Twenty pounds? Thirty pounds? Fourty pounds? More? Everyone has their own opinion on how much is the right amount for a woman to gain during pregnancy, and I would bet that most women are mostly concerned with how quickly they’ll lose that weight following birth. But how much is the right amount of weight to gain? How much is too much?

While I’m sitting here at the keyboard eating my chocolate chip cookies for dessert, I’m reviewing information I collected on the relationship of weight to pregnancy and coming to this conclusion: There is no magic number of pounds. The important thing is what you are eating.

The average woman supposedly gains 25lbs during pregnancy, but as much as 45lbs is not too much for a healthy woman. In fact, many midwives recommend their clients gain 40lbs -  One pound per week of pregnancy. The more a healthy woman gains, the more her baby gains (although I did find one study suggesting that babies max out at a certain weight, as determined by genes, prior to birth), and the following newborn problems are correspondingly less likely:

• Stillbirth and early infant death
• Small head circumference
• Mental retardation
• Cerebral palsy
• Learning problems
• Visual and hearing defects
• Poor growth and development

Of course, nutrition is equally important as the weight gain itself. After all, weight gained from empy calories will do little for the health of the baby and will only put mom and baby at risk of complications from health problems like gestational diabetes, in which the baby gains weight but is more fragile than a healthy baby.

In fact, some professionals suggest that attention should be taken away from how much a woman is gaining and instead focused on the amount and quality of the foods she is eating. At least one study showed that routine weighing of women at prenatal visits with a normal weight at their initial exam had little benefit and only generated anxiety in the women studied (Dawes & Grudzinskas, 1991). They suggest that diet, activity and stress levels should be discussed at prenatals, not weight, unless it becomes obvious that the mother is not gaining at all or she is gaining weight too rapidly after a period of no weight gain (unless of course that sudden weight gain was caused by a change to a healthier diet).

If a pregnant woman is gaining weight from an adequate amount of wholesome foods, she will gain the amount of weight that is appropriate for her and her baby(ies). So what should she be eating? A basic diet for a healthy pregnancy includes:

• 1 qt of milk or substitute daily
• 2 eggs or substitute daily
• 2 other servings of protein-rich foods daily
• 2 servings green veggies daily
• 5 servings grain products daily
• 3 pats of butter daily
• 1 iron rich food weekly (for omniovores, others will probably need more)
• 5 yellow or orange veggies weekly
• 3 baked potatoes weekly

This is of course not meant to be a complete resource on what to eat during pregnancy, but rather an encouragement to my fellow prego ladies to try not to get stressed out about your weight gain. We can worry about dieting later!

For more information please see Holistic Midwifery Volume 1 by Anne Frye and The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy by Shonda Parker.

Okay, so this post has nothing to do with pregnancy, other than the rather enlarged belly of mine which you see in the pictures, but I got such a kick out of looking at these pictures that I just had to share them.

We have had a yearly tradition of having our picture taken on Thanksgiving, just in time to have them printed for Christmas letters and gifts. Last year was easy because Daphney was sleeping in my lap and we only had one child who needed motivation to perform for the camara. This year I had my growing belly to adapt to, and two tired toddlers. Yeah.

Attempt #1 – Bad lighting, Daphney is crossing her eyes, I look fatter than usual, and Nemo, well, you get the idea.

Attempt #2 Better, but lacking smiles all around. I think Daphney was copying Grammy who was trying to make her smile. Nemo is still not very impressed by the whole idea of picture taking.

Attempt #3 Much better! But now Daphney is ready to be done.

Attempt #4 “I’m outa here!”

Attempt #5 “Is it bedtime yet?” Little Girl asks.

Attempt #6 Hmm, finger up one nostril… looking up the other… I think this one is a no-go, don’t you?

All things considered we decided to go with picture #3. Still not really suitable for a family portrait, but better than showing the family how well our daughter can pick her nose or how Nemo can make a fish face.

Ah, the joys of parenthood!

• Nuts and seeds (especially sunflower and pumpkin seeds), yellow and dark green fruits and veggies (especially green peppers, broccoli, and other leafy greens), nutritional yeast, lean meats, organ meats, poultry, fish, milk, rice bran, citris fruits (and the white inner peel), tomatoes, buckwheat, wheat germ, sweet potatoes, molasses, legumes (especially soybeans), raisins, mushrooms, and eggs.

