Today concludes Laurie Meher’s three-part series on eating well during pregnancy. (Here’s part one and part two.) Meher is a Holistic Nutritionist and Mom specializing in family nutrition.   She shares recipes and information on baby and toddler food on her blog: www.lkmnutrition.wordpress.com.

When you are pregnant it is important to remember that your baby will take all of its nutrients from you, Mom.   While it is comforting to know that your baby will always get what it needs, you need to take care of yourself.  Otherwise you will find that once baby arrives you will not have the basics of healthy nutrition to get you through some long nights, a few emotional days and many exciting times.

The first trimester is tricky as many women are not ready to share the news of the pregnancy.  Finding a balance between acting normal and feeling completely out of sorts is quite a challenge!

Morning sickness – There are several theories about the cause of morning sickness: liver activity, low blood-sugar and hormonal changes.  During the night your liver is processing the toxins from the day and gets ready to eliminate the toxins from the body.  This overload could be what causes the feelings of nausea and lack of appetite.  Another theory is that it is caused by low blood sugar after fasting during the night.  A third theory states that it is due to hormonal changes and is a natural way to protect women from dangerous food, chemicals or microorganisms.

Regardless of the theory some tricks that have been proven to be helpful are to have a snack by your bedside to eat before you get out of bed (almonds, crackers) and eat a breakfast that is high in whole grains and protein once you are able. You should also avoid foods that stress the liver such as fatty foods, alcohol, Tylenol (it is very hard on your liver), citrus fruit (orange juice, oranges), iron supplements and milk.

Exhaustion – You are pregnant and now your body is engaged in creating a healthy environment.  This includes producing placenta, providing nutrients and reorganizing all of your organs to provide for you and your baby, no wonder you are tired!  Unfortunately there is no nutritional help for this one, just get the rest you need.

In the second trimester you can finally tell all of your friends, you are starting to look a little pregnant and (hopefully) the nausea has passed.  You still need to watch a few things.

Anemia – Your baby needs iron, so you may find that you don’t have the energy you need to get you through the day as your iron stores are sapped.  Increase your iron levels by taking an iron supplement and eating foods rich in iron (dark leafy greens, dried fruit, lean red meat).

Dizziness – If you are feeling dizzy have your doctor or midwife check your blood pressure.  If you have low blood pressure, which is common, add a little sea salt to your diet.  Do not eat salty foods like chips.

Leg cramps – If you wake up in the middle of the night with a severe pain in your leg, welcome to leg cramps.  Your baby needs calcium and low levels of calcium can cause your muscles to cramp.    Take a Calcium-Magnesium supplement at dinner time to have a restful cramp-free sleep.

Increased allergies – This is a time of hyper immunity as your body protects your growing baby, so your allergies may seem worse than ever.  Avoid any food allergies, as they will exacerbate any environmental allergies.

Bleeding Gums & Nosebleed – High levels of reproductive hormones increase blood flow to the mucus membranes of the mouth.  Floss, floss, floss!

Unfortunately the common concerns in the third trimester of pregnancy are due to a big baby in a small abdomen.  As organs shift your formerly efficient body is working as quickly as you can run – which is not too quick!

Back aches – Get some exercise, prop yourself up with pillows when you sleep and get a massage or two.

Bladder infections – A small and cramped urinary tract can result in bladder infections.  Drinking pure cranberry juice daily and taking a probiotic will help keep these at bay.

Swollen Feet & Hands – This is due to a slower metabolism and perhaps too much salt in your diet.  If you are craving salty food, avoid reaching for the salt shaker or a bag of chips.  You are getting the sodium you need from your diet.  Keep your feet up and rest.

Hemorrhoids & Varicose Veins – A slow digestive system and a lack of fiber can results in constipation and cause hemorrhoids and varicose veins.  Eat whole grains and plenty of raw fruit and vegetables to get things moving a little faster.

Lack of Appetite and Heartburn – As the baby grows there is less room for food.  Eat a small snack every 2 to 3 hours.  Chew thoroughly, do not drink with meals and do not lie down after eating.

Shortness of breath – You are carrying a heavy load and have less lung capacity, so it is not surprising that you are feeling out of shape!  Take your time and ask for help.

