The most common comment I hear when pregnant, when it comes to food, is “You’re eating for two now, you need more calories!” Most of the time implying that you can eat whatever food/sweets you want. With all the pregnancy cravings and mood swings its tempting to use that logic when you want to eat another bowl of ice cream or just snack on a full bag of chocolate chips, or a bag of potato chips or whatever your unhealthy snack foods are. But this way of thinking and eating is so dangerous. High blood pressure, premature labor, gestational diabetes, morning sickness, unneeded weight gain and other high-risk pregnancy issues can mostly be avoided with a healthy diet. I am not saying if you eat healthy there will be no complication or that eating healthy will fix every problem but the healthier you eat the lower chance you have at a high-risk pregnancy. 

Good nutrition is one of the most important building blocks for a healthy lifestyle, pregnant or not. Healthy eating gives your body the nutrition its needs to function properly. When you are pregnant your body’s needs become more than normal, extra calories, more protein intake, more vitamins and minerals, extra water. And you can’t get these needed extra nutritious calories by eating just pickles and ice cream all day. You need to learn how much a mother’s nutritional needs are and feed yourself accordingly. 

To learn more about what is needed for a complete pregnancy diet we can look at the Dr Tom Brewers pregnancy diet.

What is the Brewers Diet?

The Brewers Pregnancy Diet was created by Dr Tom Brewer who was a obstetrician and studied nutrition for over 50 years. He helped his patients achieve low risk, healthy pregnancies, uncomplicated natural labors through a focus on diet.

The diet is not supper strict diet when it comes to what you cannot eat but more about getting the right amount of nutrition into your diet. Most diets fads we see are about cutting out foods. Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Fat Free, Low Carb, Vegetarian, Vegan… those are all about cutting foods out of our diet. The brewers diet for pregnant women is different in that it tell you how much of each food group you should eat to get the right nutrition each day for you and your unborn baby.

This diet provides what you need for the unique needs for a pregnant woman. The brewers diet guides you through 12 different food groups containing the mother’s nutritional needs as well as the needs for your unborn baby. As you eat throughout your day there is a list you can check off if your meal hit any of the foods groups that is recommended. At the end of the day you can see what food groups your where missing and adjust the next day paying special attention to eat more of the foods you are missing. You can adjust your diet slowly as you find new habits of eating that check off everything on your list.

Brewers Food Groups

There are 12 different food groups that the brewers diet pulls from with each one having a specific serving size. The amount of servings are not your limit but your minimum for a healthy pregnancy.

• Water (unlimited)
• Dairy/Milk Products (4 Servings)
• Calcium (2 Servings)
• Eggs (2)
• Protein (6 to 8 Servings)
• Fresh, dark green vegetables (2 Servings)
• Whole grains (5 Servings)
• Vitamin C foods (2 Servings)
• Fats and oils (3 Servings)
• Vitamin A foods (1 Serving)
• Weekly Liver (optional)
• Salt/Sodium (unlimited)

Here is an helpful Free PDF of the some different foods that fit in the Brewers diet food groups. You are not limited to only these foods for each category of nutrition.

Based off of the Brewers diet basic plan its not always easy to determine how much nutrition each size serving really needs. I’ve done my best to try and write out how much of nutrition I believe Dr Brewer was aiming for. The protein food group was the easiest to determine. Each serving size Dr Brewer suggests is about 7 grams of protein. The calcium and vitamins were unclear how many grams are needed but there I was able to find a range I could work with. Vitamin A needs about 450mcg per serving,Vitamin C was 100 mg, Calcium around 50-100 mg each serving. The hard food groups for me have been the wheat and the dairy.

The way wheat and dairy is processed these days is a bit different then it was in the 70’s when this particular study and research was done. I advice caution and discernment with these two categorizes. Be wise as to the quality of your foods. If the suggested amount of wheat or dairy is effecting you negatively with bloating, gas, fatigue or just feeling gross afterwards, try eating less but of the best quality you can get your hands on. Sometimes this means making bread and yogurt at home with organic, high quality ingredients. Avoid processed, pre-made items in these two categories.

How To Make Meals that Fit the Brewers Diet

Now that we have a foundation of what the Brewer diet is and our list of what size serving, we can put together meals that hit all of these requirements for our prenatal care.  

Using our handy-dandy little check list I will give you an example of a days worth of meals and how it checks off all the boxes.

