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Choosing a Prenatal Yoga Class

February 6, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

By Deena H. Blumenfeld, RYT, RPYT, LCCE

You’ve heard from your doctor or a friend that it’s a good idea to take a prenatal yoga class when you are pregnant.  There are some things you should know before you sign up for a class.

If I’ve never taken a yoga class before, can I start with prenatal yoga?

Yes! Prenatal yoga classes are structured for women at all levels of physical fitness, and yoga experience.  Let your teacher know that this is your first class and she’ll make sure you are comfortable.

 

I’ve been practicing yoga for a long time.  Do I need a prenatal class or can I stick with my regular yoga class?

You should be able to stay in your regular yoga class for your first trimester.  Somewhere between weeks 15-20, you’ll find your practice needs to change to accommodate your changing shape and needs.  A prenatal yoga class will also introduce you to poses that will be specifically helpful to prepare you for birth and allow you to connect with other pregnant mothers.

 

What if there are no prenatal yoga classes in my area?  Can I take a regular yoga class?

If there are no prenatal yoga classes offered in the area, you should call and talk to those teaching a “regular” class.  Some instructors are not comfortable with a pregnant mother in class because they don’t know how to modify the practice to be safe for her.  Other instructors are comfortable with pregnant women in class.  Do check to see if there is a “gentle” practice available as that might be better suited than a Yoga 1.

 

Are there different styles of yoga?

There’s a wide variety of styles of yoga out there.  Most classes you will find are Hatha classes.  Don’t worry about the terminology so much. If the class description doesn’t give you enough information about the class, please contact the instructor for more information. Remember, there’s no one style fits all yoga class.  If you try it and you don’t like it, don’t give up on yoga, just try another class.

 

What about hot yoga?

Hot yoga is not appropriate when you are pregnant.  Practicing in a heated room for 90 minutes can raise your core body temperature – just like soaking in a hot tub can raise your core body temperature.  This is not healthy for you or baby.  Hot yoga is contraindicated for pregnancy.

 

How is the class offered?

Some classes are session based, so you pay for 6 or 8 weeks of a class.  Other classes are drop-in classes where you pay per class and join the class as fits your schedule.  If you are nearing the end of your pregnancy or you are worried about liking the class, or if your schedule is erratic, a drop-in class might be better suited for you.  Find out if they offer an introductory single class.  That might be a good way to test out a class and see if it’s a good fit for you.

 

Where is the class offered?  Hospital, gym or yoga studio?

Location is important.  How is the parking?  What are the amenities?  One local hospital here in Pittsburgh offers prenatal yoga, however, you are required to buy your own mat and it is hosted in an open lobby area.  A gym may offer a class periodically if there is a need, so things like mats should be provided.  Expect a gym class to have a heavier focus on the physical side of yoga.  At a yoga studio you’ll have mats provided (or be able to rent them), and you will also have a wider array of blocks, bolsters, straps and other props to make your practice more comfortable.

 

What are your instructor’s qualifications?

Not all yoga teachers are created equal.  Ask your instructor where and with whom she did her prenatal yoga teacher training.  Find out if she’s certified by any organization to teach yoga, with an additional prenatal certification.  There are a number of organizations that do certify prenatal yoga instructors.  The requirements differ in not only the number of hours of training, but also the curriculum.  There are also a number of prenatal yoga teachers who teach with out certifications.  Don’t be afraid to ask in-depth questions.  You should feel comfortable with your instructor.

 

Staying within your instructor’s scope of practice

Your Yoga instructor should always work within her scope of practice.  This means, unless she’s a medical professional too, she should not be giving medical advice.  She should refer you back to your care provider for questions that are beyond her level of expertise.

 

Using modifications to poses (postures)

Your instructor should be able to modify the yoga poses for your changing shape.  She should acknowledge your baby and make accommodations for issues that come up, such as carpal tunnel, sciatica, etc.  She should know how and when to use additional props, like blankets or blocks to make your practice more comfortable for you.

 

Meditation and breathing

Meditation and Breathing should be incorporated into any prenatal yoga class.  The extent of the incorporation will vary from class to class.  You can expect your teacher to help you learn relaxation skills as well as how to synch your movements with your breath.  Speak with your individual teacher about how much of the class will cover these aspects.

 

Social Benefits to a Prenatal Yoga Class

In class you’ll be able to connect with other pregnant mothers.  You will have a shared experience, be able to commiserate over pregnancy woes, and celebrate each other’s pregnancy joys.  This community can also help you find a new care provider, decide on which car seat to buy and help you find other local resources for pregnancy, birth and parenting.  Many moms who meet in a prenatal yoga class will also go on to become friends and share baby play dates down the road.

 

Things to note for any prenatal yoga class:

  • Consult your doctor or midwife before beginning a yoga practice.
  • Call and ask questions regarding the specific class.  See if it’s a good fit for you.
  • Eat lightly before class and bring a snack for afterwards.
  • Bring a water bottle with you to class.
  • If you have an injury or a complication with your pregnancy, you must let your yoga teacher know.  She’ll be able to modify your practice to keep you safe.  Always check with your doctor or midwife if a complication arises before continuing your yoga practice.
  • Above all, listen to your body.  Accept your limitations and work within them.  You’ll find that you can have a great class at any level.

 

Namaste!

 

Deena is a Certified Khalsa Way™ Prenatal Yoga Teacher and Lamaze® Certified Childbirth Educator. She has been practicing yoga for more than 15 years. She became a certified Yoga instructor through 3rd Street Yoga in December 2008. She completed her 60 hour Prenatal Yoga training in February 2009 in Los Angeles at Golden Bridge Yoga with Gurmukh.