High Blood Pressure – while you may have had low blood pressure earlier, you may have high blood pressure as the end of your pregnancy approaches.  Avoid salt and get your rest.

Thank you, Laurie, for bringing these informative posts to the Green Baby Guide!

Tuesday’s post by guest author Laurie K. Meher discussed what to eat during pregnancy.  Today she’ll talk about what not to eat. Meher is a Holistic Nutritionist and Mom specializing in family nutrition.   She shares recipes and information on baby and toddler food on her blog:  http://lkmnutrition.wordpress.com.

When you are pregnant it is important to remember that your baby will take all of its nutrients from you, Mom.   While it is comforting to know that your baby will always get what it needs, you need to take care of yourself.  Otherwise you will find that once baby arrives you will not have the basics of healthy nutrition to get you through some long nights, a few emotional days and many exciting times.

The following foods need to be avoided!  Not only are they empty calories, but for some of them they are harmful because they deplete your sources of healthy nutrition.

Anti-Nutrition foods are those that deplete your body of vitamins or minerals.  Soft drinks are a perfect example as they deplete your body of calcium.

Empty calories describe food that give you calories, but offer no nutrition, like a donut.  Choose food that is delicious and nutritious; fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and homemade treats.

Soft Drinks – I am often asked if it is okay to drink soft drinks–‘It’s just Ginger Ale!’ The truth is that all soft drinks are harmful. They have a high level of phosphoric acid which disrupts the calcium balance within your body and actually causes your body to excrete calcium.  Substitute with mineral water and juice for the same fizziness, but none of the damage.

Caffeine – Giving up that cup of coffee or tea is going to be hard, but it is important to closely monitor your caffeine intake.  During the 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters the ‘half-life’ of caffeine extends.  This means that while usually it might take 2 to 4 hours to get the caffeine out of your system, when you are pregnant it takes up to 10 hours. Since caffeine does cross the placenta, your baby is processing that coffee for 10 hours as well.  Coffee is also a diuretic, which means that it causes you to lose water. Try water-processed decaffeinated coffee or better yet, have a glass of water.

Sugar substitutes (Aspartame, Splenda, nutrasweet, etc.) There are many studies that say sweeteners are not harmful while others that say otherwise.  I do not believe that any fake food or chemicals are good for you and they definitely are not good for your child.  Some studies have shown that these chemicals alter brain growth, and while others may dispute this fact.  Until more conclusive evidence is available, I urge you to remove these from your diet.

Vitamin A – Even things that you might think are good for you can be harmful!  Taking a Vitamin A supplement can cause birth defects.  Don’t worry if there is some vitamin A in your prenatal supplement; it is probably within the healthy limit for you and your baby or it is from a plant source (listed as beta carotene) or is lower than 10,000 I.U.  Foods that are high in Vitamin A are not harmful.

Nitrites – Nitrites are used to process meats and keep them from spoiling; they are found in cold cuts.  Try to avoid these kinds of meats or splurge on organic, nitrite-free versions.  While it may seem easy to grab and eat a cold cut sandwich, nitrites are carcinogenic and could have a harmful effect on your baby.  If you are craving cold cuts, you may require some extra sodium in your diet; get your sodium from natural sources.

Raw animal products (sushi, raw milk, raw cheese) Raw animal products are not recommended for people with compromised immune systems.  While you are pregnant, your body is focussing on your baby and this is why you may find you get colds more frequently.  Stay away from these foods as harmful bacteria reside within them and you may not have the immune system to keep them at bay.

What about Peanuts? If you have any kind of an allergy, it is best to avoid that food when you are pregnant.  While there is evidence showing that eating peanuts in pregnancy may not be the cause of the allergy, it is too soon to take a strong stance.  I would preach the ‘better safe than sorry’ route at this time.  Besides actually a legume, peanuts are grown in the ground and as such absorb many of the chemicals from the pesticides sprayed over the crops.  They also can house a mold called aflatoxin with is carcinogenic.  Almonds, cashews, walnuts and other nuts all have healthy fat and nutrients that are essential to a well-rounded diet, so be sure to include them, but do not go overboard; one handful a day is enough.

