10 Tips to Prepare for a Healthy Pregnancy

Healthy Child Healthy World

Bonbon / CC BY 2.0

1. Eat the healthiest, safest foods.

These eight simple steps will help you reduce your exposure to synthetic pesticides and guard against certain cancers and high dioxin intake. Increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, legumes and fiber may help eliminate toxins.

2. Feast on folic acid before conceiving and while pregnant.

Sources include dried beans and peas, citrus fruit, spinach and broccoli. Adequate folic acid early in a baby's development helps prevent neurological defects, such as spina bifida. Note: too much folic acid may pose it's own risks, so talk with your doctor about how much you need.

3. Reduce consumption of alcohol and caffeine, and quit smoking.

Women who smoke during pregnancy (or are exposed to secondhand smoke) are more likely to give birth to small babies with low birth weight. Alcohol and caffeine lower overall health and can negatively impact a fetus.

4. Cut down your intake of animal fats and fish to reduce dioxin, PCB and mercury exposure.

Trim fat and skin from meats well. Limit consumption of fatty and predatory fish, such as tuna and salmon, to once a month at most; alternatives include flounder and sole. (Use Seafood Watch to learn about which fish are safest to eat.) Broil fish and meat, so that fat drips away from the food. Choose skim dairy products.

5. Drink pure water.

Test drinking water for lead, chlorine byproducts (trihalomethanes) and pesticides. If there are contaminants, install an appropriate water filter and use a stainless steel water bottle to keep yourself hydrated on the go.

6. Test old paint for lead while planning your pregnancy.

Lead is stored in the bones and can be passed to a developing baby through the placenta. The EPA maintains a list of certified labs where you can send paint samples. Removal of lead paint must only be done by a professional and pregnant women should stay away from the area until it is thoroughly cleaned. See Detecting and Removing Lead Paint for more information and resources.

7. Get smart about plastics.

Some plastics cause dangerous pollution during manufacturing and some contain chemicals suspected of causing harm - especially to kids. Avoid those numbered 3, 6, or 7 (PC). These resin codes are typically on the bottom of an item in a triangle of arrows. When using any plastic, be safe by not using in the microwave or with hot food (the heat promotes leaching). Discard or stop using for food and beverages when the product begins to have signs of wear and tear.

8. Use fewer personal care products.

Many personal care products contain chemicals that disrupt hormones your baby will rely on for proper development. And others contain carcinogens and neurotoxicants, among other things. The best thing for you and baby is to reduce how much you use and to use Skin Deep to find the safest products.

9. Clean without toxic chemicals.

You don't need a chemical arsenal to keep your home clean. Basic ingredients like baking soda and vinegar can tackle most household chores. Or, you can look for natural products at the store (don't be fooled by marketing, though. Check the label for ingredients and use Seventh Generation's Label Reading Guide.)

10. Find out what chemicals are in your local air, water and soil.

Start in your backyard, by finding out what's in the soil. Sign up for air quality alerts at AirNow.gov.

Related Topics:

• Give Your Baby the Best Start
• The Best Non-Toxic Ways to Clean Your Home

A Baby-Making Story (Rated E for Everyone)

by Healthy Child Healthy World

Photo Credit: Guido

Peruse pregnancy books from the past and you'll find a wide array of ridiculous advice like avoiding automobile travel and sewing machines and even sporting events (the excitement was not suitable according to a 1950 publication called The Canadian Mother and Child). Just as our understanding of the physical capacities of a pregnant woman has changed drastically over the past century, so too has our understanding of the biological development of the baby.

Photo Credit: Guido

For example, the placenta used to be considered a powerhouse of protection against fetal damage, screening out anything bad in the mother's bloodstream and even independently generating necessary nutrients if mom fell short. Now we know the placenta is not an impermeable barrier and that the developing fetus is extremely vulnerable. We know we have a heightened responsibility during pregnancy to protect the miracle happening within the womb. Dr. Theo Colburn, President of The Endocrine Disruption Exchange and Professor Emeritus at the University of Florida, Gainesville, writes in Healthy Child Healthy World about the magic and fragility of those nine months of development.

