The Nourish Series- Preconception Through Pregnancy
Nutrition should be one of the easiest things to master during a pregnancy. After all, people eat food daily. However, once pregnant, women are amazed at how much conflicting advice is thrown at them (usually unrequested!) and likewise, how little they can get answered during a routine doctor’s office visit.
Many of the nutritional lists provided to women are outdated and heavily influenced by region and culture. An absolute no-no on one list is an absolute must-have on the next. To compound the issue, women are made nervous by the numerous “risks” involved with eating the “wrong” food. And at a time when so much seems at stake! We are all willing to risk a little stomach upset here and there in the essence of trying new foods, but the bar is raised for pregnant women as suddenly they are warned of possible birth defects and developmental problems.
Additionally, women at this time are trying their best to include the best nutrients to ensure the healthiest baby possible, but this too can seem to be a land of shifting sands.
Nutrition is one of the key components of a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. As much as we all feel that we know a lot about what is good for us…when put to the test, sometimes nutritional answers are difficult to uncover. Every day we are greeted with new articles in the newspapers and magazines, the health series on the evening news, and the internet; an endless source of information. However, what frustrates most people is that much of these information “sources” contradict each other and the individual is left confused.
Sometimes the midwives’ or obstetrician’s office is not much more enlightening. The magazines in the waiting room have numerous views and the midwife or doctor rarely has time to address each nutritional concern in addition to their numerous others roles. Beginning care for my own pregnancy helped me to outline where some of the nutritional gaps begin and they remain even in the best of practices.
This book will help to guide you to the healthiest choices possible, straighten out some of the myths that cause confusion and allow you to make educated choices whether at home, work, in the grocery store or at a restaurant.
Have a healthy, happy pregnancy!
