Show Notes

Eating for conception, pregnancy, and postpartum

Think about your general nutrition balance

Create a receptive environment in the body

Reduce oxidative stress through blood sugar balance by:

-consistent meals throughout the day

-balance macro nutrients, a little bit of carbs, protein, and fats

Anxiety and Food

-collaborate with your mental health professional and your dietitian

-anxiety goes down when you’re satiated

-anxiety may go up when you don’t eat regularly

What should a woman who is going through IVF eat?

Follow a Mediterranean diet

Eat complex carbs vs refined carbs

Eat good for you fats-fish, nuts, avocado

Is gluten bad?

Some people are really sensitive to it

It can cause inflammation

Cutting out refined carbs may be helping you more than cutting out gluten

What about fruit?

Glucose and Fructose are present in fruit

Fruit is a source of carbs

Fruit provides a ton of fiber

Phytonutrients are present that act like antioxidants (berries, cherries, pomegranates)

Eat the fruit that grows close to you

If you have Gestational Diabetes eat:

Apples, berries, and pears (doesn’t effect blood sugars as much)

Eat for blood sugar balance

How to eat during your 1st Trimester and morning sickness:

Do what you can to eat something

Eat small frequent meals

Have a little something right away in morning before coffee

Meet with MD if you can’t keep anything down

Eat ginger chews

Stay away from fatty meals

Apples, vinegar, and calcium neutralize stomach acid

Pedialyte Popsicles

Pregnancy Pops

Consider taking B6

How to Eat for 2nd Trimester

Increase fiber and fluid intake

Insulin skyrockets and gestational diabetes is screened

Need 300 more calories/day

You’ll feel hungry

Constipation can occur

How to Eat for 3rd Trimester

You may be even hungrier

36-38 weeks you may see swelling, pay attention to sodium intake

Exercise and small frequent meals or tums for heartburn

Post Partum

You’re hungry and thirsty

Eat soups, broths, stews for the first few days

If breastfeeding, you need 600 more calories/day

Eat fenugreek, fennel

High fiber intake

What about milk producing products and teas?

Galactagogues like flax seeds and oats, fenugreek, fennel are considered to support the production of milk.

Tea in Pregnancy: drink ginger, chamomile, rasberry, stay away from peppermint or spearmint for heartburn

Support people: Bring dense meals full of nutrients to Mama and family

Tips:

Make sure you have a prenatal vitamin onboard

Look at the food you have and eat things that are not processed

Split up your vitamin intake (half at night and half in a.m.)

Consider eating animal based foods (nourish body, easy to digest, and full of nutrients)

Double/triple intake of water while pregnant and keep that up or more when breastfeeding

Food is your ally, it’s there to nourish you

Know what’s best for you

Be graceful towards yourself

Product Recommendations:

The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother - By Heng Ou

Real Food For Pregnancy - By Lily Nichols

Pregnancy Pops

DISCLAIMER: THE INFORMED MOM PODCAST DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE

No material from our hosts or guests is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. We strive to provide you with education and information so that you can then go to your own provider and get an individualized approach to your medical needs and questions. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard in this podcast.