Her Lamaze certification was completed in October 2010, through Magee Women’s Hospital and Lamaze International. She is an advocate of empowered birth for women. Through the teaching of Prenatal Yoga and Childbirth Education classes, she helps women become more confident in their choices regarding pregnancy, birth and parenthood. Deena has also studied yoga with Doug Keller, Max Strom, KK Ledford and Shakta Kaur Khalsa. Her ongoing professional development as a Childbirth Educator has been with Ina May Gaskin, Penny Simkin, Gail Tully of Spinning Babies and other childbirth professionals.

Deena is also a mom of two – a son, born via c-section in April 2005, and a daughter in March 2009, a VBAC. She is an active member of the local ICAN chapter and a member of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services.

Filed Under Exercise, Featured Story, Health and well-being, Pregnancy Tagged With exercise during pregnancy, prenatal yoga

Yoga and Pregnancy: Relax into the Restorative Pose!

January 4, 2012 By admin 4 Comments

By Debra Flashenberg, CD(DONA), LCCE, E-RYT 500 and Director of the Prenatal Yoga Center

The average pregnant woman is very capable of a doing a challenging asana (yoga) practice that can build confidence and stamina.  However, it is important to strike a balance by also practicing gentler, more restful poses that teach her how to soften and surrender when she needs to relax.  Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of quieter, restorative poses is that they offer the mother time to be with her baby, listen to her baby and to her own body and, if anything, the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of her inner thoughts and feelings.

Some of the other wonderful benefits of restorative poses include:

  • Helps reduce stress
  • Slows the heart rate
  • Lowers blood pressure
  • Slows the breathing rate
  • Increases blood flow to major muscles
  • Reduces muscle tension
  • Reduces hypertension
  • Renews energy
  • Helps concentration
  • Quiet time with baby!

Here are some yummy restorative poses the can be adjusted for all three trimesters.

Supta baddhakonasa (Reclined Goddess Pose)

We usually start with this restful pose at the beginning of the class.  Place two blocks on the mat, the first on the medium facet and the second on one the highest.  Place the bolster over the blocks forming a comfortable back rest which should be about a 45 degree angle.  Also, have several blankets available, one or two for knee support and two additional ones for forearm support.  Bring the soles of the feet together and then either place one blanket under each knee, or make a longer roll and wrap it around the ankles and under the shins.  It is also nice to place a trifolded blanket under the forearms to add a little extra support.

Keep in mind with these reclining poses, it is important to have the lower back well supported.  You do not want an excessive lumbar arch when reclining.  So when reclining back, make sure the lower back is snug up against the bolster.

Legs Up the Wall

This pose is particularly good if the mother is experiencing any edema in the legs or feet, suffers from varicose veins or her legs are just feeling tired.

If the mother is still comfortable with legs up the wall, place a bolster under the hips so that she is not lying flat for a prolonged period of time. The bolster should be placed so that the sitting bones are just hanging off the bolster.  This also creates a nice gentle chest opening pose.

Half Legs Up the Wall (Single Leg Drain)

This pose is an option for those that can no longer lay on the back, but still offers the wonderful benefits of having the legs elevated.  It is done with one leg up the wall while in a somewhat side lying pose and the bottom leg gently bent in the torso.

“V” Legs Up the Wall

If neither of the two previous “legs up” options work for the mother, the “V” leg up the wall pose may be a solution.  Take the same bolster/block set up as supta badhakonasana and place the bolster about 1 ½ to 2 feet away from the wall.  The distance will need to be adjusted depending on the height of the woman.  Then in a reclined position, bring the legs up the wall. This forms a “V” like shape in the body offering elevated legs and chest.  (This is a good opti

on if the mother wants to elevate her legs, but she is experiencing acid reflux and can’t have her head below her heart.)

Supported Child’s Pose

Some mothers prefer to rest in a long child’s pose if she feels a lot of pressure or discomfort in her lower back or suspects her baby is in the posterior position.  To do this pose, simply take a wide knee child’s pose and place a bolster under the head or even further down, under the under chest and head.



Tarasana with Block Under HeadIt can be very restful to allow the forehead to rest on something.  This takes pressure and strain off the neck while aiding in quieting the mind.  In this pose, the feet are further away from the groin, decreasing the bend in the knees and one or two blocks are placed in front of the feet.  An individual’s flexibility and the size of the belly will determine how to use and place the blocks.  Most women in their third trimester are not bending forward too easily, so two blocks may be needed.  Or another option is to place a bolster on top of two blocks and create a little “altar” to rest on. *Remember, moms with sacroiliac issues, place a block or rolled blanket under the knees in this pose.Eye Pillow or Head Wrap

Incorporating the use of an eye pillow or a head wrap can help relieve tension and promotes the withdrawal of the outer senses and stillness in the mind.  In yoga we refer to this as pratyahara.  By utilizing an actual object to help withdraw the senses, the eyes, which are often expressive and focused outward, are now encouraged to focus inward.  If you choose to use a headwrap, do not wrap too tightly and draw skin of forehead down, not up.

 

Hopefully, these restorative poses can allow the mother-to-be a little quiet time to rest, renew and restore her energy.

 

Photo © mahamamas.com and Janet MacFarlane, 2012 
Filed Under Exercise, Featured Story, Health and well-being, Pregnancy Tagged With prenatal yoga

Helpful Holiday Tips for Expectant Moms

December 12, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

By Sonia Alvarado, CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line Counselor

Around the world, December and into January is a time when many people celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or other holidays that include gift giving, celebrations with food, alcohol, fireworks, and other displays of joy and merriment. If you are pregnant, you may feel the need to exclude yourself from certain activities because of warnings you’ve heard about avoiding certain foods, etc., but there is no need! We’ve prepared a list of ideas to help you create an environment that is stress free, with no post-holiday regret!

