Going on a ‘Babymoon?’

Angela Horler
Independent Midwife and NCT Antenatal Teacher

Recently, I was trying to find an article or website that would convey what a ‘babymoon’ is and why it’s important. What I found as I ‘googled’ away (isn’t that the best invention ever?) was a substantial amount of websites that were selling the idea of a ‘babymoon’ as a short break you take before you have your baby, where you stay in a beautiful hotel, experiencing luxurious massages and indulgent pampering. This was very far removed from the information I was looking for and left me feeling incredibly frustrated and disappointed that this ‘treat’ occurred before the birth and that new-mothers were being targeted in this way.

So, what is a ‘babymoon’?
‘Babymoon’ was a phrase that I came across several years ago when I was preparing for the birth of my third baby. The idea was that following the birth, the mother takes herself to bed for complete rest with her baby, and stays there for at least a week. During this time, visitors are limited, food is plentiful, cuddles and skin-to-skin contact for mother, baby and father is essential and the time is used to recover from the long journey of birth and to get breastfeeding off to the most fabulous start. To me it sounded perfect and I prepared for this and spent 3 delightful days in bed – it would have been longer except I had two other very young children to get back to.

As an NCT teacher and midwife, I find myself feeling increasingly sad for women and new parents - the current culture we live in conveys a very strong expectation that a woman will give birth and be back on her feet in no time; her new and young baby will be feeding at timely and convenient intervals, guests will be welcomed into the home to hold and meet the new arrival (whilst no doubt the exhausted parents ‘cope marvelously’ and provide their guests with some food and drinks). The mother will soon be back into her skinny jeans (and if she is in any doubt about this can hire a personal trainer to expedite this process) and within a short amount of time, will have her hair and make-up back in place and will be visiting the local coffee shop with her other antenatal group members – passing off the confident air of a mother who is finding this enormous transition in life ‘effortless’. This all too familiar picture creates a huge and unnecessary strain that affects women’s long-tem recovery, her breastfeeding relationship and generally leads to a false expectation of what mothers’ should be achieving in the early weeks.


Getting back to the good old days!........
When our mothers had their babies (that’s us by the way!), there was great attention paid to ‘lying-in’ following the birth. Most babies by then were being born in hospital, and women were invited to stay for 10 days, during which time there would be strict visiting hours (often even applied to the father), a good supply of food (tried NHS food lately?), and the supportive environment of midwives and other new mothers. Now, you are whisked off the labour ward as soon as possible, deposited onto a postnatal ward where the lovely (but very busy) midwife may occasionally give you some of her time, and then churned out to your own home where the community midwife may be able to visit you 2 – or if you are lucky - 3 times.

A period of lying-in is vital for women and babies to recover emotionally, physically and holistically. It’s a time for exploration (examining every little bit of the newborn), nourishment and feeding (for mother, father and baby), and sleeping and resting. If the woman is fortunate enough to have had a normal birth (and that’s a whole other article in itself!), she is still bleeding heavily, is usually sore and uncomfortable and is learning how to care for and feed her new-born. During this time, they themselves should be mothered and nurtured so they can focus on this whole new little person, this baby, who has spent the previous 9 months in a safe, warm, protective environment, is then given the time to adapt to the outside world in a peaceful and uninterrupted continuum, which offers healing and reassurance as they recover from their birth.

Preparing your own ‘babymoon’
If you are married, you may have spent many weeks and months planning your wedding and honeymoon. Your baby’s birth and babymoon experience deserve as much, if not more consideration, so here is my guide to planning your own babymoon:

During the last few weeks or pregnancy, fill your cupboards, fridge and freezer with plenty of nutritious foods. Snacks, whole foods and delicious treats that you will look forward to eating.

Start to tell people that you will be having a babymoon, and that this will mean visitors will be limited in the first couple of weeks. Newborn babies are ‘newborn’ for around 6 weeks so there will be plenty of time for them to meet your baby. Really think about and write down who will be the important people that you will allow in to your precious early days.