The making of a baby is like a fairy tale in some ways. Fairy tales are about giants and broken eggs and interesting animals, and things that no one will ever see. The story of the construction of a baby is about infinitesimally small things, so small that it is hard to believe, which makes it like a fairy tale. Instead of an egg breaking in the baby-making story, an egg, a single cell, begins to split over and over again until it forms a hollow ball of cells, at which time the cells begin to move about to form buds that become hands, feet, fingers, toes, arms, legs, and eventually organs and bones and muscle, and even a heart and a brain, which are all very real. That part of the story can be seen with microscopes and has been described with pictures in hundreds of textbooks in many languages.

When one asks, "What caused that single cell to split and keep splitting until it morphed into a baby?" the baby-making story begins to read like a real fairy tale. It is hard to believe that in the invisible universe where the egg is developing, there are hormones operating in the part-per-trillion range. And that each hormone is programmed to exert its influence on the construction of the baby only during rigid windows of time. No other period in the baby's life is as fragile as during those early days when its organs and brains are being constructed and programmed. And just as there are fairy-tale villains, there are many modern chemicals that can enter the womb environment and disturb its sacred hormonal balance.

As the body of research linking chemicals in everyday products to developmental disruption increases, it becomes clearer and clearer that a healthy pregnancy starts with a healthy environment. Start (or continue) making yours cleaner, greener and safer by picking up a copy of our book and visiting the Health eHome.

Related Topics:

• Health eHome
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health newsletter

Fishing for Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Our guest blogger is Tara DelloIacono Thies, RD, LUNA Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company.

Photo Credit: FrenchDuck

Mothers-to-be are in a quandary when trying to make safe and sustainable choices when eating fish. Fish is a fantastic source of omega-3 fatty acids, important to well-being and the developmental health of our babies. Yet, many fish are a source of mercury and other unfortunate contaminates. Fishing also takes a toll on the environment with fishing and farm methods that leave a fishy aftertaste in our mouths.

Complicated with contaminated and poor sourced fish choices many women are skipping out on fish all together. Our seafood deficient diets are leading to deficiencies in DHA, an important form of omega-3 fatty acids, which our bodies can not make and must be obtained through our food.

DHA is also important to your baby's developing brain and your psychiatric health. Research coming out of the most recent American Dietetic Association Annual Conference reported on studies that revealed a "no sea food diet" during pregnancy resulted in children with low verbal IQ, low social development, and poor peer interactions. Women who were DHA deficient were found to be more anxious and distressed.

Fish is one of the best sources of DHA. This leaves us with a complicated task of figuring which fish are good for our bodies and the planet. Thankfully someone has done the thinking for us and created a simple pocket tool that you can use while shopping to at the grocery store: the Seafood Watch Pocket Guide.

This is a great tool to guide you to the best choices for fish that are not contaminated and fished using sustainable methods. After referring to this guide you will see that there are a lot of good options, and you can even have some canned tuna often thought to be totally off limits.

How much omega-3 fatty acids do you need each day? The Dietary Recommended Intake for non-pregnant women is 1.1 grams per day, which can come from all three types of omega-3s' - EPA, ALA, & DHA. Pregnant and breast feeding women need an additional DHA boost of .2-.3 grams per day. You can meet your needs by eating about 6-12 ounces of fish per week.

Look for the three magic letters (DHA) on the front of the package too. Many foods such organic milk and organic yogurts are now fortifying with additional DHA omega-3 fatty acids.

In addition to all these great food sources there are some supplements both over the counter and prescription that you may want to consider:

Over the counter:

• Nordic Naturals
• Spectrum Fish Oil

Ask your doctor about:

• Natelle Plus
• Citranatal 90 DHA
• Duet DHA
• Prenate DHA

Fish is a great whole food source of DHA. I hope you can now head to the fish market more informed and also enjoy a tuna sandwich once again.

Related Topics:

• What to Know About Omega-3s and Fish
• Health eHome
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get great tips from the Parenting & Children's Health newsletter

Dose Doesn't Always Make the Poison

Our guest blogger is Philip J. Landrigan, MD, MSc, a pediatrician, epidemiologist, and internationally recognized leader in public health and preventive medicine. He is currently the Ethel H. Wise Professor of Pediatrics, Chair of Community and Preventative Medicine, and Director of the Children's Environmental Health Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

It goes without saying that it is imperative to know the appropriate dose of any medication you need to take. Take too little and you may feel no relief; too much and you could become sicker. In fact, it's actually quite marvelous that some things can be poisonous in large doses, but beneficial in small. Still, this rule does not always hold true.