What can I drink? Water really is the best choice.  Juice is okay occasionally because there is no fibre in juice the sugar hits your blood stream too quickly, so try and eat more fruit rather than drink the juice. We have already covered removing coffee and soft drinks from your diet.  If you like milk, continue drinking it, but drink 2%; any lower and you are unable to absorb the calcium from the dairy.  Alcohol is not recommended at any time during pregnancy but mineral water and juice make a good ‘Mommy Cocktail’ those nights you are out.

Stay tuned! Tomorrow’s post will conclude this series on eating well during pregnancy. Leg cramps? Back aches? Meher will address these common pregnancy concerns.

Today’s post is the first of three guest posts by Laurie K. Meher. She is a Holistic Nutritionist and Mom specializing in family nutrition.   She shares recipes and information on baby and toddler food on her blog:  http://lkmnutrition.wordpress.com.

When you are pregnant it is important to remember that your baby will take all of its nutrients from you, Mom.   While it is comforting to know that your baby will always get what it needs, you need to take care of yourself.  Otherwise you will find that once baby arrives you will not have the basics of healthy nutrition to get you through some long nights, a few emotional days and many exciting times.

Eat a variety of whole foods

You need a lot more of many nutrients while you are pregnant.  Eating a variety of food will help you avoid boredom and enjoy the extra meals you need to consume now that you are eating for two (or three or more!)

This is not the time to diet.  Eat a diet that has plenty of fresh, real food.  Stay away from packaged convenience foods, refined carbohydrates, processed meats and fried, fatty food.  If you were overweight or underweight before your pregnancy it is important not to follow a diet, but to eat healthy whole foods.  Getting proper proportions of healthy food will ensure that you are getting the nutrition you need and in the correct amounts.  Eat throughout the day: breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner.  Depending on when you eat dinner, you may want to have a snack as you are leaving work, so that you are not ravenous when you get home. Your weight is best monitored by your doctor or midwife.  They know how much you are gaining and if it is occurring too quickly or slowly.

Choose Lean Protein – you need double the protein now that you are pregnant.  Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy are traditional sources for protein.  Don’t forget to also include nuts and seeds, whole grains and legumes.  If you are a vegetarian, pair a legume with a grain (rice and beans) to get a complete protein and to feel more satisfied after a meal.

Select Whole Carbohydrates – stay away from ‘white’.  White bread, white rice, pastries and commercial muffins, crackers and cookies are refined and the nutrients have been removed.  Choose whole wheat and try grains like spelt, quinoa, rye and millet for variety and nutrition.

Pick Good Fats – Fat is essential to build your baby’s brain, but not the fat from french-fries!  The fat found naturally in food is recognized and assimilated by your body.  Avocado, nuts, seeds and coconut all have good healthy fat!  Olive oil, sunflower oil and other monosaturated fats are great.  The saturated fat found in organic meat and dairy are going to help you and your baby be strong and healthy.  Trans-fat, found in processed food, is very damaging to your health and should be avoided when you can.

In addition to the basics, there are vital vitamins and minerals you need to include in your diet.

Iron – Iron builds blood cells and you are building hundreds of blood cells for you and your baby throughout pregnancy.  Iron needs double in pregnant women, and it is difficult to get all of the iron you need.  To ensure you get good absorption, pair iron foods with citrus by squeezing fresh lemon juice over broccoli or spinach.  Do not take your iron supplement with milk or any other dairy product as calcium blocks iron absorption, so avoid putting cheese sauce on your broccoli and stay away from creamed spinach.

Fiber – Everyone needs lots of fiber in their diet, but in pregnancy digestion slows, so it is even more important.  If you already have a low-fiber diet, you may find that you become constipated, which may lead to hemorrhoids in later pregnancy.  Avoid refined grains, like white bread, white rice, commercial muffins and packaged crackers and cookies.  Whole wheat bread, whole grain crackers, homemade muffins and cookies are best.  Of course fresh fruit and vegetables are great sources of fiber; eat them raw as much as possible.

Folic Acid – Required for nervous system development and cell production, most women have heard that folic acid is important and pre-natal supplements are high in this essential pregnancy nutrient.  To make sure that you are also getting folic acid in your diet, choose dark leafy greens, fish, and dairy, asparagus, barley, brown rice, dates, salmon and whole grains.