First of all, when traveling by car, regardless of how rushed you feel or where you are going, always wear your seat belt and slow down. Every year, there are over 150,000 auto accidents in the United States and pregnant women, in every trimester, are involved in many of them. If you add the fact that many folks are distracted by the holiday, and drinking and driving, it makes it vital that pregnant women drive defensively, be aware of other drivers, and wear their seat belt. According to a 2009 New York Times article, up to 1,000 pregnancies are ended every year due to car accidents. The article also gives great instructions on the appropriate way for pregnant women to wear their seat belts.

Eggnog is the delicious, sweet and rich holiday beverage, also known as ponche roma or rompope in Mexico, Central America, and South America. In Puerto Rico, coconut milk and or coconut cream is substituted for the milk, making it even more decadent! Generally, eggnog is a combination of eggs, milk or crème, sugar and some alcohol, usually brandy, rum, or whiskey. When purchased at the grocery store, eggnog has pasteurized milk and eggs, which remove the risk for bacteria or other pathogens that could ruin your holiday, or worse, affect your pregnancy. It is also alcohol free, making it ideal for pregnant women.

Hanukkah celebration foods are pregnant women friendly because many of the dishes are fried, limiting the potential for any pathogen to harbor on the food and cause infection. Hanukkah foods typically include cheeses, fried potato pancakes, brisket, and chicken. Keep in mind that the cheeses and other dairy products should be pasteurized. As for meats — cook to temperature and enjoy! Here’s a quick go-to guide for the internal cooking temperature of meats:

  • Finfish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145° F
  • Cook beef, veal, and lamb roasts and steaks to at least 145° F
  • Cook ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork to at least 160° F
  • Cook ground poultry to 165° F
  • Cook pork to an internal temperature of 145° F

Fish is used in many holiday celebrations and pregnant women can certainly enjoy and be included. Typically fish that is cooked for the holidays is not raw or undercooked, as you see in the summer and spring (unless you live in tropical areas). Popular holiday fish include salmon, tuna, and cod, which are healthy choices for pregnant women, when eaten in recommended proportions. Figgy pudding is not a pudding at all — at least not in the American sense. Figgy pudding, a dessert that hails from England, was eaten as far back as the 15th century. It is made with figs or dates and traditional cake mix. Figs are very healthy, containing calcium and potassium and an excellent source of fiber.

Alcohol is part of just about every celebration, particularly at the holidays; however, for the developing embryo and fetus, there is no holiday break, and no time that the brain is immune to the damaging effects of alcohol. Give your unborn baby the best gift of all, and choose the alcohol-free alternatives.

Finally, take time during the holiday season to celebrate your pregnancy and enjoy the quiet moments (and kicks and rolls) with your growing baby!

Sonia Alvarado is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Teratogen Information Specialist with the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a statewide service that aims to educate women about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Along with answering women’s and health professionals’ questions regarding exposures during pregnancy/lactation via CTIS’ toll-free hotline and email service, she’s provided educational talks regarding pregnancy health in community clinics and high schools over the past decade. In addition, Sonia contributes to the service’s website, develops training materials for new CTIS staff, and is the supervising Teratogen Information Specialist trainer. Sonia attended San Diego State University and has worked in Tuberculosis Control for San Diego County’s Public Health Department. Sonia’s work has also been published through several tuberculosis studies. In her spare time, she loves to volunteer with the March of Dimes as an expert speaker on themes related to pregnancy.

CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line is part of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), a non-profit with affiliates across North America. California women with questions or concerns about pregnancy exposures can be directed to (800) 532-3749 or by visiting CTISPregnancy.org. Outside of California, please call OTIS counselors at (866) 626-OTIS (6847).

Filed Under Featured Story, Health and well-being, Pregnancy

Preventing Listeria During Pregnancy in Light of Recent Outbreaks

November 2, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

By Sonia Alvarado, CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line Counselor

Pregnant women who ask their doctor about food recommendations, or who call a pregnancy information service such as ours in California (www.ctispregnancy.org) are typically told to avoid unpasteurized milk products such as raw milk, unpasteurized cheese and deli meats to avoid exposure to listeria monocytogenes, a mycobacteria. Listeria infection in pregnancy can cause neonatal infection, stillbirth, miscarriage or prematurity. While we recommend that everyone wash fruits and vegetables before eating, we had not been specifically concerned about listeria contaminating fruit and possibly infecting pregnant women; until now.

At the time this is being written, there is a large investigation being conducted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), other Federal authorities, along with the support and cooperation of local health departments on an extensive listeria outbreak resulting from contaminated cantaloupes. The contaminated cantaloupes originated from aColoradoproducer, Jensen Farms, who distributed to vendors in 25 states, who then trucked the cantaloupes to stores and supermarkets. According to the CDC, at this time there are at least 72 people who have been sickened, including 13 deaths. It is expected that the number of infected people will rise since illness may not occur until 2-3 weeks after infection, and cases would still have to be reported to the appropriate authorities to be counted. The ages of infected individuals so far ranges from 35 to 96 including two pregnant women, according to media reports.

Listeria infection causes listeriosis and this disease is most dangerous to pregnant women, immunocompromised individuals, children and senior citizens. Pregnant women are reported to be 20 times more likely to get listeriosis. The symptoms of listeriosis are different in the various sensitive groups; pregnant women may experience a mild, flu-like illness, seniors may suffer septicemia: infection throughout the body, and meningitis. Pregnant women may not realize what’s happened until after they’ve suffered a pregnancy loss, one of the risks associated with listeria infection in pregnancy.

Most worrisome at this time is that we do not know how the cantaloupes were infected. Was the listeria in the soil or in the water that irrigated the cantaloupes? This critical piece of information is necessary to prevent this outbreak from occurring again.

This outbreak is yet another warning about the importance of having evidence-based and enforced regulations on food handling, production and inspection. However, since no system is perfect, we all need to take steps to reduce the chance that we’ll be infected from listeria or other bacteria and parasites.

