It’s a physiological fact that you will gain weight when you’re pregnant, but how much depends on a lot of things: your pre-pregnancy weight and overall health, the foods you eat when you’re pregnant, and your amount of regular exercise (just to name a few). According to the American Pregnancy Association, the average weight gain during pregnancy is 25-40 pounds, but keep in mind that is just an average, some people (like myself) will gain way more than that, and others may gain less. The important thing to focus on during your pregnancy is not how much weight you gain, but what kind of foods you’re eating. Every pregnant woman (and well everyone everywhere not living under a rock) knows about food cravings during pregnancy. Some say our bodies crave foods that contain nutrients that our bodies are lacking, which I think is true to some extent, but unfortunately our bodies are rarely lacking refined sugars or artificial food colorings. Which means, put down the skittles, twizzlers, and m&m’s, your body doesn’t need that stuff no matter how much you crave it (and it can set you up for gestational diabetes, which is super not cool), and pick up some blueberries, strawberries, and bananas. Basically feel free to give in to your food cravings as often as you like, when you’re craving fruits and vegetables, and when you crave something that’s not so healthy, try substituting in a healthier option (frozen yogurt and fruit as opposed to ice cream, for example). This will ensure that your body and your baby have the nutritional building blocks they need for a healthy mom and baby after delivery.
PS Breastfeeding is the best “diet” you’ll ever try, seems like I dropped the weight I gained with my first 2 pregnancies faster than I put it on…what other diet can boast that!
Cited: American Pregnancy Association. www.americanpregnancy.org. Pregnancy Wellness. Accessed 1.18.2011.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Friday, January 7, 2011
Dr. Mom and baby number 3!
I have now been a chiropractor for 3.5 years, and in that time have had 2 beautiful children. My knowledge as a chiropractor and my experience as a mother have inspired me to dedicate my practice to the care of pregnant women and children. In the midst of building this practice, I now find myself pregnant with my third child, and although surprising, it is very exciting to take this journey through pregnancy, labor and delivery once again. In light of this new development, I thought I might share my pregnancy experience, along with some of the things I have learned along the way, through this blog…Dr. Mom and baby number 3. So here goes.
Week 5: Morning Sickness
I think the dread of all women who are pregnant or are thinking about getting pregnant is morning sickness, and with good reason since 75% of pregnant women experience some level of morning sickness. The working theory is that the increase in hormones, namely Human cortico Gonadatrophin (also known as HcG, the hormone that pregnancy tests test for) and estrogen, and the development of the placenta, greatly tax the detoxifying systems of the body, principally the liver. With the liver unable to keep up with the detox demand, the digestive system becomes imbalanced, and presto chango, you have nausea. This seems to hold true based on many of the popular natural remedies associated with combating morning sickness: ginger tea, peppermint aromatherapy, eating small meals, avoiding fatty foods, and staying hydrated, which are meant to take some stress off the liver and digestive system. A well known therapeutic option for morning sickness treatment is acupuncture (love it, think its amazing!), but less well know is chiropractic. By adjusting the spine we can take the irritation off the nervous system and help balance the body systems. There are also several techniques in chiropractic that specifically address organ systems and can help to stimulate those organs to improve their function. So morning sickness, be aware, we will defeat you!!
Reference: Arcadi, Victoria. “How Do You Treat Hyperemesis Gravidarum (Morning Sickness)?” Dynamic Chiropractic. Volume 29, number 1. Online archives.
I have now been a chiropractor for 3.5 years, and in that time have had 2 beautiful children. My knowledge as a chiropractor and my experience as a mother have inspired me to dedicate my practice to the care of pregnant women and children. In the midst of building this practice, I now find myself pregnant with my third child, and although surprising, it is very exciting to take this journey through pregnancy, labor and delivery once again. In light of this new development, I thought I might share my pregnancy experience, along with some of the things I have learned along the way, through this blog…Dr. Mom and baby number 3. So here goes.
Week 5: Morning Sickness
I think the dread of all women who are pregnant or are thinking about getting pregnant is morning sickness, and with good reason since 75% of pregnant women experience some level of morning sickness. The working theory is that the increase in hormones, namely Human cortico Gonadatrophin (also known as HcG, the hormone that pregnancy tests test for) and estrogen, and the development of the placenta, greatly tax the detoxifying systems of the body, principally the liver. With the liver unable to keep up with the detox demand, the digestive system becomes imbalanced, and presto chango, you have nausea. This seems to hold true based on many of the popular natural remedies associated with combating morning sickness: ginger tea, peppermint aromatherapy, eating small meals, avoiding fatty foods, and staying hydrated, which are meant to take some stress off the liver and digestive system. A well known therapeutic option for morning sickness treatment is acupuncture (love it, think its amazing!), but less well know is chiropractic. By adjusting the spine we can take the irritation off the nervous system and help balance the body systems. There are also several techniques in chiropractic that specifically address organ systems and can help to stimulate those organs to improve their function. So morning sickness, be aware, we will defeat you!!
Reference: Arcadi, Victoria. “How Do You Treat Hyperemesis Gravidarum (Morning Sickness)?” Dynamic Chiropractic. Volume 29, number 1. Online archives.
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