An educational night full of tips and tricks for preparing for and having a healthy pregnancy with our very own pregnant-mama-to-be Dr. Corrine Poulin!
2. First things first!
Keys to a healthy pregnancy
Dealing with common pregnancy ailments
3. Keys to a Healthy Pregnancy
Nutrition
Exercise
Sleep
Stress Reduction
Support
Toxin elimination
4. Nutrition Myths
Forget all the conventional wisdom you’ve ever been told
on healthy eating
Low fat diet- NOT GOOD!
“Healthy whole grains” – not so good either!
Keeping blood sugar stable with little carb snacks all day-
let’s go a different route!
5. NUTRITION
Protein and healthy fats are KEY!!
Protein has been shown to decrease pre-eclampsia
Protein can decrease swelling and nausea
Healthy fats are needed for building baby’s brain and
nervous system
your baby is competing with you inside your body for
nutrients, so you and your baby both need adequate
amounts of nutrients. If your diet isn’t adequate, it is
possible for your baby to diminish your bone and tooth
health in the second trimester.
Good nutrition in pregnancy is linked to:
• Healthier babies
• More energy
• Better pattern of weight gain during
and weight loss after
• Less premature labor
• Greater elasticity of tissues/less likely
needing an episiotomy
• Quicker healing after birth
6. Foods to focus on during pre-conception,
pregnancy and breastfeeding:
Protein: Most women need 80+ grams of protein every day for healthy pregnancy.
Fats: This is often the biggest hurdle for many women, but consuming adequate fats is
absolutely vital to baby’s organ and brain development. Women should focus on healthy sources
like meat and fish (including red meat), grass fed butter, eggs, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts,
avocados, etc.
Vegetables and Fruits: Provide a variety of vitamins, minerals and fiber that are helpful
during pregnancy.
Water: A woman’s blood volume actually increases during pregnancy and her body has to
supply fluid to replenish the amniotic fluid the baby is in. Drinking enough water (usually around
a gallon a day or ~ 4 liters) can help fight off morning sickness and also helps prevent
constipation and make sure mom and baby are properly hydrated.
7. Healthy foods in pregnancy
The best thing you can do for yourself and your baby is eating small
amounts of diverse, high-quality foods, and get as many of your nutrients
from whole foods as possible.
Dates
Red raspberry leaf tea
8. Foods to avoid in pre-conception, pregnancy
and breastfeeding
Undercooked meat, Deli/lunch meats and meat spreads.
Unpasteurized soft cheeses- brie, camembert, goat cheese/chèvre, Danish Blue, gorgonzola,
Roquefort, and Mexican-style cheese, like raw Queso Fresco - unless they clearly state that they
are made from pasteurized milk
Raw eggs or products with raw eggs (cookie dough, over easy eggs)
Sushi made with raw fish, raw oysters and other shellfish
Fish that is high in mercury –shark, swordfish, mackerel, tile fish, ahi tuna
Decrease caffeine: limit caffeine intake to less than 200 mg per day (~one 12 oz cup of coffee)
Vegetable oils, fried foods, canola oil
Fast food and processed foods
Food colorings and additives
9. Top Supplements in Pregnancy
Prenatal
Fish Oil
Vitamin D
Probiotics
https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/holisticurgentcare
10. What is in a good prenatal?
Folate/B9
Vit. A
All B Vitamins
Vit. C
Vit. D
Vit. K
Iron
Calcium & Phosphorus
Choline
Zinc, iodine, selenium
11. EXERCISE Recommended 20-30 minutes a day of moderate
exercise
May reduce the risk of gestational diabetes and
cesarean deliveries.
DRINK PLENTY OF FLUID BEFORE DURING & AFTER
Walking, swimming, yoga, are all great places to start –
Youtube for at home workouts
Kegel exercises: flicks (2 sec each), extended (holding
10-20 sec), elevator exercise(slow up & down)
Movement helps:
• Prevent blood clots
• Encourage strong muscles and bones
• Increases energy
• Relieve/prevent aches and pains
• Improves posture
• Help you relax and sleep
12. SLEEP
Get at least 7 hours a night
Sleep on left side as much as possible after 1st
trimester
Use pillows to be more comfortable placing one
between the knees, a second under the belly, and a
third behind the back to support it and relieve pain
13. STRESS
REDUCTION Quiet time
Meditation
Rest and naps are your friend!
