The importance of naturopathic care in pregnancy
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Naturopaths believe that routine
supplementation of many different nutrients is beneficial in pregnancy,
as it is impossible to get all the daily requirements a pregnant women
requires from diet alone. Vitamins and minerals do different
things for you and the baby, however unfortunately it is not just as
simple as taking a pregnancy multivitamin and a bit of extra
folate! You are the only source of nutrition for your growing
baby. The baby is growing inside your womb and forms its whole
body from yours. It is a strange thing to think about. The
baby will take what it needs and whatever is left the mother then
uses. In fact it takes 2 years to nutritionally recover from a
pregnancy! So you can see how important it is that that you
incorporate naturopathic advice and supplements into your pregnancy
health care regime.
| Naturopathic treatment can not only
assist with the
more serious conditions of pregnancy such as gestational diabetes and
preeclampsia, but also with many of the things that pregnant women
“put up with” such as morning sickness, tiredness,
cravings, cramps, changes in bowel habits, baby brain, and water
retention. Baby brain is a great example. Baby brain has
been thought of as a normal part of pregnancy, where expectant mums
become forgetful and muddled more easily than they were before they
were pregnant. However as a naturopath, I look at baby brain as a
deficiency of Omega 3 fatty acids. The baby forms its brain
predominantly from Omega 3, and if its mum doesn’t take a
supplement of Omega 3 during pregnancy, then the levels in her brain
decrease in order to supply her baby. For this reason Omega 3 supplements are important during pregnancy as eating fish has other problems associated with it. For example, I don’t recommend my pregnant patients eat tuna at all during pregnancy as its mercury levels are too high. Other fish can have high levels of pesticides and other toxins, and a lot of fish stocks are becoming unsustainable, particularly Atlantic Salmon, which is the best source of Omega 3 fatty acids. Finally, the volume of fish that a pregnant women needs to eat everyday to get adequate omega 3 is not practical. Taking a supplement of Omega 3 throughout pregnancy can help alleviate this annoying symptom of… “what was I talking about again…” |
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Throughout the 40 weeks of pregnancy, I recommend that my pregnant patients come and see me approximately 4 times. Starting with some time in the 1st trimester, then at 18-20 weeks, again at 30 weeks and finally at 34 weeks. Naturopaths can also help a lot if the baby is overdue, so I recommend they come in again at 41 weeks if this is the case, particularly if it is not their first child and others have come late too! Other naturopaths may have different scheduling, so check with your own health care provider.
Post birth:
Treatment also doesn’t stop once the baby is born. Naturopaths can provide advice on:
• Breast-feeding
• Vaccinations (for and against)
• Introducing solids (I advise doing this no earlier than 6 months, particularly if there is a history of allergies in the family or if they are small for their age or premature)
• Common problems that newborns/infants get such as colic & constipation.
• Plus advice for when they get a bit older such as teething, frequent colds, and sleeping difficulties.
So think about visiting your local naturopath during your pregnancy and you and your baby will reap the benefits from this decision.