Top 3 Foods To Avoid While Pregnant!

While you are pregnant, you cannot afford to fool around when you are carrying such a precious little passenger, so based on three pregnancies and tons of advice and research from just about every corner, my top four foods to avoid are:

1. Liver and any Pate as these can contain Listeria. This is a foodbourne disease, the bacteria of which, cause abdominal pain and diarrhoea and can also harm your unborn baby.

2. Blue veined soft mouldy cheeses like Blue cheese, Brie and Chevre as these can also contain Listeria. Stick with hard cheese like cheddar.

3. Soy products are not recommended as not only do they contain phytoestrogens which can affect your babies developing brain and phytoestrogens which can affect your babies developing brain and reproductive organs, they also blocks the absorption of important nutrients like calcium and magnesium ( essential for strong teeth and bones), zinc and iron. Your need for Vitamin D also increases if you consume lots of soy products and that can be difficult to replenish if you live in a place with less sunshine like the UK.

4. Shark, Swordfish and Marlin should be avoided although I wouldn’t know where to buy any of these and I would have personal issues eating such magnificent fish. Tuna also lands in this category as all these fish have high levels of mercury content which is extremely dangerous and affects moods and behaviour patterns. It has been linked to Learning Disabilities, ADD and Behaviour Disorders. Felters who made hats from felt in the late 19th century were exposed to mercury which had adverse effects on their moods and this is where the phrase, Mad as a Hatter originated from.

All You Need To Know About Baby Car Seats!

Becoming a parent for the first time involves a huge amount of learning, as there are hundreds of things involved which childless people will have had no reason to come across before, nor had any incentive to learn about. When you first learn of the impending new arrival, your thoughts will probably be taken up with decorating and equipping a nursery, buying clothes, bottles, and much more, but many people don’t think of a baby car seat until later on in the pregnancy. It’s very important to make sure you know what to look for in a seat, as after all, you’ll need one on your baby’s very first journey, from the hospital back to home.

For this first journey, you’ll need a seat which faces towards the rear of your vehicle. This provides the best protection in the event of an impact for an infant who is unable yet to support the weight of their own head. The seat will be nicely reclined backwards, providing a safe and comfortable coccoon for your baby.

It’s important to choose a rear-facing seat which is sturdy and dependable, yet light to carry. Young babies sleep a little and often, and the last thing you want to do after finally getting your child to sleep in a car journey is to wake them by removing them from their warm and cosy seat. Having an easily detachable model which is light to carry means you can ferry your baby from car to house with as little disturbance as possible.

These rear facing seats are only suitable for younger infants. Once they’ve grown to weigh around 20 pounds, or the top of their head is nearing the upper edge of the seat and thus no longer protected properly, you’ll need to move to a forward facing seat.

These seats are much more upright, but better models can be adjusted to provide a more horizontal position to help your toddler sleep during longer journeys. Because of the upright position, it’s essential that your child is able to sit up on their own before using this kind of seat. Forward facing seats are built to last for a fair few years, and most will be good until your child reaches the age of 4 or 6.

Before we finish, there are two extremely important things to bear in mind when buying a car seat.

Firstly, you should be very careful when buying one that isn’t brand new. Although it might seem like an economy to get a second hand seat, there’s no way of knowing for sure its history. It may have been involved in an accident at some point in the past, resulting in weaknessess that may not be visible to the naked eye. These weaknesses could endanger your baby even in a minor accident. You should only buy a used seat when you can be absolutely sure of the history – such as when buying off close friends or family.

Finally, baby car seats shouldn’t be fitted in front seats where an airbag is fitted. In an accident, the inflation of the airbag could cause serious injury or suffocation to a child, so always fit car seats in the rear of the vehicle in this case.

Happy shopping!

Pain Relief During Childbirth!

Giving birth is rightly regarded as an extremely uncomfortable and painful experience for many mothers, and while for some women labor goes quickly and relatively easily, for others it can turn into a real ordeal. Where our grandmothers had to go through the pain barrier more or less unaided, there are quite a few options available for todays pregnant women that can lessen or even completely remove the pain, allowing the joyfulness of giving birth a much greater chance to be appreciated.