Sow the seeds that when visitors are finally welcome to meet your new family, it would be really appreciated if they arrive with a food contribution for you all. Do not feel embarrassed about this – people will happily spend various sums of money on gifts for the baby, but as much as you would like to, you really can not eat a new Baby Gap outfit! You will be surprised by how delighted people will be that they can be of use to you and food packages are the perfect help for new parents.

Set up a milkman: if you live in an area where the milkman delivers this will save having to pop to the shops for top-up milk and bread. Most companies now enable you to order on-line, the night before your delivery, for basic home essentials.

Treat yourself to some home-help: most couples do not seem to mind spending a small fortune on a pushchair or nursery equipment, but flinch at the idea of spending some on themselves! Postnatal doulas are a god-send, Independent Midwives offer excellent postnatal care packages, or organising a cleaner to come in for one morning might be the best-investment you could make.

Enjoy your time; you will never ever get it back again. Next-time you have a babymoon, their will be other children to consider!!

Happy Babymoon!

Angela Horler RM

Ideas for coping in early labour and Optimal Foetal Positioning

In the UK, birth is a normal event in everyday life and is facilitated and supported by midwives, the lead-professional for women with a healthy pregnancy.

Labour and birth is a normal, physiological process and for many women this process may take many hours – particularly with a first baby.

‘Early’ or ‘latent’ labour is a phase of labour that may last many hours; evidence shows that the best place for a woman to spend most of her labour is at home (and evidence also shows that giving birth at home is just as safe as hospital) and staying at home gives your body the best chance possible to ‘establish’ in labour and reduces the likelihood of obstetric intervention (Lauzon & Hodnett, 2003).

What can I do to help myself?

Some women find the following suggestions helpful for managing with early labour:

Ignore – labour for as long as possible. If it’s the real deal, you will soon know!

Rest – where possible give your body the chance to rest, saving your energy and resources for when contractions become more intense

Eat and Drink – if you are thirsty, drink; if you are hungry, eat. This will keep your body hydrated and provides the extra energy required for labour. Eat foods that are carbohydrate based such as bread, potatoes, bananas, pasta, oats, Jaffa Cakes – or anything that takes your fancy! Listen to your body.

Self-help – warm baths can provide excellent pain relief and it is safe to take paracetamol in pregnancy. Some women find distraction very helpful and use this time to finish off those last jobs around the home!

What else can affect the ‘early labour’?

Anecdotally, midwives know that the position of your baby can affect the length of labour and the way your baby is born.

If your baby is in a POSTERIOR or ‘Back-to-Back’ position (your midwife can tell you this by feeling your abdomen, or your may notice most of the weight of the baby in your right side and feel lots of kicks out to your left), then the ‘latent phase’ of labour can last many hours more than usual, and most women experience the majority of labour pains in their back. This can make labour very uncomfortable and some women may find labour harder to manage. The ‘Optimal Foetal Position’ (OFP) for your baby to enter the pelvis is in an ANTERIOR position – with your baby looking towards your spine (you will be feeling lots of kicks in the right side of your body).

Although there have been few studies focusing on the position of a baby in respect to labour, midwives and women’s anecdotal experiences find that where the baby is in an anterior position, you are more likely to have a shorter and easier labour and Sutton & Scott (1996) write extensively about this.

If you baby is in a POSTERIOR position, you can help your baby by:

Staying upright – kneel or lean forward

Keep mobile – walk around and change position

Alter the level of your hips – e.g. raise one foot onto a step or kneel on one knee

Side lying – if you are feeling tired and need to rest, try lying on your left side, well supported by cushions.

All of these may help to turn your baby into an OFP.

How long shall I stay at home?

The longer you can stay at home, the less likely you are to need obstetric input and the more likely you are to achieve a normal, straightforward birth.

As labour progresses and becomes more ‘established’, contractions will become strong and long and regular: increasing in strength and length and frequency. You are the best judge of when you may want additional midwifery support, but as a guide women who can not hold a conversation, are having to really ‘focus’ on working with their bodies during powerful ‘surges’ (contractions) and who are no longer smiling are normally in established labour!

