Saturday, August 10, 2013

Garbh Sanskar: Prenatal Vitamins

A healthy diet is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals you need — but even if you eat a healthy diet, you might fall short on key nutrients. If you're pregnant or hoping to conceive, prenatal vitamins can help fill any gaps.

Quick Facts

  • Prenatal vitamins contain many vitamins and minerals, including folic acid, iron and calcium
  • Ideally, all women who are of child bearing age should be taking prenatal vitamins.
  • Prenatal vitamins help protect against many birth defects and complications.
  • Women should start taking prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid 3 months before getting pregnant
  • Prenatal vitamins should be taken during the entire length of pregnancy.
  • Prenatal vitamins may improve the condition of hair, skin and nails
  • As we age, our kidneys are less able to convert vitamin-D to its active form, which increases the risk of vitamin-D deficiency
  • Strict vegetarians do not get the proper levels of vitamin-D from their daily diet
  • Vitamin D keeps calcium in the blood stream and the body longer

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Benefits of Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins contain many vitamins and minerals including folic acid, iron and calcium. Prenatal vitamins are an important part of pregnancy in addition to healthy eating and exercise.

Ideally, all women who are of child bearing age should be taking prenatal vitamins. The baby's brain and spinal cord develop early on in pregnancy; often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Prenatal vitamins are available as pills, capsule chewable tablets and even liquids.

Prenatal vitamins should be taken during the entire length of pregnancy. Your healthcare provider may recommend continuing to take prenatal vitamins after the baby is born.

Generally, look for a prenatal vitamin that contains:

  • Folic acid — 400 to 800 micrograms
  • Calcium — 250 milligrams
  • Iron — 30 milligrams
  • Vitamin C — 50 milligrams
  • Zinc — 15 milligrams
  • Copper — 2 milligrams
  • Vitamin B-6 — 2 milligrams
  • Vitamin D — 400 international units

Remember, prenatal vitamins are a complement to a healthy diet — not a substitute for good nutrition. Prenatal vitamins won't necessarily meet 100 percent of your vitamin and mineral needs. In addition, your health care provider might suggest higher doses of certain nutrients depending on the circumstances. For example, if you've given birth to a baby who has a neural tube defect, your health care provider might recommend a separate supplement containing a higher dose of folic acid — such as 4 milligrams (4,000 micrograms) — before and during any subsequent pregnancies.

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Some women feel queasy after taking prenatal vitamins. If this happens to you, take your prenatal vitamin with a snack or before you go to bed at night.

In other cases, the iron in prenatal vitamins contributes to constipation. To prevent constipation:

  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Include more fiber in your diet
  • Include physical activity in your daily routine, as long as you have your health care provider's OK
  • Ask your health care provider about using a stool softener

Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

Garbh Sanskar: Pregnancy And Dental Care

Pregnancy can lead to dental problems in some women, including gum disease and increased risk of tooth decay. During pregnancy, your increased hormones can worsen your body’s response to plaque (the layer of germs on your teeth).

Thinking about your baby and prenatal care is normal during pregnancy; however, thinking about your oral health and dental care may not be forefront on your mind, but dentistry is still very important. Women need to pay special attention to their teeth and gums especially during pregnancy to avoid the increased risk of dental problems.

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Your Changing Body and Changing Dental Care Needs During Pregnancy.

Pregnancy brings a change in oral health and hormones, especially increased levels of estrogen and progesterone, which are linked to plaque buildup on teeth. Plaque that is not removed can cause gingivitis and swollen gums that are tender and prone to bleed. Most pregnant women experience gingivitis to some degree, but it doesn't usually surface until the second trimester.

If you had gingivitis before becoming pregnant, your condition will likely be aggravated; untreated gingivitis can lead to a more serious problem -- periodontal disease. Swollen gums that become irritated can also lead to pregnancy tumors, benign growths that will usually shrink and disappear without treatment. However, if the tumor causes discomfort or interferes with chewing or brushing, the dentist may suggest removing it.

Special Preventive Dental Care Tips for Pregnant Women

  • Brush at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste and after each meal, if possible.
  • If brushing your teeth causes morning sickness, rinse with anti-plaque and fluoride mouthwashes or water.
  • Pay close attention to your gum line and keep it clean.
  • Floss daily.
  • Focus on nutrition, including plenty of vitamins C and B12.
  • Visit your dentist for a check-up and cleaning in both your first and second trimesters to control plaque and maintain good oral health.

Handling Dental Care Emergencies During Pregnancy

If you experience dental emergencies causing pain, you can be treated at any time; however, consult your doctor if anesthesia is required or a medication is prescribed to you. Avoid X-rays during pregnancy, unless they are critical to emergency treatment.

It is recommended to schedule elective procedures after your baby's birth. While you're expecting, have great expectations for maintaining good oral health.

Common causes of dental health problems during pregnancy can include:

  • Gum problems
  • Vomiting
  • Cravings for sugary foods
  • Retching while brushing teeth.

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Vomiting can damage teeth

Pregnancy hormones soften the ring of muscle that keeps food inside the stomach. Gastric reflux (regurgitating food or drink) or the vomiting associated with morning sickness can coat your teeth with strong stomach acids. Repeated reflux and vomiting can damage tooth enamel and increase the risk of decay.
Suggestions include:

    • Don’t brush your teeth immediately after vomiting. While the teeth are covered in stomach acids, the vigorous action of the toothbrush may scratch the tooth enamel.
    • Rinse your mouth thoroughly with plain tap water.
    • Follow up with a fluoridated mouthwash.
    • If you don’t have a fluoridated mouthwash, put a dab of fluoridated toothpaste on your finger and smear it over your teeth. Rinse thoroughly with water.
    • Brush your teeth at least an hour after vomiting.