Birthing Pool-Being in water during the early stages of labor can greatly relieve the contraction pains in some women, as the bouyancy takes some of the pressure off the muscles of the lower back. Some women prefer to stay in the water right through to the later stages of labor, and some even choose to complete the birth in a birthing pool. Birthing pools have become increasingly popular in recent years, as they are seen as a natural way of reducing pain, in line with today’s widespread preference for keeping things simple and as close to nature as possible. 

TENS- A TENS machine is a small electronic device which you attach to your lower back with electrode pads. The machine passes a very slight electric current through the pads, which is intended to interfere with the pain signals, reducing the extent of the discomfort. The level of current can usually be increased during contractions, and then lowered back down as the pain subsides again. Some women find TENS machines to be highly effective, while for others the effect is minimal. The devices can usually be hired from the hospital, but are relatively cheap to buy yourself if you want to be sure that one will be available.

Gas and Air -This is also known as entonox, and is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen that is breathed in via a pipe whenever the mother-to-be feels the need. It is a very light method of pain relief, and is enough on it’s own for some women, especially in straightforward births. The effect is more of a distraction from the pain than an actual reduction, but doesn’t feature the drawbacks of the two more heavy-duty pain relief drugs below.

Epidural- An epidural is an injection of pain relief drugs direct into the lumbar region, and is extremely effective at blocking pain. The initial injection must be performed by a doctor, although the drug levels can then be subsequently topped up by the midwife for as long as it is required. Early epidurals also interfered with movement, and so the entire birth had to be carried out lying down, but more advanced versions of the drugs used now allow the mother to walk around a little to relieve discomfort.

Pethidine- This is the strongest pain relief option available in most cases, and is extremely effective in stopping pain over a 3 to 4 hour period. Unlike an epidural, it can’t be used indefinitely, and only two doses are usually allowed, meaning it is less than ideal for labors lasting longer than 8 hours or so. The drug can also pass through to the infant, in some cases delaying the start of breathing. Antidotes are, however, available should this occur.

Although the choice of which method of pain relief to use is usually left up to the mother, most midwives recommend starting with the less invasive choices such as TENS and gas and air, only moving up to drug treatments if necessary later on.

Eating Well Even After Your Pregnancy

Congratulations and welcome to parenthood.  Your body has gone through a lot these past nine months and it still has a while to go before it is back to normal.  The next few months are going to give you and your body a whole new set of challenges especially if you are a first time parent.  Recovering from childbirth is exhausting and when you throw a new baby who has no concept of time into the mix and you might find your head spinning.  Eating well during this time is almost as important as eating well during your pregnancy.  

Your body has just been through a traumatic ordeal.  If you gave birth vaginally, you mind find yourself recovering from tears and what not.  If you gave birth via c-section, you are recovering from major surgery.   The first thing most hospitals and doctors like to make sure is that your plumbing and waste systems are working.   

Eating high fiber food and drinking lots of water after your delivery will help make that first bowel movement a lot less painful.  This can be a little hard for women who delivery via c-section because they are usually on a liquid diet for the first 24 hours. You may find you need a little help from either stool softeners or prune juice to make that first trip a little easier.  

Once you are home from the hospital, you are going to need your energy to take care of the baby.   Gone are the nights where you were able to get a full 8 hours of sleep.  You might not see that again for at least three months,  though ask any parent and they will tell you that getting 8 hours of sleep a night will not happen until your kids are grown and married. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on you and it is important that you eat healthy to maintain a decent amount of energy.

The postpartum period is usually where most women find themselves downing countless amounts of coffee or sugary foods to give them a quick fix. This is not healthy because once you come down from that high, you are going to be even more exhausted than you were before hand.  Make sure all of your meals are balanced meals and stock up on quick and healthy snacks such as celery sticks, baby carrots and lots of fruit to get you through the day.  

Eating healthy can also help you fight the baby blues those first few weeks.  Nearly 80% of all women suffer from baby blues.  These usually kick in between the 4th and 5th day after delivery and can last for 10 days to 2 weeks.  You may find yourself emotional for no reason and you may start to cry for no reason.

Some women report a feeling of sadness that they are no longer pregnant and others report a feeling of helplessness when it comes to dealing with their new baby.  The baby blues are caused by your hormone levels going back to normal.  By maintaining your healthy habits that you practiced during your pregnancy could help you handle your changing emotions a little better.

Pregnancy is tough and the post partum period is just as tough.  Make sure you take the best care of yourself as possible during this time.  Eat right and continue to take your prenatal vitamin to make sure your baby is going to get the best care you are capable of.

