by Needed | Nov 30, 2022 | Fitness & Nutrition, Pregnancy
*This is a sponsored post.
“Modern food processing depletes food of naturally-occurring enzymes, and oftentimes pregnant mamas don’t produce enough themselves. That’s what taking a pregnancy-safe digestive enzyme supplement can help.”
With the holidays around the corner, digestion is on the minds of many. Being pregnant during the holidays comes with added digestive challenges, like heartburn, bloating, constipation, feelings of fullness, and more.
Plus, improper digestion can impair nutrient absorption, and pregnancy certainly isn’t the time you want to mess with nutrient depletion. Here are 7 tips to help naturally support your digestion while pregnant so that you can get through the holiday season feeling comfortable and optimally nourished.
1. Stay hydrated
Water helps to keep food moving through the digestive tract. Not drinking enough water is a common cause of constipation. Your hydration needs are elevated when pregnant, so it’s important to focus on getting enough water. Of course, water alone isn’t always enough to hydrate properly, so consider adding a pregnancy-safe electrolyte supplement like Needed’s Hydration Support.
Other ways to stay hydrated include soups, smoothies, pregnancy-safe herbal teas, and bone broth.
2. Manage stress
Pregnancy + holidays is a stressful combination. But stress has been associated with a number of digestive concerns, from nausea and ulcers to diarrhea and constipation.
Stress hormones like cortisol directly affect your digestion. When your body is in a stressed out or sympathetic state (also known as fight-or-flight mode) it directs all of its resources toward essential bodily functions like vision and cardiovascular functions, and diverts energy away from “nonessential” functions like digestion and reproduction. This means that your digestion will slow, leading to discomforts like bloating and constipation.
Some effective ways to manage stress include mindfulness activities like breathing exercises, meditation, and yoga. You can also take a pregnancy-safe supplement like Needed’s Sleep and Relaxation Support. It includes magnesium for relaxation, L-theanine which promotes alpha-wave brain activity, the brain waves that help reduce stress and anxiety, L-glycine for improved sleep quality, and chamomile which is traditionally used to promote overall relaxation.
3. Chew thoroughly
Digestion starts in your mouth, and the process of chewing helps to activate your body’s digestive enzymes which help to break down your food.
Chewing food thoroughly helps to take some burden off of the rest of your digestive system, which alleviates symptoms like indigestion, bloating, and heartburn. Try to focus on eating slowly and mindfully without distraction to support your body’s natural digestive process.
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4. Take digestive enzymes
We know that digestive enzymes are essential for healthy digestion, but sometimes, even with adequate chewing, the body isn’t able to produce enough on its own.
Modern food processing depletes food of naturally-occurring enzymes, and oftentimes pregnant mamas don’t produce enough themselves. That’s what taking a pregnancy-safe digestive enzyme supplement can help. Needed’s Digestive Enzymes support digestive comfort and overall gut health, plus nutrient absorption which helps immunity, energy levels, and mental alertness.
5. Introduce gentle movement
Even light exercise can help food move through your digestive system. A simple walk after your meal can help to improve digestion, reducing bloating and constipation.
6. Take a probiotic
During pregnancy, the hormones estrogen and progesterone increase, which can change the composition of gut microbiome and affect the digestive system. A recent study found that probiotics significantly improve the symptoms of pregnancy-related digestive concerns like nausea, vomiting and constipation.
Needed’s Prenatal Pre/Probiotic supports a strong and healthy microbiome, including not only your digestive tract, but also your skin, and vagina, and the gut of your baby to be.
7. Incorporate fiber
Fiber has a number of benefits during pregnancy. Fiber can help to reduce the risk of insulin resistance and glucose intolerance which can contribute to diabetes. It can also help to reduce the risk of preeclampsia and can also help support digestion and ease constipation.
