Top 5 Foods for Fertility and Pregnancy

It's no secret eating healthy while trying to get pregnant and during pregnancy is important, but how do you know what's best for you and your growing baby inside?  The foods you choose can effect fertility, as well as the long term health of your baby (recent studies have even shown that how you eat during pregnancy can decrease the chances of childhood obesity).  Here is our list of the top 5 super foods to eat during preconception and pregnancy.

1.  Dark green leafy veggies- Green leafy veggies like spinach, kale and chard, are packed with iron, calcium, vitamin K, vitamin C, fiber and the all important folate.

2.  Salmon and other wild caught fish – Salmon is high in omega-3s and healthy fatty acid, essential for brain development during pregnancy.  Salmon also has low amounts mercury, a compound that can be harmful to your baby's developing nervous system.  Good quality, pharmaceutical grade DHA (in capsule form) is also a great source of omega-3's if you can't find and eat enough quality fish. 

3.  Egg- Eggs are loaded with protein and other essential nutrients for pregnancy like vitamin E, healthy fats and beta carotene.  Be sure to include the yolk.  Egg yolks are packed with choline, which is good for brain development and helps in the prevention of neural tube defect.

4.  Whole Grains and nuts- Whole grains and nuts are important in pre-conception and pregnancy because they're high in fiber and nutrients, including vitamin E and selenium great for healthy hair, skin and nails, especially during pregnancy. 


5.  Yogurt and cultured dairy- Yogurt is high in fat soluble vitamins like vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin K.  They’re highly important in supporting the brain and the nervous system in baby's early development.  Greek yogurt typically has twice the protein of regular yogurt and any kind of yogurt is a great source of calcium.  You’ll want to stay away from any dairy that’s been ultra-pasteurized.

We also recommend taking a daily prenatal vitamin and a DHA supplement during pre-conception and pregnancy.  Always check with your OBGYN and/or midwife before taking any supplement during pregnancy.

Happy Mother's Day!

To all of our moms and moms-to-be, we honor you today! You are amazing. Wishing you all the best on this special day.










Mother's Day Coupon- Save 15% on your next order of prenatal vitamins, DHA and/or Belly Butter. Coupon code: WELOVEMOM

The Importance of Prepraing Mind and Body

Enjoying pregnancy and being ready for childbirth may seem contradictory to some expecting moms.  But learning how to manage emotions and physical symptoms of pregnancy will help prepare her mind and body for the journey she’s about to take.  Some areas of health and personal growth are especially worth taking a look at.

Staying Organized 
For managing diet, ensuring prenatal vitamins are taken, keeping track of doctor appointments, and all the tasks that accompany a successful delivery, strong organization skills are a must.  If being organized is not mom's natural tendency, a few items will prove useful to help her get there.  A personal calendar can be helpful for keeping track of appointments, while a larger wall calendar can mark important milestones.  A journal can be used to chart symptoms and as a means to vent frustrations and worries before taking them to others.  Electronic organizers often combine these tools into one easy-to-carry device. 

Staying Rested 
It is unknown how many expectant mothers suffer from insomnia, but researchers are aware that insomnia can cause several problems for mom and baby.  Speaking with the doctor about sleep disturbances may uncover potential causes and treatments, though there are a number of things that can be tried at home.  Ensuring that there is no light present during sleeping hours is one way to increase the production of melatonin, the hormone responsible for a good night's rest.  Meditation and exercise are also important means of increasing melatonin and quieting the mind.

Natural Pain Reduction 
Delivery is frequently accompanied by pain beyond the normal threshold. Though the body produces hormones during pregnancy and labor to reduce this pain, it is still enough to leave mom begging for relief.  However, many moms are looking for alternative strategies.  Meditation and exercise have proven capable of increasing the tolerance for pain, and there are classes available on the Bradley Method and other techniques for reducing reliance on medications.  Regardless of which route is chosen, it is useful for every mom to become familiar with the pain relief strategies available to her.

Much of the information and skills for healthy childbirth are taught in pregnancy and childbirth classes.  Taking this opportunity to meet new moms and get information from the professionals is a good use of time.  Classes are also a great place to learn about optional choices like cord blood banking, which is where the baby’s umbilical cord blood is collected after birth and stored to be potentially used in the treatment of a future medical condition.

The more mom-to-be learns and practices useful pregnancy and birthing skills the more she’ll enjoy her pregnancy and the more ready she’ll be for childbirth. 

This article was written by Katie Moore. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.

DHA During Pregnancy May Cut Infant Colds

We just had to pass along the following article published by WebMD regarding a new study showing that women who took prenatal vitamins containing the fatty acid known as DHA during pregnancy had babies that had fewer colds in the early months of life. 