Some women experience unusual food cravings (and food avoidance) while they are pregnant. A regular desire for sugary snacks may increase your risk of tooth decay. Try to snack on low-sugar foods instead. If nothing but sweetness will satisfy your craving, try to sometimes choose healthier options such as fresh fruits. Rinse your mouth with water , or brush your teeth after having sugary snacks.

Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

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Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Garbh Sanskar: Pregnancy And Diabetes

When eating vegetarian, an optimum meal plan includes a variety of foods including a selection of vegetables, fruits, beans and legumes, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and healthy fats. When people include dairy products in their plans, non-fat and very low-fat selections are the best choice.

“Try beans as part of a healthy breakfast”

Diabetic women who get pregnant are three to four times more likely to have a child with birth defects than other women, according to new research.

Women with any type of diabetes during pregnancy risk a number of complications if they do not carefully monitor and manage their condition. Women with type 1 diabetes require more planning and monitoring before and during pregnancy to minimize complications. High blood glucose during pregnancy can lead to changes in the foetus which cause it to put on excess weight (macrosomia) and overproduce insulin. These can lead to problems in delivery, trauma to the child and mother, and a sudden drop in blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) for the child after birth.  Children who are exposed for a long time to high blood glucose in the womb are at higher risk of developing diabetes in the future.

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Manage Diabetes During Pregnancy

Keeping your diabetes under control during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects, prematurity, miscarriage or stillbirth.

  • Before you are pregnant, see your doctor to create a plan for a healthy pregnancy. Stick to a recommended check-up schedule.
  • Maintain a healthy diet before and during pregnancy, and get plenty of regular exercise.
  • Follow your doctor's recommendations for all medications.
  • Frequently check your blood sugar level, and strive to keep it as stable as possible.

There are a number of steps you can take many months before pregnancy that have an impact for the whole pregnancy. If you haven't taken care of yourself before and you haven't gotten your blood sugars under control before conception, the risk of miscarriage and birth defects is much greater. Your doctor will also check to see if you have any complications of diabetes such as eye or kidney disease that could impact your health and the health of your baby. That’s why it’s important to make an appointment with your physician before you get pregnant and develop a plan to be the healthiest you can be.

Not only should women who have diabetes talk to their doctors prior to becoming pregnant, but women who are at high risk of developing diabetes – who have a family member who has diabetes – should talk to their primary care physician before getting pregnant. Part of this discussion should be a fasting blood glucose test to make sure the level is not high and then ensure the person doesn't have diabetes that had gone undiagnosed.

Diabetes has great impact on pregnancy outcomes – making it a high-risk pregnancy. Patients really do need much more specialized care because their glucose needs to be controlled. Preterm delivery and hypertensive diseases of pregnancy are more common in pregnancies complicated by diabetes and the delivery may be complicated with a bigger baby. Still birth may occur when blood glucoses are very poorly controlled.
In the first trimester, if blood sugars are very high, birth defects can develop. The higher the blood sugar levels, the higher the risk of birth defects. Women who have very high blood sugar levels can have a 30 to 40 percent chance of birth defects. For women who have blood sugars that are well-controlled, the risk of birth defects decreases to about 2 percent, which is what we see in the general population.

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Changes in blood glucoses and insulin requirements occur throughout pregnancy. In the first few weeks of pregnancy, blood glucoses and insulin requirements may increase. This is followed by a decrease in blood glucoses and insulin requirements by approximately nine weeks of pregnancy. Then, as the pregnancy progresses and the placenta begins to grow, it makes hormones that raise the blood sugar. Beginning around 16 to 20 weeks, we begin to see a rise in blood sugars. In order to prevent blood sugars from getting too high and out of control, we monitor the blood sugars and make frequent adjustments to the patient’s insulin doses. If you have diabetes, the amount of insulin you need may double or triple by the end of pregnancy.  It is also common for you to experience low blood glucoses because the “tighter” control of blood glucoses needed for pregnancy. 

It is important to eat healthy food during pregnancy to avoid excessive weight gain. Excessive weight gain can also increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Talk to your health care provider about the “plate method.” To get a mental picture of what you should be eating, divide your dinner plate into one half and two quarters. You should put veggies and fruit on half of your plate and  a lean meat and a whole grain on each of the quarters of your plate. You should also know how many carbohydrates to eat with meals.  Avoid eating low-fiber processed carbohydrates, which can spike your blood glucoses.  

During your pregnancy, you will also likely need more frequent eye exams to make sure that pregnancy does not cause changes in the back of your eye.

High blood sugars during pregnancy lead to uncontrolled fetal growth, so babies are born large for their gestational age. Large birth-weight babies are more likely to be obese and can sometimes have impaired glucose metabolism as children. The prevalence of pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy is increasing and this relates to the rise in obesity of our population.

Gestational diabetes occurs because of the temporary insulin resistant state of pregnancy. It usually happens between the 26th and 30th week of pregnancy. There are some risk factors for gestational diabetes. If you are overweight or obese or had a baby that weighed more or you have a family history of Type 2 diabetes or are 40 years of age and older, you have a much greater risk of gestational diabetes.

Women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy will not have diabetes after they deliver, but their long term risk (of developing Type 2 diabetes) is very high - up to 50 percent in the first five to seven years after delivery. If you had gestational diabetes, it’s important to continue good nutrition and maintain a regular exercise program, try to achieve normal weight or BMI, and see your physician regularly post-delivery.