There are two types of fiber – soluble and insoluble. Most plants contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, but in different amounts. Soluble fiber dissolves in water, and absorbs water in your intestine. Soluble fiber is found in oats, barley, seeds, beans, lentils, apples, and citrus. Insoluble fiber doesn’t dissolve in water, so it adds bulk to the stool making it softer and easier to pass through the stomach and intestines. As it can help food pass more quickly, insoluble fiber can support constipation. Insoluble fiber is found in cruciferous vegetables, nuts, green beans, potatoes, and whole grains.
The bottom line Pregnancy involves so many changes in the body, including digestive changes. But the good news is that many of the digestive challenges that pregnancy presents can be managed with simple tweaks and additions to your nutrition and lifestyle.
Check out IP+ the brand new pregnancy-focused streaming service from Dr. Berlin!
Needed is a nutrition company delivering optimal nourishment for women and their partners before, during, and after pregnancy. Needed is the #1 women’s health brand among nutritionally trained practitioners, and is backed by the recommendation of thousands of perinatal health experts. Their products and educational content are grounded in the latest clinical research and the in-practice experience of its practitioner collective. Needed delivers what you need to thrive, not just survive, along the perinatal journey and the parenting years beyond.
by Susanne Grant | Nov 15, 2022 | Mental Health
**This is a repost of a classic Informed Pregnancy article.
“Taking care of yourself has to be your number one priority. The better you feel the bigger the difference you can make in this world; for yourself, your family and your friends.”
As a hypnobirthing teacher and healing coach I have mums (to-be) coming to me for emotional healing support. Many of us struggle to find our way in this life changing experience; rediscovering ourselves, our bodies and our relationships. Maybe pregnancy and birth didn’t go as you hoped for, leaving behind feelings of failure, guilt or sadness.
This new phase may have brought up old feelings from prior relationships, (sexual) abuse, or other negative experiences, triggering you as you try to continue. I see it time and time again, it is completely normal! These triggers – how overwhelming they may be – create the beautiful opportunity to allow you to find healing. These are my tips to promote emotional healing after pregnancy and birth:
Tip 1: It’s ok, not to be ok!
It begins by acknowledging what you feel is ok. That it is normal to feel like everything isn’t ok. Really, it is ok! Whatever you are feeling right now, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, is ok. However, do not ignore it!
Tip 2: Listen
Start paying attention to what triggers you. Is it something that is being said to you? Is it a sound, a smell, a situation that reminds you of something? When you figure out what is your trigger, you need to look at the story behind it. What are you telling yourself? Are you telling yourself you are not good enough? You don’t deserve it? For example, when you get into an argument with your partner for not doing things your way, is it because it makes you feel worthless? Or when you’re not in control, is it because you are scared to lose everything you worked so hard for? It can be helpful to start journaling and writing down what you are experiencing each day.
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Tip 3: Self-care needs to be the priority
Taking care of yourself has to be your number one priority. The better you feel the bigger the difference you can make in this world; for yourself, your family and your friends. Don’t be harsh on yourself, if you need to take time off to take care of yourself or your little ones, do it! The world doesn’t end when you say ‘No’ every once in a while! That’s why it is so important for you to start listening to what you need. Do you need more rest? Some alone time? Or do you need someone to help you? Remember, knowing your boundaries isn’t a sign of failure! Allow yourself, and others, to take care of you.
Tip 4: Start EFT
The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) or “tapping” is a great and gentle tool to help you release those trapped feelings that you just can’t seem to get rid of. Tapping on specific points of the body, it will help to releasing the blockages within the energy system which are the source of emotional intensity and discomfort you have been feeling. That is why it is so important you need to start listening to what is bothering you and where it shows up in your body. When you do, and start giving it the attention it deserves it will start shifting. When you use EFT on top of this it will promote the healing even further. You may need to do a few repetitions; you may need to do it for a few minutes each day for the next for days or weeks. Just keep going until it’s completely gone!
Postpartum recovery takes time, so give yourself the time you deserve. Take as much rest as you need and make sure you find a balance that works for you with plenty of water and nurturing foods. If you still feel like you are not feeling well, please tell someone. Talk to a friend, colleague, or family member. You are not alone!