Getting Enough of the Essential Fatty Acid DHA During Pregnancy May Help Prevent Colds in Newborns, Study Finds

By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Health News

Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD

Aug. 1, 2011 -- Getting enough of an essential fatty acid during pregnancy may help prevent colds in newborns.
A new study shows that women who received supplements of the fatty acid known as DHA during pregnancy had babies that had fewer colds at age 1 month. The babies also had fewer coughing episodes and fevers in the first six months of life.

DHA is part of a group of fatty acids that are essential for human development known as omega-3 fatty acids. DHA is found in algae and in fatty fish, such as salmon and tuna.
Another type of omega-3 fatty acid called ALA is found in nuts and seeds like walnuts and flaxseed. The human body converts these plant sources of ALA to DHA.

Although previous studies have shown omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy assist in healthy brain and eye development of the fetus, other studies on the effect of essential fatty acids during pregnancy on immune function development have offered mixed results.

DHA Helps Babies Fight Illness

In this study, researchers compared the effects of 400 milligrams per day of DHA (via an algae-based supplement) or a placebo started from weeks 18 to 22 of pregnancy and continued through childbirth on infant wellness in a group of 851 Mexican women.

The results showed that infants whose mothers took DHA supplements had fewer colds at age 1 month and shorter duration of cold symptoms at 1, 3, and 6 months of age.

“Overall, infants in the DHA group were determined to be healthier on the basis of the observation that fewer of these infants experienced a cold at 1 month, and they experienced a significantly shorter duration of all illnesses at 3 months, but longer duration of a few symptoms at certain time points,” researcher Beth Imhoff-Kunsch, PhD, MPH, of the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues write in Pediatrics.

For example, at age 1 month, the infants in the DHA group had a shorter duration of cough, phlegm, and wheezing, although they had a longer duration of rash. At age 3 months, the infants in the DHA group spent 14% less time ill, and by 6 months of age these infants had experienced shorter durations of fever, nasal secretion, difficulty breathing, and rash but a longer duration of vomiting.
Researchers say the amount of DHA supplementation examined in the study, 400 milligrams per day, could be achieved through diet by eating foods rich in these types of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fatty fish and omega-3 fortified eggs.

Pregnant women are advised by the FDA to eat up to 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are low in mercury, such as shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
The FDA advises pregnant women to limit albacore tuna intake to 6 ounces a week because it has more mercury than canned light tuna.

The FDA also advises pregnant women to avoid eating shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish because these fish contain high levels of mercury.

What's in Your Prenatal Vitamin?

I know as a mom of four (including twins) I had lots of questions about nutrition and my prenatal vitamins during preconception and pregnancy.  Here are some facts about what is in Promise Prenatal Vitamins Stage One (for preconception and pregnancy wk.1-14) and what makes it different from other prenatal vitamins.

The National Institutes of Health recently updated its nutritional recommendations for women before conception and during their first trimester. These new values are known as Dietary Reference Intakes or DRIs, and they form the basis for Promise Stages - Stage One formula. Stage One prenatal vitamins contain the ideal combination of 20 vitamins and minerals to prepare your body for conception and provide essential nutrients during the first trimester.

 

What's you need to know about Promise Prenatal Stage One:

Optimal Use of Folic Acid - Exceeds the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) standard for the dissolution of folic acid. This B vitamin can prevent neural tube defects when taken early in pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. A recent study showed that six out of nine prenatal vitamins failed to meet this standard.

Unsurpassed Quality - Manufactured by Biotegrity Corporation, a specialist in women's health care, in an FDA-approved facility

Micro-encapsulated Iron - Reduces interference with other vitamins and minerals and helps minimize morning sickness

Complete Nutrition - Ideal formulation of 20 vitamins and minerals which all play an important role in protecting and maintaining a healthy pregnancy

Avoids Risks of Too Much Vitamin A- High levels of vitamin A can be unhealthy during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. 

Helps Reduce Nausea- We encapsulate & decrease the amount of iron because too much iron can cause nausea during your 1st trimester.  We also increased B6 to help control morning sickness

List of Ingredients for Stage One

Baby Shower Bliss

We just had to pass along this great blog we found- it's all things baby shower!  Bump Smitten is a shower idea explosion with all kinds of  colorful pictures, helpful links and of course an inspirational DIY section.  The visual candy and witty dialog will capture any shower planners attention.  Happy planning!

 

Bump Smitten

Happy Valentine's Day sweet Moms and Mom's-to-be!  From all of us here at Biotegrity Corp., we heart you!