Pregnancy
Create Your Own Holistic Fertility Plan With These 4 Steps
Thinking about an appointment at the fertility clinic? A holistic fertility plan can help you optimize your fertility, conceive naturally, and have a vibrant, healthy pregnancy. An integrative approach to fertility evaluates every aspect of your life, and since your...
Pregnancy superfoods
Getting the right nutrients in your diet during pregnancy is incredibly important, not just for your health, but for the healthy development of your baby. We have cherry-picked our favourite superfoods that are quite simply SUPER for pregnancy, and bursting with nutrients for both you and your unborn baby.
Managing insomnia in pregnancy
Unfortunately, with a growing bump, back aches, leg cramps, baby worries, and frequent visits to the bathroom, it is common to struggle with sleep during pregnancy. The following recommendations are designed to help you sleep more soundly and get the good night’s rest you have been craving.
Managing morning sickness
There is overwhelming evidence to suggest that 90% of women are affected by morning sickness at some point during their pregnancy. Morning sickness is attributed to the changing levels of the hormone human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (hCG) in the bloodstream, and is exacerbated by dips in blood sugar and deficiencies in magnesium, zinc and vitamin B6. While morning sickness cannot always be alleviated completely, the following tips should lessen the symptoms.
Why is it important to balance blood sugar levels in pregnancy?
Learning to eat in a way that keeps our blood sugar balanced is vital for the optimum health and functionality of any individual. During pregnancy, your increased blood supply and elevated levels of certain hormones expose you to more dips in blood sugar and make balance harder to achieve. This article hopes to equip you with the tools required to maintain your body’s status quo when pregnant.
Managing stretch marks with a healthy diet
To accommodate a growing baby, it is only natural that our skin stretches during pregnancy. If your skin is well nourished, the elastin in it should help to slow this process down. However, sometimes your skin will grow beyond the ability of its elastin and this is when stretch marks appear on a women’s thighs, hips, stomach and breasts. It is possible to minimise and, potentially, avoid stretch marks altogether by nourishing your skin through good nutrition and daily moisturisation during pregnancy.
Relieve pregnancy constipation with a healthy diet
Constipation is a very common problem that many women suffer from during pregnancy. However, through making some simple nutritional changes to your diet, this issue can be resolved within a matter of days.
Stay safe – Foods to avoid and foods to enjoy during pregnancy
You may have received advice from friends and family about what you should and shouldn’t be eating during pregnancy, but more often than not, this well meaning advice is based on popular old wives’ tales and is enough to confuse anyone. This article is designed to dispel the rumours and provide some clarity on the issue, highlighting the foods you really should steer clear of, and those that are safe to enjoy in pregnancy.
Recommended supplements for pregnancy
Food as opposed to supplementation is the best way to meet your nutritional needs during pregnancy. That said, most of us do not achieve the necessary levels of all micronutrients, so whether you eat a well-balanced diet or not, taking an antenatal multi vitamin/mineral throughout your pregnancy is a good ‘insurance policy’ to ensure your needs are met.
Preparing your body for birth with nutrition
Once you reach your third trimester, you are truly on the home stretch and you will want to start preparing your body for labour. Preparing for labour is very similar to preparing for the marathon; you will need to stock up on your energy reserves so that when the day comes to give birth, you will have plenty to draw upon.
Managing high blood pressure in pregnancy with a healthy diet
Whether you suffered from high blood pressure before falling pregnant or not, you can use these simple dietary and lifestyle changes to help contain your blood pressure within a healthy range.
Managing anaemia in pregnancy with a healthy diet
Mild iron-deficiency, or anaemia, in pregnancy is a relatively common condition as your blood volume increases by almost 50 per cent. This means that more iron is needed to make extra haemoglobin to help transport oxygen around the body. This article hopes to arm you with the information needed to prevent the onset of anemia during pregnancy, and ensure the healthy development of your baby’s brain and bloody supply.
Reduce your risk of pre-eclampsia with nutrition
Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy disorder caused by problems with the development of the placenta. Around 10% of pregnant women are affected, and symptoms include protein in the urine, high blood pressure, swelling (oedema), and headaches. If detected and treated early, pre-eclampsia is unlikely to cause harm, but if it is left untreated, the effects can be very grave indeed.
Managing Oedema, fluid retention, in pregnancy with a healthy diet
Oedema is retained fluid that causes your hands and ankles to swell during pregnancy. It is often caused by mineral deficiencies, consuming too much sugar and salt, and by hormone changes. There are several ways you can help reduce water retention through making simple nutritional changes to your diet.
Managing gestational diabetes with a healthy diet
If you develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, your baby is more likely to be ‘big for its gestational age’ because of excess glucose crossing the placenta. The sooner the condition is detected and controlled, the less likely it will affect your pregnancy and the health of your baby.
Which foods are safe to eat in pregnancy
I am often asked about which foods are safe to eat in pregnancy. This list highlights the foods that you may feel unsure about.
Supplements for pregnancy
I’m often asked about supplements for pregnancy. Generally your nutritional needs can be met through food in pragnancy, but supplements can be useful too.