Check out this new parenting blog post for tips on housework for kids!
Susanne is an international Hypnobirthing & Healing coach who specializes in (birth) trauma, PTSD & body issues. She coaches women around the world to heal sexual abuse & trauma as well as prior traumatic births. While pregnant, Susanne’s experience of child abuse put her on a different road of care from her team of midwives. This gave her a new mission in life, helping women heal wounds from the past. Having been diagnosed with PTSD at 17, she knows firsthand how challenging this can be.
For support pre or post birth, and her free Heal Yourself Workshop, please visit www.grantmethod.com or email her at susanne@grantmethod.com
by Dr. Alyssa Berlin | Oct 25, 2022 | Family and Relationships, Mental Health
“Let’s all agree that unilaterally, parents typically mean well and truly have your best interests at heart. That being said, after having a baby, chances are that your parents fit into one of two categories: there is the “I love you…you are amazing…I could not have done it without you” (we will call that category A), and then there is the “I love you, but you are making me crazy, and if you don’t get out of my face and give me some space I am going to scream” (category B). ”
The old saying: “You can’t live with ’em, you can’t live without ’em” must have been referring to parents/in-laws. Nothing challenges your relationship with your parents more than joining the ranks and becoming parents! Yikes! I am one of them.
Having a child often shines a spotlight on both the positive and negative experiences and feelings that you have towards your own parents. Becoming a parent can serve as catalyst for bonding with your parents in a new way, or it can serve as a direct reminder of the ways that mom and dad may have neglected to be the parent you were wanting.
The postpartum period, however, is not a good time to remind mom and dad about all the ways they may have failed you and how you are going to do better with your child. So if you are noticing some of those feelings come to the surface, pregnancy is a wonderful time to explore and work through those experiences before your baby arrives.
Let’s all agree that unilaterally, parents typically mean well and truly have your best interests at heart. That being said, after having a baby, chances are that your parents fit into one of two categories: there is the “I love you…you are amazing…I could not have done it without you” (we will call that category A), and then there is the “I love you, but you are making me crazy, and if you don’t get out of my face and give me some space I am going to scream” (category B).
The problem is that oftentimes you will not know which category your parents belong to until after your baby is born. Then it might be too late – you already committed yourself to having your mom move in with you, sleep on the couch, and be there 24/7 for the first 6 weeks of your baby’s life. (Insert scream here).
When you find yourself with category A parents – you are in luck. Embrace them and revel in the support they can offer you as you adjust to motherhood. Remember that there is nothing wrong with accepting help. In my opinion, it is the strong women that can utilize help from others, recognize that they are a part of a village, and do not have to do it all alone. There is not a special award given out to women who feel a need to prove that one day post delivery they can be superwoman. It doesn’t exist, so relax and enjoy the helping hands around you.
There are usually clues along the way that you may have a category B parent on your hands. I want you to remember that right after you have a baby, you are feeling vulnerable and emotional. You will likely not be feeling your best or in the mood to entertain any high maintenance, not self-sufficient guests. You will probably be looking to surround yourself with safe people who won’t take your mood changes, pointed comments, or emotional moments personally and will be empathic of your need to recover from birth and appreciate the emotional magnitude of your journey to parenthood.
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So, if your parents are typically high maintenance, needy people who like to be catered to, chances are they are going to fall in the latter category and might not be an optimal choice to play a major role on your postpartum care team. Situations tend to get more stressful after having a baby, not less. So, if under the best of situations, an evening out with the folks usually results in you needing a stiff drink and an ice pack, then….you guessed it – great contenders for category B and an awful contender for a long-term post birth houseguest.
That doesn’t mean that mom and dad don’t have a role in the process. It simply means you want to think about the situation more strategically and please, I am begging you, don’t have them sleep on your couch or in a second bedroom in your house. There are wonderful hotels/motels or awesome friends that would be happy to host your parents so that you can enjoy the best of both worlds: quiet time alone as well as nice visits with mom and dad.
