The New York Times posted an article today about research done on vitamins, conception and birth weight. This is particularly interesting to me because the findings are not far from what we think in Chinese medicine. In order to have a strong pregnancy and ensure a healthy child is born, both biological parents have to [...]
Here’s a great article on the best length of maternity leave. My favorite line: “So what was the optimal amount of time off, according to all this research? According to Christopher Ruhm, the author of the first European study, paid leave of about 40 weeks saved the most lives.” We need to support new parents, and [...]
If you are trying to get pregnant, read this article. You MUST! It is the best list of foods to support fertility I have ever seen. It is not common to find everything you need in one place. This article is exactly that. Every food you should be eating if you are trying to get [...]
Scientists continue to demonstrate a link between diet and overall health… thank the heavens! Now we have research showing a correlation between type 2 diabetes and autism by a shared mechanism, glucose intolerance and hyperinsulinemia. To read the whole article, click here. What is the take-away message for me, and what will I be sharing [...]
Like the cause of heartburn during pregnancy, the increased in levels of estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy render the smooth muscle of the lower digestive tract lax. This makes bowel movements a bit sluggish. If a woman is experiencing constipation during pregnancy, it is incredibly important to maintain an adequate intake of fiber and fluids. [...]
Most pregnant women will experience heartburn for at least some portion of their pregnancy. Heartburn is very common, especially towards the end of the pregnancy, because progesterone and estrogen levels are elevated thereby allowing the relaxation of smooth muscle. This is required for an easy delivery of the fetus, but it also relaxes muscles we [...]
Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, also known as morning sickness, can greatly impact the pregnant woman’s life. Morning sickness occurs during about half of all pregnancies. For most pregnant women, morning sickness is a minor discomfort or inconvenience. However, some pregnant women experience hyperemesis gravidarum, which likely will require hospitalization to prevent dehydration. Morning sickness [...]
To anyone who knows me, and likely to the regular readers of this blog, I urge everyone to reduce their toxic exposures. What we experience out in the world, what our jobs bring us in contact with, is not as easy to control as what you bring into your home. It is very easy to [...]
I do not have a whole lot to say about this; it is pretty self-explanatory. “Exposure during pregnancy to flame retardant chemicals commonly found in the home is linked to lower birthweight babies.” I just want you to read it, and keep it in mind. PBDEs are dangerous. We have to remember that everything a [...]
I first learned about Chris Kresser when he was writing as The Healthy Skeptic. He recently transitioned that site over to ChrisKresser.com. The content is still top-notch. It’s definitely worth adding him to your RSS feed. Every to-be parent considering natural childbirth needs to read his series on the topic. You can read the series [...]
