Living Vegan For Dummies - Alexandra Jamieson [133]
Treat yourself to an in-home vegan chef once or twice during your third trimester. Hire an expert to come over and prepare a freezer and fridge full of meals to get you through the last week of pregnancy and the first week of parenthood.
Smart Tips for Common Pregnancy Problems
Bizarre issues that you didn’t expect can pop up over the course of your pregnancy. Your morning sickness can last all day, as mine did for the first 20 weeks. Or you may be drinking plenty of water and never feel truly quenched. Bizarre food cravings also can take you by surprise.
Starting your pregnancy in great shape is the best way to deal with problems that may arise. Playing catch-up to get in shape while pregnant can be tough, so think ahead and make your own health a priority before getting pregnant. In the following sections, I provide you with some areas to consider and tips to help you through the bumpy times of baby bumps.
Staving off pregnancy woes with fresh foods
Certain problems can arise during pregnancy, including an uncommon condition called pica and a pregnancy only form of hypertension called preeclampsia. Luckily, eating a healthy diet of fresh foods can stave off problems.
Pregnant women with pica crave strange, usually nonnutritive foods like dirt, clay, or ice. Sometimes this craving is a sign of low minerals or iron anemia. If you start craving these or other strange foods, talk with your healthcare provider. Even though some of the foods craved during a pica episode aren’t dangerous, they may take the place of truly nourishing foods that a pregnant woman needs.
Preeclampsia is a combination of protein in the urine and high blood pressure that occurs only in pregnancy. Developing after the 20th week of pregnancy, the symptoms of preeclampsia include headaches, swelling of the face and hands, sudden weight gain, abdominal pain, decreased urine, nausea, and vomiting. The causes of preeclampsia aren’t well understood, but one study that followed the women who gave birth at the Farm in Tennessee, under the guidance of midwife Ina May Gaskin, found a much lower rate of this serious condition among these vegan women. They chalk this success up to a diet of whole, fresh foods.
Choosing whole, natural, freshly prepared foods can help you maintain a healthy weight gain and avoid common pregnancy problems, such as pica and preeclampsia. Fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and sea vegetables protect your overall health and ensure that your growing baby is getting everything he needs.
Taking in plenty of water and electrolytes
Staying hydrated by drinking enough water is a good way to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Avoiding caffeinated and chemical-laden beverages like diet and regular soda is definitely a good idea. Why expose your growing baby to these chemicals?
Electrolytes, which are found in sports drinks, are salts like sodium and potassium. These salts are important for true hydration because they’re used by your body’s nerves, cells, heart, and muscles to create and carry electrical impulses. Without these salts, your body wouldn’t function at all. Just as your body needs more iron during pregnancy, you also can feel relief and create better energy by consuming extra electrolytes throughout the day.
Sports drinks have a few added electrolytes, but they also come with troublesome artificial colors and sweeteners. Natural electrolyte drinks, such as young coconut water, are naturally sweet and offer better nutritional support. Sea vegetables and natural sea salt also are healthy sources of electrolytes and minerals. Naturally sweetened electrolyte concentrates like electroBlast are becoming more widely available.
Dealing with food cravings
While pickles and ice cream may not be your normal snack of choice, you may crave unusual combinations or develop an obsession with a certain food during your pregnancy.