Avoiding certain substances can help with the absorption of nutrients, as some things we ingest can prevent our body’s from being able to use the good things we ingest. For example, caffeine should be avoided at mealtimes. Here are a few other things to avoid if possible:

• Alcohol, many medications (including birth control pills, antibiotics, aspirin, diuretics, and others), excess sugar, and smoking.

Certain herbs can provide moisturizing and healing effects to skin due to their emollient and vulnerary characteristics. They give elasticity to tissues and membranes and promote growth and repair both internally and topically. When applied in a natural oil base (especially olive, almond, apricot, and coconut oils which are high in vitamin E) externally they can be used just where they are needed, and are safe to use for extended periods of time, both during pregnancy and after birth. Such herbs include:

• Comfrey (Symphytum Officinale), chickweed (Stellaria Media), and violet (Viola Odorata). 

The number one product marketed to pregnant women to avoid, minimize, and treat stretch marks are hydrating creams. Lotions enhanced with vitamin E and aloe are at the top of the list. And while these lotions may help to prevent stretch marks if used liberally all the time, they are unlikely to treat stretch marks effectively.

• Cocoa Butter and other over-the-counter stretch mark creams may make your skin soft, and perhaps help to minimize the stretch marks during pregnancy, but they do not penetrate the outer layer of skin to repair the deeper tears. Thus, cocoa butter, although marketed well, is probably not the miracle treatment you are looking for.

• The most effective skin creams contain the following ingredients: elastin, collagen, emu oil, and liposomes. Creams with these ingredients may help to fade stretch marks over the course of a few weeks or months. Fortunately, they do not have to be expensive to be effective, but finding the right cream can be a trick. This article has a few tips on how to find the right brand of cream for you.

Other treatments used to treat stretch marks include laser surgery, surgical skin resection, and microdermabrasion, but these are typically expensive and access to them may be limited. It is far easier to focus on prevention. And of course, essence of time should also help to reduce our battle scars of motherhood.

Have you tried a cream, herb, or supplement that made a noticeable difference to your stretch marks? Please share!

References

Frye, Ann. “Holistic Midwifery: Vol 1″. Labrys Press: Portland, OR. (2008). p188, 212-216.

Perri, Susan. “Home Remedies for Stretch Marks”. The Birthkit, Issue 32

R, Heather. “The Low-Down on Stretch Mark Cream and Treatments: Do They Really Work?”. Spa Sentiments <http://www.spasentiments.com/Articles.asp?ID=142>

I am now 26 weeks pregnant, which means I’m nearing the third trimester, and everything is going just fine. I had another prenatal with my midwives today and it is official: I am carrying only one baby! The thought of having twins was rather exciting, but honestly I’m glad to be having only one. With two young kids already, I’m not sure what I would do with four under the age of four!

I’m healthy and feeling much better energy-wise. I started eating more red meat, nuts and seeds and I’ve noticed, over the course of a few weeks, a steady increase in both my energy level and my ability to handle normal fatigue. The funny thing is, I’ve never been one for steak, and I prefer a vegan diet, but there is something particularly appealing about eating meat that has had me salivating each weekend when Glen cooks a couple up. Nevertheless, we do plan to slowely go back to a more vegetarian diet after the baby is born when I no longer have high nutritional demands on my body.

This month I also discovered the cause of my hip getting painful at night. I thought my left hip bone was just getting really stiff at night, but after it became painful enough to affect my ability to get up to nurse my 15 month old during the night, and was starting to become an issue even during the day, I started doing some research. Thanks to a wise midwife friend who quickly picked up on my symptoms, I realized I was pulling a muscle in my left thigh that was creating a painful imbalance in my pelvic bones. Although it is still uncomfortable, I was quickly on the mend. The most difficult part is trying to break bad posture habits. So much for my recent post on how posture affects fetal positions!

It suddenly dawned on me a few days ago that all these things I’ve been telling myself I would do sometime before the baby is born are things I ought to be thinking about getting done soon! It won’t be long before we are anticipating labor any day, and if I don’t set short term goals I certainly won’t have much accomplished before baby #3 arrives! So I’ve been working on my goals for my book, Inspired Birth, and in finishing up the last two books I wanted to study before the birth. It will take a lot of work, but I’d like to have them done by the end of the year so I can focus on other things in the last few weeks… like training my new childbirth educator, getting food stocked up in the freezer, and taking the Hypnobabies home study course which I’ve borrowed from a friend.

