Nutrional tips my OB never told me

[Mama2ABCD]

i had an ob for my first 2 preg, and then for the 3rd i switched to a midwife (also went to an OB for concurrent care, just in case though he didn't know i was planning a hb). Nutrition was never an issue with these OB's. They gave you your prenatals and that was it. I knew the basics, but it wasn't until i had a midwife that she really supplemented my basics! And pregnancy is mainly about nutrition. I knew water was important, but i never had an OB tell me how important it was for preventing early labor, while my midwife tested for dehydration at every prenatal. Her pee sticks tested for that, and the OB's did not.

So i thought we could start a thread to pass along important nutrition tips that maybe other mom's might not know or get to here from their healthcare provider. And this would include herbal rememedies.

[Mama2ABCD]

eat two eggs every day is what my mw strongly recommended. I think i accomplished most of that in my last preg. I grew up at a time when all i heard was how bad eggs was for your cholesterol. I feared eggs. I started eating them again when i met my dh, but it wasn't until i the mw's recommendation that i felt comfortable with eggs again.
fast forward to 8 mos after preg, i heard on the evening news that eggs were so important to unborn baby's, that they were trying to figure out how to add those nutrients to prenatal vitamins. :thumb

the nutrient is Choline.

i googled and this was the best article about eggs (i still couldn't find anything about adding it to prenatals) link http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/full/19/suppl_5/495S

[lotus.blossom]

Oh goodie! I love eggs. In fact I made a quiche last night :)

Heres a question: My mom, who is very up on nutrition told me I should be taking fish oil supplements. The pure norwegion fish oil. I've been trying to do some research to see if this is safe and haven't come up with a whole lot. Anyone know?

[luckymama]

oh dear, i hate eggs. and usually i can at least cook them for dh & ds, but not when i'm preggers!

lotus.blossom - re: fish oil - i'm taking nordic naturals ultimate omega, and i have been since a couple of months before i got pregnant. m/w & herbalist said "no problem." i'll probably add more flax or epo in a few weeks (when my digestive system stabilizes a bit). the only oil i've heard to stay away from during pg & bf-ing is borage oil ... i have heard conflicting info on its safety, but i'm staying away from it at least until i understand better.

i'll add things to this thread as i think of them, but i did learn (from my acupuncturist, i think?) that additional vitamin C helps with the pregnancy runny nose/congestion and also with constipation, and my m/w says it can't hurt. so i'm up 500-1000 mg/day of C, and it definitely helps!

[HaveWool~Will Felt]

Eat large amounts of protein daily. Like 30-40 three times a day.
For those that have morning sickness or all day sickness....eating large amounts of protein will help ALOT....

Green Veggies....eat at least 2-3 servings a day.

[fenwickmama]

anyone else taking b6 to help with the woozy stomach?

[luckymama]

anyone else taking b6 to help with the woozy stomach?
i've been looking at the b6 lozenges for morning sickness - haven't tried them yet, though ... but i was wondering ...

they also say that sugar is good for morning sickness? can anyone confirm this? know why? (or why not?) it seems weird to me, but i'm willing to try it ...

[paisley]

lotus.blossom - re: fish oil - i'm taking nordic naturals ultimate omega, and i have been since a couple of months before i got pregnant.


:yeah: The ones my ND has me on are ProDHA by Nordic Naturals. They are supposed to be free of heavy meatals, PCBs and dioxins. And they're strawberry flavored so when you burp it doesn't taste fishy. :) I'm stoked to have found such a great fish oil supplement because I plan to avoid fish entirely while pregnant due to the mercury issue.

www.nordicnaturals.com

[paisley]

they also say that sugar is good for morning sickness? can anyone confirm this? know why? (or why not?) it seems weird to me, but i'm willing to try it ...

I would guess yes because I think one major reason for the sick feeling is being over hungry. So if you get something fast-acting into your system to give your blood sugar a lift, it should/might make the nausea go away. I don't think it needs to be sugar necessarily, just something that breaks down into sugar quickly like crackers, bread, etc.

[~pi]

Heres a question: My mom, who is very up on nutrition told me I should be taking fish oil supplements. The pure norwegion fish oil. I've been trying to do some research to see if this is safe and haven't come up with a whole lot. Anyone know?