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The best advice is to make sure your blood sugars are under control before getting pregnant. You should try to lose weight by following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise, if you are overweight or obese, before pregnancy.  Remember, it is important to monitor your blood glucoses and make careful insulin adjustments during pregnancy. It is common that women with pre existing diabetes tend to have large birth weight babies but overall, the outcomes are usually very good.

Early and effective management of diabetes for pregnant women is critical in helping to not only prevent birth defects, but also to reduce the risk for other health complications for them and their children.The birth defects include: heart defects, defects of the brain and spine, oral clefts, defects of the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract and limb deficiencies.

The risk was twice as high in children whose mothers rarely ate vegetables during pregnancy, and lowest among children whose mothers ate vegetables every day of their pregnancy.

Important:

Diabetes can bring with it a seemingly never-ending list of things you can’t eat. To an extent this is true, but you don’t have to look at it that way if you learn to be smart about your food choices. If you choose your carbs wisely, you don’t have to always give up dessert. You do, however, have to give up something in its place in order to have good blood sugar control.

The key is learning which carbs to avoid in order to maximize your carb limit. Everyone is different — some need to adjust their diets to their lifestyles or their lifestyles to their diets.

Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Garbh Sanskar: All About Pregnancy X

Having a healthy baby means making healthy choices so your baby gets a good start on life. Prenatal care is important.

Garbh Sanskar: Prenatal Care will give you advice, information about the conditions you can expect to face as you journey through your pregnancy, and just what your baby is doing each week. This course will also let you know what to expect in terms of prenatal testing to assure the health of your baby. It will also talk about the importance of nutrition, vitamins, hydration, and rest.

Learning what could be dangerous to you and your growing baby will help you to make choices at work and at home that will ensure the safety of both of you. How you take care of yourself during your pregnancy will have a major influence on how healthy you and the baby are after delivery. The beauty of preparing yourself for the labor and delivery portion of this journey is that you will have so many more choices than the mothers who just wait for things to happen.

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By adequately preparing yourself you will be the one in charge of your body both during and after pregnancy. The end goal is to deliver a happy and healthy baby. Prenatal Care lessons will assist you every step of the way.

Pregnancy and childbirth is an exciting time for most parents. As with most exciting events, there may be some anxiety as you have new experiences in an unfamiliar environment. Preparation is often the key to a successful and pleasant birth experience. We highly recommend that expectant parents, especially first-time mothers and fathers, prepare for childbirth.

Pregnancy classes will consist of information on what to expect during your pregnancy, and are designed for patients who have not yet reached their 6th month of pregnancy.   Our third trimester classes will consist of information on what to expect in the later part of your pregnancy, including signs of labor, what to expect at the hospital, how to prepare for delivery, and information on the postpartum period.   

Classes Include:

  • Pregnancy - Do's and Don'ts and answers to commonly asked questions.
  • What to expect during labor, birth and recovery
  • Cesarean sections
  • Medications and pain control
  • Care After Delivery
  • Activity, Care, Medications, Questions and more
  • What to expect for the first six weeks after delivery

Services include well-woman evaluations, contraceptive counseling and management. Management of  preconceptional care, menopausal care and complex gynecologic problems as well as complete management of pregnancy, including delivery and postpartum care.

Meditation: Deep Breathing: This is a very powerful meditation to ground yourself during pregnancy, coping and dealing with the emotional – and physical – ups and downs of pregnancy.  

Setting aside time every day and having a consistent, ritualistic nurturing practice.  

Start off with 5 minutes a day, and then gradually increase the minutes every week.  This is the greatest gifts that you can give your baby, while still in your womb.

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Tips:

  • Experts agree, when you’re expecting, it’s important to keep moving: Pregnant women who exercise have less back pain, more energy, a better body image and, post-delivery, a faster return to their pre-pregnancy shape.
  • We’d prefer you try to eat five or six smaller meals throughout the day to stabilize some of your key biological systems.
  • DO EAT A RAINBOW OF FOODS: a varied diet provide you and your baby with all the important nutrients.
  • Pregnant women should not stop or start taking any type of medicine that they need without first talking with a GYN. Women who are planning to become pregnant should discuss the need for any medicine with their GYN before becoming pregnant and ensure they are taking only medicines that are necessary.
  • Sleep all you can now because you won’t be getting any rest after your baby is born.

When you’re pregnant, it’s impossible to sleep on your belly, and you should avoid sleeping on your back after the first trimester. When you lie on your back, the weight of your uterus presses on the vein that returns blood from your lower body to your heart. This slows the blood supply to the placenta, which could inhibit oxygen and nutrients on their way to your baby.

Try supporting different parts of your body with a variety of pillows. One pillow between your knees and another below your hips can help you balance on your side more easily. Try sleeping with a full-body pillow placed behind your back or in front of you, or experiment with a wedge- shaped pillow, propping it under your side or chest.

Preconception care is the care a woman gets before she becomes pregnant. Prenatal care is the care a woman gets during pregnancy. Early and regular prenatal visits with a health care provider are important for the health of both the mother and the fetus. Preconception care from a health care provider is also important to prepare a woman for pregnancy.