The following are recommendations from the CDC in combination with other sources, to reduce your chance of exposure; recognizing that no recommendations are going to be 100% effective.

1. Wash your hands before handling any food (meat, fruits, vegetables, canned, prepared, not prepared, etc). Wash hands for 20 seconds with soapy, warm water.

2. Wash all homegrown produce and store-bought before eating it. You can use water, a 1% vinegar solution, soapy water or a commercial vegetable-cleaning product. Use a vegetable brush if possible.

3. Wash knives, countertops, and cutting boards after handling and preparing uncooked foods.

4. Thoroughly cook raw food from animal sources, such as beef, pork, or poultry to a safe internal temperature. What’s the appropriate temperature? From the USDA (using a food thermometer):

  • All whole cuts of meat (ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork) to 145 °F as measured with a food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat (rest time of 3 minutes before eating)
  • Ground meats, (ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork): 160 °F no rest time recommended
  • All poultry products (ground beef, veal, lamb, and pork); 160 °F no rest time recommended

5. Separate uncooked meats and poultry from vegetables

6. Separate uncooked meats from cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.

7. Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk, and do not eat foods that have unpasteurized milk in them.

8. Consume perishable and ready-to-eat foods as soon as possible.

9. Clean dishes with soap water in the hottest temperature that is safe and comfortable for you. The FDA requires restaurants clean dishes with a minimum temperature of 110 degrees F, so if you have a dishwasher, you may be able to get the water to this recommended temperature.

10. When possible, choose irradiated foods. Cleaning foods on the surface may not get to all of the bacteria. For example, cleaning lettuce with water may not get to bugs that get between nooks in the leaves. Irradiation exposes food to a source of electron beams, and destroys bacteria and parasites. Get informed about irradiated foods from the experts! http://hps.org/searchresult.cfm

11. Clean your refrigerator! You won’t get all the listeria out, but most of it and slow its growth.

12. Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees or below. This temperature slows the growth of listeria in refrigerators.

 

Sonia Alvarado is a bilingual (Spanish/English) Teratogen Information Specialist with the California Teratogen Information Service (CTIS) Pregnancy Health Information Line, a statewide service that aims to educate women about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Along with answering women’s and health professionals’ questions regarding exposures during pregnancy/lactation via CTIS’ toll-free hotline and email service, she’s provided educational talks regarding pregnancy health in community clinics and high schools over the past decade. In addition, Sonia contributes to the service’s website, develops training materials for new CTIS staff, and is the supervising Teratogen Information Specialist trainer. Sonia attended San Diego State University and has worked in Tuberculosis Control for San Diego County’s Public Health Department. Sonia’s work has also been published through several tuberculosis studies. In her spare time, she loves to volunteer with the March of Dimes as an expert speaker on themes related to pregnancy.

 

CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line is part of the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS), a non-profit with affiliates across North America. California women with questions or concerns about pregnancy exposures can be directed to (800) 532-3749 or by visiting CTISPregnancy.org. Outside of California, please call OTIS counselors at (866) 626-OTIS (6847).

 

References:

http://www.thepacker.com/fruit-vegetable-enewsletter/packer-daily/130708503.html

http://www.cdc.gov/listeria/index.html

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_18966612

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09369.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2007/0810-are_your_dishes_clean.htm

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080410153655.htm

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_052411_01/index.asp

Filed Under Featured Story, Health and well-being, Pregnancy

The Mind-Body Connection: A Powerful Force

October 24, 2011 By Liz Abbene 3 Comments

The mind-body connection — it’s something we hear a lot, but what exactly does it mean?  In short, the thoughts and emotions in one’s mind have the capability and potential to affect the physical body and its reactions, as a result of a complex system of hormones coursing throughout the body. This mind-body connection is evident throughout all aspects of life, but is especially notable as far as pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and parenting is concerned.

Right from the beginning of pregnancy, a woman’s thoughts and emotions can affect her growing baby.  When a woman is fearful, upset, or anxious, her body releases stress hormones. These hormones enter the bloodstream, traveling through the placenta, and then on to her baby. Some studies suggest that this early exposure to these stress hormones can cause a baby to be more fussy and irritable once he or she arrives.  On the contrary, mamas who spend time relaxing every day doing such activities as meditation or yoga, pass that same sense of calm and well-being to their little ones.

During labor and birth, the mind-body connection is amazingly powerful.  In order for a woman to progress in her labor, she needs to really let go, trust the process of birth, and dig deep within herself.  The logical, thinking part of her brain is pushed aside, as her primitive, instinctual part of the brain comes forward.  When she is able to do this, her body responds, and labor is often shorter and easier, requiring little to no outside intervention. If she is stressed, anxious, afraid, nervous, hungry, thirsty, scared, uncomfortable in her surroundings, or concerned with the well-being of those around her, her body will release stress hormones. These hormones impede the production of oxytocin, the hormone that causes contractions of the uterus. When the oxytocin isn’t flowing, labor will often slow or stop until she feels safe and secure in her environment. Think of a wildebeest laboring in the wild.  If a lion attacks, will she continue to labor and birth her calf? Certainly not.  She will get to safety first before bringing her little one into the world. In the birthing world of humans, we often forget our animal roots. Much of the time, this slowing of labor leads to interventions that are designed to speed up labor artificially, when what a woman really needs is to talk about her fears, eat something, or be reassured that what she is experiencing is normal.

After birth, the mind-body connection continues. When breastfeeding, a woman needs to be very relaxed. Oxytocin plays a crucial role in breastfeeding, causing the milk ejection or “let-down” reflex. Just like in birth, if a woman is stressed, her oxytocin production is diminished and she’ll have difficulty getting her milk to flow. If she is uncomfortable or anxious, not only will feeding be more difficult, but also parenting in general.  Babies pick up on positive and negative energy of their caregivers, so a calm parent will make for a calm baby, while an anxious parent will make an anxious baby.