You can telephone the labour ward and speak to a midwife again for further advice at any time.

Remember: labour and birth is hard work, is normal and can often last many hours.

Angela Horler, RM

References:

Lauzon L, Hodnett E. Labour assessment programs to delay admission to labour wards. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2001, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD000936. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000936.

Sutton J., Scott P. (1996) Understanding and Teaching Optimal Foetal Positioning. Tauranga, New Zealand

Only Hippies Have Home Births

Angela Horler
NCT Teacher, Independent Midwife

“I’m planning a Home Birth”. It amazes me that this simple, short statement can evoke such a torrent of emotion and be an area where people feel they have the right to comment on someone else’s choices; the phrase ‘you’re so brave’ springs to mind here. Yet without doubt, the discussions and thoughts around home birth bring to mind many powerful images, not least of ‘danger and emergency’, but for some, the image that the ‘sort of woman’ who may choose home birth, as being a slightly alternative, incense burning, ‘hippie’.

Home birth is not a new concept; home, since the time of (wo)man, has been the place where women birthed their babies. In the beginning, home was most likely to have been a sheltered cave, nestled on a hill-side somewhere, and over time has developed into the style of housing that we now know in the western world. Hospital as a place of birth however, is a fairly recent development in the time line of history and yet it has been culturally accepted as the safe place to give birth, even though study after study, report after report does not uphold this notion. Now, don’t get me wrong here; the advent of technology, obstetrics and the caesarean birth have played a hugely important role in making birth safe for both mother and baby – and we now experience very low rates of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. However, it is not exclusively through birth taking place in hospital that has lowered these rates so significantly, but the development of excellent antenatal care, drugs for the prevention of haemorrhage and infection, and the development of health professionals’ skills in recognising and managing emergency situations.

In a recent article in ‘The Times’ newspaper (May 09), journalist Melanie Reid launched a scathing attack on women who had or were planning home births: she labelled them as spoilt and complacent, insinuating that intelligent women choose hospital birth, and only ‘sandal’ wearing women (the hippie word again?) would choose home birth. True? – far from it; Factual? – indeed not; Emotive? – yes and yes again. Ms Reid is not alone however in voicing her opinion, and this is part of the problem for women who are considering home birth – the emotion that decision causes, the myths around home birth and the presumption of ‘safety’ deter many women from pursuing, what is in fact, a very normal, very safe choice.

I had my third baby at home; it was a well-researched, informed, intelligent decision. I met some opposition along the way, but on the whole felt well supported and confident in this decision. No, it was not my ‘first baby’, but how I wish it had been! I had never truly considered home birth an option, after all I did not know anyone who had given birth at home, I had been born in hospital and I was not a sandal-wearing hippie. Why on earth would I want a home birth? Well after experiencing two, less then positive hospital births, I felt instinctively that there had to be another way. And there was, and it was fantastic – hard work – but empowering, positive, and ‘uniquely normal’.

The home birth rate in the UK is around 2%, but in parts of the UK the home birth rate is a staggering 50%! In areas where the home birth rate exceeds the average, there are some telling trends in the way maternity care is delivered: midwives actively offer home birth throughout pregnancy and discuss it in an open, friendly manner; women share positive stories of their home birth experiences - giving other women confidence in their own ability to give birth; and women are attended at home, in labour by a midwife and make the final decision on the big day itself! This gives them the freedom to see how they are feeling and coping, knowing that they will be well supported by the midwife, by family and birth supporters, whatever their decision. I would challenge anyone to categorise all those women as hippies.

The DoH is aiming for the home birth rates to increase and for women to experience real choice within maternity services. Following the inception of the NHS in it took national campaigns to persuade women to give birth in hospital, needing continual reassurances of cleanliness (hospitals were previously associated with mortality due to infection – very different from now?), and the influential offer of 10 days rest and food. The stark reality in the UK at present is that hospital birth no longer comes with the benefit of complete rest – women are encouraged to leave as quickly as possible due to the high demand for beds (at home you get your own bed); NHS trusts are stretched to capacity with midwife shortages on the labour ward (at home you get your own midwife); and the caesarean section rate is spiralling out of control (planning a home birth halves the chance of you needing a caesarean section).