The goals of prenatal care are to:

  • Monitor both the mother and baby throughout the pregnancy
  • Look for changes that may lead to a high-risk pregnancy
  • Explain nutritional requirements during and after pregnancy
  • Explain activity recommendations or restrictions
  • Discuss common pregnancy complaints such as morning sickness, backaches, leg pain, frequent urination, constipation, and heartburn and how to manage them, preferably without medications
  • Give support to the pregnant woman and her family

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More than just a pretty pink fruit, juicy watermelon can soothe morning sickness, help you stay hydrated and build a healthy baby.

Watermelon actually is a versatile and very healthful fruit. If you're pregnant, the benefits are even more delicious. Watermelon eases heartburn and reduces swelling; its high water content (92 percent) and fruit sugars alleviate morning sickness and dehydration; and the minerals it contains can help prevent third-trimester muscle cramps. Ounce for ounce, watermelon is richer than tomatoes in lycopene, an antioxidant that protects against cancer and cardiovascular disease, boosts the body's immunity to infections and naturally raises the skin's SPF. watermelon is packed with vitamins A, C and B6, as well as potassium and magnesium. These nutrients are important for the development of your baby's vision, brain, nervous and immune systems, and more. For you, potassium regulates water balance in the blood and body tissues during pregnancy. And you get all these benefits for less than 50 calories per cup.

Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Garbh Sanskar: Good Nutrition Care

You are what you eat – and so is your baby! Over the years, I’ve learned that some women have a hard time adopting a regimen of good prenatal nutrition. They know they should eat well, they know a balanced diet does not mean varying the flavors of the chips they eat and the sodas they drink, but it’s hard. It’s hard to change eating habits, or to not give in to cravings, or to not feel guilty for those little indulgences. Sometimes it’s just easier not to think about nutrition at all.

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Unfortunately, however, there can be real consequences if moms do not take good nutritional care of their bodies and babies. I do not expect my patients to strive for perfection in their diet, only to be conscious of the nutritional choices they make for themselves and their family. At least to try to achieve balance and moderation. I hope the following information will help you to do the same.

Poor prenatal nutrition will affect the placenta, the fascinating and complex organ that sustains your baby’s life in the womb. A placenta that is friable (easily damaged) and shows calcifications may not have been functioning at full potential, meaning your baby may not have received ideal supplies of oxygen or nourishment in utero. A very friable placenta may come apart before it is expelled, and even a small piece of retained placenta can lead to postpartum hemorrhage. This blood loss can cause fatigue, light-headedness, palpitations and confusion, among other more serious things. For out-of-hospital birthers, this may result in a transfer to the hospital for a D&C and blood transfusion. No matter the birth location, this affects mom’s recovery, postpartum bonding with baby, and the breastfeeding relationship. Good nutrition helps to grow a strong and healthy placenta.

Inadequate nourishment can lead to mom’s perineum not being as flexible and elastic as it needs to be for labor, which can result in the birth of an average or even small-sized baby which  could cause significant tears. These tears need to be repaired, requiring local anesthetic and a certain degree of discomfort for most women during the repair and healing process. Third and fourth degree tears require repairs by a surgeon thus out-of-hospital birthers would need transfer to the hospital for this procedure. This clearly interrupts the family bonding process.

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Poor nourishment can also lead to amniotic membranes rupturing before baby is ready to be born. Ruptured membranes put you on a clock and if labor does not begin or you are not in active labor within 12-24 hours (depending on your care provider’s protocol), you will need to go to the hospital for labor induction or augmentation, which means you need to stay in bed, monitored, to see how baby tolerates the drugs. As we know, one intervention often leads to another. Vitamin C has been clinically proven to help prevent premature rupture of membranes.

If labor begins weeks or months before your due date (preterm labor), your baby misses out on the many benefits of being in the womb. Late pregnancy is when key brain development, healthy weight gain, and organ function refinement take place. Again, good nutrition can help prevent preterm labor.

Potential complications from poor nutrition for mom include gestational diabetes, placental abruption, high blood pressure, toxemia or pre-eclampsia (which is a serious life-threatening condition that can result in high blood pressure, convulsions and even death). The only cure is to get the baby out. This may be preventable with good nourishment.

Babies may look “fine” and even adorable at birth, but if they have been deprived of the full range of the vital nourishment they needed in utero, they have a greater chance of having developmental delays or physical and/or neurological disabilities. They may be small for their gestational age or low birth weight babies, factors that may also effect the breastfeeding relationship. The nutritional start your baby gets in life sets up their digestive tract with the gut flora that is so key to their immune systems. It will impact their health and well-being for life.

Poor nutrition increases your chances of pregnancy discomforts such as morning sickness, constipation, fatigue, muscle cramps and heartburn. It can also result in poor healing from the birth process, which leads to a longer recovery period and increased risk of infection.

Poor food choices during pregnancy and lactation can lead to our children having sub-optimal food preferences as they grow. What we eat flavors our amniotic fluid and breastmilk and our babies develop a preference for the flavors they have become accustomed to in utero and while breastfeeding. How amazing is that? If you want a child who grows up enjoying a wide variety of healthy foods, start now! Your food choices in pregnancy and lactation can affect your children’s food choices for a lifetime.

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Some studies indicate that poor nutrition in pregnancy may lead to obesity in the child later. Your food choices in pregnancy can affect how your child’s body will handle nutrients and calories in the future. Foods you eat now will matter for a very long time.

If you are carrying a girl, she will be born with all the eggs she’ll ever have. This means that your nutritional choices now could affect not just your child, but your grandchildren as well. Now that’s food for thought! Framing your food choices in this multi-generational perspective may make it easier for you to make better choices.