Throughout pregnancy and beyond, take time every day to improve your mind-body connection. Relax in a warm bath, talk about your fears, meditate, practice yoga, do some deep breathing, and connect with your baby–your mind, your body, and your baby will feel the positive effects!

 

What do you do to make sure you find time to relax in your daily schedule? 

Filed Under Featured Story, Health and well-being, Pregnancy

Healthy Pregnancy Tips for Vegetarians and Vegans

September 23, 2011 By FitPregnancy Leave a Comment

 

Rest easy, all you pregnant vegans and vegetarians out there: Medical experts, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Dietetic Association (ADA), have given you the green light to continue your current way of eating— as long as it’s well-planned. “You can have a healthy pregnancy on such a diet,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D., an ADA spokeswoman who sees pregnant vegetarians in her private practice. “You just have to do it right.”

A vegetarian (meat-free) or vegan (no animal products, not even milk or eggs) diet can help prevent obesity and chronic illnesses, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes. It’s also more Earth-friendly than the typical American carnivore’s diet. That said, “Pregnancy is not the right time to become a vegetarian if you aren’t one already,” says Lara Field, M.S., R.D., a dietitian at the University of Chicago Medical Center who counsels pregnant women.

Here’s the reason: The risks of nutritional deficiencies are more pronounced with a vegetarian diet, and pregnancy is a time when you need more of certain vitamins and minerals. If you’ve been eating animal products, quitting now would just limit your options, Field says.

In addition to taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin, here’s how you can make up for any nutritional weak links if you do decide to stay meat-free during your pregnancy.

Protein This nutrient is vital for cell growth and development—yours as well as your developing baby’s—and you need about 70 grams every day right now. Beans can provide much of what you need. “Beans are the magic bullet for vegetarians and vegans,” says Blatner, who is also the author of The Flexitarian Diet (McGraw Hill). “Along with lots of protein, beans provide iron and zinc.” Zinc is also necessary for cell growth and normal fetal development.

To get the protein you need, simply replace animal products with any type of beans, including soybean products like tempeh and tofu; just keep in mind that experts advise limiting your soy intake to one or two servings daily during pregnancy. In recipes, substitute one-half cup of beans for every 3 ounces of meat.

And here’s a bonus if you’re concerned about putting on too much weight during your pregnancy: Beans are a low-calorie protein source: 1 cup of soybeans has 298 calories and 29 grams of protein; 1 cup of lentils has 226 calories and 18 grams of protein; 1 cup of pintos has 245 calories and 15 grams of protein; and 1 cup of firm tofu has 176 calories and 20 grams of protein.

Don’t forget about nuts, too: These are also rich sources of protein (and healthy fats), as are low-fat dairy foods—milk, yogurt and cheese.

A word of advice: Don’t rely too heavily on cheese or faux burgers to replace meat in your diet. Why? Veggie “meats” are usually laden with sodium, and cheese is very high in saturated fat. “Vegetarian and vegan diets are perceived to have a ‘health halo’ around them,” says Blatner. “But if you’re not eating the right foods, these diets can be unhealthy, too.”

Iron This mineral, which helps red blood cells deliver oxygen to the fetus, also protects you from anemia, a common problem during pregnancy even among meat eaters. According to Blatner, pregnant vegetarians and vegans need as much as 50 milligrams of iron daily. Besides beans, other vegetarian iron sources include iron-fortified cereals, prune juice, black-strap molasses, spinach and raisins.

To help your body absorb the iron contained in foods, eat vitamin-C- rich foods (such as red peppers, citrus fruits and strawberries) and sprouted grains along with them. “Sprouting decreases the compounds that make it more difficult for your body to absorb iron,” Blatner explains.

Vitamin B12 This vitamin, which is required for proper red blood cell formation and neurological function, is most abundant in animal products, which makes getting enough of it a little tricky for vegetarians. Though there are a few nonmeat sources of B 12 (fortified breakfast cereals, for example), the ADA recommends that both vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians (those who eat eggs and dairy products) take B 12 supplements to help them get the 2.6 micrograms daily needed during pregnancy.

Calcium & vitamin D Dairy products are chock-full of these baby bone-building nutrients, but vegans will have to turn elsewhere to get the 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 400 IU of vitamin D they need daily. “Vegans can eat dairy alternatives—like milk and yogurt made with soy and hemp—as well as orange juice,” Field suggests, “but read labels to make sure they’re fortified with calcium and vitamin D.” Fortified tofu, seaweed, figs, collard greens and mustard greens are good vegan sources of calcium.

Omega-3 fatty acids Cold-water oily fish, such as salmon, are the main sources of these healthy fats, which enhance fetal brain and nervous system development. Good plant sources include algae, canola and flaxseed oils, walnuts and leafy green vegetables. Supplements are also safe during pregnancy. The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for pregnant women is 1.4 grams daily, but up to 3 grams of fish oil daily is probably safe. Vegan omega-3 sup- plements are also available.

3 SMART VEGETARIAN SNACKS

■ VANILLA HEMP MILK 1 cup contains at least 25 percent of your daily requirements for calcium and vitamins D and B 12.

■ PLAIN YOGURT 8 ounces of low-fat unsweetened yogurt contain 12 grams of protein and 45 percent of your calcium needs.

■ LENTIL SOUP 1 cup contains 9 grams of protein and 4 milligrams of iron.