Fish oil is always safe as long as you take good quality oil (free of heavy metals, etc.) And it's super healthy, especially if you aren't getting enough Omega 3 in your diet (which I find hard to do since most Omega 3-rich foods are $$$.)

Fish oils are good for, uh, anyone with a heart. :lol And I think they help with embryonic brain development, too, but that may have been just a preliminary study result, not a hard finding.

[midwestmom]

they also say that sugar is good for morning sickness? can anyone confirm this? know why? (or why not?) it seems weird to me, but i'm willing to try it ...

I am in the midst of more morning sickness than I had with my first 2 pregnancies and sugar makes me feel worse...protein is vital to me being able to funtion along with adequate hydration...water.I may try the extra b vitamin as well. Anything to help me through this!

What things do you avoid the most? many fish, soft cheeses, sugar and sugar substitutes, caffeine, alcohol come to mind....what else?

[Mama2ABCD]

i know that the last i read on morning sickness was that it was the body's way of protecting the fetus from toxins in certain foods. the more morning sickness the better the fetus has of surviving. i guess the big debate is should you try to stop it. this would be doc that give medicene to stop it. this wouldn't be like eating extra gingersnaps to help relieve it.
and this is morning sickness to the point of severe dehyration (hypermesis), then you would probably want medical intervention.

water can be tricky. i know i can't drink it in the morning without vomiting. i try to drink water after meals, and then drink heavily during afternoon and evening when i can keep it down. even drinking during the night so i won't be dehydrated when i wake up in the morning. i also heat it up and sip it. that helps in the morning.

[Mama2ABCD]

my midwife has this listed in her notebook she hands on to patients. if you are craving sugar, it's because you need more protein.

[midwestmom]

yeah, feeling like total crap does give me alittle comfort that all is well with the little bean! I don't take any meds or anything for m/s either....I would if I couldn't hold fluids down, but otherwise, I trust my bod to do the right thing and I just try to treat it right....lots of sleep, water, protein, veggies, ginger stuff......

[Mama2ABCD]

i've got left over pregnancy tea from last preg. i've been drinking it to make sure i don't drink coffee (i love my hot drinks).
I bought in bulk red raspberry leaf, oatstraw, nettle leaf, and alfalfa leaf and mixed it up myself. i enjoy drinking it and i add honey to mine.

I also stopped by the health food store and bought my giant bottle of Alfalfa tablets. And this month that brand is half off! :D I start out with one tablet 3x per day and work up to 2 tablets 3x/day, then 3 tablets 3x perday.
Midwife would have me take these and the tea instead of a prenatal.
Since i don't see her until the 1st tri is over, i'm getting a jump start.

[ma_Donna]

Re: Fish
May I recommend wild Alaskan salmon. If you can get it, don't shy away from it.
I live in AK and we are fortunate enough to be able to catch it ourselves.

I'm going to try to eat it pretty frequently right now (had some last night) b/c I certainly didn't feel like eating fish for quite a bit of my pg with Noah.

As far as nutrition goes, definitely more brown rice & flax than last time around. More probiotics and if I can manage, the Nordic Naturals arctic cod liver oil (peach) hmm, just had a serving and that's not going to happen once the m/s kicks in.

We're definitely eating better now than (almost) 3 years ago when I was pg with Noah.

I'm looking forward to being pg with all of you!

[Mama2ABCD]

Wild Alaskan salmon that you catch yourselves, Donna how wonderful...i'm envious (and getting hungry)

[luckymama]

if you are craving sugar, it's because you need more protein.
personally, i am not craving sugar ... my question stemmed from reading this statement this morning: "B-natal™ is a soothing therapy in the form of a sour apple flavored lozenge containing vitamin B6 and sugar, ingredients found to soothe morning sickness." i found it odd to list sugar to "soothe" m/s. so i was wondering ...

i think it's fascinating what our bodies tell us and why ... morning sickness to protect our babies during crucial development ... i know i get strong dietary cravings (when not pg) as i approach anemic, when i'm getting a cold, etc., and during my last pregnancy, i know that my cravings and aversions came and went, but i don't always know the reasons why - but i figure there must be reasons. anyway, :blah - i ramble on - i just think it's fascinating, and something i want to pay more attention to this time around.