Here’s how it works.

Breakfast

For breakfast I might eat 2 egg, 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with butter 1/2 a cup of cottage cheese with 1 cup fruit that is full of vitamin C.

I can now check of my 2 egg, 2 whole grains, 2 serving of dairy, and 2 serving of vitamin C and 1 fats/oils. It’s tempting to mark off 2 protein (the eggs) as well but the brewer principles advise not to do that. If you do check off eggs as protein as well as ‘eggs’ make sure you hit all 8 servings for adequate protein intake.

Lunch

For lunch I will then eat, 2 tacos with rice and beans, (⅓ cup meat ⅔ cup bean ½ cup rice, 2 corn tortillas, 2 oz of cheese). Other topping like salsa, limes, avocados are optional.

This meal checks off 3 proteins, 2 whole grains, and 1 dairy/milk and 2 fats/oils if you add 1/2 an avocado.

Snack

While I’m snacking throughout the day I may eat, 3 apricots and a handful or two of almonds or two high protein granola bars.

This covers 2 more protein and my vitamin A needs.

Dinner

Now for Dinner I will eat, Spaghetti and meat sauce with 1 tablespoon molasses in the sauce, Parmesan cheese, side of kale salad or broccoli.

Dinner checks off 1 Dairy, 2 Calcium, 2 Protein, 2 Greens, 2 Whole Grain.

Be sure to drink water throughout the day, and mark it. Add good, rich in mineral salt like Redmond’s Real salt or Pink Himalayan salt to you whole foods. Learn more about the benefits of good salt here.

Meal Planning Made Easy

Here I have a meal plan guide to help you out. Figuring out what to eat each meal to hit all the right requirements for a mother’s nutritional needs can be a daunting task, especially if you are in the first trimester. 

Here is a guide is broken into 4 groups. If in one day you eat 1 meal/snack from each group you will successfully meet all your requirements for a healthy diet during your pregnancy.

For example, for breakfast you choose a meal from group 1, then for lunch you can choose a meal from 2, 3 or 4. Say you choose group 4. Dinner you pick from group 2 and your snack is from group 3. By the end of the day you will have covered all your nutritional needs. 

Feel free to mix things up, I honestly love breakfast foods and could each just breakfast all day. And sometimes I do. I just make sure I choose an option from each group so I still get all my nutritional needs.

These meals not an exhaustive list. They are suggestions and can be adapted to meet your needs. I hope this is a tool that helps you understand how you can get your daily needs with as little emotional stress as possible. I hope this guide helps you see how you can make your own favorite meals work for you while checking off all that Dr Brewer recommends.

These meals not an exhaustive list. They are suggestions and can be adapted to meet your needs. I hope this is a tool that helps you understand how you can get your daily needs with as little stress as possible. I hope this guide helps you see how you can make your own favorite meals work for you while checking off all that Dr Brewer recommends.

Learn More About How to Have A Healthy Pregnancy and Natural Labor

The post Free Meal Planning Guide for Pregnancy | The Brewers Diet appeared first on Embracing The Home.

The Brewers Pregnancy Diet was created by Dr Tom Brewer who was a obstetrician and studied nutrition for over 50 years. He helped his patients achieve low risk, healthy pregnancies, uncomplicated natural labors through a focus on diet.

The diet is not supper strict diet when it comes to what you cannot eat but more about getting the right amount of nutrition into your diet. Most diets fads we see are about cutting out foods. Gluten Free, Sugar Free, Fat Free, Low Carb, Vegetarian, Vegan… those are all about cutting foods out of our diet. The brewers diet for pregnant women is different in that it tell you how much of each food group you should eat to get the right nutrition each day for you and your unborn baby.

This diet provides what you need for the unique needs for a pregnant woman. The brewers diet guides you through 12 different food groups containing the mother’s nutritional needs as well as the needs for your unborn baby. As you eat throughout your day there is a list you can check off if your meal hit any of the foods groups that is recommended. At the end of the day you can see what food groups your where missing and adjust the next day paying special attention to eat more of the foods you are missing. You can adjust your diet slowly as you find new habits of eating that check off everything on your list.

Brewers Food Groups

There are 12 different food groups that the brewers diet pulls from with each one having a specific serving size. The amount of servings are not your limit but your minimum for a healthy pregnancy.