>> By: Nancy Gottesman is a health and nutrition writer in Santa Monica, Calif.
Filed Under All Recent Articles, Health and well-being, Nutrition, Pregnancy Tagged With nutrition, vegetarian and pregnancy

Pregnancy and Asthma

September 7, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

By Nadia Mohamedi, OTIS Teratogen Information Specialist

                As a teratogen information specialist at OTIS, I frequently hear the same scenario regarding pregnancy and asthma. A mom is so excited that she is being “safe” in her pregnancy because she has come off all of her asthma medications. She is almost completely out of breath, exhausted from wheezing all night, and extremely limited in the activities she can still do. Despite her own suffering, she is proud of her heroic acts in saving her developing fetus from potential harm. Unfortunately, like many other breathless moms, she has been misinformed about the effects of asthma and asthma medications in pregnancy… and the truth often leaves her feeling a lot less like a hero.

The Breadth of Breath

Everyone knows that breathing is crucial to life, but do we really understand why? Let’s re-visit the basics. Breathing delivers oxygen to our lungs, where the oxygen is transferred to our blood, brought to the heart and then pumped out to all the cells in our body.  In fact, oxygen makes up 65% of our body mass!

Oxygen is crucial to a cell’s normal metabolism. Cells use oxygen as their primary source of energy. With oxygen, cells are able to carry out all of their marvelous acts like re-building old tissue, disposing of waste, and creating new cells. Without enough oxygen, our cells become weak and are more susceptible to viruses.

Cells that rely more heavily on oxygen to survive are the cells in our brain. While the brain only makes up 2% of our body weight, it uses up 20% of our oxygen. So, oxygen is also necessary for our mental processing, like memory, movement and thought. Brain cells are so sensitive to oxygen that they begin to die after a few minutes without it.

Asthma is caused by an inflammation in the air passageways, which prevents air from being able to enter the lungs. Thus, asthma is a serious condition that causes a person to take in less oxygen than they may need.

Breathing for Two

While not as fun as eating for two, it is important for pregnant women to remember that they are their babies’ only source of oxygen. If a mom’s asthma is not controlled, both she and her baby are getting less oxygen. Although babies do not take their first breath until they are born, in utero they receive all their oxygen from the placenta (the blood connection between mom and baby).  Now that we know how crucial oxygen is to life, it’s probably clear why a fetus that develops from a single cell to a full-functioning human needs it. In fact, untreated asthma is considered to be riskier than asthma controlled with medications in pregnancy. Here is why:

  1. Mom’s risk: Untreated asthma during pregnancy increases the mother’s risk for pre-eclampsia (a group of symptoms including high blood pressure, ankle swelling and kidney problems), excessive vomiting, vaginal bleeding, and premature and complicated labor. In fact, the more severe the asthma is in pregnancy, the more likely a pregnant mom will be hospitalized during pregnancy.
  2. Baby’s risk: Untreated asthma during pregnancy increases the baby’s risk for slowed growth, preterm birth (before 37 weeks gestation), and even death.

Just Breathe…Through Your Inhaler

You are not alone. Asthma affects 8% of all pregnancies. Although one-third of women experience an improvement of asthma during pregnancy, about one-third of women get worse. Asthma can also become worse in the second or third trimesters as your belly pushes up against your diaphragm, making it harder to breathe. Thankfully, while severe asthma is associated with more severe risks, better-controlled asthma is associated with lower risks. Thus, most asthmatic pregnant women will need to take a medication to adequately control their condition.

Most asthma medications have not been shown to have harmful effects on the baby. The majority of women can control their asthma by taking an inhaled medication like albuterol or an inhaled corticosteroid. Inhaled medications act directly on the air passageways to decrease inflammation and open them up for breath. Because inhaled medications are not meant to be absorbed and distributed throughout the body like a pill you swallow is, very little of inhaled medications are absorbed into your blood and able to go to your developing baby. Thus, inhaled medications are usually considered to be of a low risk to the baby.

Information about specific medications (albuterol, prednisone/prenisolone, inhaled corticosteroids, formoterol, salmeterol and montelukast) can be found on the OTIS Fact Sheet page on our website: http://www.otispregnancy.org/otis-fact-sheets-s13037. You can always call OTIS for individual risk/benefit analysis and speak with a counselor (like me J) directly by calling toll-free 1-877-311-8972.

Super Oxygenwoman

Be a real superhero this pregnancy by delivering one of the most essential elements, oxygen, to your growing and developing baby. Although it can feel taboo to take a medication during pregnancy, if you are feeling breathless, it is likely that your baby is also not getting enough oxygen. Remember, the benefits of treating asthma during pregnancy generally outweigh the potential risks of the medication. So, talk to your doctor, stay away from irritants (like smoke, dust, pollen etc.), and take control of that breath! And when you see your big and healthy baby take his or her first real breath, you can finally let your breath be taken away!

 

Nadia Mohamedi is a teratogen information specialist and also serves as a research assistant/interviewer for OTIS studies in San Diego, CA. She holds a BA in neurobiology and a minor in psychology from Harvard College. In addition to her work with OTIS, Nadia has worked for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Program at McLean Hospital as well as served as a teacher’s assistant at a school for children with disabilities in Lima, Peru.

OTIS is a North American non-profit dedicated to providing accurate evidence-based information about exposures during pregnancy and lactation. Questions or concerns about medications and other exposures during pregnancy or breastfeeding can be directed to OTIS counselors at (866) 626-OTIS (6847) or online at OTISPregnancy.org.

Filed Under All Recent Articles, Health and well-being, Medications During Pregnancy, Pregnancy Tagged With asthma in pregnancy, medication

Nutrition During Pregnancy

August 24, 2011 By Cara Terreri 1 Comment


By Natalie Rumble, Nutritionist Resource

During pregnancy, the unborn baby will get all its nutrients from the expecting mother, but to make sure that both you and baby are healthy and prepared for labor it is important to eat a balanced diet that includes carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins, minerals and water. However, eating healthy isn’t just about eating the right things, it also involves the foods to avoid as food safety in pregnancy is a priority.