Hospital is the perfect place for giving birth for the woman who may need additional obstetric care, who may need paediatric care for her new baby or who may not have the support in place to have her baby at home – and no one ever seems to feel the need to comment on those decisions. Next time someone says to you “I’m planning a home birth”, take a closer look; I expect you will find a normal woman, making a normal choice, planning to have a normal birth. And not a ‘hippie’ in sight!

Cranial Osteopathy

Cat Welch, Chiropractor from The Barron Clinic in Walton
http://www.barronclinic.co.uk

It is a common belief that babies and children should have no structural stresses or strains in their bodies, because they are ‘so young’. The reality is very different. Birth is one of the most stressful events of our lives. The baby is subjected to enormous forces, as the uterus pushes to expel the baby against the natural resistance of the birth canal. The baby has to turn and twist as it squeezes through the pelvis, on its short but highly stimulating and potentially stressful journey.

The baby’s head has the remarkable ability to absorb these stresses in a normal delivery. In order to reduce the size of the head, the soft bones overlap, bend and warp as the baby descends. The baby’s chin is normally well tucked down towards its chest to reduce the presenting diameter of the head.

Many babies are born with odd shaped heads as a result. In the first few days, the head can usually be seen to gradually lose the extreme moulded shape, as the baby suckles, cries and yawns. However, this unmoulding process is often incomplete, especially if the birth has been difficult. As a result, the baby may have to live with some very uncomfortable stresses within the head and body.

 

What problems can cranial work help with in babies?
Some babies cope extremely well with quite severe retained moulding and compression, and are contented and happy. For others it is a very different story, and they can display a variety of problems. Cranial work may help with:

Crying, screaming, irritability
The baby may be uncomfortable, with a constant pressure in the head. This may be made worse by the pressure on the head when lying down.

Feeding difficulties
The baby takes a long time to feed and one feed merges into the next. They may be a ‘windy’ feeder. Feeding is difficult and tiring due to the mechanical stresses through the head face and throat. The nerves to the tongue may be irritated as they exit from the skull, which makes sucking difficult.

Sickness, colic and wind
Regurgitation of milk between feeds, bouts of prolonged crying due to colic and wind. Often worse in the evening. The nerve to the stomach may be irritated as it exits at the base of the skull, which can impair digestion. The diaphragm between the chest and the abdomen may be stressed or distorted, which further compromises digestion and the ability of the stomach to retain its contents. Stress from a difficult or fast birth can leave the digestive system in tension, trapping wind. Any strain through the umbilical cord, for instance if it was around the baby’s neck, can add to strains in the abdomen.

Sleep disturbances
The baby sleeps for only short periods, and may sleep little in the day (or night!). They wake at the slightest noise – “jumpy”. The tension on the bony and membranous casing of the baby’s skull keeps the nervous system in a persistently alert state.

 

What problems can cranial work help with in older children?
As the child grows, the effects of the retained moulding can lead to other problems. The following are the most common, but it is by no means an exhaustive list.

Infections
Retained moulding and birth stresses take their toll on the body’s reserves, and also deplete the immune system. This leaves children more vulnerable to all types of infection.

Ear Infections
Recurrent ear infections gradually become more frequent. May lead to ‘glue ear’ and some temporary loss of hearing. Retained birth compression within and around the bones of the ear impedes fluid drainage from the ear with partial or complete blocking of the Eustachian tube. Infections may never fully clear leaving a vulnerability to the next infection and a depleted immune system.

Sinus and dental problems
Persistent mouth breathers. Constantly blocked or runny nose. Impaired growth and drainage of the sinuses and bones of the face due to retained moulding compression. Later this increases the chance of dental overcrowding.

