Dr. Jennifer Brocker’s Blog

Diuretic Foods and drinks

2011-07-12T13:15:00.001-07:00

Wow this whole 3rd pregnancy thing really goes by fast... I can't believe I am almost 33 weeks already, smack in the middle of the 3rd trimester! Which incidentally is when swelling is usually at its worst...you're fingers feeling like sausages and your feet feeling like footballs. Jewelry doesn't fit, and lets face it, if you're comfortably wearing shoes at this point that aren't flip flops, you should count yourself lucky. Fluid retention at this point seems like just another "symptom" of pregnancy (espeically in the summer), but in fact there are a variety of foods and drinks that can help your body shed some of that excess water and make these last few weeks of pregnancy much more pleasant. The list includes: asparagus, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, beets, cabbage, carrots, artichokes, bananas, horseradish, lettuce, oats, raisins, raw onions and radishes, canteloupe, watercress and watermelon. Naturally diuretic drinks include: cranberry juice, green tea, and herbal and dandelion leaf teas. Other methods to combat swelling during pregnancy are compression and ice, elevation, and light massage. Drinking adequate amounts of water is also important to prevent fluid retention (which I realize seems counter-intuitive, but its true!)

It is also important to keep in mind that excessive edema, when coupled with high blood pressure and protein in the urine is a sign of pre-eclampsia, which is a life-threatening condition when left untreated. As always, talk to your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about the severity of your swelling or any other symptoms you are having during your pregnancy. Happy baby growing everyone!!!

Source for diuretic food and drink list: www.ehow.com/about_4744847_natural-diuretics-pregnancy.html accessed: 7-12-11.

2011-03-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Week 18: Boy or Girl Wow, its week 18 already and yet it still feels so brand new to be pregnant again! I don’t know if this happens to anyone else out there, but I always get asked the same 4 questions when people find out I’m pregnant: How far along are you? How are you feeling? Do you know what you’re having? Are you going to find out? Well, I’m 18 weeks, I feel pretty good, just tired and hungry all the time, I don’t know what I’m having, and I won’t be finding out. With today’s technology it seems like a no-brainer to find out what sex your baby is….that way you can prepare! But I am old fashioned and prefer the surprise, the mystery, and the predictions that you get from everyone, including strangers on the street and cashiers at the grocery store. Everyone has some old wives tale way of knowing what sex the baby will be, and they “are almost always right,” so what they tell you will surely happen (even though almost everyone thought my daughter would be a boy and my son would be a girl). Here are some of my favorite “gender prediction tests” and their answers for me… According to: Sex of the baby will be: The Chinese Lunar Chart female http://www.babyhopes.com/chinese-birth-chart.html Old Wives Tale Method female http://www.babygenderprediction.com/old-wives-tales/index.phtml Based on Heart Rate female http://www.babygenderprediction.com/babys-heart-rate.html Wedding Ring on a String undetermined (operational error I think) http://www.babygenderprediction.com/needle-gender-prediction.html Speculation from the general population has not yet begun, since my tummy isn’t quite big enough, but I am anxiously waiting for the baby pool predictions and to hear the random ways people “know” what sex my baby will be!!! All I can say is….we’ll see!!

2011-02-17T15:57:00.000-08:00

Weeks 10-12: My little fetus!

The first big transitions in little baby’s life are taking place during these weeks. By the end of week 10, baby is no longer considered an embryo; he/she is now officially a fetus. Also during these weeks, the last of the body systems are developing, so that by the end of week 12, the little fetus is fully formed, with all body systems in place, and will spend the next 28 weeks getting bigger (as will you!). Another exciting thing that has been happening over the last few weeks is the placenta has taken over the development of the hormones that sustain the pregnancy, giving your ovaries a much needed break. This transition, and perhaps why it is so noteworthy, typically marks the end of morning sickness (hurray!). For a small population, some mild morning sickness may continue through the next few weeks, but it should be markedly improved! I have to say though, that my absolute favorite part of these weeks, as a mother, is hearing the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. For me, it really brings everything into focus (I am really about to have 3 kids!) and it’s the first external connection I can make with my baby. I just love those tiny little lub dubs!! So celebrate the end of your first trimester and all that has been accomplished these last 3 months!

Cited: WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/your-pregnancy-week-by-week-weeks-9-12. Your Pregnancy Week by Week:
Weeks 9-12. Accessed: 2/15/11.

Week 7: What to Eat When You’re Expecting

2011-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-01-07T13:03:00.000-08:00

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.

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2009-09-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

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