Here is a list of some of the foods to avoid or limit to during your nine months of pregnancy:

  • Undercooked or raw eggs
  • Undercooked or very rare meats
  • Raw fish – sushi, smoked salmon, parma ham
  • Unpasteurised milk, cheese or yogurts
  • Soft, unpasteurized cheeses – brie, camembert, or blue veined cheeses (check the label to determine if they are pasteurized)
  • Pate/liver has extremely high amounts of Vitamin A and can interfere with the development of the brain.
  • Swordfish, marlin and shark has high levels of mercury and can attack the baby’s nervous system. Also limit your intake of tuna to 4 medium sized cans (140g drained weight) OR two fresh tuna steaks (170 raw weight) per week.
  • Peanuts – The Department of Health Guidelines have now been changed due to recent studies show that there is no evidence of peanuts being unsafe to eat during pregnancy even with a family history of allergies.
  • Alcohol – Excessive alcohol has been associated with many fetal problems and even moderate consumption could affect the baby’s brain development.

 

Here is a list of just some of the foods that should be included in your diet:

  • Protein: Chicken, Fish, Beef, Pork, Turkey, Tofu, Nuts
  • Whole Grains: Brown Rice, Whole Oats, Whole Wheat Bread
  • Green Vegetables: Spinach, Broccoli, Dark Green Lettuces, Green Beans, Asparagus
  • Dairy: Milk, Eggs, Yoghurt, Hard Cheese
  • Iron: Red Meat, Fish, Poultry, Dried Fruits
  • Folic Acid: Spinach, Asparagus, Greens, Brussels sprouts, Soybeans, Root vegetables, Whole Grains, Kidney beans, White beans, Salmon, Orange juice, Avocado, Milk

Food Cravings

During your 9 beautiful months of pregnancy, you may experience food cravings such as:

  • Sweet Foods
  • Dairy Products
  • Salty Snacks
  • Citrus Fruits
  • Hot, Spicy Foods

Sometimes cravings are a hint to include more of something into your diet as your body needs more vitamins and minerals than normal, but you will probably find that food cravings will gradually fade away however if not you’ll be fine as long as you’re eating a balanced diet and fitting your cravings around nutritious meals rather than replacing breakfast, lunch and dinner with a pickled egg!

First Trimester

Folic acid is a B Vitamin and during your first trimester (up to 12 weeks) it is very important to take a folic acid supplement as well as include the foods stated above to help protect the unborn baby from developing defects in the nerve system (neural tube defects) such as Spina Bifida.

Spind Bifida happens when the protective covering doesn’t grow properly around the baby’s spinal cord and can lead to permanent damage therefore it is very important to take a good vitamin supplement during the first trimester and if you are planning a pregnancy.

Second Trimester

In the second trimester continue to eat a well-balanced diet and increase your intake of daily calories by 300, this should be consumed through protein such as meats and grains. You may start to have problems with your digestive system and become more intolerant to certain foods, this is because the baby is growing and pushing down on your stomach causing indigestion and acid reflux. Try eating smaller meals and drinking lots of water between meals, also walking after eating can help with digestion. If you become intolerant to foods such as dairy products, try eating salmon and sardines as these are a good source of calcium.

Third Trimester

Towards the end of your pregnancy you will start to feel fuller much more quickly, as baby starts to triple in size. You may find that eating smaller amounts of food continually during the day and snacking on healthy foods will be the best way to make sure you continue to get a balanced diet with all the calories you need.

Paying close attention to your diet during pregnancy will help you feel better and may even settle morning sickness, as you are really eating for two! This is where a qualified nutritionist can help. A nutritionist can work with you to plan a balanced diet and exercise programme for you and your baby to stay healthy and safe.

Nutritionist Resource is a directory of qualified/registered nutritionists in the United Kingdom. 

Filed Under All Recent Articles, Health and well-being, Nutrition, Pregnancy Tagged With alcohol, foods to avoid, nutrition

It’s a Cruel, Cruel Summer for Pregnancy

August 10, 2011 By admin 6 Comments

By Nadia Mohamedi, OTIS Teratogen Information Specialist

Even though summer is nearly over, for many parts of the United States, August is one of the hottest months of the year.  These hot days can feel like torture for pregnant women, who already feel like a furnace due to their increased blood volume and weight.  So, I’d thought I’d help those who are sweating for two and give some tips on how to survive pregnancy in the HEAT.

  1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: Everyone know they’re supposed to drink 5-8 glasses of water per day, but who really does? Even though it feels like a lot of water, pregnant women really should pay attention to this recommendation, not only to cool themselves down but to prevent dehydration. Being dehydrated in pregnancy can cause a mom to faint or have preterm contractions. Iced tea can feel amazing on those hot summer days, but iced tea can have as much caffeine as soda and make you more dehydrated. So, put some water bottles in the freezer and take a few cold ones with you before you head out for the day!

 

  1. Gym, TAN, laundry: Well, forget the gym/laundry part, but some sun in pregnancy is beneficial!  Vitamin D deficiency is common in pregnant women, even when women live in sun-filled areas.  Being deficient in Vitamin D can contribute to preeclampsia, low birth weight and having a baby with fragile bones. For a light-skinned person, getting full-body exposure in peak summer sun for only 10-15 minutes will release 20,000 IU of vitamin D into circulation. Vitamin D also increases your absorption of calcium, which your baby loves to steal from you. Catch some rays for a healthy pregnancy and get your glow on, but don’t forget the SPF!