Behavioural problems, learning difficulties and special needs
Poor concentration, constant fidgeting, difficulty sitting still, hyperactivity. Continuation of the restlessness of a young baby. Retained moulding compression makes them uncomfortable in one position for too long, which becomes habit forming. Sever compression can modify normal patterns of learning in the brain. Severe birth trauma may be a factor in cerebral palsy, and conditions such as Down’s syndrome may involve restrictions within the head and body, which can be helped with cranial treatment.

Headache, aches and pains
Headaches begin age 7-8. Growing pains. Vulnerability to sprains, or other aches and pains. Retained mouldings may focus areas of pressure in the skull, as the bony joints of the skull fully form at around the age of 7-8 years. Patterns of tension retained in other areas make the body more vulnerable to stain and fatigue.

Asthma
Vulnerability to chest infections. Aggravation of all degrees of asthma from mild to severe. Retained moulding compression can aggravate a tendency to asthma. General lowered immunity leads to more chest infections. After infections, the chest remains tense and the ribs do not return to full function, aggravating an asthmatic tendency. Chiropractic and cranial techniques to release birth stresses and help to improve chest function is often beneficial in reducing the frequency and severity of asthma attacks.

Cranial treatment
Cranial treatment is gentle, safe and effective for babies and children. Very specific, skilled, light pressure is applied where necessary to assist the natural ability of the body to release stresses and tensions.

 

Could there be any adverse reaction?
Reaction to treatment are variable, often the baby or child is very relaxed afterwards and sleeps well. Others have a burst of energy after the treatment usually followed by a good nights sleep. Occasionally children are unsettled after treatment. This is a temporary situation and usually clears within 24-48 hours.

 

Things that could be helpful for your homebirth

The Environment

• Space (just a little) to move around, squat, lean and kneel in
• Lighting, music, candles to create a relaxing environment for during labour
• Calm: choose your support well and if your children will be a distraction arrange for someone else to have them.
• Siblings often enjoy being part of the birth story if that suits you!

Food and Drink

• Light nutritious snacks (e.g. fruit juice, yoghurt, bananas, toast, honey, jaffa cakes (honest!)
• Milk based smoothies / ice-cream
• Glucose tablets
• Food for your partner

Helpful items of equipment

• A pool if you are planning a water birth
• Large plastic sheeting: cheap shower curtains are good, but they must be the real ‘plasticy ones’ that won’t be porous and leak! Ground sheets or sheets from builders’ yards are also good.
• Lots of old towels and sheets
• Plenty of hot water for showers and baths during and after labour
• Plenty of cushions and pillows
• Camera
• Water spray
• Something loose and comfy to wear during labour
• A bucket
• A plastic container for the placenta (an old ice-cream tub is useful)
• Angle poised lamp or strong torch
• A clear firm surface for the midwives
• Dustbin bags

Other helpful things.......

• Bendy straws
• Milk – for all the tea we drink!
• Hair knots
• Hotwater bottle
• Clean flannels
• Rescue remedy
• Homeopathic kit if you are familiar
• TENS
• Paracetamol
• Arnica
• Warm soft blanket to welcome the baby
• Nappies

Something celebratory to eat & drink after the birth!

It can also be helpful to ensure you have some good food in the freezer for your ‘babymoon’, lots of maternity pads, old comfy (big!) knickers. Have a bag packed for hospital should the need arise – it also means you have everything in one handy place!

...and don't forget to have a good supply of tea and biscuits for your midwives!!

 

 

The 7 Secrets of Being a Home birth Dad

All Dads to be are nervous or at least skeptical when their wife/partner first mentions the idea of having a home birth. This is nothing to be ashamed of – us guys are conditioned by a lifetime’s constant bombardment that Doctors know best and that it is our patriarchy duty to always make safe choices. That's why when my wife Bel first brought up the idea for the birth of our second Daughter my first train of thought was about risk. Images of John Hurt's chest cracking open and a tiny, evil alien being screeching its bloody arrival to the universe ran through my mind. I looked up at the walls of our apartment and wondered whether an arterial spray of blood could ever be washed out of that particular shade of off white.

