize increased consumption of protein in the first trimester and I focused on that, not sure if it makes a difference.

It does make sense to me. I think there are a lot of factors, not just one; certainly our individual bodies is the primary variable.

You are right. I probably wasn't JUST my nutrition. I was working Night shift (that really messes with your body, believe me!) AND doing heavy lifting at work. (I am a nurse) I rarely slept more than 4 hours a day, and it was broken sleep. (insomnia) I guess if you add it all up, I am very lucky that my dd is so healthy now! She has never been sick.

[Phoebe]

Hmmmmmmm....:

[LionTigerBear]

Okay, a few thoughts here:

Maybe the true gestation period of a human isn't 38 weeks after conception, but closer to 40 weeks after conception (42 weeks pregnant the way we figure it.) Maybe better nutrition is why more women are now getting closer to our true gestational blueprints.

One other point: While it is true that the average healthy first time mom will go into labor 10 days past her due date (if left to her own devices), I have to add that premature births are on the rise as well. So not everyone is eating better.

And lastly: the idea that eating better will make your baby stay in past when it is really due, or make it TOO big, is ridiculous. That's like saying that since exercise can help people lose weight, skinny people shouldn't exercise because they would become underweight. Healthy habits lead to healthy outcomes, plain and simple.

[boscopup]

Originally Posted by GooeyRN

That makes me feel guilty. I am a veggie and my water broke at 38 weeks. (38 weeks according to my period, 35 weeks according to ultrasound) I wonder if I wasn't getting enough protein.

Don't feel guilty! I'm a big meat eater, and I was eating at least 100g of protein/day last pregnancy (my midwife had me bring in a diet sheet and she gave recommendations along the lines of the Brewer diet). My water broke at 29 weeks! Now this time around, I am supplementing with Vit. C, as I believe that a deficiency may have come into play. My diet is not real high in Vit. C (I'm a horribly picky eater, but I do my best, given the limited foods I like).

On the Vit. C thing... There have actually been studies that showed Vit. C supplementation reduced the incidence of PPROM/PROM. So that is not just an anecdotal recommendation. If you search for PROM on gentlebirth.org, I think you'll find the Vit. C studies linked there.

So far, I'm 29w1d and my BOW is still intact... Crossing fingers that I'll go alot longer!!! I don't care if I have PROM once full term. If baby is ready to come out then, great! I see no problem with a baby coming ON ITS OWN at 38 weeks. I just don't want another NICU stay... or a hospital delivery! Some women cook their babies fast and some cook their babies slow. And I think if you tend to grow bigger babies, they might cook faster too? Mine was big for his gestation, and he did really well for a 29 weeker. He was home at 33w3d gestation, 100% breastfed and totally healthy. So if I have a baby at 38 weeks and they're big and healthy, I don't think there's anything wrong with my diet... it's just when my baby is ready to come out!

[Persephone]

There is no need to feel guilty! Like pps have mentioned, there is no exact gestational age for everyone! We all grow babies at different rates according to many factors, including genetics, and "term" for you and your baby might be 38 weeks, and for someone else (not me, heheh!) it might be 46 weeks.