maternal wellness

Nutrition Matters: From Bump to Baby – and Beyond

Healthy nutrition is an important part of all stages of a woman’s life, especially during pregnancy and the postnatal phase as both mom and baby are affected. It’s amazing what the body is programmed to do naturally—from conception through breastfeeding. Nutrition is an essential tool when it comes to supporting these processes. By providing insight into some key pillars of nutrition throughout this part of the life cycle, we as practitioners can facilitate a healthier and more comfortable pregnancy and build a better foundation for wellness after delivery. Pregnancy and Weight Gain You may have heard the term “eating for two”. While weight gain is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, a pregnant woman should not actually double her calorie intake. Instead, she should stick to about 300 extra calories a day. It is important to provide guided counseling around this topic so that the baby can grow at a healthy rate. Gaining too little or too much weight can negatively impact the baby and lead to complications. These include preeclampsia and delivering a baby that is small or large for gestational age. There are two points to address when talking about weight gain: 1. Optimal Weight Gain Depends on Pre-Pregnancy BMI If your client was at a healthy weight before pregnancy, aiming to get in 300 extra calories a day is a good target. This could be as simple as adding in an extra nutrient-dense snack or two throughout the day. Examples of healthful snacks include an apple with 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter, Greek yogurt with berries, or 1/4 cup hummus with carrots. An example of a 300-calorie small meal might be avocado toast. If made with a slice of whole-grain bread, one-third of an avocado, one large fried egg and 2 tablespoons of sliced radishes, it clocks in at about 260 calories, according to Food Network. The actual amount of weight gain that’s considered healthy over the course of a pregnancy depends on an individual’s BMI (body mass index) category, defined below: (Source: Institute of Medicine) 2. Nutrient Quality Matters These extra calories should be coming from nutrient-dense, whole foods with an emphasis on protein for the addition of amino acids, the building blocks of fetal tissue. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains will also provide the valuable vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy baby. Key Nutrients During Pregnancy Prenatal vitamins are a great form of insurance to make sure mom and baby are getting enough essential nutrients. Speak with your client and their physician to find the right prenatal vitamins for their needs, and fill in any potential nutritional gaps with whole foods. RELATED: Are Prenatal Vitamins Safe for Men? Experts Explain How to Support the Health of a Father-To-Be Below is a breakdown of the eight vital vitamins and minerals for pregnancy. Sharing these categories along with some food lists is a great way to emphasize proper balance in your client’s diet during pregnancy. Calcium Pregnant women need about 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily, especially during the third trimester when the baby’s skeleton is rapidly developing. Great sources of calcium include milk, cheese, yogurt and sardines. For vegans, sources might include legumes, leafy greens, almonds and seaweed. Iron During pregnancy, an estimated daily intake of 27 mg of iron is recommended to help with the health of red blood cells and their ability to deliver oxygen to the baby. Sources include lean red meat, legumes, peas, and iron-fortified cereals. Vitamin A Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin, eyesight and bone growth. Carrots, dark leafy greens, and sweet potatoes are good sources. During pregnancy you need about 770 micrograms daily. B Vitamins (B-6, B-12, Folic Acid) B6, or pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin that helps to form red blood cells and is key to the metabolism of protein, fat, and carbs. These macronutrients will either be delivered or stored for the baby. You can find vitamin B6 in beef, liver, pork, whole grain cereals and bananas. During pregnancy, you need about 1.9 mg daily. B-12 also helps to form red blood cells and maintains a healthy nervous system. You can find this vitamin readily in animal products and a few plant-based sources such as nutritional yeast. Good sources include liver, meat, fish, poultry and milk. During pregnancy you need 2.6 micrograms daily. Folate: It was less than 50 years ago that British researchers discovered how important folic acid is during pregnancy. They found that too little folate is linked to birth defects of the spine (spina bifida) and the brain (anencephaly.) The thing is, it’s critical for folate to be taken in the first few weeks of pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she’s pregnant. That’s why today the FDA requires some foods to be enriched with folate. You can find folate in green, leafy vegetables, liver, orange juice, legumes (beans, peas, lentils), and nuts. To reduce the risk of neural tube defects, pregnant women should have a daily folate intake of at least 400 micrograms. Some doctors recommend increasing to 600 micrograms, which is difficult to achieve through diet alone. Vitamin C During pregnancy, an estimated daily intake of 85 mg of vitamin C is essential for healthy gums, teeth and bones. Vitamin C also aids in the absorption of iron. Good sources include citrus fruit, broccoli, tomatoes, and strawberries. Vitamin D Vitamin D and calcium go hand in hand: Vitamin D aids in the absorption of calcium to help build baby’s bones and teeth. Sources include exposure to sunlight, fortified milk, and fatty fish, such as salmon. It is recommended for pregnant women to get in an estimated 600 international units (IUs) daily. RELATED: Ask Keri: Can You Get Vitamin D Through a Window? Omega-3s According to a meta-analysis published in PLOS Medicine, women who took omega-3 supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding reduced the risk by 31% for childhood allergic reaction to eggs. For nursing mothers, omega-3 fatty acids from fish, such as wild-caught Alaskan salmon, can help support baby’s

