All the work that you have been doing in pre-conception care, eating well and taking your supplements doesn’t stop now, but it does change slightly.

Nutrition and Supplements

Your body has a high demand for nutrients during pregnancy.  You are the only source of nutrition for your growing baby. The baby is growing inside your womb and it forms its whole body from yours.  The baby will take what it needs and whatever is left the mother then uses (getting you ready for the selflessness of motherhood).

Some factors such as stress, inadequate diet, the effects of morning sickness, undiagnosed allergies, heartburn, constipation, long term deficiencies, stress or other pre-existing conditions may mean your intake of essential nutrients is inadequate to cope with the needs of both you and your growing baby.

If you are low in nutrients your baby will take what it needs from you, often leaving you in a deficient state.  Many conditions that occur during pregnancy (e.g. pregnancy brain, leg cramps, constipation) are caused or worsened by nutritional deficiencies, so it makes sense that ensuring you have ample supplies of nutrients not only means your baby is getting everything they need, but so are you.

When breastfeeding nutritional demands are as great, and sometimes even higher than during pregnancy.  It can take 2 years to nutritionally recover from a pregnancy!  If you are planning to concieve again during this time, then it isessentialto ensure you are stocked up well.

Did you know that during your pregnancy, you will create several extra kilograms of your own uterine muscle, as well as the nerves, bones, organs, muscles, glands and skin of your baby? In addition, you will make several kilograms of amniotic fluid, a placenta and produce a significant increase in your own blood volume. In addition, your own kidneys and liver have to work overtime, as they have to process the wastes of you and your baby!

A balanced diet should include a good variety of foods and provide all nutrients the body needs. The emphasis should be on eating a higher quality diet rather than simply eating more.   We can provide you with nutritional education and advice specific to you and provide meal suggestions or plans to support you and your baby.

All pregnant women require nutritional supplementation to some extent, due to the lack of essential nutrients in our soil and food supply.

The most well known nutrient that we require during pregnancy is folate, however it’s not that simple.  A lot of pregnancy multi-vitamins you can find in supermarkets and chemists contain plenty of folate, but lack or are extremely low other nutrients essential in pregnancy.  We can assess your individual requirements and recommend the right supplements for you.   It is important not to self medicate, especially during pregnancy.

Click here to read about some of the key nutrients required in pregnancy

Not only does nutritional supplementation help to prevent and manage deficiencies, it is also helpful in managing conditions.  Some nutritional supplements such as probiotics have been shown to be beneficial in preventing allergies in eczema in the newborn.

Some general tips during pregnancy:

• Avoid junk food and refined sugar and food completely.
• Avoid raw eggs, meat, chicken and seafood
• Avoid foods which you are allergic or intolerant to.
• Avoid foods high in mercury or other heavy metals such as swordfish, shark, tuna.
• Eat LOTS of fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Eat legumes and beans for fibre and protein.
• Eat foods rich in calcium and iron.
• Eat lots of foods containing soluble fibre, rather than insoluble fibre (such as wheat bran) as this can worsen constipation.
• Aim to have at least 2 serves of protein each day.
• Make sure you are hydrated, drink plenty of clean filtered water and avoid using water bottles which contain BPA.
• It is best to avoid caffiene during pregnancy.  Some women can be particularly sensitive to this, so should avoid tea, coffee, dark chocolate and soft drinks.  Caffiene can decrease blood flow to the baby and regular intake has been associated with low-birth weight.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, recreational drugs and any unnecessary medications.

Common Conditions during Pregnancy

There is much that naturopaths can offer to women during pregnancy.  Conditions such as leg cramps, morning sickness, pre-eclampsia, reflux, colds, sinusitis, constipation and more can be managed with natural medicines.

Click here to read more about the common conditions of pregnancy and what we can do.

Pregnancy Program

Continued naturopathic care throughout pregnancy will help to ensure a healthy pregnancy and a healthy, happy outcome.  The pregnancy program is designed to support you and your baby during this time of rapid growth and change.  The emphasis will be on your nutritional status and your changing nutritional requirements through each trimester, while addressing any queries, complaints or issues that may arise.  Towards the end of the pregnancy we can begin to introduce remedies which prepare for your for labour, as well as providing you with your tool kit for after the birth.  Regular massage throughout the pregnancy is also recommended.

A typical pregnancy program includes:

During the 1^st Trimester we will address

• Giving suggestions for good dietary and lifestyle habits and continuing clean, toxin free environment
• Advice on a nutritious and individualised food plan for your pregnancy to support you and your baby
• Optimising your nutritional status,  promoting and nurturing a lush and healthy environment in which your baby can grow
• Reducing any uncomfortable symptoms of early pregnancy that may arise such as morning sickness
• Treating any threat to the pregnancy such a bleeds or threatened miscarriage
• Acupuncture is fantastic during this time for helping to manage morning sickness

2^nd Trimester

• Continue to monitor your nutritional status with particular emphasis on iron and blood nutrients as well as zinc status
• Treat any pregnancy problems that may be arising
• Review your activity and exercise

3^rd Trimester

• Prevent or treat any problems typically related to the later stages of pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, constipation, and oedema (fluid retention).
• Begin birth preparation.  Specific nutritional and herbal treatments are introduced to support labour, delivery and lactation.  Herbal medicine has a long history of use in the last trimester of pregnancy.  Specific nutrient supplementation and individualized herbal homoeopathic formulations will promote a more comfortable birth, post natal and breastfeeding experience as well as reducing likelihood of complications and improving recovery.