They may, however, make great people to run errands, do the food shopping, pick up dry cleaning, and other valuable contributions to your postpartum experience in a less hands-on way. As you envision your postpartum experience, it is advisable to think about everyone’s strengths and how they will be most helpful to you during this special time. Yup, you guessed it; this time is all about you and what you need in the moment to ensure that you have the best possible start to motherhood.
If one parent has a particular skill in cooking, assign them to cooking duty. If another parent enjoys shopping, they get shopping duty and everyone can pick straws for cleaning duty. Sit down with your partner while you are still pregnant and jot down a list of daily activities/errands that have to get done as well as some of your favorite recipes. You can disseminate the various tasks to different people or leave the list on the refrigerator. And in the absence of parents or in-laws, there are other wonderful people: doulas, nurses and professional services, drop off and delivery services, and cleaning services around you that will be happy to be a part of your village and postpartum team.
One last note: if during the pregnancy, you already have strong thoughts regarding what you may or may not want from your parents or what role you may or may not want them to play, I strongly recommend you share it with them before the baby’s birth. This will alleviate a lot of stress on you after the birth and will likely give them a better chance to honor your requests.
You have a plan for birth, now make sure you plan for what comes after. Click for more info!
Dr. Alyssa Berlin is a clinical psychologist specializing in pregnancy, postpartum, and parenting. She offers private counseling for women individually and with their partners. Dr. Berlin is the creator of The AfterBirth Plan™, a program that prepares couples for what to expect after a baby is born. The workshop teaches couples how to prepare for a healthy postpartum transition for the baby, for each partner, and for the evolving relationship. She combines her psychological background and her doula training to help women and their partners feel empowered and comfortable in the labor and delivery process, both on a physical and emotional level. Dr. Berlin has specific expertise addressing fear and anxiety that may arise before, during, or after birth.
Dr. Berlin is on the Board of Advisors for the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) and is a faculty member of Maternal Mental Health NOW Training Institute. She conducts live pregnancy and parenting workshops throughout Southern California and online. You can read Dr. Alyssa’s blogs on the Huffington Post where she contributes to PBS’s ‘This Emotional Life” project. Dr. Berlin received her doctorate degree at Argosy University in Atlanta, GA and went on to become a certified Gottman educator. She is a member of the American Psychological Association. She and her husband, prenatal chiropractor Dr. Elliot Berlin, live in Los Angeles and are the proud parents of four amazing children.
by Jenna Pastuszek | Oct 12, 2022 | Family and Relationships, Infant Care and Breastfeeding, Mental Health
” I assumed that since my body had chosen when to eject its womb occupant, it would also do its job to produce milk on time. You know what they say about assuming.”
I’ve never liked my boobs.
I remember learning about breasts in sixth-grade health class, hearing that as soon as a girl got her period, she’d get boobs to go with it. Yes, you now have bloody underwear once a month, but in exchange, you get nice round melons! Sounded like a good trade to me!
When I eventually got my period two years later, no boobs came with it. The bloody gift continued to show up, but my melons never got round. They looked more like pointy pyramids wearing mosquito bite hats.
In college, I did everything I could to make it seem like I had bigger boobs. I wore push up bras. I wore two bras at once. I even wore these giant silicone inserts that my roommates and I lovingly referred to as “the chicken cutlets” until one night I got too drunk, went home with the captain of the swim team, and woke up to see the chicken cutlets prominently displayed in broad daylight. That was the last time for me and him AND for me and the chicken cutlets.
Need more info? Listen to The Informed Pregnancy Podcast here!
In my 20s, I learned to cope with the hand (boob) I’d been given. I accepted that I’d always need to have clothes tailored to adjust for my unproportioned mounds. I found sticky circular cups to peel on underneath bralettes to give my body a more feminine silhouette while foregoing underwire. I even learned to laugh at how small they were alongside other people, like the time I was doing a musical and the sexagenarian male artistic director presented me with a giant pink push up bra to wear under my costume. “Don’t worry, Jenna. My wife tried this on for me last night, and it’ll help you get into character.” Fantastic.
