Micronutrients - Beyond the Prenatal
We discussed that the idea of “eating for two” is kind of a pregnancy myth. Growing babies doesn’t take nearly as many calories as you might think, and certainly not enough to justify an extra burger, milkshake, and a side of tacos (or at least not every day...). BUT, when it comes to vitamins and minerals, the idea of “eating for two” isn’t so far-fetched. While your calorie needs really don’t change much, your micronutrient needs change drastically during pregnancy (and postpartum!). While not quite double, thinking of it that way can help you focus on getting adequate amounts to support you and your growing babe.
Macros for Momma
Macros. No, not counting them. We’re talking about what macronutrients are and how your needs might change during pregnancy. Remember, while you might like to think of it as “eating for two”, the reality is that your actual calorie needs increase very little throughout pregnancy, just by about 200-300 calories per day in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, respectively. And where do calories come from? Macronutrients!
You’re Pregnant! Now What?
In some ways, it’s fitting that you find out you’re pregnant by peeing, likely on your own hand. It’s really just the beginning of many, many years of urine being a huge part of your day. From peeing at each OB appointment, to waking to pee more times than you can count while baby plays kick ball with your bladder, and then, baby arrives and the amount of conversations that will focus around how many wet diapers (and poops) baby has will be astounding. Don’t even get me started on teaching a boy to pee IN the toilet... But, let’s back up. You peed on the stick and... you’re pregnant! Congratulations! Hopefully, you’ve already had your nutrition and health on point and getting off to a great start. If not, all is not lost and if so, now is not the time to stop! Let’s take a look at how best to nourish your pregnancy and the baby you’re growing.
SLEEP. STRESS. SWEAT. FOR YOUR FERTILITY
Beyond diet, we know there are a lot of other things that can affect your fertility. Inflammation is a massive factor and is influenced by diet, stress, sleep, and more. When I work with clients, I take a holistic, functional approach to their health and their plan. This means we don’t look at anything in isolation, but as part of the entire picture. The body doesn’t work in isolation, so why should our approaches to support it? My clients know that their plan is going to include working on more than just the food they eat (or don’t eat), with a huge focus on re-establishing balance through movement, breath, and more. It’s so tempting to think there’s this one, magical change you can make that will be the ticket to success, but the reality is, your body requires so many things to functional optimally, and while it may be able to compensate for some deficits or imbalances, that’s certainly not the ideal way to try to conceive or go into a pregnancy. So, let’s explore some other contributors to imbalance and obstacles to conceiving.
Fueling Fertility
When it comes to conceiving, there are plenty of things you don’t have much control over, but your diet is one element that you not only have control over, but that plays a massive role in improving (or damaging) your chances of conceiving. Remember that old adage, “you are what you eat”? Well, you are what you don’t eat, too. In other words, if you eat processed foods, foods that encourage inflammation, or foods lacking in nutrients, your body is going to have quite a tough time supplying quality eggs and sperm to try to make a baby.