Need More Protein? Supplements Iron FAQs Links For Healthy Eating
Okay, okay, nutrition is not the most exciting topic in the world. But it is one of the most important topics during pregnancy. You’ve probably already realized that your nutritional needs will increase as your baby’s needs increase. What you probably haven't given much thought to is the fact that good nutrition is just as important while you’re trying to get pregnant, and after you’ve already had the baby if you intend to breastfeed. (By the way, pre-pregnancy nutrition is just as important for the father as the mother! So try to get him to eat better, too.) My advice is to find a good book on pregnancy nutrition and these related subjects. (If you hate to read, please make an exception here. It’s worth the effort.) The two books I recommend are The Brewer Medical Diet For Normal and High-Risk Pregnancy by Gail Sforza Brewer, and What To Eat When You’re Expecting by Eisenberg, Murkoff, and Hathaway. (I DO NOT recommend their book What to Expect When You're Expecting It is way too medical, and doesn't encourage women to be in control of their own birthing experience). What you eat before and during your pregnancy will have more to do with whether or not you have a healthy pregnancy and baby than any other single factor. Almost every pregnancy complication anyone can think of, along with many birth defects, can be prevented by good nutrition. And of course, breastfeeding calls for good eating habits, as well. Eating healthy may take a little extra time and work on your part, but I promise you, the benefits are well worth the effort!
Wheat Germ
-sprinkle it over foods or bake it into casseroles and baked goods. A quarter cup adds 9 grams of protein.Egg Whites-add hard-boiled eggs to different types of salads, and egg whites to pancakes, loaves, and fritters. One egg white equals 3.4 grams of protein.
Nonfat dry & evaporated skimmed milk-in baking, reduce the dry ingredients by the amount of dry milk you add. Use evaporated skimmed milk in preparing soups, puddings, and sauces. One fourth cup of dry milk adds 8 grams of protein, and a half cup of evaporated milk adds 9 grams of protein.
Cottage Cheese-add to salads, mix with fruit, soups or oatmeal. Substitute it for cream cheese in baking, or for sour cream in dips. It can also be used in place of butter and/or sour cream on a baked potato. One cup cottage cheese contains 28 grams of protein!
Tofu-it is virtually tasteless, so it can be added to almost anything. Three ounces provides 13 grams of protein. For creative, tasty ideas you might want to invest in a tofu cookbook.
Fresh or Dried Fruit, Skim Milk, Whole Grain Bagel, Hard Boiled Eggs, Plain Yogurt, Unsweetened Fruit Juice, Frozen Yogurt, Hard Cheese, Whole Grain Crackers, Raw Veggies, Cottage Cheese, or Whole Grain Bread Sticks
Back to TopOkay, you won’t believe this, but if you follow your pregnancy diet to the letter, you simply won’t need to take prenatal vitamins! (Of course you’re welcome to take them as an "insurance policy" against going off your diet for a day or two!) But, if you’re bruising easily, have bleeding gums, are a vegetarian, or are ill, you may need to supplement a particular vitamin or nutrient, or simply eat more of something! J
One of the biggest worries during pregnancy is whether or not a woman is getting enough iron. If you're like me, iron supplements simply make you very, very ill. So how do you get those hemoglobin levels up? Here are some ideas:
Nettle leaf infusion: steep 1 oz. in a quart of boiled water for at least four hours. Drink 1/2 to 1 cup several times daily. (Do not tincture. Is most beneficial prepared in water, not alcohol) If the infusion is unappealing, try freeze-dried Nettles in capsules (3 to 4 daily)
Comfrey and Red Raspberry leaf infusions prepared as above. (Do not tincture).
Cast iron skillets should be used exclusively for cooking.
Vitamin C with bioflavinoids supplement helps with iron assimilation.
Kelp powder on food or kelp tablets (6/day)
Spirolina & Chorella: 6 tablets, or 2 to 4 tbs. of powder per day.
Nutritional yeast used liberally in foods will supplement B vitamins.
Folic acid in tablet form (1 to 5 mg/day).
Dandelion greens, picked early in the spring.
Yellow dock tincture (alcohol extract): 3 droppersful, 3 times daily.
400-800 IU Vitamin E per day. (To insure proper absorption, vitamin E should be taken first, followed by the daily iron supplement 8 to 12 hours later)
Wheat grass juice: builds the blood very quickly. Must be used only by those whose diets have been good for two or three years (not for meat eaters). Take no more than 1 oz. per day during pregnancy (unless the mom is used to it.)
Bottled chlorophyll is more readily available and can be used moderately (1 to 3 tbs. per day) despite dietary habits.
Nutrition depending on the diet, the following foods are valuable: prunes, apricots, black cherries, dark greens organ meats, sea vegetables, molasses, grapes, miso, beets.
Iron supplement: 1 tablet per day. This probably wont be needed if other therapies are used. If it causes constipation, discontinue, it’s not worth it!
Floridex with iron: a mix of fruit & herb concentrates available in health food stores, used as a supplement.
Ferrofood (Standard Process Lab): 3 to 6 tablets/daily.
Ferrum Phos. is a homeopathic cell salt which enhances iron absorption.
Exercise increases oxygen demand by the tissue. This stimulates the body’s use of nutritive elements that raise hemoglobin. Walking or swimming are good choices.
I can’t find anything positive about iron shots. What I can find is that they stress the liver, and can cause permanent dental stains. Try other sources!
Q. How can I add iron to my diet?
A. Cook exclusively with a cast-iron skillet, and eat iron-rich foods. Some of these are duck, beef, liver and any other organ meats, oysters, sardines, collards, kale, turnip greens, Jerusalem artichokes, pumpkin, potatoes in their skin, spinach, Spirulina (seaweed), legumes, soybeans & soy products, carob flour & carob powder, blackstrap molasses, dried fruits. (Note: never eat the skin on a potato if it is green. That skin is toxic, and can seriously harm the fetus.)
Q. How is iron best assimilated?
A. Iron is best absorbed by the body when it is taken with Vitamin C, so be sure to eat something that supplies vitamin C at each meal.
Q. What do you think of cooking in iron utensils?
A. Cooking in iron utensils is an excellent way to add iron to your diet.
Q. What about the theory that cooking in iron is actually unhealthy because the bacteria from old foods is trapped in the pores & then released when heated?
A. If you follow the manufacturer’s directions for seasoning and cleaning your cookware, you shouldn’t have any bacterial buildup.
Back to TopHere are a couple of places on the web that I've found where you can get information and recipes to help you and your family eat healthier.
Blue Ribbon Baby Pages This is the website for the Brewer Diet. I cannot recommend this diet highly enough! There is a ton of information available on this site. Grab a cup of tea and sit down and spend some time reading through it. It's well worth the effort!
Veggies Unite! The online vegetarian resource guide. You never knew eating vegetarian could be so good!
Back to TopNote: I am not practicing midwifery at this time, as I feel that the Lord would have me to stay home and focus my attention on my family for this season. However, I believe that homebirth is the best option for most birthing women and their families, and it is in support of this cause that I have included this article on my website. I am glad to offer ideas, suggestions or information to couples who are planning a homebirth. Please email me if you have any questions.