Calcium – Calcium builds bones and muscles.  Once you are pregnant, you need 50% more calcium!  To absorb calcium, fat is required, so choose higher fat yogurt and do not drink skim milk; 2% is best.  Remember that there are plenty of calcium-rich foods besides dairy.  Salmon (with bones), almonds, sesame seeds, yogurt, broccoli, blackstrap molasses and oats.

Probiotics – To keep your digestion healthy and to avoid yeast infections and illness, take a probiotic supplement.  Probiotics are available in food, but not to a level you require in pregnancy.  Look in the refrigerator at your health food store.

Managing Cravings and Aversions – In pregnancy cravings and aversions can be indicators of what your body needs or cannot handle.  There are ways of managing your cravings with healthy wholesome food.

Salty foods (Pickles, olives, sauerkraut, chips, etc) – You need some sodium.  Try to avoid the salt shaker, all food contains natural amounts of sodium.  Change all of the salt in your home to Sea Salt.  Sea salt is made from evaporated salt water, while table salt is from underground salt deposits.  Table salt is processed to remove trace elements, also iodine and anti-clumping materials are added.   Iodine is also naturally present in sea salt, in lower, but natural amounts.

Sweets – You need more energy.  Get it from whole raw fruit, not juice or whole grain homemade baked goods.

Meat – You are craving protein.  Add beans, nuts and seeds to your diet to avoid eating too much meat.

Chocolate – You need some magnesium, try dark organic chocolate if you must, but I’d rather see you get your magnesium from apricots, avocados, apples, and bananas.

If you have an aversion to food, no matter what I tell you, you will not eat it anyway.  But think beyond the aversion.  For example if you have a very strong aversion to raw vegetables, eat them cooked or steamed.  If you cannot eat a traditional salad, can you eat a salad with chopped carrots, cucumber, sweet peppers and fresh tomatoes?

Check back this Thursday for part two of this series: Anti-nutrition and Empty Calorie Food.

For the last four years I’ve been slurping my beverages from a well worn plastic bottle.  Yes, it’s made from a “safer” plastic–but it still didn’t exactly feel safe.  Still, I was loathe to toss it in the trash in the name of environmentalism.  Luckily, it failed on its own and I was free embrace stainless steel.  Still, I was convinced that the options were limited.  After all I wanted a water bottle that:

• Fit in my car beverage slot

• Had a wide mouth that could easily be filled with ice.

• Held at least 20 ounces of water.
• Had a flip top straw top so that I could drink safely while driving to work without having to unscrew a lid or tip my head back.

My husband found just what I was looking for in the Nathan Stainless Steel  Flip Straw Bottle.  (Many models are currently on sale right now).  I love this little bottle!  In addition to meeting all my criteria, mine is green and marked with a “reduce, reuse, recycle” label.  It also comes with a handy clip that can be fastened onto backpacks or bags when on the go.

What’s your favorite water bottle?  Do you stick with glass, plastic or stainless steel?  Thanks for sharing your tips with our readers!

Here’s how you assemble a wonderful gift basket for a new mom. Still need ideas? Here are some more:

A Boppy pillow. Both of us managed to raise our babies with very limited baby gear—and we both had Bobby pillows. They make breastfeeding easier by propping the baby up to the right position, easing the strain on the back and arms. As baby grows older, you can use it to prop him in a sitting position.

Note: You aren’t supposed to let your baby sleep on the Boppy! We kept our eye on her–just a week old!

Kindle. A Kindle—are we kidding? Well, a ways back we wrote this post, posing the question: Is a Kindle greener than regular old books? Sure, it saves trees and shipping fuel, but a wireless reading device uses batteries and may end up clogging a landfill one day. Still, we’d heard that it’s perfect for reading books while breastfeeding–turn the page with the click of a button! Avid readers who like to buy all their books instead of borrowing from the library claim to save money in the long run.

Is a Kindle greener than ordinary books?

Speaking of plain old books . . . We have a few to recommend for new moms. Of course there’s the Eco-nomical Baby Guide. Our own book doesn’t hit the shelves until March of 2010, but it is already available for pre-order! We also recommend HappyBaby by Dr. Robert Sears and Amy Marlow and Raising Baby Green by Dr. Alan Greene.

A nice water bottle. Nursing mothers need to keep hydrated! Sigg water bottles come in several colorful designs, and they aren’t made out of plastic. Once they’ve reached the end of their useful life, they can be recycled. In addition, 1% of the proceeds go to environmental causes.