For centuries, the basic tenet of toxicology has been "the dose makes the poison." Increasingly, scientists are finding "the timing makes the poison" - in other words, it's not just how much you are exposed to, but also when the exposure occurs. This new rule is especially important for fetuses who are uniquely susceptible to exquisitely small amounts due to their developing systems. In fact, many of these prenatal exposures leave the mother unscathed while causing injury to her fetus.

The growing brain appears to be the most sensitive, but scientists are also extremely concerned about the newest animal research suggesting that chemicals can alter gene expression. In essence, a single chemical exposure during a critical window of development can turn a gene on or off and subsequently predispose people to disease. Although the DNA is unchanged, isolated genetic alterations can be permanent, placing all subsequent generations at greater risk of diseases. Toxic exposures during these moments of heightened susceptibility can cause disease and disability in childhood and throughout life.

Though some chemicals connected to negative health or development impacts are now regulated in the United States, many remain unregulated Adverse health effects have been linked to chemicals at exposure levels commonly found in our everyday environments. Moreover, tests for developmental effects are not routinely required before a chemical is used in everyday products. So, we have an incredible gap in understanding because 80% of major chemicals in commerce have never been tested to see if they damage early development - the period of highest vulnerability.

What can you do to protect yourself and your children (whether you have kids now or are planning on having them in the future)? Prevent unnecessary exposures. Use the Health eHome and visit HealthyChild.org to find out how.

Related Topics:

• Health eHome
• Toxins and Pregnancy
• Going Green: Eco-Friendly Tips & Advice
• Get the Parenting & Children's Health newsletter in your inbox weekly

Nutrition Pleasures & Precautions During Pregnancy

Our guest blogger is Tara DelloIacono Thies, RD, LUNA Nutrition Strategist at Clif Bar & Company.

As much as women share in the experiences of pregnancy and motherhood, we all have our own individual challenges and circumstances. Deciding what to eat when you're pregnant may seem like one of those challenges.

Sure, there are common guidelines and precautions we all pay attention to. I however found the number of resources available to women on "what to eat" overwhelming and confusing.

Nourishing your body during pregnancy IS very important but it doesn't have to be difficult. Let me try to simplify the information for you.

You can easily nourish your body and your baby by focusing on variety, proportion, and intention. Do this on the front end and the nutrients will come on the back end. But first, keep in mind a simple list of food precautions:

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

• Unpasteurized juice & dairy products
• Raw or undercooked meats
• Large-size fish high in mercury: Tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel (how often do you really eat this anyway?) Use a tool like Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector.
• Artificial flavors and preservatives such as sodium nitrates (found in most deli, aged, & cured meats like salami or bacon), partially hydrogenated oils & high fructose corn syrup

With those precautions out of the way, the fun begins! Here are some foods you deserve to enjoy that will help ensure nourishment and feeling good:

Whole Food Guide

Whole Grains

Rule of thumb: Choose whole grains whenever possible.
Tara recommends: Quinoa, LUNA Cookie, & whole wheat ziti.
Green & Healthy Rx: Buy in bulk to save money and reduce packaging waste.

Vegetables

Rule of thumb: Eat in colorful abundance.
Tara recommends: Spinach sautéed with garlic and oil, steamed broccoli with cheese, buttered squash with brown sugar.
Green & Healthy Rx: Look for locally grown veggies or try growing your own.

Fruit

Rule of thumb: Great dessert and portable snack.
Tara recommends: Have an apple or an orange on hand.
Green & Healthy Rx: Use the Dirty Dozen Pocket Guide to find produce with the lowest levels of pesticide residues.

Dairy

Rule of thumb: Eat a food with calcium at least three times a day.
Tara recommends: Milk, yogurt, cheese, and LUNA Bars.
Green & Healthy Rx: Organic milk is one of the most important organic investments you can make.

Meat/Legumes

Rule of thumb: Satisfy your hunger by including protein at each meal.
Tara recommends: Chicken apple sausages, hummus on whole-grain crackers, and edamame.
Green & Healthy Rx: Eat less meat and more legumes to lower your carbon footprint.

Fat

Rule of thumb: Choose plant-based fats.
Tara recommends: Olive oil, nuts, avocados, and ground flax seed.
Green & Healthy Rx: Eat smaller portions. It takes between 7-10 calories of fossil fuel to bring 1 calorie to your plate.

