We’ve talked about the emotional, mental and psychological aspects of birthing. These are all important to help you achieve a calm and relaxed birthing. But what you put into your body in the way of nutrition and how you prepare your body physically for birthing can make all the difference in the world in how your birthing plays out. Good nutrition is essential if you hope to have a healthy pregnancy and healthy birth, and intend to sidestep many of the special circumstances of late pregnancy that can turn your birthing around.
Water: The Miracle Liquid
Consuming a sufficient amount of water is one of the most important elements in your daily health routine during pregnancy, and it’s one of the easiest tasks that you can fit into your schedule. You need to consume water and other liquids, such as juices, to keep your body hydrated for better all-around bodily function. Hydration is paramount.
Approximately 60 percent of the human body is composed of water. It is one of the chief means of transportation within the body, carrying essential nutrients to the tissues and muscles that need them. Water aids in your digestion by moving food through the digestive system and then moving toxic waste products out of your body in elimination—two very important considerations when you are pregnant. Water acts as a lubricant, as well as a cushion for joints and muscles, and plays a major role in the spinal cord. It also helps to maintain a healthy body temperature. Because pregnancy changes the way your body stores and uses fluids, the kidneys are far more active in filtering toxins. Increasing your consumption of water can aid in this process and help avoid problems with toxemia later in pregnancy.
Water is one of the least expensive ways to maintain good physical health during your pregnancy, and it will help to ensure that you don’t experience some of the inconveniences that some pregnant women may encounter, such as joint pain, constipation, muscle cramps, digestive problems and a host of other common annoyances. It is far better to avoid these nuisances than to require steps to treat them.
Water is continually lost through exertion and body heat, as well as through the skin, kidneys, lungs, colon, and urination and perspiration. When you lose water through these means, it needs to be replaced because of the body’s need for water. Amniotic fluid is replenished at least three times a day.
You will read and hear many recommendations concerning the amount of water that a pregnant woman should consume. Generally, it is recommended that a pregnant woman drink eight glasses of water daily, or a little over two quarts. You will need to consume more water if your activity level is high, if you live in a higher elevation, if the air where you live is less humid, if air temperatures are high, or if you consume a high-fiber diet, which you may be doing to ward off constipation.
The current thinking in determining how much water you should drink is simple. Allow your body to tell you what it needs, as it so nicely does in many other circumstances. You can easily tell if you are consuming a sufficient amount of water by checking the color of your urine. A body that is properly hydrated releases urine that is the color of light lemonade. If your urine is a deeper yellow, you need to reach for water more regularly and increase your consumption of protein. It’s that simple.
You will also want to be aware of the quality of water—clean spring water or filtered water is optimal. Being faithful to this regimen can help prevent numerous pregnancy problems, as well as dry skin and other complexion problems.
Eating for Two
No single issue is more important as you carry your baby than the nutrition you provide for him as he develops and grows. Remember, you are building another little person made of bones, organs, tissues, muscles, blood and cells. It doesn’t matter how conscientiously you approach any building task and how carefully you think you’re building, if the materials that go into the construction are less than the best, your project could prove to be less successful than you would like to see. Building a human being is even more exacting. There is not enough attention paid to nutrition during the birthing year, and next to nothing is focused on nutrition prior to conception, so now is the time to take responsibility for good nutrition for your baby.
The result of glossing over this vital subject is that too many otherwise healthy-appearing women are plagued with problems at the end of their pregnancy. Dr. Tom Brewer refers to these problems in his two books—Metabolic Toxemia in Late Pregnancy and What Every Pregnant Woman Should Know. We highly recommend that you read these books to learn how to avoid most of the problems that women experience at term.
Since the HypnoBirthing philosophy is also one of avoiding, rather than meeting, the consequences of a poor diet, we have set down a few general suggestions that will help you and your baby to maintain good health. It takes a healthy mother to have a healthy baby. Healthy mothers have fewer low-birthweight infants, fewer incidences of premature birth, fewer cases of PIH (pregnancy-induced hypertension) or simply high blood pressure, and fewer incidences of toxemia. (The last two are generally lumped together, though not accurately, and known as preeclampsia.) In general, the pregnancies and births of healthy mothers are more apt to be “normal.” The way to start on the road to good pregnancy health, no matter where you are in your pregnancy, is to realize that you are the single source of nutrition for your baby. If he is going to be well nourished, it’s going to have to be through you.
Of course, pregnancy vitamin supplements are fine, but they are just that—supplements—which means that you should consume them in addition to a wholly nutritious diet, not as a substitute for a good food program. It also means that, like most of the population, when you do your grocery shopping you have to do it defensively. Buy fresh and organic foods as often as possible, rather than processed foods, and become educated as to which fruits and vegetables may have been sprayed with pesticides or treated with preservatives. As with everything in your pregnancy, question. You need to protect your baby.
Note: Though these suggestions have been reviewed by a dietician and have been suggested by nutritionists, if you are experiencing a pregnancy that has special circumstances attached or if you have special food considerations, you will want to consult a nutritionist or dietician rather than follow the course of our suggestions.
The ingredients for growing happy, healthy babies are found in healthful foods. You should plan to increase your daily calorie intake by about 300 calories. Here are a few suggestions:*
Eat:
Lots of protein—75 to 100 grams a day, taken in several snacks or light meals. Protein is the cornerstone of your nutrition program. Protein includes such food items as cottage cheese, milk, ice cream, frozen yogurt, cheeses (except soft cheeses like Camembert, brie and Roquefort), safe fish (see below), peanut butter, lean red meat, poultry, liver, pork, ham, bacon, lamb, veal tofu, eggs, butter, rabbit, vegetables, nuts and seeds (high sources), and fruits.
Celtic or Mediterranean sea salt with no minerals removed—salt to taste.
Safe fish—increase your intake of safe fish or fish oils, which contain omega-3. Check before buying for possible mercury risks.
Green foods—dark, leafy raw foods, celery, green peppers, apples, broccoli, peas, avocado, string beans, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, lima beans, collard greens, Swiss chard, grapes, limes, beet greens, zucchini, dandelion greens, lettuce, spinach (only occasionally as it can limit the absorption of calcium), watercress, snow peas.
Orange foods—squash, yams and sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, oranges, peaches, apricots, nectarines, pumpkin, tangerines, carrots, peppers (raw and cooked).
Red foods—watermelon, strawberries (if not sprayed with pesticides), peppers (raw or cooked), tomatoes, apples, raspberries (drink red raspberry leaf tea), cherries, rhubarb, red potatoes, pimiento, radishes.
Colored fruits—pineapple, pears, bananas, honeydew melons, kiwi, grapes.
Avoid:
Alcohol
Caffeine
Nicotine
Processed meats—hot dogs, luncheon meats, bologna, liverwurst.
Raw fish—oysters, sushi and others.
Unnecessary fats—fried foods, French fries, fast foods.
White foods—refined sugar, white flour products, white rice, white potatoes.
Sweets—candies with empty calories that have no nutritional value.
*Sources include the National Dairy Council, Dr. Thomas Brewer’s book Metabolic Toxemia in Late Pregnancy, the Blue Ribbon Babies Web site, and miscellaneous articles on nutrition.