A breast pump and glass bottles. The expecting mother in your life may have registered for the breast pump of her choice. We like the Medela breast pumps. Please comment on other brands that you love!

If you have bought gifts for a new mother—or if you are a new mother yourself—let us know what your favorite gifts were!

What gifts are you going to bestow upon the new mother in your life this holiday season? My cousin wanted to put together a gift bag for her expecting sister-in-law. Because her sister-in-law planned to breast feed, my cousin chose a “nursing mother” theme. She was going to package everything in a cool eco-friendly diaper bag but ended up forgoing that idea. (Good thing, too, because her sister-in-law already had a couple!)

Bonus: Put all the new mother’s gifts inside this beautiful Eco-friendly Lassig diaper bag!

Here’s what my cousin ended up putting together:

The New Mother’s Gift Basket

• Wool nursing pads. (I reviewed them here in a vintage Green Baby Guide post!)
• DVDs of 30 Rock. Hours of entertainment for those first few months of marathon nursing sessions!
• Some fancy snacks. Did you know that nursing moms need 250-500 extra calories a day? Try handheld snacks like homemade cookies or muffins. Or check out Joy’s recipe for delicious, calorie-packed peanut butter balls!
• A magazine subscription. Kiwi magazine focuses on eco-friendly parenting—our top magazine pick!
• Mother’s Milk tea.
  
• A nursing tank. Both Joy and I preferred nursing tanks over nursing bras—they allow for a more discreet nursing experience by keeping that postpartum belly covered.

According to my cousin’s report, her sister-in-law loved this thoughtful gift. On Thursday we’ll have even more green ideas for a new mother.

This post is a part of Works for Me Wednesday, hosted by We are THAT Family. It’s the holiday gift edition, so head over there for more ideas!

I wasn’t always such an ardent fan—but motherhood helped me discover the thrill of the thrift-shop hunt.

My first venture into buying secondhand duds for myself involved maternity clothes.  After all, it’s not worth investing hundreds of dollars in a wardrobe that lasts just a few months.  Then I thrift-shopped for a transition wardrobe while I’m working on getting back to my old size. But since I’ve found a fabulous secondhand shop that gets all of the stylish college students’ donations, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to buying new.

Shopping for chunky jewelry, flouncy skirts and fashionable jeans is ever so much fun when the total rings up at around twenty five bucks for a bagful of beautiful clothes.  Plus, I’m willing to take fashion risks when buying used that I’m too practical to pay for new.

Do you share my addiction?  Have you ever done clothing swaps with other mothers to refresh your wardrobe?  Are you open to getting secondhand clothes for your kids?

Pregnancy is a wonderful time to cherish the life growing inside of you. It is also the time to dress as a pregnant nun or the Pillsbury Doughboy. Sporting a watermelon-sized belly this fall and wondering how to best feature it in this year’s Halloween festivities? Check here if you want to view a photo gallery of some homemade costumes for pregnant women. (I love the “bun in the oven” costume!) Thrifty Fun has many excellent ideas, many of which I’ve listed below.

• Pregnant ‘80s Lady

I was six months pregnant on Halloween a few years ago. Of course my main concern was how will I find an eco-friendly maternity Halloween costume?! After considering dressing as a compost bin, a rain barrel, or a Hybrid car, I found the perfect thing at the dollar bin of my local secondhand maternity shop: a 1980s-style yellow maternity jumper. Because I’d dressed as “Eighties Girl” for the previous two or three years, I knew “Pregnant Eighties Lady” was just the costume for me.

So figure-flattering!

The best part is, I still have this romper, which I use as a painting smock. Also, as soon as one-piece floral jumpers come back in style, I’m all set. I could probably gain up to a hundred pounds and still fit in it, so there’s really no reason why I shouldn’t hang on to it forever.

Stay tuned for more maternity Halloween costume ideas next week!

This post is a part of Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.

We’ve talked a lot about baby gear—what to get, what not to get, what to get used, what to get organic. But what about all the stuff you need before the baby is even born? Even the most frugal pregnant woman is sure to pick up a few new items to accommodate the expanding waistline. Is there anything else that makes pregnancy easier? Or any pieces of “maternity gear” that are just a waste of money and resources? Let us know!