Post-partum

• Herbs to improve healing, reduce inflammation
• Support breast-feeding if there is any issues with flow, failure to thrive, mastitis or cracked nipples
• Giving suggestions for a healthy, nutrient dense diet for breastfeeding as well as advice on introduction to solids and management of common conditions for infants such as colic

The post Naturopathic support in pregnancy appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.

I can’t believe how quickly this year is going! Only 3 months until christmas, I haven’t got anything prepared!

As most of you know I am going to be away during October because I am GETTING MARRIED! I will be honeymooning in the Clare Valley and Melbourne, doing very un-naturopathic things like drinking wine. Don’t worry, I will be bringing my liver herbs with me. 😉

Are you getting your 5 and 2 everyday?

Australians Fail to Meet Daily Nutritional Requirements

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommends that adults eat 5 serves of vegetables and 2 serves of fruit every day. Are you getting your 5 and 2 each day? If your answer is no, then you are not alone. Results from Australia’s largest nutrition survey of over 13,000 Australians found many people are falling short of their daily requirements of fruits, vegetables and essential nutrients. In fact, around half of the Australian population aren’t consuming the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables, and over 25% of males and 50% of females did not meet their daily requirements for calcium. Findings also suggested that many people are missing out on vital minerals including magnesium, zinc, and iron

Spoilt for Choice

Why are so many people from a nation of prosperity lacking so many critical nutrients? Most Australians and New Zealanders have access to healthy food and the means to buy it. When faced with such abundance of food at the supermarket, many people are filling their trolleys with pre-packaged and processed foods. Only a small portion, if any, contain fresh fruits and vegetables. A low intake of plant-based foods is, in part, contributing to the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies in Australia.

In addition to a low fruit and vegetable intake, the way in which foods are grown and processed may also be contributing to the prevalence of nutritional deficiencies. For example, the soil in which many fruits and vegetables are grown is often deficient in minerals. This is compounded by modern food processing and cooking techniques, which can leach valuable nutrients from food before it hits the dinner plate. Therefore, not only are people eating a lower quantity of plant-based food, but the fruits and vegetables they are eating may also be of a poorer quality.

Photo by Thomas Le on Unsplash

Bridging the Nutritional Gap

Along with lifestyle modifications, support with herbal and nutritional supplements may bridge the gap between the current intakes of vitamins and minerals and the optimal levels required daily. Men and women have different nutritional requirements and as such, multivitamin formulas should be tailored to suit each gender’s specific requirements. If you are interested in this, I can recommend high quality multivitamin formulas that are specific to your individual needs.

Nutrition – Your Body Deserves it!

Taking a daily multivitamin is the first step to complementing your diet as part of a targeted nutrition plan. There are, however, further steps you can take to implement a more comprehensive, optimal nutrition strategy.

Step 1: Optimising Mineral Status

For those with additional nutritional requirements, add a high quality mineral formula containing therapeutic levels of magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, iodine, chromium and potassium as part of a premium nutrition plan.

The practicalities of creating a multivitamin tablet make it impossible to physically fit high levels of minerals into a single tablet as it would literally be the size of a golf ball! As such, taking a separate mineral formula can be an effective way to ensure you are receiving therapeutic levels of key minerals important for many aspects of health, including structural support, antioxidant action, and healthy immunity.

Step 2: Superfoods for a Super-You!

You can improve a diet lacking adequate fruit and vegetables with a high quality whole food powder containing an array of organic fruits and vegetables. Fruit and vegetables not only provide essential vitamins and minerals, they also contain a variety of beneficial plant chemicals known as phytochemicals. Plants produce phytochemicals as a part of their defence mechanism, when they are exposed to stressors within the environment, in order to protect themselves.

Research now shows that when consumed by humans, these unique phytochemicals may also play a significant role in the benefits offered from regular fruit and vegetable consumption, including reduced risk of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease. Your Practitioner can recommend a great tasting, high quality super food powder that is made from phytochemical-rich organic fruits and vegetables.

Laying the Foundations for optimal Health

Australia and New Zealand are countries with an abundant food supply, yet many people have nutritional deficiencies.

A mineral formula and super food powder can be taken alongside a high quality multivitamin as part of an optimal nutrition plan, to ensure you are providing your body with the essential nutrients for good health.

The post Are you getting your 5 and 2 everyday? appeared first on Alison Mitchell Naturopath.