Nemo is getting very excited about the baby and keeps making references to “when the baby comes”. He likes to show my belly (the baby) his toys, read stories and sing songs to him/her, and practice saying Atlas and Piper (the potential names we’ve picked out). He’s such a good big brother to Daphney and I know he’ll be such a big help with this sibling too. Daphney on the other hand… is too young to understand what is about to happen, and I haven’t really bothered to try and explain it. It’s just one of those things she’ll have to learn when it happens.

I’m really starting to feel pregnant now, as if I wasn’t feeling that way before! I will very soon be taking off my rings as my fluid and blood volume is obviously increasing, my belly is starting to get in the way of things, and even some of my maternity shirts aren’t fitting over my belly anymore. Oh yeah, and I’m getting the distinct feeling that heartburn is right around the corner (probably due to the meat-eating I’ve been doing). But all in all I’m feeling very well and dreaming about a newborn curled up on my shoulder. Gotta love mommyhood!

25 Weeks

Note to reader: I am not a medical care provider. If you are pregnant and find yourself with a fever over 101 degrees or believe you are fighting something more than a seasonal cold, call your midwife or doctor, but also do your own research and take responsibility for your health.

It’s that time of year, when the changing of seasons bring more frequent challenges to our immune systems. This year, with the H1N1 flu a concern, people seem to be taking their kids to the doctors more quickly when they believe something is “not right”.

A common bacterial infection during the winter months is streptococci, an inflammatory infection of the throat. Common symptoms include: a sore throat that is red with white patches, a fever over 102 degrees, fatigue, headache, stomach ache and/or nausea. Antibiotics can be taken to treat the infection, but as Shonda Parker (author of The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy) reports, “Studies have shown that antibiotics taken within the first 48 hours of a strep infection actually increase the risk of a recurrent infection”. New studies also show that taking antibiotics while pregnant may increase the risk of birth defects, but leaving a fever over 101 untreated during pregnancy can also be damaging to the baby. So if you are pregnant and find yourself fighting a strep infection what should you do?

A couple weeks ago, my 14 month old daughter came down with a bordline high fever which she had, with no other symptoms, for three days. It did respond quickly to baby Tylenol, so I was not too concerned, but we never did figure out exactly what caused it. She was very tired, not too interested in eating, although she was otherwise in a cheerful mood. A couple days after the fever broke, she started exibiting signs of a common cold, but looking back in it I’m beginning to wonder if she had a mild strep infection. She had a sore throat, raspy cough, runny nose, didn’t sleep well, etc. and wanted me to hold her all the time. Around the same time I developed a mildly sore throat along with my son (who had a low fever for a day), and discovered that both he and I had the white patches in our throats. We healed quickly on our own though I never sought help from a doctor. I do have a lot of faith in our immune systems to take care of our bodies if we treat them well.

My husband cuddling with Daphney while she rested during her fever

Sometimes, however, our bodies have difficulty recovering from infection, and we should always do our part in supporting our immune systems so they can do their job effectively and quickly. For Daphney, I treated her by making sure she nursed and drank lots of water, ate citrus foods, and got plenty of rest. She recovered fully in a week or so. A pregnant women, however, requires a little more precaution as the developing baby is weaker and more susceptible to consequences of illness than an older child.

Allowing the immune system to conquer the bacterial infection on it’s own is good for your body, but it is important that you do not allow yourself to have a high fever while pregnant. Thus your best bet is, if you can, to avoid getting antibiotics at least until your body has had the opportunity of a couple days to fight the infection, and work on keeping the fever below 101.

Natural remedies and treatments for strep infection, fever, and strengthening your immune system include (but are not limited to):

1. Increase your water intake
2. Stay home and rest as long as you have a fever
3. Eat garlic and onions, or take garlic supplements
4. Eat lots of citris foods. Eating fruits and veggies instead of meat and grains will allow your body to focus its energy on fighting the infection instead of digesting food. Plus fruits and veggies are highest in vitamins and minerals that your body could use right now.
5. Licorice root, fenugreek, cinnamon & ginger, or sage tea
6. Hot liquids
7. Blackberries
8. Zinc, echinacea, astragalus, and vitamin c supplements
9. Lukewarm baths may lower a high temperature, along with cold wash cloths applied to the forehead

For excellent advise on treating common illnesses naturally, PLEASE invest in these two books: The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy, and Mommy Diagnostics, both by Shonda Parker.

In some of my childbirth classes and prenatal visits with my doula clients, we do a little birth art. Expressing your thoughts and feelings through art is useful in several ways, one of which is to learn more about yourself and how you can become the kind of person you want to be.