Remember, your nutritional needs change when you’re pregnant, and what you needed or lived on before is likely not enough now. You want your child to thrive! You and only you have control over how you choose to nourish yourself and your baby, and this will directly affect how your labor, birth and postpartum period will go.

No one can tell you what to do, but your care providers and childbirth educators can help guide you toward making better choices. Talk to them or ask to speak with a nutritionist if you need help with your diet – it’s never too late to start making better choices!

Birth is instinctive...We believe that the knowledge about how to give birth is born within every woman. Therefore, birth is instinctive and what is instinctive doesn’t need to be taught. We help women to have more trust and faith in their own body knowledge that already knows how to give birth. This is a unique approach that is empowering and transforming in nature.We believe that each woman finds her own way through birth and labors in her own unique way.

Tip: Pesticides are heavily used on much of our produce, and while this keeps insects from destroying fruits and vegetables, it can also harm humans. There are many ways to remove these pesticides, but a natural and economical way is to use salt water. The salt solution can be more effective than washing produce with water alone. This is especially important for vegetables and fruits which are not peeled before eating such as apples, bell peppers, potatoes and strawberries.

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Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Garbh Sanskar: All About Pregnancy X

“It is every mother's dream to have a beautiful, intelligent and healthy child! Yet mothers need to understand that 90% of their opportunity to influence a child’s development occurs while the child is still growing within the womb. After birth, the influence of parents and educators on the child’s development is comparatively minimal.

There are many examples of mothers who have worked successfully in this way, bringing into the world healthy and well-balanced children. The promise of a brighter future for humanity is closely linked with prenatal care. Through appropriate prenatal care our current violence-oriented society can gradually be transformed into a saner, better balanced and more creative generation of human beings…The main actors in the creation of a good family environment are the parents, who like the farmer prepare the best soil to cultivate the qualities and virtues of their future child.

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The "prenatal" in our title refers to the period of about nine months including conception and the whole of gestation, while "perinatal" refers to the very short but crucial period of hours involving labor, birth, and establishment of breastfeeding. We believe that both these prenatal and perinatal experiences are formative for both babies and parents, and tend to establish patterns of intimacy and sociality for life.

A woman's body undergoes an amazing amount of changes during pregnancy. As her baby grows her musculoskeletal system must adjust accordingly to accommodate the growing uterus and prepare for delivery.

Many pregnant women experience low back pain, and hip pain. These discomforts are the result of the stresses put on the body by the rapid growth of the baby and the changes the body must undergo to accommodate those adjustments. As her belly gets bigger, the woman's center of gravity changes. The growth is so quick that it is often difficult for the low back and pelvis to adjust to this change. This causes stress in those areas, resulting in misalignments, which then causes pain and dysfunction. If a woman's low back and pelvis was out of alignment before her pregnancy it is even harder for her back and pelvis to adjust. When the pelvis is misaligned it affects the uterus and the position of the growing baby- In our GARBH SANSKAR WORKSHOP we teaches you the changes occurs during pregnancy and how to outcome from all such pregnancy discomforts.

Have you ever received good advice that you were unable to follow? Has your doctor ever recommended a lifestyle change that you found to be unsustainable? Have you ever wanted something in your life, but found you couldn’t achieve it alone?  Being fully supported can change your life. 

Health Coaches are knowledgeable advisors who provide on going support and guidance as you set goals and make sustainable changes that improve your health and happiness. As your Health Coach, I will listen carefully and help you to navigate the world of contradictory nutrition advice to determine what changes are necessary for you.

Your personalized program will radically improve your health and happiness and your unborn child's. Together, we will explore concerns specific to you and your body and discover the tools you need for a lifetime of balance.

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As a client of my health coaching program, you will…

  • set and accomplish goals in a way that is empowering and exciting
  • work to achieve and maintain your ideal weight
  • understand and reduce your cravings
  • increase your energy levels
  • feel great in your body
  • learn how to build a solid foundation for you baby
  • improve your personal relationships
  • discover the confidence to create the life you want

To decide if health coaching is right for you, I invite you to schedule a initial consultation with me.  During this session, we will discuss your health and lifestyle to determine how I can best support you in achieving your goals.

Diet during pregnancy is huge.  What we put in our mouths as pregnant women provides the building blocks for the babies growing in our bellies.  If there was any of the “should I or shouldn’t I eat…” conversation going on in your head before, it probably got amplified tenfold once you found out you were pregnant.

There are all the things to avoid—processed foods, certain kinds of herbs, certain kinds of fish, animal products with growth hormones/antibiotics, refined sugar, caffeine, the list goes on and on.  But there are also all the things you need—increased protein, iron, folic acid, B12, vitamin D, calcium, fiber…not to mention the fact that you also just need to eat MORE…but more healthy.  Add to the mix the cravings, morning sickness, heightened taste and smell sensitivity and feeding you and the baby becomes a full time job, if not obsession.

Healthy nutrition should always be a priority in one's life.  But if it never has been then it should become one during pregnancy. What you eat directly affects the growth and development of your baby.  Certain nutrients are required to make sure the baby will be healthy and strong.  Whole foods will provide those nutrients.  If the diet is lacking these nutrients then they will be pulled right from the mother's body.  If this has to happen then the mother will be left weak and that can lead to a slew of problems. 

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What are whole foods anyway?  Whole foods are real, unprocessed foods.  Meats, vegetables, whole grains and fruits are all examples of whole foods.  Basically if you walk the perimeter of the grocery store you will find them.  Processed foods are the packaged foods found down the aisles.  Its best to limit these if not avoid them all together.  They are not 'real' foods and they don't contain anything of real value, usually they are just loaded with high fructose corn syrup, trans fats and loads of salt.

