In ICU there’s a concept called Bundles. The most famous is probably the Ventilator Associated Pneumonia bundle which aims at preventing a chest infection while you are intubated and need a machine to ventilate your lungs.
The principle is that there are aspects which make a small impact on prevention, but combine them and you make a significant difference
.That’s how I approached pregnancy nutrition. One or two things make no difference, but combine them and you have a fighting chance.
Let’s jump into what I did to help my baby’s growth.
DISCLOSURE - this is based on my personal research journey as a curious mother and surgeon, its not supposed to replace any medical advice you’ve been given.
1. Folic Acid
Ideally you should start taking this one 1-3 months before you start trying to conceive. You’ll want to build up your stores, as a tiny embryo needs lots of this to thrive. This will decrease your chances of midline defects like neural tube defects or cleft palates
2. Activated Folic Acid
There’s a small percentage of people who doesn’t have the enzyme that converts the inactive form of Folic Acid to its active state. The problem is you won’t know if you’re part of that small population. Safest is to make sure you get at least 0.5mg daily of activated folic acid in. You can buy it in this form, sure it is more expensive, but well worth the investment for peace of mind.
3. Dosing your folic acid
I was born with a cleft palate - and for that reason my baby at a slightly higher risk of also having a midline defect. For me - when taking 4mg of folic acid daily compared to the standard 0.5mg, can half my baby’s chances.
I‘m not saying this dosage if for everyone, but be aware of it when you have a family history.
4. Antenatal vitamin
There’s millions on the market, they all contain the minimum necessary trace minerals and vitamins. As long you take one daily you’ll be fine.
5. Vitamin B6
This might help you reduce morning sickness in the first trimester. The evidence is not overwelmingly strong, but worth a try when you get desperate.
6. Omega’s
This came as a surprise to me - they did studies in countries with high fish intake compared to less, and found a notable difference in eyesight and early cognitive development. For this reason look at the amount of DHEA your Omega’s contains. The higher dosage, the better. I didn’t feel like my standard Omega 3 had enough of this, so I opted for a supreme version.
Still continue to eat your portions of fish, but this is a nice boost to make sure you have enough.
7. A daily anti-histamine
This is an interesting one my Gynae recommended - drinking a daily antihistamine actually decreases your child’s chances of allergies.
Being prone to allergic reactions myself I jumped at the opportunity.
I can speak from personal experience - our baby girl hasn’t had any allergic reactions to season changes, formula ext. I can only be thankful for this golden thread of advice.
8. Iron
Pregnant woman and prone to low Hemoglobin levels (the oxygen carrying component in your blood). This in turn makes you more tired, short of breath, fatigued. I started taking an iron suppliment twice a week from my second trimester to prevent this and was surprised to find my Hemoglobin level was still at 14 when I was due. (This is a value typically of a normal non-pregnant woman)
Some of the most bespoke gifts in anticipation for our little girl's arrival
9. Protein
I found a study looking a pregnant woman who consumed 70-100g of protein daily compared to 50g and they found that fetal growth was larger in the higher intake group. We struggled with slow growth so I increased my protein intake.
Now it’s painful to reach these numbers - as a can of tuna has a mere 15g‘s in. But look for a pregnancy safe shake you can use.
I found Lifegain’s shakes fantastic, as they had the right amount of proteins for the kj ratio. Plus they tasted delicious.
You can find them here: https://lifegain.co.za/
I actually still continue using them for my breastfeeding journey.
I have a few friends who are about to start their conceiving path, this is my bundle approach of advice to help make pregnancy nutrition as wholesome as possible.
Lots of Love
Surgeon Mommy
Follow me on @surgeon_mommy
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