[NYCVeg]

Just dropping in from another due date club to say that choline is found in foods other than eggs--peanut butter, wheat germ, and cauliflower are all good sources, for instance. Beef liver is actually far higher in choline than eggs (I'm veggie, but if you happen to eat beef liver...). An Internet search can help you find other foods as well.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

it's so funny someone just started this thread, i just posted some stuff about this on th weekly thread.

i like two main resources for nutrition- www.blueribbonbaby.org and believe it or not What to Eat When You're Expecting. The other books in that series are practically worthless, but this one is actually pretty good. According to Dr. Brewer at blueribbonbaby.org, you need 75-100 grams of protein a day. This actually makes sense when you think about it because proteins are the building blocks of life and that's what you are doing.... building life. He also says two eggs a day. Good protein and vitamin C intake will help you to develop a very strong bag of waters that is unlikely to rupture before the onset of labor.

i'll post my herbal recommendations later- DD is awake

[lotus.blossom]

Thanks for the fish oil advice!
I printed out that blueribbonbaby page.....
Before I found out I was pregnant I was on a self induced starvation diet due to some personal problems and I lost 10 lbs in a week. (just call it the heartbreak diet) and since finding out about little bean I've been eating more, but apparently not the right stuff. Its time to get back to where I was a few months ago. Organic dairy, produce, and meats and no prepackaged filler food! :thumb

[nostrow]

I hope you don't mind but I'm subscribing from another due date club 'cause I think this is a great thread! Thanks.

Nikki

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

for herbal guidance i love two books in particular- The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Jill Romm and Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed.

i can't take pills of any kind when i'm pregnant b/c my gag reflex is seriously heightened, so i drink the nourishment tea brew in Aviva's book b/c it has everything i need nutritionally. i can dig the info out and post it here if anyone is interested.

red raspberry leaf, nettle and alfalfa are my favorites for pregnancy. RRl is a uterine tonic, nettle is a nutritional tonic, and alfalfa contains every vitamin know to man and also help grow strong membranes.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

and if you have any problems with iron anemia, a syrup of blackstrap molassas and yellow dock root will fix you right up!

[Yin Yang]

This is great thread!!!

I wanted to ask/suggest Organic Virgin Coconut Oil as well. That should be healthy during pregnancy, right?

And also - how about calcium? Can you overdose? I am going to buy Coral Calcium, because I had VERY BAD crams during the labor especially during pushing and it totally destroyed the postpartum because I was so exhausted and weak I could not even hold my own baby :(

So I will be stocking up on calcium and magnesium. It really helps with restless legs syndrom as well, which I had al the time with the first one.

Also wanted to suggest this for morning sickness combination remedy:
http://www.hmedicine.com/shopping/product/1066/b_king%20bio
I have it sitting here, waiting to be used as soon as it hits! :LOL
I also wanted to disagree a little with however said it about the morning sickness that when you sick it's protecting the baby from toxins. I have a homeopathy book that says that morning sickness is fine, but it sohlud NOT be severe! nor too long. It's NOT normal. And you can try preventing it. Homeopathy works really well in it. It may not chase it totally away, but it keeps you better so you can get through the day easier.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

i keep thinking of stuff!! :wink

a great morning sickness remedy is miso soup- just dissolve as much or as little miso as you want in hot water and sip!

both nettle and red raspberry leaf have calcium in high and very absorbable amounts too. the problem with a lot of pill supplements is that they are in such high doses, but your body can only absorb a fraction of the total amount.

another note about iron-- if you need iron, eat iron rich foods with high vitamin C food to help your body absorb more of it. avoid takeing in iron rich foods with calcium rich foods as calcium can block iron absorbtion.
(you could drive yourself batty with this!)

one of the midwives we've interviewed so far also recommended taking probiotics regularly during pregnancy to prevent group beta strep colonization.

[Mama2ABCD]

I am going to buy Coral Calcium, because I had VERY BAD crams during the labor especially during pushing and it totally destroyed the postpartum because I was so exhausted and weak I could not even hold my own baby my midwife had me start taking calcium/mg every few hours while in labor.