Drinks

Rule of thumb: Sip water all day long to get in at least eight glasses a day.
Tara recommends: A mixture of sparking water and a splash of 100% fruit juice.
Green & Healthy Rx: Use a reusable stainless steel bottle.

Treats

Rule of thumb: Enjoy something delectable a few times a week.
Tara recommends: A few pieces of dark chocolate, rice pudding, and banana bread.
Green & Healthy Rx: Choose those with organic ingredients to support more sustainable agriculture practices.

Time Savers

Rule of thumb: Focus on healthy conveniences.
Tara recommends: Use fresh or frozen, pre-cut, pre-washed vegetables. Stock up on healthy lunch items such as soup, whole-grain crackers, sandwich meat without sodium nitrates, cheese, and pita bread.
Green & Healthy Rx: Use glass or stainless steel containers when you need to keep your snacks handy.

Give yourself a break by keeping "what to eat" simple. My hope is that this relieves you from any of the confusion and conflicting information I found out there. Strive for a "do the best you can" approach, take your prenatal vitamins, and save the rest of your energy for the new someone in your life, who will need it so much more.

Related Topics:

• Health eHome
• Nutrition for 2: Your Healthy Pregnancy Diet
• Get the Parenting & Children's Health newsletter in your inbox weekly

Eco-Conscious Conception

by Christopher Gavigan

Photo: Healthy Child Healthy World

By now it should be quite clear that what's best for the planet is also what's best for our health. Polluted air, water, and soil eventually lead to polluted people because, like every other creature on this big blue globe, we depend on air, water, and soil for survival. Unfortunately, we've hit a point of planetary overload. Now, every corner of the Earth is contaminated to some degree and every single person carries a personal body burden of industrial chemicals, most of which didn't exist two generations ago. Worst of all, babies born today have over 200 toxic pollutants pulsing through their delicate, tiny bodies.

What is this doing to our health? We don't know for certain, but strong scientific evidence tells us many diseases and disabilities have direct links to contaminants in our environment. In fact, our children may be the first generation in two centuries to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. This is largely due to the obesity epidemic, which is increasingly tied to our daily exposure to chemicals .

Many people start living a more conscious, greener life after they become parents. They try to reduce exposure to risky chemicals and buy safer alternatives, even if it costs 15 cents more. I see that extra cost as an investment in my child's "health savings account." The obvious fragility of your offspring triggers an uncontrollable need to be the protector, and to ensure a decent planet for their future. But in reality, if you wait until you first hear the heart beat or hold your tiny newborn child, then you've missed a critical period of protection. Family planning in a polluted world means becoming eco-conscious and detoxifying your life long before you start getting re-"productive".

Human Development 101

Since most of us forget the lessons of our high school health class roughly three and a half minutes after it's over, here's a mini refresher:

Human reproduction is a delicate and startlingly quick process. Most women don't even know they're pregnant until they have been for a month or so, but during that short period a baby is going through some of the most dramatic changes of his or her life. In just a few short weeks, even though the developing baby is still tiny, it has a heartbeat and the nervous system, stomach, lungs, liver, and pancreas have all started to form.

Because so much is happening so quickly, these first weeks are a particularly vulnerable period in human growth; the most hazardous period in your life. Each development relies on precise, successful development in the previous stage. If an environmental factor, such as a chemical contaminant in the mother's body, interferes with growth during a critical period of development, the child may be permanently affected. All this responsibility, and you probably don't even know you're pregnant yet.

What Can You Do?

Since nearly half of all pregnancies are unintended, living an eco-conscious, healthy lifestyle may be the best thing you can do to prepare your body for having children, planned or not. This goes for the gentlemen too - toxins are known to affect the health and mobility of sperm. Start now to prevent birth defects or other unintended long-term ailments and consequences in the future. Give yourself at least three months to detoxify your body before you begin trying to have a baby.

Remember, no matter when you start, use Healthy Child Healthy World's 5 Easy Steps to make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time. And if you are pregnant now, I strongly encourage you to start today. The little happy faces in your near future will thank you.

Related Topics:

• Health Guidelines Ignored Before Pregnancy
• WebMD Slideshow: Fetal Growth and Development
• Get the Parenting & Children's Health newsletter in your inbox weekly