Next, lets take a look at fruits and vegetables.  Fruits and vegetables are vital to healthy living.  It is important to get a great variety into the diet daily.  Organic, local produce would be ideal.  This is grown near by and free of chemicals and pesticides.  If this option is too expensive or not available there are ways to make sure you are removing most of the toxic residue that can be harmful.  Become familiar with green leafy vegetables because they contain a lot of the nutrients needed and they also provide fiber which aids in your digestion and healthy elimination.  Whole grains and complex carbohydrates should also become a staple in the diet. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for all the bodies functions and should be a good portion of the diet.  Get to know the know the difference between simple vs. complex carbs and their sources.

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Eating can be a really confusing task, the best thing to remember is stick to what is real.  Eat when you are hungry.  Try to avoid emotional eating.  Definitely avoid eating fast food and processed foods as often as you can.  It takes a lot to make a healthy child and knowing that you are eating the best you can is one way to have some say in what is happening.  Nutrient dense foods will provide all the baby needs with out robbing your body of the things you need to feel good.  Your body will thank you for making the job a little easier.  Being pregnant can take a toll on the body but providing your body with what it needs while providing for the baby will make all the difference in the world. 

Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

Garbh Sanskar:Communicate With Your Unborn Baby X

Before looking at how parents can enjoy interacting with their baby, the very first thing to pay attention to is Mom's health. Naturally, the physical environment of the womb - and the whole of the mother's body - is critical to a baby's growth and development.

High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone responsible for the body's fight-or-flight response) in pregnancy are associated with babies who cry more and sleep less after birth.

Chronic stress in pregnancy has also been linked with low birth weight in babies. It's therefore in everyone's interests for Mom to pay extra attention to her emotional state, making relaxation and stress reduction two of her top priorities.

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Sometimes, despite our best efforts, life is stressful during pregnancy. If this is the case for you, then be sure to take time out regularly to do something that soothes you - be it yoga, meditation, listening to your favorite music, watching your favorite TV show, or taking a warm bath (but avoid very hot water, which is bad for the baby).

The importance of the physiological effects brought on by such activities can hardly be overstated. The simple act of relaxing deeply will alter the chemical composition of your blood, reducing cortisol levels and improving immune function. Not only is this good for your baby's developing nervous and immune systems, but you will feel stronger and less frazzled, too - particularly as you contend with the dramatic physical changes of the third trimester.

Mom will of course also want to keep her energy levels up in preparation for the birth. Now is the time for the whole family to pull together and help Mom and the baby be as healthy and happy as possible - by encouraging Mom to eat well and get plenty of rest, by reminding her to take her pregnancy supplements (pregnant women can be very forgetful!), and by helping her to remain as calm and relaxed as possible.

Now that we've taken care of Mom's physical and emotional well-being, which have a direct impact on the health of the baby, it's time to find out how we can stimulate the baby's awakening senses - in appropriate ways and at appropriate times.

Sound stimulation

A Mother…Perfect teacher…for her classroom of WOMB…

Research also indicates that at 28 weeks, a baby responds to sounds in the same way he will outside the womb. Heartbeat and breathing slow down when you play soft music and speed up with fast tunes. Because of these findings, some experts say parents should give their babies a head start on later learning by stimulating them in utero.

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Bonding and Brain Development: Listening to sounds and music while in the womb allows babies to form strong bonds with their moms and supports their brain development: “We strongly endorse that practice—not just for brain development but also to allow your baby to hear your voice and establish an auditory bond at an early age.”

What baby hears most clearly comes through the vibrations of  skull. For this reason, Mom's voice has a unique resonance. As for sounds from outside the womb, low-pitched frequencies travel best through liquids. Listening to classical music is great if Mom enjoys it, but your baby probably won't be able to hear the string section.

Because Mom's voice stands out, it is uniquely soothing to the baby - both before and after birth. Studies have shown that unborn babies slow their swallowing while listening to their mother's voice. Soon after birth, babies show a distinct preference for their mother's voice and the language she speaks.

But there's good news for Dad too - because low frequencies travel well through water, your deeper voice should be audible and recognizable to the baby, as long as you are close enough to Mom's pregnant belly.

This "auditory exercise" strengthens learning ability during the developmental period when the advantages will be most significant and enduring for a child. However, scientifically conducted studies show that the prenatal child recognizes the maternal heartbeat and can learn to differentiate progressively more rhythmic patterns of that sound.

Read and sing!

Build a strong bond with your baby during pregnancy. Studies have shown that the brain is most receptive during the prenatal period. So, by creating the right kind of environment, you can help develop your babys emotional, creative, social, and intellectual capabilities.

And later in life demonstrate:

  • Earlier developmental milestones
  • Enhanced intellectual abilities
  • Longer attention spans
  • Improved school readiness
  • Greater creativity & independency

The unborn child receives very little stimulation in the uterus. The only sound that it can clearly discern is the maternal heartbeat. By providing the infant with sounds which closely mimic the maternal heartbeat but which vary in subtly increasing ways, the child's brain learns one of the most basic skills of all - discrimination - before she/he is born.

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Whether the maternal heart speeds or slows due to exercise, emotion, stress, or sleep, changes in its rate are relatively consistent, therefore they imprint, unlike other sonic stimuli in the mother's environment - all reaching the unborn child but nonsensical, merely meaningless white noise with no opportunity to imprint; both extreme simplicity and repetition are required for this very special kind of learning, a critical phase which ends with birth.

