Do you have a pea in the pod? Do you know how to best nourish that pea and help him/her to grow sufficiently?
So many factors of pregnancy and birth lie outside our scope of control, but what we choose to put in our mouths is completely within our grasp and our choice! Over the next several weeks here on the blog, we are going to focus on nutrition!
Why nutrition? Why do we even need to think about what we are putting in our bodies? Why is this so important?
Here's a few fast facts:
1. The old adage of "eating for two" is simply not accurate. All you need is 250 (first trimester) to 500 (second and third trimester) extra calories per day to grow a baby.
2. The types of calories you consume DO MATTER!
3. Carbohydrates are your body's go to energy source (without enough, they will strip your muscles of protein before they will ever burn fat cells for energy) - and secret we will be discussing . . . GRAINS ARE NOT THE ONLY SOURSE OF CARBS!
4. Protein is the building block of cells! Your baby's cells are replicating and growing every day. Without enough protein, you risk your baby thieving from you in order to develop properly - resulting in potential health risks for you both!
5. Fat is necessary for proper brain development and creating a sense of satiation. We will talk about why it is important to stay away from "non-fat" processed foods.
6. Your intake of water is critical to help your body rid itself of wastes (yours and baby's) I'll share a secret on how to stay optimally hydrated during pregnancy!
7. Your birth is literally a marathon your body runs . . . you burn upwards of 3000-3500 calories during labor and birth, and your body needs to be optimally prepared for this!
Thankfully, most times babies won't lack even if our nutrition is not spot on. Did you realize that babies will take what they need from our bodies even if we are not putting in the right nutrients? This guarantees their health and ability to grow, but it can be devastating to mom's health both during and after pregnancy!
If babies don't get enough carbs and dig into mom's glycogen stores, mom may feel extremely short on energy and feel constant brain fog.
If babies don't get enough protein, they will break down mom's muscle, potentially resulting in protein in her blood and urine, high blood pressure, muscle wasting, and eventual osteoporosis.
If babies don't get enough fat, they will break down mom's lipid layers as needed which may inhibit eventual milk supply and could put mom in a state of dietary ketosis.
Choosing to fuel our bodies during pregnancy with the nutrients they need will help both mom and baby to thrive and have a better chance of healthy outcomes at birth and long term!
Are you postpartum? This will work for you too and these foods will help nourish your cells so that your healing can happen!
There is no special diet to follow. Most of this is common sense. So come join me in the next few weeks as we talk about real food and how to nourish our bodies for an optimally healthy pregnancy and postpartum!
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