Ten minutes googling dissolved my misconception that home birth is reckless (with Bel peering over my shoulder and directing me to websites she'd already read). In a nutshell, there are studies for and against, but if you listen to your own common sense you will probably agree it's just as safe, if not safer. You can Google all that stuff yourself, what I want to really want to talk about is the second train of thought that ran through my head – why?

Why have a home birth? My wife had her reasons and she laid them out for me. Bel had a horrible experience in hospital with our first daughter and that was a big part of it. As Bel explained it to me I nodded and said 'umm' a lot and was happy to go along with it because I knew it was what she wanted. But I never had reasons of my own – from my selfish perspective as a Dad – until I had experienced it for myself. These reasons are the 7 secrets I want to share with you guys now.

1. In a home birth you are no longer relegated to the bench.
Before the birth itself there is more to think about in a planning and logistics sort of way, ranging from buying equipment to manly jobs like making sure the birth pool hose actually attaches to your taps.
On game day you are not just a big hairy thing whose only use is to be squeezed viciously or swore at. You are in charge of the birth pool, maybe even catching the baby (I'm doing that next time). And, aside from the mother, who will be a little preoccupied, you are the only person in the building who knows where all the towels are. If you have ever read The Hitchhikers Guide, you’ll know how vital that is.

2. You'll lose less hair and gain less wrinkles.
Having a baby is always frightening on some level; if you're not scared out your wits you must be medicated or dead inside. With a home birth though there are fewer things that stress you out and feed the ugly fear monster within. Think of it: No traffic. No worry of getting lost. No worry of the car not starting. No
worry that you've forgotten something. No pacing corridors. No corridors to pace. No worry about what's happening. No smug doctors. You'll still be worried, but it won't consume you. Besides – in a home birth, you have too many jobs to do to have time to let your fear monster run free.

3. Home is where the heart is – not to mention cds, dvds, the playstation...
All your comforts. Your music, your TV, your favourite mug, your fridge, your magazines, your books even your beer I guess. You'll be more relaxed, the mum will be more relaxed and the baby will be more relaxed too when he/she pops out. I'll be honest, despite the stimulus of worry and excitement, births are pretty boring. Maybe I have a short attention span, but it's not, you know, entertainment. And we all know they can go on a bit. With a home birth you will be a thousand times less bored as you can take a break and read a magazine or flip on the idiot box for a bit. Hell, it's probably less boring for the midwives too.

4. Say goodbye to the little things that kill
Me? I hate hospitals for a million and one small and big reasons.
Looking back now I can't believe I didn't jump for joy when Bel mentioned having a home birth simply because I wouldn't have to go to one. My main problem with hospitals is this - the idea of being surrounded by sick people sounds like a bad strategy if you want to stay healthy. Plus there are hundred small things: it smells bad, the foods nasty, it's demeaning to find you way by following coloured lines on the floor and most importantly, when your newborn arrives he/she won't be woken up by someone else's screaming child. Hospitals suck, home rules!

5. You don't have to live the delivery room cliché of the hapless and scorned father
You know the one - where the woman in labour hates her husband and screams blue murder into his face, punches him etc. Either that or she is so medicated and spaced out she doesn't even know what a father is let alone who you are. With a home birth her labour is undisturbed. She does not have to be picked up halfway through and rushed to the hospital. I cannot state enough how much a difference this makes.

6. You are He-man of the home, you have the power!
That's right. It's not the power of grayskull though; it's the power of being the master of your environment. It's a subtle difference, but one you will notice. Your home is your place. You pay for it. The midwives and guests are the fish out of water. If they want something, they ask you. There's a funny thing about evolution, it has created the subconscious trait that whoever gives out the food is the dominant player in any situation. That's why in a home birth you will find it feels a lot more natural to ask more questions about what's going on, to make sure that the birth plan is stuck to and to generally be more involved and have more say over the whole thing.