Peanuts and Pregnancy

Ask any parent who has a child who is allegeric to peanuts how difficult their live has become.  Food shopping can take hours because every food label must be read it and studied to make sure it contains no traces of peanuts.  Arrangements for peanut free foods must be made with the child’s school ahead of time and other children’s birthdays parties can be a parent’s worse nightmare.  Peanut allergies although common can be one of the most fatal allergies a child could suffer from.  Some children are so sensitive to their peanut allergy that if they come into contact with peanuts just from someone else’s skin, their life can be at risk.  Peanut allergies can lead to anaphylactic shock which is a sever allergic reaction that can be fatal.  

Peanut allergies are usually not diagnosed until a child reaches the age of 2 or even three years old.  The American Academy of Pediatrics states that parents who have a peanut allergy in the family should wait until their child is at least three years old before giving them peanuts or anything containing peanuts.  There are even some conservative obgyns who advise their pregnant patients not to eat peanuts especially if when they are in their third trimester regardless of if there is a history of peanut allergy in the family or not.

The reason for this is because in order for a peanut allergy to develop, the child has to come into contact with small traces of a peanut.  This contact sensitizes the child so that they later have a severe allergic reaction.  Some experts believe that this first sensitization can occur during pregnancy.  It is believed that a tiny amount of peanut protein can cross the placenta.   In fact a recent study showed that if a women ate peanuts or peanut butter while pregnant their baby could be four times more likely to develop a peanut allergy than a child whose mother didn’t eat any peanuts during her pregnancy.  

This isn’t to say though that if you have a no history of nut allergies you should avoid peanuts at all costs.  In fact,  peanuts and peanut butter are very beneficial to you and your baby.  Peanuts are a useful source of folic acid and protein, both which are very important to your and your growing baby.  Peanuts and peanut butter has been said to help some women get through the first trimester morning sickness.  Keep in mind however that there have been some instances when women who had no history of peanut allegeries in their family and ate a over whelming amount of peanuts or even peanut butter through out their pregnancies wound up with children who had a peanut allergy.

Before you decide to throw out all your peanuts and say good bye to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, talk to your doctor.  Give your doctor a detailed family history and let him know if there are any peanut allergies in your family.  With your doctors help you will be able to create a healthy peanut eating plan for your pregnancy.   If you do not feel comfortable at all eating peanuts due to the risk do not let anyone change your mind.  It is your body and your child and you have the right to make that decision.

Best Breastfeeding Nutrition For You To Consider!

In the last three month stretch of your pregnancy, your baby was old enough to start getting a taste of the foods his or her mommy likes.   At this point that your baby is here and you’re breast feeding, your baby will obtain an even better taste of your favorite food.   

Typically if you are breastfeeding your baby you should make anywhere from 23 to 27 ounces of milk a day. In order to accomplish this, you need to augment your calorie intake by roughly 500 more a day. 

You additionally have to increase your water consumption to at least 2 1/2 to 3 quarts of water a day.  You might notice that you are thirstier at some point in the nursing session.  This is since the water you drink goes directly to milk production.    Try not to drink more than 3 quarts of water a day.  Everything more than 3 quarts can reduce the amount of milk your body produces.

As acknowledged earlier, you need to up your calorie intake. Intend to take in about 2500 calories a day or more if you are planning to nurse for longer than three months. These additional calories must not come from junk food. Junk food and sweets are truly empty calories and offer no nutritional value to you or your baby. Add more protein like chicken and white meats.  A helpful guideline is to eat 1 gram of protein every day for each pound you weigh. If you weigh 150, aim to eat 150grams of protein a day. 

If you were not doing so in the course of pregnancy, adopt the six meals a day agenda. Eat breakfast, a midday snack, lunch, a mid afternoon snack, dinner and a night time snack. Your body is going to be making milk persistently so it is a excellent idea to keep it charged with calories through out the day.  

Here are some foods you might want to stay away from for the duration of pregnancy. Pretty much everything passes through breast milk and to the baby. This is why the key thing breastfeeding specialists advise nursing moms to see to when their baby has colic is to be aware of what they are eating. Chocolate has been blamed in many cases of colic and can cause an upset stomach for nearly all babies.  If you have a baby with a tummy pain think back to see if you had a candy bar or even a cookie in the hours before you nursed. The best advice is to stay away from chocolate while you are nursing. 