Just by taking time out of every day to talk, read and sing to your baby, you will enable him to get to know the two of you long before baby is born. This in turn will help to feel more secure during  first days in the strange new environment of the outside world. If certain stories or songs become a part of your pregnancy routine, then this is something you can use to your advantage after the birth.

Your unborn baby can recognize patterns of speech and intonation (if not individual words), with vowel sounds coming through particularly clearly. Studies have shown that newborns are soothed by hearing the same stories and songs they were used to listening to in the womb. You will almost certainly want to play music to your baby during pregnancy. Because low frequencies travel better through liquids, bass and percussion instruments, and the low notes on the piano, will be most audible. It doesn't matter what kind of music you choose though, provided it's pleasant to listen to - for the two of you as well as the baby. The way the music makes Mom feel is actually the most important factor.

So enjoy this special time, as the three of you get to know one other before your baby's long-awaited arrival. As your baby grows larger and more visible, you will increasingly enjoy the time you spend interacting as a family. When baby is awake and active, baby may respond to your voices with a kick or sudden "swimming" movement. You will begin to realize that your baby is listening, really listening, to her parents' voices. And isn't it great to know that when it does come time for your baby to leave the sanctuary of the womb, baby will already recognize and be comforted by the voices of the two of you - the two people who love baby more than anyone else in the world.

Every prenatal child experiences the sonic environment of his or her mother: outside voices, traffic, television, radio, and CDs. The sounds generated by this outside stimuli pass through the abdominal wall, which lowers the volume by about 35 decibels and muffles the sounds. For the baby, it is much like listening to sounds underwater. Even though the baby is exposed to these sounds, they pass by him as white noise because they are too complex and the baby has no frame of reference for them as sounds.

Listening to music is a pleasurable experience, and certain types of classical music can have a calming effect on a pregnant mother. Since the prenatal baby can sense a mother's mood, the mother's emotional state can have a corresponding calming affect on the baby. However, music is not 'basic' enough to be the most effective prenatal curriculum. Researchers says that the most dominant sound heard by the baby is the mother's pulsing heartbeats. This heartbeat occurs naturally at about 1 beat per second. The baby's heartbeat is approximately 2 beats per second. As the baby develops and hears these two sounds repeatedly, they become imprinted in the baby's cognitive architecture. They become the permanent foundation upon which all learning will be built.

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Read on to learn about how your baby's senses and intelligence develop during her incredible journey inside the womb.

Week 7 - Your baby's first touch receptors develop in his lips and cheeks. Over the next six months these will spread to everywhere else in his body.

Week 11-15 - Your baby's nose is developing.

Week 13-15 - Your baby already possesses mature taste buds. Baby can detect strong flavors in the amniotic fluid, and will increase swallowing in response to sweet tastes.

Week 18 - Your baby's ears and brain have developed sufficiently for him to begin to hear  mother's heartbeat and voice, and the sound of blood rushing through the umbilical cord.

Week 25 - Your baby's ears are structurally complete. Baby can now clearly hear mother's voice and perhaps  father's (if he is close enough). Baby will also startle in response to loud noises. By week 27 baby may be able to recognize  parents' voices.

Week 26 - Your baby's eyes open and start blinking! Baby will be able to see dim shapes by week 33, when the pupils of baby’s eyes begin adjusting to changes in light.

Week 28 - Your baby can taste more subtle flavors and is swallowing around a liter of amniotic fluid a day. Baby is also aware of odors. Until recently scientists believed that breathing was required for smelling. It's now thought, however, that a baby picks up smells from the amniotic fluid as it passes over the nasal cavities. It's likely that a baby's first tastes and smells help prepare  for drinking breast milk, which changes flavor according to what the mother has been eating.

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Week 32 - Touch receptors have spread to all parts of your baby's body, making it universally sensitive to temperature, pain and pressure.

You are taking a prenatal vitamin to enrich your child’s earliest physical development. Well, your child’s learning begins during these prenatal months too!

Take care of your unborn baby.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

Dr Unnati Chavda
(Promoting pregnancy wellness)
www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in

Friday, August 2, 2013

Garbh Sanskar: Importance To Join Garbh Sanskar Workshop

Read it carefully…..

What makes us the way we are? Why are some people predisposed to be anxious, overweight or asthmatic? How is it that some of us are prone to heart attacks, diabetes or high blood pressure?

There's a list of conventional answers to these questions. We are the way we are because it's in our genes: the DNA we inherited at conception. We turn out the way we do because of our childhood experiences: how we were treated and what we took in, especially during those crucial first three years. Or our health and well-being stem from the lifestyle choices we make as adults: what kind of diet we consume, how much exercise we get.

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But there's another powerful source of influence you may not have considered: your life as a fetus. The kind and quantity of nutrition you received in the womb; the pollutants, drugs and infections you were exposed to during gestation; your mother's health, stress level and state of mind while she was pregnant with you — all these factors shaped you as a baby and a child and continue to affect you to this day.

This is the provocative contention of a field known as fetal origins, whose pioneers assert that the nine months of gestation constitute the most consequential period of our lives, permanently influencing the wiring of the brain and the functioning of organs such as the heart, liver and pancreas. The conditions we encounter in utero, they claim, shape our susceptibility to disease, our appetite and metabolism, our intelligence and temperament. In the literature on the subject, which has exploded over the past 10 years, you can find references to the fetal origins of cancer, cardiovascular disease, allergies, asthma, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, mental illness — even of conditions associated with old age like arthritis, osteoporosis and cognitive decline.

