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In today’s world, consuming a healthy diet can be challenging enough; eating a healthy diet that will not only provide every thing a woman needs but also all the building blocks needed to make another human is overwhelming. Having a nutritional plan eases a mom’s mind that she is nourishing her growing baby with all the love and food one can get.

Why does what you eat during pregnancy matter?

Research continues to conclude that the first 1000 days of a child life, conception to 2 years, are critical for the health and wellness of the child throughout adulthood. This means that what mom eats effects the health of the baby well into the future. Baby depends on mom for their calories, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fluid. Including evidence-based strategies can help baby grow healthy organ systems, assist in brain development and mental health, and promote appropriate birth weight.

Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE paints a beautiful metaphor in her book Real Food for Pregnancy: “Anyone who has ever had a garden understands that when you plant a tomato seed, you can expect a tomato plant to grow (not a pea vine or a broccoli plant). The seed has the blueprints, and even if you’re not a very good gardener, that seed will grow given the bare essentials: some soil, water, and light. However, what separates a novice from a master gardener is their attention to optimal conditions. They have learned that amending the soil with nutrient-dense and microbe-rich compost will provide the plant with more of the raw materials for growth. They understand that there’s a sweet spot in the amount of water and light that helps a tomato plant not just survive, but thrive. Ultimately, they know that with a little TLC, they will have a healthier plant with vibrant green leaves and plentiful, delicious tomatoes.” (Nichols, 2018).

To peak interest even further, one recent Oregon State University study found that when pregnant mice were fed the same phytochemical found in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower, the offspring had a significant decreased risk for certain cancers (Kaur, Shorey, Ho, Dashwood, & Williams, 2013). As a nutritionist, this study makes me want to jump for joy. It shows how much power food really has! As a mom, it makes me feel confident that I can actually have a little bit of control over the future health of my child.

What can improving nutritional intake do for you?

By implementing simple, evidence-based practices, you and your baby can ease through the first stage of life together. Mom can avoid or, at least, lessen the dredged symptoms of constipation, nausea, swelling, and heartburn. Baby can thrive on essential nutrients that will not only help them in the womb but out in the real word too. Food is a powerful medicine.

Resources:

Kaur, P., Shorey, L., Ho, E., Dashwood, R., & Williams, D. (2013). The Epigenome as a Potential Mediator of Cancer Prevention by Dietary Phytochemicals: the Fetus as a Target. Nutrition Review, 441-457.

Nicholas, Lily. (2018). Real Food for Pregnancy. USA

Fertility is about more than just having a baby. It is a sign of HEALTH and VITALITY. — Ayla Barmmer

The dreaded/happy/excited/nervous/dreaded again “TTC” period of life…. Trying To Conceive. Unfortunately, there is so much emotion behind this phase. The anticipation, the excitement, and of course, the perceived lack of control.

However, there are other avenues you can employ to take control when planning for those precious little fingers and toes. You can take the bull by the horns now and focus on YOUR health and YOUR wellbeing. After all, a healthy and happy baby comes from a healthy and happy momma. Implementing simple eating and clean living strategies into one’s daily routine can be a game changer when trying to conceive. Having go to strategies in place before pregnancy also ensures that mom’s body is primed to grow another little one.

Unfortunately, more and more women are experiencing fertility issues. To be frank, the medical model has only strategy for you: medication. Medication is only part of the puzzle. While is it effective, it cannot fix the root problem of infertility that could ultimately cause issues in the future. The body is such a wonder. When one part of the human body is not functioning correctly, the hormonal system down regulates fertility capabilities. The theory goes if your body does not believe it is thriving then it’s not going to put itself in harms way by becoming pregnant and having to support another being. If you are under oxidative stress or chronic inflammation, your immune system or digestive systems are not functioning appropriately,  your body is storing toxins, or you are just plain stressed out becoming pregnant is simply going to be an uphill battle. The good news is that nutritional strategies can help pave the broken roads and lead you to the ultimate goal of having a little angel of your own.

Breastfeeding is an incredible and selfless gift and can provide benefits that last a lifetime. Though no matter how beneficial, breastfeeding is also one of the most challenging, most labor intensive, and most exhausting periods in a woman’s life.  Having a nutritional game plan that emphasizes milk supply but also focuses on ease and convenience is key to survival for both you and baby.

The first year of my son’s life, I was completely consumed with every nuance of breastfeeding. After all, breastfeeding was something I had really looked forward to. With my background as a nutritionist, I was just plain excited for this intimate journey with my son. Let me tell you personally, I was not prepared for how hard it truly was. I went through times of low milk, times of difficulty latching, and buckets, upon buckets of tears. To put it mildly, breastfeeding was the hardest job I had ever completed.

In my experience, most women feel just as I did. The struggle is real. That puts me in the unique position of knowing how hard the job is day in day out but also knowing the demands both you and your baby is under nutritionally. Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE, whose work and research I so admire and put into practice, expresses what my goal as nutritionist during breastfeeding should be. She states,

“Rather, I simply want to encourage new mothers to eat as much nutrient dense, real food as possible, so you can both replete your nutrient stores after pregnancy and produce the most nutritious milk for your ridiculously hungry, rapidly growing baby. This is about self care and nourishment for both of you. It’s about ensuring that you have the ability to heal from childbirth and handle the stresses of motherhood without burning out, while your baby gets optimal nutrition to develop and thrive.” (Nichols, 2018).

My goal during this stage of motherhood is to focus on you, the mother. You have just been through a storm and now asked to climb up the side of a mountain in the same wet clothes you had on during the storm. You need support. You need easy, simple, mindless eating tips and tricks.

Resources:

Nicholas, Lily. (2018). Real Food for Pregnancy. USA

After a woman grows and births a baby, her body has gone through a terrific amount of changes. While those changes have produced such a joyous outcome, the same changes can wreck hormonal homeostasis and deplete nutrient levels. Hormones are the main operators behind the child bearing process. Returning a woman’s natural hormonal rhythms post baby can be quite tricky and frankly depressing without nutritional support.

Similar to hormonal changes, a woman’s body must give a significant amount of her own vitamin and mineral reserves to her new baby. Getting those reserves back to a healthy baseline is critical not only to having energy today but also prepping for future offspring tomorrow.