Kids First - Baby Talk Part I

So you just found out you’re pregnant. Congratulations, that is wonderful!

What is even more amazing is that your baby already has a spine, most of the body organs, arms and legs that are beginning to form, and its own nervous system. And it’s only 5 weeks old! Miraculous!

Now in order for your baby to develop normally, it has two basic needs. One is proper nutrition, and the other is a normally operating nervous system.

Let’s cover nutrition first.

At the risk of insulting my readers, some people operate under the impression that as long as they are not hungry, they eat well. Not true! As a mom, you must be aware of the fact that everything you eat and drink affects your baby. Everything! Generally the baby will take from the mother whatever it needs in terms of nutrition and I have met many mothers in my practice who are literally undernourished as a result.

As a mom you must remember that you are eating for two. Simply “filling up” is not the answer. Your baby has very specific needs as it is growing and developing. Its rate of growth is seven times faster than its 3-year-old sibling. It's much like feeding a baby elephant some may say!

The baby will take as much as it can from mom so it is important that mother provides proper fuel for all that rapid growth. So the following are essential for normal development of your baby:

1. Iron: This is crucial for the development of red blood cells in your baby. You can find it in most dark leafy veggies. If you must, you can obtain a liquid iron supplement from a health food store. The nicest way of getting iron is from a tablespoon of dark molasses in a glass of milk three times a day. What a way to treat your baby! Taking Vitamin C will help in the absorption of Iron from your digestive tract.

2. Folic Acid: This is very important in the normal development of the nervous system and cannot be omitted. You are lucky though, Folic Acid is contained in most foods that contain iron, so it’s a cinch to get. If you really want to get fancy, oysters are loaded with Folic Acid. They also are also a known aphrodisiac, and that may be why you are reading this, but that is another topic!

 3. Calcium: Our friend! The molasses treat is a good way, or you may try raw almonds if you are not into dairy. Vitamin D helps in the absorption of Calcium from  the digestive tract. This can be tricky because Vitamin D can also cause nausea and morning sickness. I found that the easiest way of getting Vitamin D is from a spending time in the great outdoors. With winter coming, give me a call or speak to your healthcare provider for the best time to start Vitamin D so not to initiate nausea.

I also would like to caution moms on taking Vitamin B6 when pregnant. It tends to reduce the amount of breast milk available for feeding -- not a good thing!

If you would like additional information on this very important subject, please call our office. I’ll be holding a lecture called "Nutrition for Baby and Me" on September 21 at 6:30 p.m. There is no registration fee, but an RSVP is required.