And from this is where the importance of GARBH SANSKAR starts….What will we learn through?..

Conceiving a baby is more than an ambitious and successful sperm joining with an egg. Both mother and father should be present in the process of conception. The parents hold the space to allow for baby’s soul to come through when baby is ready to begin its journey. Each parent opens one door, such that baby has a generous and loving space to enter.

In our Garbh Sanskar workshop we will use yoga,prananyam and meditation to balance hormones and emotions; clear out past experiences and nudge the mind to seek greater connection with the body. As a couple, we will prepare you to receive you baby with love and grace.

No prior yoga experience needed. Wear comfortable clothes and bring an open mind.

Preparing for a baby is not only about getting your body, mind and spirit ready, but it’s also about managing your and editing your lifestyle. This Garbh Sanskar workshop is grounded in the reality of becoming a parent and what it takes to get your house in order.

Let us help you get set up and prepared to have a confident birth, when the time is right.

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Myths and rumors on what you should and shouldn’t eat while pregnant are everywhere. Should you eat fish, or avoid it? Should you consume dairy products, or avoid them?  It can leave you feeling overwhelmed and confused.  Add that to the often unhealthy or unusual cravings you can experience, and figuring out a healthy diet for yourself and your little peanut can cause a lot of stress.

Relax! Attend this workshop with us.  In Easy, Healthy Eating for Two, we will give you simple ways to eat healthy, manage cravings, and figure out what works for you and your little one.

We will discuss myths and facts regarding prenatal eating, and how you can wade through this information to make the right choices for yourself.  It’s also include simple steps to make sure you’re getting all the nutrition you need while pregnant, plus we will touch on portion sizes, meal planning, and simplifying your routine.  Surely we will makes healthy eating easy and fun and discuss issue of cravings, and provide quick, healthy recipes, including ones that can be prepared in advance and frozen. Even we will guides participants into a short visualization to help calm and soothe the nervous system – stress reduction is such an important part of health!

We’ll ease your fears and set reasonable expectations for your first trimester, and beyond. Morning sickness, fatigue, weight gain, and much more will all be discussed over the course of this class.

We will fill you in on your options. Choosing a care provider is one of the most important decisions you can make for your pregnancy. Appointments, tests, weight gain, ultrasound, maternity clothes, baby movements, uncomfortable sleeping… all of this comes with the second and third trimesters.

In this class we’ll let you know what to expect, and how you can cope with the minor discomforts of pregnancy. We will also talk about pre-term labor, warning signs, and when to be hospitalized. Ease into your pregnancy with grace and get ready to birth with confidence.

You will learn to communicate non-verbally with touch and with breath.  You will use the breath as a tool for the mind and body, and discover how it can also help to ease tension and fear; you will practice positions, postures, and techniques that can be used to encourage the progress of labor, as well as ease discomfort.

Prenatal Education gives moms they need to make informed choices regarding their births and their babies. We understand there is no one “right” way to give birth; we honor and respect the choices your families make.

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In our Garbh Sanskar workshop you will be learn for…..

  • Normal labor, birth and early postpartum
  • Massage techniques to ease the pain of labor and to enhance relaxation
  • Relaxation skills to use during labor and after pregnancy to relieve stress
  • Labor support advice for the partner
  • Communication skills between the pregnant woman, unborn baby and her partner
  • Problems that could occur during labor and birth
  • Guidance for the pregnant woman to make informed decisions about pregnancy
  • Postnatal yoga : It will help you regain strength and energy that may have been lost during pregnancy.

    This workshop is open to pregnant women of any stage of pregnancy, with their husbands, partners, mothers, sisters, or best friends.This playful workshop will help you develop your relationship and build your skills for your impending birth. Here we will discuss how to prepare for a c-section; what to expect during the procedure; possible complications; postpartum care; partner support; initiating breastfeeding; options for future pregnancies and more.

    At the same time you’ll be learning valuable childbirth preparation skills and natural pain coping techniques that will build your confidence in your own birthing ability and wisdom. Birth can be active, ecstatic, orgasmic, transformative, empowering! Did you know that there is an optimal position for your baby to be in when labor begins, and you can help assure that position? You’ll gain knowledge to help you have the birth that you envision for your baby.

    Whether you are just beginning your journey to motherhood, or you’ve been struggling with infertility for a while, this workshop is for you.This is tailored for women of all body types and physical abilities. No prior yoga experience necessary.  It is safe and appropriate for you if you are going through egg retrieval.

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    We help you become more in tune with your physical body. The Asanas (physical postures) we use will focus on the muscles in your thighs, hips and belly to allow for freedom within the pelvic bowl.

    We will learn you the chakra system and how energy blockages can impede pregnancy.  By working with some specific Pranayama (breathwork) and meditation, we will help you get that energy flowing again and learn to be present with your body. By relieving emotional stress and opening the physical body we allow ourselves to open to the baby who is waiting for us.

    Preparing for the birth of your child can be overwhelming. This is the perfect time to learn breathwork and meditations that can support you not only during labor, but now, during these crucial months where your bond is already forming with your little one. Learn how to find your calm, balanced center and how practicing meditation now can help to carry you through labor and the birth of your baby with beautiful intention and a calm heart.

    Take care of your unborn baby.

    Disclaimer
    The sole purpose of these blogs is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained doctor/health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained Ayurvedic expert, call us or e mail.

    Dr Unnati Chavda
    (Promoting pregnancy wellness)
    www.ayurvedapanchkarma.in