Deep breathing
Prenatal yoga
Reading
Grounding in nature
14. SUPPORT
Loved ones
Friends
Mom groups
Care providers
Do you know if you want an OB or a Midwife?
15. CUTTING OUT THE BAD STUFF
Medications: check with your doctor to make sure what you are currently taking is safe in
pregnancy – you may need alternatives that don’t affect baby
Smoking
Alcohol
Work hazards: chemicals, heavy metals, radiation
Cat litter
Around the house: cleaning products, pesticides, solvents, and drinking water
EMF and Radiation exposure
Decline vaccines during pregnancy
Fluoride
16.
17. Easy Switches to make now:
• Use glass containers for food
storage
• Use a reusable glass or stainless
steel water bottle
• Aspartame should be avoided
• Find it in artificially sweetened
products like Crystal lite and
packaged foods, gum, etc
• Get a water filter - RO is best but
need to add minerals, even starting
with a Brita filter is a step!
• Clean with vinegar and water or
baking soda - ditch the harmful
chemicals and save money!
• Diffusers with essential oils
• Stick to buying the dirty dozen and
‘OWL’ organic
• Oats, wheat, lentils
• Most heavily sprayed foods
18. What personal products do you
use? How many ingredients in
each?
• Makeup
• Shampoos, conditioners
• Lotions
• Perfumes
• Nail polish
• Cleansers and soaps
• Deodorants (Dove, old spice,
Degree – some of the worst!)
• Sunscreen
19. Make the switch:
- Check EWG or Think Dirty App for what
you are currently using or to find
alternatives
- Native, PurelyGreat, Crystal Essence,
Schmidt’s Primal Pit Paste - deodorants
- BeautyCounter makeup
- Coconut oil for dry skin and lubricant
- 3rd Rock Sunblock
- Skip the mani/pedis during pregnancy
- Honeybee Gardens, Ella + Mila, Suncoat
for nail polish brands
20. Daily Healthy Habits
Drink extra water!
Do some stretching when you wake up
Sneak in a pregnancy power nap
Take a quick walk after dinner
22. Nausea
Eat regular small nutritious meals of foods that are full of protein and mineral-
rich. This can prevent your blood sugar from dipping.
Ginger
Citrus -Try eating oranges, or drinking lemon water.
Use lemon or grapefruit essential oils on the temples or wrists.
Eliminate strong odors as much as you can.
Try acupressure or acupuncture.
23. Insomnia
Aid sleep by developing a grounding, calming bedtime routine.
Incorporate relaxing scents such as lavender essential oil.
Consider ways to pamper yourself. For example, receive a massage, or take a
warm bath or shower. As your body temperature drops, you’ll feel more
inclined to sleep.
Try a pregnancy pillow.
Sleep on your left side when pregnant.
Yoga and meditation can help regulate sleep.
24. Constipation
Make sure you drink enough water to hydrate you and your baby as your
blood volume increases.
Do your best to eat fresh fruits and veggies and avoid processed foods.
Take a high-quality live (refrigerated) probiotic.
Deep yogic squats can help relieve constipation. Squatting is how we naturally
go to the bathroom.
25. Heartburn
To combat heartburn, eat small regular meals, and drink lots of water.
Eat sitting up. Do not lay down for at least 30 minutes after eating.
Sleep propped up with pillows.
Take a walk after meals.
Try to eat alkaline foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.
26. Swelling
If you are swollen please talk to your healthcare provider, as it could be a sign
of preeclampsia.
Alternate between rest and movement.
Eat potassium-rich foods such as bananas.
Take warm baths with added minerals.
Add mineral drops to your water if it is RO.
27. Trimester Symptoms
First:
•Vomiting that lasts more than two days or you can’t keep fluid down
•Pain or burning when you urinate
•Pain or itching in your vaginal area
•Unusual vaginal discharge
•Bleeding or fluid leaking from your vagina
•Fever over 100 degrees or you have chills and flu‐like symptoms
Second ‐ same as the first trimester plus:
•Any signs of labor
•Cramping that doesn’t go away after a few minutes
•Swelling in your face
•A bad headache that doesn’t go away after eating or resting
•You see spots, stars or your vision is blurred
Third ‐ same as the first and second
trimesters plus:
•Sudden swelling in your hands and feet when you get up in the morning
•Your baby’s movements change in any way from normal
•Your baby has stopped moving
When to call your doctor:
Who here is currently pregnant??