These are not mine
Before getting pregnant, I found it easier to simply pretend that they weren’t there. I felt so ashamed of their pathetic presence that I even told my husband to stop asking me to take my shirt off when we had sex. It didn’t matter to me that he thought they were nice. To cope, I had written them off as dead.
When I got pregnant, one of the first symptoms I had was rapid breast growth. The skin pulled painfully taught and tingled and was sensitive to the touch. My nipples were so itchy, and when I looked down at my chest, I was convinced that I was staring at someone else’s areolas. Who’s missing a pair of boobs, I thought, because these are not mine.
Nursing wasn’t something I was super enthusiastic about given my lifelong breast trauma, but I was set to do it for the added health benefits for me and my baby. So I was disappointed when at 35-weeks, my OBGYN told me that my baby was Frank breech, and if he or she did not flip, I was going to have a c-section. I was nervous that scheduling the arrival of my child would affect breastfeeding if my milk didn’t come in quickly enough. After trying everything to get the baby to flip (spoiler alert- he didn’t…#Leo), I accepted my fate and scheduled my operation. As luck would have it, I went into labor spontaneously four days prior at 39w1d. I assumed that since my body had chosen when to eject its womb occupant, it would also do its job to produce milk on time. You know what they say about assuming.
Squishy and unreliable
My boobs continued to betray me into postpartum. My milk didn’t come in fast enough to prevent my son from losing over 10% of his birth weight in the hospital, so on day 3, we had to supplement with formula. It turned out that he was born with an upper lip and a posterior tongue tie, so latching was a frustrating experience for all: he, because he was working too hard to get the meager sustenance that was there, and me because he was gnawing like a weasel at my sore cracked nipples.
By the time we got the ties and latch sorted out, my child had made up his mind:
Why go back to something soft and squishy with unreliable output when a plentiful plastic bottle is an option?! He even faked falling asleep to get out of breastfeeding! Multiple times! Whether it was the hormones or not, this was the most painful rejection I had ever experienced- even worse than my sixth-grade crush Jason Miran rejecting me and my mosquito bites at the school dance.
Befriending my boobs
On the drive home from the hospital, I realized I had to befriend my boobs. It was as if they were on strike because of my reluctance to accept them for what they are. I sat down at my breast pump and decided that unlike middle school, I refused to let my son’s rejection define me. My breasts are a [small] part of my motherhood experience, but they are not all of it. Whether round or pointy, on display or hidden, elastic or inverted, over full or empty, I will still be a good mother. A good mother with a great set of tits.
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Jenna Pastuszek (she/her)is a professional actor, singer, voice over artist, musical theatre educator, and voice teacher. Jenna has performed in theatres across America in a variety of mediums, including her acclaimed solo shows GET HAPPY! and ME,MYSELF & BARBRA. She is a voiceover artist, voicing household brands like Starbucks Cafe, Pepsi, Amazon, KIND Bar, Target, IKEA, Crest, Toyota and more. She is the Co-Founder of Innovative Voice Studio, where she trains Broadway performers and works with leaders across industries through Innovative Performance. Previous faculty positions include The University of the Arts, New York University, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, The American Musical Theatre Academy, and Musical Theater College Auditions. Pastuszek received her Masters in Teaching in Elementary Education and a BA in History and minor in French from the University of Virginia and her Masters in Vocal Performance and Advanced Certificate of Vocal Pedagogy from NYU Steinhardt. She is an Estill Voice International Master Trainer and a graduate of Seth Godin’s altMBA. Learn more at www.jennap.com.
by Alisha Tamburri | Oct 11, 2022 | Labor and Delivery, Pregnancy
**This is a repost of a classic Informed Pregnancy article
“Of course, many mothers-to-be also have strong feelings upon learning their baby is breech – some feel angry, disappointed, depressed, nervous or scared. Some are terrified contemplating the possibility that they may have a surgical birth. Quite often mothers-to-be confide in me that they feel they must have done something ‘wrong,’ and I quickly assure them that this is NOT the truth. While the primary goal of a breech session is encouraging the baby to turn, I also work to help mothers feel more relaxed and peaceful about their upcoming birth, no matter how they eventually deliver, so they can focus on the joy of meeting and holding their newborn.”
