Healthier Moms Have Healthier Babies
HURRAY - you're pregnant! Anticipation grows as your body changes to accommodate the new life growing within. You dream of holding your precious baby in your arms, and make plans for providing your little love with all the best things in life. But wait a minute, mommy - those plans should begin with caring for yourself right now - in body, mind and spirit. A healthy, happy mother creates the most positive environment for the tiny life growing and developing inside. There are more prenatal 'how-to' books and websites out there than you can shake a Pregnancy Test Strip at, so in this month's column, I thought it would be good to touch on some new research findings, and give you a few good links and books that I've found interesting and helpful for new moms.
A recent study published in the "Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism" (how's that for a catchy title?) demonstrated that expectant mothers who had low Vitamin D levels were more likely to suffer from Pre-eclampsia. If you've never heard of that, it's a condition that can occur in pregnancy that usually begins with an elevated blood pressure, and can lead to some very serious conditions. (OK – take a deep breath, luvs. If your pressure goes up a bit when you're preggers, it is NOT a sure sign of Pre-eclampsia! But it is something you'll want to bring up with your doctor, and monitor carefully during your pregnancy.) It can slow fetal growth, and in some cases can lead to premature birth. It's not something to ignore, and your MD will be very careful to keep an eye on you for symptoms. The point here is that one of the findings in the study was that Pre-eclampsia has been linked to significant Vitamin D deficiencies in the early trimesters of pregnancy. Your OB-GYN will probably want you to take a prenatal vitamin anyway – and it will likely contain Vitamin D. In addition, you can easily supplement that by simply spending some time outside every day. A gentle walk around your neighborhood, or puttering in the backyard, or even a lunchtime stroll around the building where you work, will do the trick. And here's another tip: try *not* to wear sunglasses, unless you'll be out in bright sun for a long time. The retina in your eyes absorbs quite a bit of sunlight and can help reduce depression!
If you smoke, you already know you should stop. You've probably been told that the babies of smoking moms have lower birth weights, and experience other serious risks before and after they are born. But here's something you may not know: moms-to-be who smoke have a higher incidence of depression, and depression – as well as the toxins in that cigarette smoke - can adversely affect your unborn baby. Not only that, pregnant smokers were THREE times more likely to be depressed than their non-smoking counterparts. There's a question as to which came first, the depression or the smoking, but one of the effects of nicotine is a weak anti-depressant effect, which makes it even harder for a depressed woman to kick the habit. How to stop? You have to find what works for you. I stopped in 1988 by using a self-hypnosis cassette tape (we didn't have CDs back in those 'olden' days) that I got in a bookstore. This website: cityhypnosis.com lists CDs and MP3's for smoking cessation hypnosis, and the Google Directory has a host of others.
Common sense will tell you that healthy moms are more likely to have healthy babies. So, I'd like to touch briefly on your pre-natal diet. Most doctors no longer demand that you gain no more than 20 pounds with your pregnancy, and will instead give you guidelines that are right for you and your lifestyle. The best thing you can do for yourself and your baby is to eat as many *fresh* fruits and veggies, and lean meats, as possible, while maintaining a sensible caloric intake. There is no magic calorie number, since it all depends on your lifestyle. Obviously, a very active, athletic mom needs more calories than a lady who is more sedentary. I like "Health and Yoga" website's diet tips (they have other cool links too) and Amazon has a good deal on "The Natural Pregnancy Book" which I have found to be an excellent resource. It's also wise to cut back on fried and fatty foods, as well as sugar and soft drinks – even the sugar-free ones. Research has shown that carbonated beverages can have a negative effect on calcium levels in our bones. Tiny developing bones need all the help they can get, so give them a helping hand and put off drinking that soda until baby is born and weaned. Despair not, you don't have to be a martyr, hon! There's nothing wrong with a few bites of chocolate, or a sliver of cheesecake, etc. on occasion. Just limit the 'occasions' and size of the treat. Being pregnant should be a joyous time, not a trial to be endured.
Oh my – there is so much more I'd like to say about prenatal care, but these tips should get you off to a good start. What questions do you have? Write in and ask. I'll do my best to get the right answers for you.
Happy Pregnancy!
Nancy Miller, RN, BA Psych, CHyT
Nancy Miller got her RN degree in 1975 and went on to earn a BA in Humanistic Psychology from Goucher College in 2002. She's also a certified hypnotherapist and an ordained minister. Nancy is the mother of one child, her 24 year old son Eric, of whom she is extremely proud.
Looking for more Nurse Nancy? Read her feature column on "Baby Safety for Expectant Moms"!
