Natural Approach to a Thriving Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be an incredibly exciting and yet overwhelming time. The fact is, food can have a huge impact of physical and emotional health of both Mum and Bub.

It’s said it takes two years to nutritionally recover from a pregnancy! Just take that in for a second!…So it makes sense that we focus on preconception planning and pregnancy so you don’t just survive the pregnancy and first year with your new babe, but that you THRIVE!

Food is medicine. A diet nourishes you & the foetus by supporting your body’s increased nutritional demands, which increases by an additional 500 calories per day by the third trimester & during breastfeeding.   Healthy food & holistic lifestyle choices can also reduce common side-effects of pregnancy such as nausea & constipation, heartburn, hormonal acne, fatigue, poor immunity and irregular moods.

Many common pregnancy related conditions are caused or worsened by nutritional deficiency or imbalances, some of these include fatigue, headaches, iron deficiency anemia gestational diabetes, and also birth complications, including underweight babies.

Getting the right nutrition while during the preconception stage and pregnancy is one of the best ways to give your baby a head start in life – and it can make pregnancy safer and more comfortable for you too. So let’s discuss the “Do’s and Dont’s" on Nutrition in your Pregnancy”.

And when it comes to supplements - they’re a must during pregnancy. You cannot get what you need solely from food. To take it a step further, it’s not just about taking any old pregnancy multivitamin - some of the supermarket/chemists supplements are not well absorbed or don’t have the best array of nutrients to meet your needs during each trimester. You want to work alongside a nutritionist or Naturopath, and they’ll often communicate with your obstetrician/midwife, so you get an integrative approach.

Focus on eating a wholefood diet; that is eating food as Mother Nature intended. Enjoy quick and easy, nutritious foods, including vegetables, fruits, eggs, flaxseed & olive oil, nuts, seeds, legumes, oily fish, organic meat & whole grains.

Steer away from processed, sugar-laden foods, which play havoc on blood sugar levels & energy, contribute to immune dysfunction & can deplete your body of key nutrients needed in pregnancy. A golden rule is, if your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognise it as food, don’t eat it.

Here’s a few easy and doable do’s and don’ts during pregnancy:

Do’s during your pregnancy:

• Eat a Wholefood Diet with protein included in every meal and snack (to keep you fuller for longer, stabilise blood sugar levels and support mood)

• Choose seasonal & organic foods where possible, as they contain less chemicals and hormones than conventional foods

The Environmental Working Group have two lists that divide common foods into those that are heavily sprayed with chemicals (The Dirty Dozen) and those that receive minimal toxic sprays (The Clean 15).    If you want to make the switch to buying organic foods but don’t know where to start, or you’re a bit strapped for cash then this list is for you, as you can get away with eating some conventional veggies and fruits from the supermarket.

Here’s a list of the Dirty Dozen foods, i.e., the foods most highly sprayed and therefore the ones to try to buy organic: apples, celery, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, hot peppers, nectarines, peaches, potatoes, spinach, strawberries & capsicum/ bell peppers.

• Eat small, regular meals.

  • Try to eat every few hours. Your pregnant body is a bit like a newborn it thrives on routine & consistency. Small, frequent meals are the most effective way to stabilize blood glucose levels, reduce nausea & heartburn, regulate energy levels & reduce sugar cravings.

• Include a good quality pregnancy multivitamin, that contains bioavailable vitamins, especially B vitamins like folate, which supports healthy cell division, development of the foetus & prevents neural tube defects.

  • Note: 30% of women have an MTHFR gene mutation, which means the body has an issue absorbing folate (if when you eat all the ‘right’ foods and take folate supplements), and for this reason you want a highly absorbable form of folate; it should be called an activated folate.

• Stay on top of your vitamin and mineral levels. Do a full blood test at each trimester so you know if there’s any deficiencies or imbalances and work with a naturopath to correct them

  • Best to include iron studies, B9, B12, zinc, Vitamin D, full thyroid studies and insulin levels in your regular blood test

• Include an iron supplement from the second trimester to support increased blood volume, which increases up to 50% in pregnancy.

  NB: It really is worth getting your iron levels checked pre-conception and during the first trimester to avoid iron-deficiency anaemia.

  The demand for iron begins to increase in the second trimester, when your body will require 3-4mg/day, increasing to over 6mg/day in the third trimester. Opt for an iron supplement that doesn’t cause constipation, like so many do - work with your naturopath to maintain healthy iron levels or address an iron deficiency

• Include fibre in your diet to reduce constipation, a common side effect of pregnancy. Fibre also supports bowel health, detoxification pathways and promotes healthy hormones. Include oats, quinoa, cacao, corn, green leafy vegetables, berries, beans and chia seeds.

• Increase your intake of foods naturally high in probiotics, which supports good gut bacteria and support the natural digestive juices & enzymes that keep your gastrointestinal tract healthy. Since over 70% of your immune cells live in your gut, your gut health is the seat of your immunity. These foods include sauerkraut, olives, miso soup, tempeh, kefir, kombucha & full-fat natural yoghurt.

• Eat walnuts, flaxseed oil and oily fish such as sardines & wild salmon, for their omega 3 fatty acids, which support healthy immune function, reduce inflammation, promote cardiovascular health and support the growth & development of the baby’s brain. Alternatively, opt for a good-quality fish oil supplement, with 3 grams per day of EPA and DHA.

A few things to avoid in pregnancy:

• Alcohol, as it interferes with the digestion, metabolism and excretion of nutrients and has toxic effects on foetal development.

• Undercooked and raw meat including runny egg yolk, raw meat, raw fish, raw milk, soft cheeses, etc.

• Chemicals, additives & preservatives, as they’re all toxins that cause stress on the liver and can deplete your body of key nutrient needed in pregnancy.

• Refined sugar & sweeteners. Amongst other things, refined sugar directly depletes white blood cells, which lowers your immunity & causes digestive dysfunction.

If you’d like to organise a full blood test to see if you have common pregnancy related deficiencies/imbalances and you’d like a personalised nutritional approach book in a consultation here! I’m here to help!

Wherever you are in your journey of motherhood, I wish you a healthy, vibrant and incredibly rewarding experience, with lots of laughter and love along the way.