• Dairy/Milk Products (4 Servings) milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, cheese…
• Calcium (2 Servings) broccoli, kale, molasses…
• Eggs (2)
• Protein (6 to 8 Servings) meats, fish, beans, nuts…
• Fresh, dark green leafy vegetables (2 Servings) broccoli, sprouts, spinach…
• Whole grains (5Servings) brown rice, quinoa, pastas, bread…
• Vitamin C foods (2 Servings) grapefruit, orange juice, bell pepper…
• Fats and oils (3 Servings) butter, avocado, vegetable oils… 
• Vitamin A foods (1 Serving) apricots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin…
• Weekly Liver (optional) 
• Salt/Sodium (unlimited) 
• Water (unlimited) extra water

To see the different food options and serving sizes for each food group you can go to drbrewerpregnancydiet.com or download my FREE PDF Page as well as a weekly check list.

Based off of the Brewers diet basic plan its not always easy to determine how much nutrition each size serving really needs. I’ve done my best to try and write out how much of nutrition I believe Dr Brewer was aiming for. The protein food group was the easiest to determine. Each serving size Dr Brewer suggests is about 7 grams of protein. The calcium and vitamins were unclear how many grams are needed but there I was able to find a range I could work with. Vitamin A needs about 450mcg per serving,Vitamin C was 100 mg, Calcium around 50-100 mg each serving. The hard food groups for me have been the wheat and the dairy.

The way wheat and dairy is processed these days is a bit different then it was in the 70’s when this particular study and research was done. I advice caution and discernment with these two categorizes. Be wise as to the quality of your foods. If the suggested amount of wheat or dairy is effecting you negatively with bloating, gas, fatigue or just feeling gross afterwards, try eating less but of the best quality you can get your hands on. Sometimes this means making bread and yogurt at home with organic, high quality ingredients. Avoid processed, pre-made items in these two categories.

Adapting the Brewers Diet to Fit Your Needs

Dr Brewer knew very well that each women and pregnancy has their own unique needs. The brewers diet plan serves as a basic guide line but is able to be adapted based off of your needs. On the Brewers Diet page there is options for vegan and vegetarian diets. The goal is to get a balanced diet of the right foods for you. 

Pregnant women need extra nutritious calories and in order to get your daily needs you will need to eat a variety of foods. You get to choose the food you eat but if you follow Dr Brewers dietary guidelines you have the building blocks for a healthy and low-risk pregnancy. The brewers pregnancy diet is designed to be adaptable in the type of foods you eat while still getting the key nutrients you need. For example one of the categories is ‘dairy’. A lot of people now days have stomach problems with dairy due to its high processes and modified nature. If you are avoiding dairy you can substitute more calcium and soy options. Look at the vegan and vegetarian version of the brewers pregnancy diet for more ideas.

Nutrition value for each food group in the brewer diet

Understanding what nutrition is needed from each food group helps me adapt the diet to fit my needs. This however is I think where the Brewer diet lacks information. It is not always clear how much nutritional value each food group and serving size should be. I do believe this is because different foods have different combinations of nutrition making the absorption rate of the needed nutrition differ from one food to the next.

For example, sodium (salt) is unlimited according to the brewers diet. Did you know that sodium is not properly absorbed by your body unless you are eating enough potassium and magnesium? So if you are eating lots of greens (potassium) you may not need as much salt. If you lack in greens you may be wanting more salt due to the poor absorption rate. So if you are craving salty foods, eat them, along with some dark greens.

The protein food group was the easiest to determine and adapt. Each serving size Dr Brewer suggests is about 7 grams of protein. The calcium and vitamins were unclear how many grams are needed but there I was able to find a range I could work with. Vitamin A needs about 450mcg per serving,Vitamin C was 100 mg, Calcium around 50-100 mg each serving. The hard food groups for me have been the wheat and the dairy.

The way wheat and dairy is processed these days is a bit different then it was in the 70’s when this research was done. I advice caution and discernment with these two categorizes. Be wise as to the quality of your foods. If the suggested amount of wheat or dairy is effecting you negatively with bloating, gas, fatigue or just feeling gross afterwards, try eating less but of the best quality you can get your hands on. Sometimes this means making bread and yogurt at home with organic, high quality ingredients.

What foods to avoid when pregnant?

“What foods should I avoid when pregnant?” This is a question I think everyone asks when they find out they are pregnant with their first. Its a good questions that has a deeper answer then just a list of foods to avoid.