Postnatal Depletion 101: Everything You Need to Know and How to Avoid It Post-Baby

By Sarah Rueven, RD, MS, CDN, NLC Pregnancy is work. Actually, it’s a lot of work and it takes a big toll on the body. This is why the effects of pregnancy can be felt for months to even years post-baby and why postpartum recovery is critical. Postnatal depletion is a catch-all term that describes a sense of fatigue, exhaustion, poor memory and concentration and emotional variability (think lots of highs and lows) that lasts far longer than the first few weeks postpartum. Postnatal depletion is thought to be caused by an inability to replenish depleted nutrient stores that occurred during pregnancy and postpartum. It may be the reason you keep saying, “I just don’t feel like myself,” and it may lead to even larger issues such as postpartum depression, if not resolved. Here’s what you can do to support yourself during this very special and critical time. RELATED: 5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself as a New Mom No Drastic Dieting We tell most of our clients that we don’t even want to see you in our offices before 6 to 8 weeks postpartum. One of the most common mistakes we see postpartum is diving right into the quest to getting your pre-baby body back, stat. The most important thing in the immediate postpartum period is to nourish your body with nutrient dense foods to support recovery (you just had a baby after all!). Not only will this help to replenish diminished nutrient stores such as iron, folate and calcium, but it also supports establishing a healthy breastfeeding supply – if you choose to nurse. RELATED: What you Need to Know Before Losing Weight After Pregnancy Supplement Wisely It can be difficult to meet your increased nutrient needs postpartum through diet alone, especially for new mothers adjusting to life with a newborn. Continuing to take a prenatal supplement for 6 to 12 months postpartum or for at least as long as you are breastfeeding can help replenish nutrient stores, supporting both physical and mental health. However, there is no way to ‘out-supplement’ a bad diet. Eating real, whole foods is still the best way to get in the nutrients you need. Always speak to your doctor before starting a new supplement. Snack Smart Keeping your energy up and avoiding getting “hangry” become even more critical when you’re dealing with a newborn or infant, sleep deprivation and a new and often exhausting routine. Eating at regular intervals (every 3 to 4 hours) and keeping your blood sugar stable will help you keep your energy up while juggling a baby. The best way to get in those meals and snacks? Create a “healthy eating support system”. Stock up on easy healthy snacks like nuts, fruit or greek yogurt, enlist your partner, MIL and friends to help you cook and buy groceries those first few weeks, and/or use a grocery delivery service to help source ingredients. Support Mood with Omega-3s Omega-3 fatty acids are passed from mom to baby during pregnancy and lactation and are needed to support a baby’s brain development. Omega-3s are equally important for mom’s brain health. One study found that women who ate more seafood and whose breast milk contained higher concentrations of Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), a type of omega-3 fatty acid, had a lower risk of developing postpartum depression. Good sources of omega-3s include fatty fish and seafood like salmon, mackerel, seabass, oysters and sardines. To get adequate omega-3s, aim to eat 2-3 servings of seafood per week. If you don’t love seafood, talk to your doctor about taking a fish oil supplement. RELATED: How to Incorporate Omega-3’s Into Every Meal Establish a New Routine Rather than expecting to jump back into your pre-baby routine, work on establishing new habits that complement your new schedule. Time and convenience is important for new mamas but when it comes to nutrition, convenience doesn’t have to equal lots of processed and packaged foods. Mastering the ‘throw together’ meal is key. Save time by buying pre-prepped items like rotisserie chicken, preformed turkey burgers, pre-cooked grains, frozen fruits and veggies and pre-washed greens. RELATED: Are Frozen Fruits and Vegetables as Healthy As Fresh? Be Gentle with Yourself! When you’re in it, sometimes the postnatal period can feel endless. But it does get better and easier with time. Be gentle on yourself and recognize when you need a break. You got this. Photo by The Honest Company on Unsplash