7. You won't have your surprised, fragile heart ripped out.
If you only remember one of these secrets, make sure it's this one. At the end of a home birth, the midwives leave. Not you. This is the way it should be. In a hospital, you will be torn away from you newborn child and your exhausted wife at the very peak of your emotional vulnerability. Let me paint the picture for you real quick: two weeks before my eldest daughter was born my Dad had died, we were not financially safe and I didn't have a job. In short, it was tough. But being the alpha male I am, I wasn't showing it and being the rock solid guy I like to think I am. But the instant I saw my new daughter’s face I discovered a vein of happiness and a depth of feeling that washed away my ego and my fears and even helped me come to terms with my Dad's recent death and made me, a mainly scientific sort of thinker, to almost see a thread of symmetry within life. If that's all a bit too Lion King for you I apologize, my main point is this – at that point the most unnatural thing in the world for me to do was leave my daughter, drive home and lay on my couch for eight hours and wait for the sun to rise. To make me do that is probably the cruellest thing that has ever been done to me. In retrospect I wish I had stayed and made them try and have me arrested to make me leave. I have forever lost that first night with my first born.

These are my reasons why home birth was better for me. I've called them secrets, because these things are not common knowledge and are not talked about all that much even within the world of home birth programme's and message groups etc. It's not all good – you will have to clean up afterwards. That's not anyone's idea of fun. But hey, that's a small price to pay in my opinion.

After experiencing both hospital and home birth my wife and I wouldn't even consider going to a hospital again unless there was a very compelling medical reason why we should do so. That's compelling, by our standards of reason and common sense. Not what any medical profession says. It's a no-brainer for us. As a Dad there is really no comparison to be made. You are a key part of a home birth. The mother needs you and is relying on you. In a way it's a shame when it's all over because you revert back to being a useless man again before the midwife’s leftover tea goes cold.

Ven Batista

 

Nutrition:
how to eat well for a healthy conception, pregnancy and during the postnatal period

‘You are what you eat’ – or so that old adage says; and there is a lot of truth in many of the old phrases and this one is particularly true! Nutrition during preconception, pregnancy and during the postnatal period is really important as it maintains a healthy mother and contributes towards a healthy baby. My focus on this article is less on the baby’s nutritional needs (after all a developing foetus is in fact like a parasite and will take whatever it needs from the mother!), but instead looks at how a pregnant mother can keep herself well before and during her pregnancy and throughout the early weeks with a new baby.

Nutrition is not based on a daily intake of food, but over a period of time – more like one to two weeks, so everything I have written is just a guide and it won’t matter too much if your diet balances out over a few days, rather than eating everything on a daily basis.

 

Supplements
With a good, well-planned diet you can meet all your nutritional needs; most women however don’t have the time or energy to commitment to this. A good all-round supplement, designed for pregnancy can help ensure you are meeting your vitamin and mineral requirements. ‘Pregnacare’ is the leading brand of supplement and has been specifically designed to support mothers during pre-conception, pregnancy and breastfeeding and contains the recommended amounts of folic-acid.

 

Fruit & Veg - ‘5’ a-day
The current recommendation for eating 5 portions of fruit and veg a day is an interesting one; if you do a little research and dig a little deeper you will find that this figure was in fact made up as part of a marketing plan (which is good to remember if you have a fussy toddler who won’t eat their ‘5 a-day’!). Try to increase your daily intake to a level that you can work with.

A daily portion of green leafy vegetables (chard, kale, spinach etc) will actually provide many of the essential minerals and vitamins that we require. When choosing fruit and veg go for bright coloured varieties such as peppers, oranges (citrus is essential), tomatoes etc as these are high in vitamins and anti-oxidants.

When cooking, add garlic and onions to your food as these naturally boost your immune system, which is suppressed during pregnancy.

If you are a breastfeeding mother, you may find that large amounts of onion or garlic or acidic fruits (orange, pineapple etc) in your diet cause your baby to have an unsettled tummy so avoid these foods if your baby seems to react to these.

