Nurturing Your Pregnant Mind and Body

Hiya Snappers! Today is Day 5 of my guest blogging series! Today we have Miss Lisa from http://squishablebaby.com/ ! We are relatively new blogging buddies, but let me tell ya people, I am in awe of this adorable lil gal! She owns her own business, and makes her own baby clothes! My hubs bought me a sewing machine once, and I have yet to read the directions, or figure out how to put the thread on spools or spindles yet! Wait is a spindle that thing in Sleeping Beauty? Hah! You get my point! She makes her own wool and bamboo baby clothing! SO in my book, she is phee-nom-e-nal! Plus she writes an awesome blog! Check her out and show her some lovin'! Happy reading! ********************************************************************************* Here, in my part of the internet, I blog - I dye - I sew - and I sell - and not necessarily in that order. I care about the strength of the American family - so you will see me blogging about relationship strengthening ideas, family togetherness activities, eco-friendly tips, Squishable Baby softness, homeschooling, Natural parenting stuff, faith, and a whole lot about kids...kids...kids...and more kids. I love to talk about how to keep kids safe and in school doing the right thing! When I'm not blogging, I'm dyeing. When I'm not dyeing, I'm sewing. Yep. I hand dye and sew Merino wool and bamboo pants for babies. They are fun, soft and squishy pants that they can rough and tumble play in - or go out at night and be fancy in! The fibers are certainly sustainable - and durable! They are perfect for environmentally cautious busy body squishes. You can find me various places. My fav hangouts go from top to bottom. The Lovin Twitter Google+ Facebook  

The birth of a child is a life changing event. Birth is beautiful Birth is amazing Birth is natural Birth is....life! I'm sure we have all heard some horrendous birth stories of agonizing pain, botched surgeries, incompetent doctors/nurses/midwives, etc. I don' think we need to rehash them now...or ever. I want to change your view on birth. I want you to see that birth is the most beautiful event that happens in a woman's life. Birth is a life altering experience - as it should be. Life as you have known it will change , grow and get better in each passing day. Just like Motherhood, birth is an event that everyone should be ever present for - make good and informed decisions about - and celebrate! It's not gory, it's not painful, it's not a sickness. Pregnancy is not something that needs to be treated but rather revered. Certainly, the way in which you choose to bring your baby into this world has a great impact on your babies health and well being - and as a result, should be considered carefully. I, myself, have had 3 very beautiful and successful home births. I have some baby/body nurturing tips to share with you. I will always remain in a positive space. Just a note. I'm all about prevention. If you prevent something from happening - then it takes the dangers out of the equation. All of my nurturing tips are about prevention - not treatment. Once treatment is necessary, you need to listen to the advice of your doctor. How about this? Let us not get to that point.   Tip one - Put Yourself in a Positive Place I think of birth as I think of life. Things in life don't always go how you want them to. Same goes with birth. You prepare for the best. You plan for the best. You keep your mind open and positive. You shun all the negativity (including stories). It's mind over matter. Your thoughts have just as much to do with anything as your physical condition. Surround yourself with positive people. If your doctor is at all negative, kick him/her to the curb! If you do these things, you will put yourself in the best possible position for a positive outcome. The one thing that is absolutely necessary is for you to get in touch with your woman wisdom. Once you trust your own wisdom, you will know what to do for your baby and for your body. Positivity breeds great results.     Tip two - The Annoying One - Drink Tons and Tons of Water When you learn that you are pregnant, start drinking lots and lots of water. I drank 18 glasses a day. It's really important to stay hydrated. I would aim for 12 glasses for a average size mama, and 15-18 glasses per day for a plus size Mama. Hydration is very important, especially in the latter stages of pregnancy. Later in pregnancy, lower amniotic fluid (at least on the sonogram) is blamed for unnecessary intervention. If you are constantly drinking water (from week four on) it helps greatly. Adequate hydration keeps the water levels up. I would start drinking the water early so your body gets used to it. You don't want to start the water when you are in the "constantly going to the bathroom" stage. That would just be annoying. Do it early and do it often.   Tip two - Calcium is Good for the Bones and Good for the Preggo Body Take 1000 mg of calcium a day (preferably in liquid form as it's easily absorbed). High blood pressure runs very strongly in my family - so I had to be extra vigilant on this. It has been shown that calcium supplementation reduces the risk of Pregnancy Induced Hypertension (PIH), Pre-Eclampsia, and Eclampsia. Evid Based Med 2011;16:40-41 doi:10.1136/ebm1145 . I went on amazon.com and found a liquid calcium supplement that was affordable. I took 2 Tbsp every night. If you have a good diet with calcium rich foods, than the supplement would not be necessary. What are examples of calcium rich foods?

Milk

Cheese

Yogurt (Greek is great for protein)

Dark leafy greens

Fortified cereals

Fortified OJ

Soy Milk

Broccoli

Oranges

Sardines

Oatmeal - but I would do steel cut oats (more protein)

Almonds

Salmon

Beans

Dried Figs

  Tip 3 - Protein...Protein...and More - Lean Protein Every pregnant woman needs 100g of protein a day. The high protein intake lessens the incident of Pre-Eclampsia. Protein is needed for the development of the baby. Protein is needed for the functions of your body. I mentioned Pre-Eclampsia above. Pre-Eclampsia is a very dangerous condition of pregnancy, and should be avoided at all costs (aka like the plague). Pre-Eclampsia is bad for Mama's and bad for babies. Don't go there. Let us try to prevent this very dangerous condition. So eat that protein (lean protein, that is). Examples of protein rich foods

Greek yogurt

Steel cut oats

eggs

Fish

Chicken

Tofu

Beans

  Tip 4 - Get that Uterus In Shape Start your pregnancy tea, or taking your red raspberry leaf caplets, at 18 weeks. Red raspberry tones your uterus to make contractions more efficient and effective. Red Raspberry Leaf DOES NOT induce labor. A toned uterus will produce more efficient contractions - and after that baby comes out, produce more effective contraction - lessening the chance of post natal hemorrhage. Click here to see what others say.   Tip 5 - Dip into Those Vitamins Ward off the IV antibiotics and start the GBS vitamin regimen at 36 weeks. The regimen boosts your immune system. Your baby's immune system is your immune system. The regimen will reduce your chances for testing positive for GBS. Even if you do, it will also lower the likelihood that you will pass GBS onto your baby. Your baby nor your body needs those high doses of antibiotics. Let's make breastfeeding successful. We don't want to have to deal with thrush. Go here to see what others have to say.   Tip 6 - Get your body, and Keep your Body Moving Exercise...exercise...exercise. Labor is not a passive activity. You need to be in shape for it. it can be 6 hours or 36 hours - we don't know. Your body must be able to withstand the rigors of labor - plain and simple. Can you run a marathon without training? Of course not. Same goes with a natural labor. If you are healthy, there should be absolutely no reason for you not to get up, get out, and move! Laziness doesn't count. Laziness is not a medical condition.   These are just a few tips, your OB might not tell you. Here is one more. The risks and side effects of all the modern interventions are not talked about. They are not discussed. Just make sure you are well informed with whatever decision you make. It's so important. If you have any other questions I am here to help. If I can't help, I will put you in contact with the person who can. So, tell me. Do you think you can put some of these tips to work in your own life? Which of these nurturing tips are new to you?



                                                                 Hope you enjoyed!