[Yin Yang]

I'll be talking to my new midwife about my past experience so I'll see what she has to say. I think I'll be doing the same thing during labor.

[sewaneecook]

Original from: luckymama
i'll probably add more flax or epo in a few weeks (when my digestive system stabilizes a bit).

Stay away from EPO while PG. It can cause uterine contractions and early labor. It's great while TTC (helps get the uterus in shape), but it is supposed to be stopped once ovulation has occured. Flax is GREAT though!

[luckymama]

Stay away from EPO while PG. It can cause uterine contractions and early labor. It's great while TTC (helps get the uterus in shape), but it is supposed to be stopped once ovulation has occured. Flax is GREAT though!
i've gotten conflicting information & advice about EPO during pregnancy. i'm continuing to read, and i'm going to talk to my midwife about it. i did stop EPO between ovulation & bfp, though.

[Birth Junky]

My midwife told me not to take EPO during pregnancy, but to start taking it at 37 weeks (standard advice in their practice). It can soften the cervix (haven't heard anything about causing contractions), so is not recommended until the end.

[Sandrine]

:lurk: Great information.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

there has actually been one study done on EPO and pregnancy. only one mind you. in the study, women took EPO from 37 weeks on and were divided into two groups- those that took it orally and those that took it vaginally. the only conclusive finding of the study was that those that took it vaginally almost never went post dates while those that took it orally seemed to consistently be post dates.

[Yin Yang]

So what is everyone taking so far?
I only bought a pregnancy tea, and I am taking Vitamin B complex, and vit. C, otherwise I don't have anything yet.
What brand of prenatal vitamins are you getting? I am a big fan of New Chapter brand as they have everything organic and it's suppose to be the best brand on the market.
Also wanted to give you tip for a great website where you can buy most brand vitamins and supplements for 40% + more off. For example New Chappter prenatal cost at Whole Foods $49.99 (and that is on sale right now) and vitacost.com has it for $31!!! It's great website!!
www.vitacost.com

[fareal]

Thank you for the link to http://www.blueribbonbaby.org

This seems like a good one to print and put on your fridge..
http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/ifyouarepregnant/4-goodnutrition.shtml

[Heather_in_LasVega]

Love the Blue Ribbon Baby Pages - thanks for the link!

I have a question however - There is no way I can ingest 4 cups of dairy a day, I am allergic. The same goes for the 2 eggs a day - no way that is going to happen. I can do 1/2 of dairy without ill effects, and 1-2 eggs 2x a week.

Can I use another protein (say soy) and a decent calcium supplement?

Thanks!

[PancakeGoddess]

Sorry if this was covered - how can we be sure the fish oil we're taking is high quality? I'd probably look at Trader Joe's but if there's a specific brand... anyone?

[lotus.blossom]

I take Spectrum brand. My mom did the research for me so I don't know much about it but I trust her! And its not too expensive.

[ksjhwkr]

I never went to an ob, but my first midwife (cnm) was so medicalized, she could have been an ob. She told me NOTHING about nutrition. I learned it all from my Bradley teacher :rolleyes
But, one thing that she really emphasized was Wheat Germ on everything. It is packed with folic acid and vitamin E. I put it in my smoothies, on ice cream, into cereal, just on everything!!!
My second midwife (homebirth!!) told me lots of protien. Which I already knew, but never really followed. I gained 20 lbs in 2 weeks when I was pg with Emma. I was so swollen, my fingers looked like sausages! With Seth, I had LOTS of protien, and could still wear my wedding ring at 37 weeks!!! So, I found that the protien really helped with the swelling. Now if only I could I stomach protien, I am sure that it would help. :nut

[luckymama]

Sorry if this was covered - how can we be sure the fish oil we're taking is high quality? I'd probably look at Trader Joe's but if there's a specific brand... anyone?
www.nordicnaturals.com - i take "ultimate omega," and i get them at whole foods.

All Nordic Naturals products are doctor recommended, pharmaceutical grade, molecularly distilled, and third party tested to document the absence of all environmental pollutants (No PCBs, dioxins, pesticides or heavy metals).