(NB: The ‘Healthy Start’ scheme enables women entitled to benefits to exchange their milk-tokens for fruit and veg. Ask your midwife for further information)

 

Protein
Protein is needed to build cells and muscle so is essential in a good diet. You should aim to include a portion of protein at every meal and as a snack: protein fills you up for longer than carbohydrates do, so you are less likely to overeat and gain too much excess weight in pregnancy. Protein also reduces swelling and oedema, as it removes excess fluid from the cells and may help to reduce pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure. Vegetarians should pay particular attention to ensuring they eat enough ‘complete proteins’.

There is much confusion around Nuts in pregnancy: if you have no family history of eczema, asthma or general allergies and you are not allergic to nuts, then nuts are generally considered safe to eat in pregnancy (although it is suggested to avoid peanuts), however cashew nuts, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts etc provide an excellent source of protein and are a good alternative to crisps for a handy snack, providing good, sustained energy – an excellent and helpful idea for the new postnatal mother!

Carbohydrates & Sugar
The western diet as a whole generally contains too much carbohydrate, and in particular too much refined/processed carbohydrates. We do not need the volume of carbohydrates that we currently eat, and we can gain this ‘fuel food’ from good, ‘whole’ sources (see below). Processed and refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, sugary cakes and biscuits and most breakfast cereals) offer no or little nutritional value, but instead cause a huge energy-slump after the sugar rush, leaving you feeling tired and lethargic and importantly they also increase the risk of gestational diabetes – a complication of pregnancy that is on the increase. Choosing the whole grain option will naturally increase fibre in your diet helping to alleviate constipation, and will increase natural energy levels in the early postnatal period.

 

Salt
Salt is actually an essential part of our diet that our body needs to work efficiently. Salt is added to many foods which is why guidelines suggest that we reduce our dietary intake, however, if you are eating an excellent diet of nutritious whole food that excludes processed/packaged food then you will need to add salt to taste to your food (and a proper salt such as Maldon sea salt – not your free running table salt). You do need to be completely honest with yourself here though, and do not add salt if your diet does consist of pre-packaged (sauces, crisps, frozen meals etc) foods.

 

Vitamin B-Complex
This group of vitamins are essential for a healthy nervous system and help metabolise carbohydrates, fats and proteins. It also maintains healthy nails, hair and skin, can reduce leg cramp and nausea associated with pregnancy and can help reduce deficiency associated depression.

 

And last but not least, foods that pregnant women are asked to avoid:

Raw and undercooked meats
Soft unpasteurised cheese and unpasteurised milk
Soft eggs
‘Bagged’ salads (unless you wash again)
Sea food (i.e. prawns) unless well cooked
Offal (containing large amounts of Vitamin A)

Along with that list should also be pre-packed ready foods/processed foods that are extremely high in added salts – this type of salt does no-one any favours and affects our overall health.

All of these foods are listed as they can contain bacteria that may lead to illness such as listeriosis or salmonella. It is important to acknowledge that these forms of poisoning are very rare, however can have serious consequences in pregnancy, which is why the DoH suggests they are avoided.

Postnatally these foods are not contra-indicated, even for breastfeeding mothers.

In summary:

Take a good pregnancy supplement
If you can’t eat ‘5-a-day’ don’t worry – eat what you can when you can, choosing bright colours and green leafy veg.
Aim to include a portion of protein at every meal and as a healthy snack
Eat ‘whole’ carbohydrates and reduce your sugar intake
Consider a natural iron supplement (i.e. Floradix or SPAtone) during your pregnancy and in the early postnatal period
Reduce your intake of processed salt; if using salt use a good quality sea salt
Enjoy alcohol with a good dose of common sense!
Prepare for postnatal life during pregnancy
If breastfeeding, sit down with a snack of fruit / cheese/ nuts and a drink so you can refuel yourself when refuelling your baby (breastfeeding mothers need around 500 extra calories a day).
Take care to avoid foods during pregnancy that can carry bacteria