 

  1. Cant.Move.Too.Hot: While it is nice to get some summer sun, it’s important to use your own common sense to know when it’s time to chill out, literally. Normally, your body can self-regulate its temperature by expelling heat when the core temperature rises higher than 98.6⁰F. However, when the temperature outside is warmer than your core temperature and the humidity is over 75%, it’s a lot harder for the body to release its own heat into the environment. This can result in your core temperature rising, just like it does when you have a fever. In the 1st trimester, having a core temperature of over 102⁰F can increase your baby’s risk of being born with a neural tube defect, like spina bifida. Rising internal temperatures can also cause heat exhaustion or even heat stroke when core temperature reaches 104⁰F. Symptoms to watch out for are rapid breathing, nausea/vomiting, headache, fatigue, dizziness and an abnormal mental status (i.e- confusion or hallucinations).

Ways to prevent heat-related illness are restricting exercise, staying in the shade or air-conditioned locales, hydrating, and wearing light loose-fitting clothing. If you find you cannot cool yourself down, and you start to experience symptoms, you should call your doctor or get medical assistance. Occasionally, it is too hot outside and not completely safe for anyone. Even though this may mean watching family BBQ’s from the inside this summer, your baby will thank you for chilling out!

  1. Listeria Hysteria: Personally, my favorite part of summer BBQ’s is all the MEAT – hot dogs, hamburgers etc. However, undercooked meat can contain a parasite called toxoplasma gondii. Additionally, hot dogs could be contaminated with bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes. L. monocytogenes causes Listeriosis , which is more likely to occur in pregnant women due to their decreased immune systems. Although the risk of actually having the listeriosis infection are very low, pregnant women can avoid exposure by eating food as soon as it is prepared (a great excuse to jump the line!),  re-heating until food like hot dogs and cold cuts are steaming, and washing raw veggies. Food to totally avoid, unfortunately, are soft cheeses made with unpasteurized milk (like feta and Brie- I know, so sad), raw/smoked seafood (i.e-sushi or smoked salmon), and pate. Listeriosis in pregnancy can increase one’s risk of having a preterm delivery, miscarriage or stillbirth. The newborn infant can also be born with the infection as well. Check out our Listeriosis fact sheet for more info: http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/listeriosis.pdf.

 

  1. One nice cold beer won’t hurt, right? Wrong.: With all these summer events outdoors, it seems like everyone has got a nice coldie in their hand.  Thanks to some fancy cans, you can even see how cold the beer is by how blue the mountains are. Great. This can make drinking so much more tempting, but, remember, there is no safe threshold for drinking in pregnancy. You can hold the cold beer up to your forehead, but if you drink it at any time during pregnancy, you may be doing permanent damage to your baby. See our Alcohol fact sheet for more information: http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/alcohol.pdf. Even the non-alcoholic beers have some alcohol in them, so sit back with some cold sparkling juice and know that you are doing two great things at once: cooling down and contributing to a healthy life for your baby.

Now that you know the tips for having a healthy pregnancy this summer, enjoy the beautiful weather, time with family, friends, and good eats! Now that doesn’t sound so cruel after all!

**Nadia Mohamedi is a teratogen information specialist and also serves as a research assistant/interviewer for OTIS studies in San Diego, CA. She holds a BA in neurobiology and a minor in psychology from Harvard College. In addition to her work with OTIS, Nadia has worked for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Program at McLean Hospital as well as served as a teacher’s assistant at a school for children with disabilities in Lima, Peru.

OTIS is a North American non-profit dedicated to providing accurate evidence-based information about exposures during pregnancy and lactation. Questions or concerns about medications and other exposures during pregnancy or breastfeeding can be directed to OTIS counselors at (866) 626-OTIS (6847) or online at OTISPregnancy.org.**

References:

 

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2662811/hottest_months_of_the_year_in_the_us.html

 

Haddad, J. G., Matsuoka, L. Y., Hollis, B. W., Hu, Y. Z. & Wortsman, J. (1993) Human plasma transport of vitamin D after its endogenous synthesis. J. Clin. Invest. 91:2552-2555

 

Filed Under All Recent Articles, Health and well-being, Pregnancy

When Pregnancy Takes a Left Turn

July 29, 2011 By Cara Terreri 3 Comments

Earlier this week (my 37th week of pregnancy for my third child, mind you), I went from feeling “great!” to doubled over with lower abdominal pain in a matter of 12 hours. Four days later, and I’m still experiencing said pain. I had never encountered this kind of pain in either of my previous pregnancies. Concerned that I had contracted some sort of infection, I paid a visit to my midwife to find out exactly what I did not want to hear: “Sounds to me like a normal progression of growth and stretching for late-stage pregnancy. As baby is getting bigger, he/she is pressing on nerves and stressing ligaments, which is what you’re feeling.” Great! So, I could be feeling this intermittent (but very uncomfortable) pain up until I go into labor.

Now, I should mention here that I have had an incredibly easy and wonderful pregnancy. No gestational diabetes, no swelling, reasonable weight gain, no preeclampsia, baby’s health looks great, etc, etc. etc. So, to have to deal with a little bit of unexpected pain for the last month of my pregnancy is, on the whole, not a big deal. I realize that I have been fortunate and that this stage is only temporary. But (I am allowed to “but!”), this recent development has certainly given me pause in my day-to-day, which is not easy as a mom of two active little boys. I still have three weeks of summer left to entertain these guys! “Taking it easy” has not been a part of my vocabulary in the last couple of months. Perhaps, then, this is my body’s way of telling me that it’s time to step back, take it down a notch and rest more. I am, after all, gearing up for one of the most physically challenging events in a woman’s life — labor.

So for the next 2-4 weeks until baby decides to make his/her appearance, I will press on. Only now, I will be wearing a maternity brace to relieve some of the pressure and nerve pain, and spend more time off my feet and on my side. If taking care of myself means taking care of my baby, then that’s what I’ll do!

Have any of your pregnancy experiences taken a left turn? How? What did you do to cope?

 

 

 

Filed Under All Recent Articles, Health and well-being, Pregnancy Tagged With abdominal pain, Pregnancy, third trimester
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