Steer clear of greasy and spicy foods while you are breastfeeding. Greasy foods every so often upset adults stomachs, imagine what it  would do to your Tot’s brand new stomach?  Stop until your baby is older and no longer nursing rather than you start making trips back to McDonalds. 

You may also like to stay away from garlic and onions while you are breast feeding. Both of these can give flavor to the breast milk and you might find that your little one  will not nurse if you have eaten these. Your little one may be only a tad too young to welcome the taste of garlic and onions anyway. Remember it takes a few hours for the food you eat to make its way into your breast milk. You might have eaten one of these foods right before you nurse and observe your baby is fine but by either the following nursing session or the one following you might notice your baby having a reaction after that.  

Your breast milk does not merely taste like what you eat, but furthermore what you drink. Exactly as with pregnancy, you should stay away from a lot of caffeine while breastfeeding. You might feel you need a little coffee to keep you functioning and a cup or two will not hurt you or your baby, but too much could hold disastrous effects. Just like we get strung out from too much caffeine, your baby does as well. Keep your caffeine down to a least amount. 

You have made an exceptional choice breastfeeding your baby.  Keep it up by making safe choices as to what you eat.

Green Tea Tales

Green tea for me is like a miracle drink! It has extremely high levels of antioxidants, is touted as an anti-cancer drink and may play an important role in the prevention of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s  disease due to the enzymes it contains. Either way green tea is a fantastic immune booster packed full of antioxidants which can do only good for you and your unborn baby.

Even though it’s not the best tasting drink ever, the health benefits far outweigh the slight bitterness of green tea. It is very easy to add a cup of green tea into your daily routine. There is a website address at the end of the article from which you can buy organic powdered green tea from certified growers in Japan. I recommend the Organic Matcha! Powdered green tea is the most powerful and is said to have over one hundred and thirty seven times the antioxidants of dried green tea leaves in bags. I drink this, one cup a day and it makes a huge difference to my immune system and general well being. The guys ( Yuuki Cha)I buy from in Japan are fantastic, their powdered green tea is second to none and they are fast and efficient. Tell them I sent you! Well worth it!

Happy Tea Ceremony!

www.yuuki-cha.com

My 3 Best Ways To Keep Cool If You Have a Summer Pregnancy

My third pregnancy fell over the summer  and while it wasn’t a blisteringly hot summer, I struggled terribly. I had only ever been pregnant in the winter and as I am positive that I am the hottest pregnant woman on the planet, and I dont mean hot as in sexy, it was a nightmare. I literally bake. I perspire excessively, my face gets redder and redder and more blotchy as the day goes by, I can’t seem to breathe as the air is warm and my feet feel like they are on fire.

Ever the innovator and with no air conditioning in sight, these are the 3 things that kept me the coolest:

1. I made sure I had a large, constant stock of ice lollies, homemade I might add, in the freezer. I bought some ice lolly molds at my local supermarket, made up a large jug of my favourite fruit juice diluted with water(half water, half juice to be precise) and helped myself whenever I began to melt. The beauty of these is that they taste great, they are homemade so you know exactly what is in them, they cost next to nothing and they don’t make you fat like ice cream does!

2. You may laugh at this method, but it works like a bomb. I had been on my feet all day, I had to drive with my husband to the hospital(to have his vasectomy!)drop him off then drive for an hour home, only to return later that evening to collect him. There was also a school run in the middle of that and by 4pm I thought my feet were going to spontaneously combust. As I was getting a lifesaving ice lolly from the freezer, I saw the  picnic ice blocks, those platics blue ones, and a vison hit me right there and then. I raced for the masking tape and spent the next hour with my feet up on the arm of the couch, ice lolly in hand a a large blue plastic ice block taped to the sole of each foot! Bliss! I highly recommend this.

3. The good old cold shower! This is a cooling down staple, pregnant or not. JUts get you r clothes off and step into a cold shower, starting with the water lukewarm and making it colder bit by bit. Of course if you have a swimming pool, jump into that. Unfortunately I don’t have a pool so the shower is my best bet, bearing in mind that for me and my then enormous belly once I got into a bath, be it cold or hot, I could not get out on my own. Therefore I have a very special relationship with my shower!

I hope that just one of these is something you hadn’t thought of and helps you cool off if you are having a summer pregnancy.