The common list of foods to avoid when pregnant is this:

• Raw fish
• Fish that is high in mercury (swordfish, shark and more)
• Hot dogs
• Deli meat
• Soft cheese
• Unpasteurized diary
• Unwashed fruits and vegetables
• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• and some people even say herbal tea… (please drink your herbal teas)

Why should we not eat these foods when pregnant?

This is the question we should be asking. We want to understand what it is that is actually harmful. The answer is bacteria. We should not be eating food that have a higher chance of harmful bacteria. So when avoiding foods we don’t stick to a list but consider the quality and cleanliness of our food.

How long was this food sitting out? Do I trust the kitchen that this food came from? Is my body healthy enough to eat this much sugar? Knowing sugar breaks down our immunity making it harder for us to battle harmful bacteria. What foods typically have a higher chance of harmful bacteria? These are questions that can help us determine if we should be eating certain foods.

Not all bacteria is bad.

We also consider our body’s ability to handle certain foods. I know of plenty of people who always drink raw milk for its good gut helping bacteria and continue to do so while they are pregnant and have no complications due to the raw milk. It’s probably not a good idea to start drinking raw milk for the first time while pregnant because you don’t know how your body will respond.

There is good bacteria, bad bacteria and worse bacteria. Remember our bodies are amazing and will fight the bad. Eat the right nutrition in order to keep your body fighting the bad bacteria when unexpectedly exposed.

Why is this bacteria more harmful when pregnant?

Food poisoning is never fun but when you are pregnant food poisoning can effect the development the baby greatly. The baby relies on your immune system to protect them. When your immune system is down, so is the baby’s. Your baby is a lot more fragile than you are. You may be able to bounce back after a day or two but your baby may suffer long term.

Don’t live in fear

Its tempting to take all this information in and be afraid that everything you eat might make you sick. This is not how you should live. Two reasons. One, God is healer and can sustain you and your baby. If he chooses not to He has a reason and you can trust that His goodness will be shown through a tough situation. Two, getting food poisoning is a possibility not a guarantee. That food poisoning leading to complications in pregnancy is also a possibility but not a guarantee. Eat wisely and leave chance to the Lord.

Why a healthy diet is so important during pregnancy?

Eating a healthy diet can help you avoid a high-risk pregnancy and complications at birth. Many of the more common complications are due to malnutrition. High blood pressure, gestational diabetes, anemia, underweight, overweight, just to name a few, can be avoided with the right diet.

It has been proven that the healthier you eat while pregnant it lowers the risk of some major complications as well. The risk of pre-eclampsia, placenta abruption, choleostasis, HELLP syndrome, premature labor, and so much more can be lowered by key nutrients throughout your pregnancy.

The healthier you are the better help to your baby you will be. As you nourish yourself you nourish your unborn baby. If a unforeseen complication does arise how much more dangerous if you and baby are also malnourished? Be better prepared for the unseen complications by giving you and baby the best care that you can through a healthy pregnancy diet.

How to avoid complications…

If you want to know more about how to prepare and avoid complications in pregnancy and birth check out my other post on this subject.

Curious about the different stages of labor?

Learn how to relax while in Natural Labor – No drugs needed!

The post The Brewers Diet | How To Eat Healthy When Pregnant appeared first on Embracing The Home.

Table of Contents

• Trust in The Lord
• Talk to Your Husband and Doctor/Midwife
• Variations of Complications
• The Natural Alignment Plateau
• Eat Right and Exercise
• When is a Cesarean Necessary
• How to Avoid A Cesarean

Trust In The Lord

First things first. Know this, that the Lord is good. “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” Job 1:21. What ever happens during your pregnancy, your birth or even your child’s life we need to remember the Lord is good and sovereign over all.

We can trust in Him because he cares for us. No matter what trials we go through in this life we are blessed beyond all measure. For he has graced us by paying for our sins on the cross. He died for us that we might gain His inheritance and be called sons of God through Jesus Christ. Our hope of eternal salvation is in Christ, how much more can we trust him through the trials of this life.

Talk To Your Husband and Doctor/Midwife

When preparing for unexpected complications its best to know what could happen and talk through these things with your husband and doctor/midwife. Make a plan, go over the options and write out what you would to try first for each complication.