It’s late in your third trimester. You’ve been hoping and planning for a vaginal birth and never thought much about delivering via cesarean – until your OB or midwife does a scan and tells you your baby is breech.
Now what? Suddenly your plans to ‘rest and nest’ in preparation for your newborn’s arrival are pushed aside. You read everything you can find about chiropractic techniques, acupuncture, moxibustion, external cephalic version (ECV) and even standing on your head in a swimming pool (Who comes up with these ideas?), desperately searching for a way to get your baby to turn.
You might not read about a method for encouraging babies to turn that I’ve used successfully in my practice for more than 30 years – hypnotherapy. Hypnosis can help loosen tight muscles in your uterus, release stress, and calm your body and your baby. An integral part of the breech turn session is fear release therapy, where moms learn to let go of their fears concerning their pregnancy, labor, parenting, and even the stress of dealing with in-laws.
Of course, many mothers-to-be also have strong feelings upon learning their baby is breech – some feel angry, disappointed, depressed, nervous or scared. Some are terrified contemplating the possibility that they may have a surgical birth. Quite often mothers-to-be confide in me that they feel they must have done something ‘wrong,’ and I quickly assure them that this is NOT the truth. While the primary goal of a breech session is encouraging the baby to turn, I also work to help mothers feel more relaxed and peaceful about their upcoming birth, no matter how they eventually deliver, so they can focus on the joy of meeting and holding their newborn.
The use of hypnosis to help turn breech babies was supported in a groundbreaking 1994 study presented by Dr. Lewis Mehl-Madrona. The study included 200 women who were carrying their babies in a breech position at 36 weeks gestation or more. The experimental group of 100 women received hypnotherapy from a trained practitioner. The comparison group of 100 did not receive hypnotherapy, although some did ECV, a procedure where the baby is manually manipulated from outside the abdomen to bring about the downward turn.
Looking for more on breech pregnancy and labor? Listen to this popular episode of The Informed Pregnancy Podcast!
While in hypnosis, the mothers in the experimental group were led through guided imagery to bring about deep relaxation. They were helped to imagine their uterus becoming pliable and relaxed in order to allow their babies sufficient room to make a move. Suggestions were then given to visualize their babies effortlessly turning into the proper vertex position for birthing. Each mother was asked to talk to her baby. The hypnotherapist verbally encouraged the baby to release from the breech position, turning downward for a gentle birth.
The result? 81 of the 100 breech babies in the experimental group turned spontaneously. In the group that did not receive hypnotherapy, only 26 babies turned, and an additional 20 turned after ECV.
Hypnosis is a natural state of focused awareness that we all have within ourselves. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis; the hypnotherapist serves as a guide. The power is truly yours! It is inspiring to witness a mother become at peace with herself, her body and baby using only the incredible power of her own mind – a power they often don’t know they possess until they come into my office.
I give moms a recording of their session to listen to every day. This repetition helps mothers maintain the calm state they achieved in hypnotherapy, and encourages a baby who does turn to stay head-down until birth.
Whether or not your baby is breech, hypnotherapy during pregnancy can help to relax your body, mind, muscles and baby. It can also help make you feel more confident and empowered about birthing and becoming a parent – no standing on your head required!
Follow Dr. Elliot Berlin, DC on Instagram for updates on The Informed Pregnancy Project!
Alisha Tamburri is a clinical hypnotherapist, birth doula, HypnoFertility therapist, and childbirth educator. She has more than 30 years of experience working with expecting parents, alleviating anxieties and resolving personal and physical challenges through hypnotherapy. Alisha is a pioneer of HypnoBirthing Childbirth Education in California. She is also the proud mother of two daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandsons.
www.clearmindhypnotherapy.com