Who here is trying to get pregnant??
Is this anyone’s first pregnancy?
Dates – 6 a day in 3rd trimester: oxytocin-like effect on the body, reduces postpartum hemorrhage, less likely to use Pitocin, quicker to dilate and shorter 1st stage of labor
Red raspberry leaf tea helps tone the uterus for a shorter labor, and rooibos tea is caffeine-, tannin-, and oxalate-free unlike black or green teas.
Prenatal
Fish Oil: essential for baby’s development and it is difficult to get enough from diet. Supplementing high quality sources of these fats can help reduce risk of complications and give baby the necessary nutrients for good development.
Vitamin D: Women who took 4,000 IU/day were half as likely to develop gestational diabetes, pregnancy-related high blood pressure, or preeclampsia, and were also less likely to give birth prematurely.
Probiotics: help reduce the risk of Group B strep
Folate- normal spinal development in fetus. Mothers need twice the normal amount.
Folate found in foods = natural look for methylfolate or MTHF as the ingredient on the label – avoid folic acid or foliniic acid products which is the synthetic version of B9
Vit. A- ensures proper eye development and healthy skin, symmetry and asymmetry where needed – two arms, two legs, two kidneys one liver, one heart.
Vit. B- general fetal development. nervous system development
Look for activated forms of all B vitamins (methyl-cobalamin B12, NOT CYANO-cobalamin, etc)
Vit. C- build healthy teeth and gums; helps form connective tissue of skin, bone, and organs.
Vit. D- aids in the creation of bones and teeth.
Vit. K - healthy amounts of vitamins D and K allow for the proper directing of calcium to the bones and teeth and not to soft tissues
Iron- prevent anemia and assists in developing the baby’s own blood supply.
Calcium & Phosphorus- work together to produce strong bones and teeth. Also to ensure regular elimination of waste from the body.
Choline – for neurodevelopment and cell membrane
Chelated zinc – may reduce risk of preterm babies
iodine, selenium, and vitamin A in this formula all contribute to healthy maternal thyroid function, as compromised thyroid function may lead to impaired motor and intellectual development in infants
First-time mothers who got less than 6 hours of sleep at night were 4.5 times more likely to have a C-section and their average length of labor was 10 hours or longer compared with first-time mothers who slept 7 hours or more.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends that pregnant women should sleep on their left side, which may improve the flow of blood and nutrients to the developing fetus and to a woman's heart, uterus and kidneys.
Meditation apps: calm, insight timer, headspace
Deep breathing - 4 square breathing
Can youtube guided meditations
Cat litter – have someone else change it during pregnancy - - Cat feces can contain a parasite that is especially dangerous to a developing fetus.
AROUND THE HOUSE:
Cleaning products: norwex, get rid of harsh cleaning chemicals, air freshner sprays, opt for essential oil diffusers or natural based candles, get rid of glade plug ins and car scents
Pesticides – now is not the time to get your yard or house sprayed!
EMF radiation exposure: decline dental and procedural xrays, standing by microwave while cooking, sleeping by the wifi router, keep phone away from tummy, don’t set laptop on your lap etc)
In 2006, the CDC strengthened recommendations that all pregnant women, healthy or not, should get a flu shot in any trimester. As of 2011, a pertussis-containing Tdap shot is also recommended for all pregnant women
Published reports point to an increased risk of miscarriages and elevated risks of birth defects and autism in the offspring of mothers who received influenza vaccines during pregnancy
At the time of the 2011 recommendation, there were no studies of Tdap safety during pregnancy available, so most of the data used to justify the recommendation came from post-licensure pregnancy pharmacovigilance conducted by vaccine manufacturers. To this day, online information for Boostrix states that “it is not known whether Tdap vaccine will harm an unborn baby
There’s absolutely NO sound science backing the assumption that vaccination during pregnancy is safe. On the contrary, there is a lack of available science and testing in this area.