It is easy, when pregnant, to consume oneself with thoughts about “D-Day” and save thoughts about parenting for later. Yet it is important for you to think about what will happen when you take your new baby home from the hospital or your midwife leaves your house.

One of the topics I give for birth art subject matter is: how do you see yourself as a mother, and what kind of mom do you want to be? Provided that you love your child(ren), I don’t believe there is a wrong answer. All mothers are different, unique, and special, but I would be willing to bet that you have an image in your mind of what makes a good mom.

Keep that image in your mind and then take the next step: what do you see in yourself that will make you a good mom? What characteristics, skills, experiences, and values do you have that will bring you closer to your image of a good mom? I suggest you take some time to think about this one. It is easy to place high esteem on others and only see the faults in ourselves, but we need to see the value in ourselves so that we will be healthy as individuals and be able to utilize those characteristics as we train, lead, and love our little ones.

The third step is to learn from your image. What areas do you need to grow in as a woman, and as a mother? Some things we can only learn and grow in over time, as we meet challenges and reach goals, but to be aware of these weaknesses and want to grow through them, before our children are born, and ideally before they are conceived, will help to keep your goals in mind. This is very similar to labor: remembering that you are having a baby will help you over the physical, mental, and emotional hurdles common to birth.

I am certainly not one to be speaking from years of experience. My oldest child is but three years old. But even now I can tell you that having that image of who I want to be in my mind has helped me to grow closer to my goal. And with that in my heart, I will rise to every new stage of parenthood.

I just found out about a new documentary coming out which will highlight the dangers of widespread formula feeding, as evidence has shown in the United States. I look forward to watching it when it is released, but I’m not sure of the date yet. Here is the documentary’s website.

About eight years ago I discovered who I was. Little did I realize how long it can take to become who you are. Truth be told, i never intended to become a doula, as admirable a cause as that may be. No, I got hooked on home birth and midwifery, and they have had my heart ever since.

I planned to become an apprentice or student right away, but try as I might, it just wasn’t meant to be. I worried for a while that I would never become a midwife, but confirmation through a group prayer meeting assured me otherwise, that I just needed to be patient and wait.

Waiting is, of course, the last thing you want to do when all you want to do is jump in, which is where my doula career began. And for seven years now I have been attending births in hospitals and women’s homes, primarily in a support role.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love helping pregnant women any way I can, but I know in my very being that midwifery is where I belong. So, for the past several years I have also been studying every midwifery textbook I have the spare cash to buy, and building up my store of tools and supplies for whenever that day comes.

As a mother of young children my time is best spent with them, which I feel is one of the reasons I should not be a midwife yet. As highly as I have spoken of my calling to midwifery, my children are truly my first priority, and I am prepared to continue dreaming about midwifery for several more years if need be.

I don’t usually get this personal on my blog. Actually, the reason I was inspired to write about this is because I just received another box of midwifery tools in the mail. Even this brings a smile to my face because, however many more years I have to wait, I am already a midwife at heart.

-> A mother’s story of saving her baby from a heart attack by carrying her in a wrap. A MUST READ!

Hospitals to crack down on induced labors

Medical risks of epidurals

Taye Diggs on Jimmy Kimmel talking about home birth

Why Babies Should Not Sleep Alone

Dr. Sear’s research on co-sleeping

Merck admits Gardasil protects against basically nothing

Benefits of a natural approach to the third stage of labor

Pre and Perinatal Psychology video, part one

Bishop Scores and what they mean

The Labor Market, an article by TIME

Breaking water does not speed labor

Diagnosing Tongue-Tie

An OBGYN’s thoughts on long labors

Concerned about the upcoming flu season? Debating whether or not to get your kids vaccinated? Thinking about the inevitable doctors, and possibly, ER visits? And what about your baby?

Well now it’s time to get excited because there is something cheap, easy, and safe that you can do to prevent sickness! It’s the gift of nutritional food. Replacing foods that weaken your immune system with foods that strengthen your body will go a long way to preventing you and your family from catching viruses. Plus, if you do get sick, healthy eating can lesson the effects of viruses, and eliminate them much faster than anitbiotics (without all the risks)!

Creamy Carrot Soup

I highly recommend the following three books. Any one of them will get you started on your way to a healthier family through the foods you eat:

The Naturally Healthy Pregnancy by Shonda Parker

Disease-Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy by Elizabeth Somer