First, go over the Variations of Complications List with your husband. Talk about what type of birth the both of you want. Your husband may have an opinion and he might not. Either way talk through them as much as is needed so that if the unexpected arises your husband is familiar and understands the direction you want to go. He can then better support and advocate for you and the baby.

When complications arise a cesarean birth is kind of a fix all. There are risk, for sure, with a Cesarean birth but your hospital team is well trained and more confident to manage those. They may not be as well trained or confident in other, more natural techniques when solving unexpected complications. This is why it will be important to talk with them. The more options you can discuss with your doctor the more prepared you both will be and the better chance you have of avoid a unnecessary c-section.

Variations of Complications

There are different variation of complications, some may be more concerning than others but they are all good to think about. I’m not going to tell you what you should do in each situation, I’m not a doctor. This list is to help you understand what could happen and what to talk to your husband and doctor about. I also have a PDF version of this list so that you can print it out and write down the options that you, your husband and doctor discuss.

This list, although long, is not exhaustive. With that said I don’t want you to worry or stress over all the possible complication that could arrise. Most of these are very rare. As you go through and consider what you believe is the best for each situation you will find your line for where you cross over from natural to medical intervention. This is a good thing for both you and doctor to know. There’s no true right or wrong here. Everyones line fall somewhere, be prepared by knowing where.

Problems with Position

• Breech. A breeched birth is when the baby is born bottom first instead of head first.
• Occiput posterior is when the baby is sunnyside-up, meaning the back of the baby’s head is toward the mothers back. This may cause painful back labor or even slow labor down.
• Shoulder dystocia is when the baby’s head has been delivered but the shoulders are stuck.
• Transverse lie is when the baby is sideways, laying across the pelvic inlet. Not breeched not head first.
• Transverse vertex presentation, is when the head is sideways, often turns on its own.

Problems with Labor Progression

• Arrested Labor. Contractions may stop for a time. Even if you are in active labor. Read more about the Natural Alignment Plateau.
• Failure To Progress in labor is when you just aren’t progressing “fast enough” or the way we think we should. Again read more about the Natural Alignment Plateau.
• False Labor is when its hard to tell if you are having braxton-hicks (practice) contraction or if its real labor.
• Overdue, past your due date.
• Premature Labor is when you go into labor before 37 weeks when some of the baby’s vital organs are not completely developed.
• PROM is when you water breaks before labor. If labor does not start soon after your water breaks infection is a possibility.
• Reverse Dilation is when the cervix is closing rather than opening. Typically due to a relaxation after water breaks during labor or the baby changes position taking a little pressure off of the cervix.
• Slow Labor, look into the Natural Alignment Plateau.

Problems with Baby

• Abnormal Heat Rate For Baby. Not always does this mean there is a problem but it can be an indication of distress on the baby.
• Cephalopelvic disproportion is just a fancy way of saying the head is big! This becomes a complication if the head is bigger than the pelvic outlet.
• Fetal Distress is when the baby is in trouble, typically with low oxygen or abnormal heart rate.
• Infections at birth are either transmitted during delivery if the mother herself has an infection or if unsterile delivery instruments are used to help deliver the baby such as, forceps or a vacuum.
• Meconium Staining is when there is some meconium (baby’s poop) in the amniotic fluid. Studies show this is normal but could indicate distress.
• Perinatal asphyxia is when the baby does not get enough oxygen.
• Umbilical Cord Prolapse is when the umbilical cord is delivered before baby or along with the head before the rest of the body. Can cause stress on the cord.

Problems with Mom

• Amniotic fluid embolism is when amniotic fluid enters the mothers blood stream, can cause serious Anemia is when there is not enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. bleeding or cardiac arrest.
• Cholestasis is caused when bile from the liver is not flowing properly causing a build up. This build up can leak bile into the bloodstream and create complications for baby
• Gestational diabetes is when the mother has a form of diabetes during pregnancy when she did not have diabetes before.
• Hemorrhage. Excessive bleeding.
• Multiples, (Twins, Triplets etc). Although having multiples is not at all a complication but a blessing most doctors/hospitals do not like to deliver multiples vaginally nor do they want you to go full term. My sister found a hospital almost 2 hours away who allowed her to do both.
• Perineal tear is tearing of the vagina or and the surround tissues.
• Pre-eclampsia is when you have high blood pressure causing damage to other organs.
• Placenta previa is when the placenta is in the way of the cervical opening.
• Uterine rupture is when the muscular wall of the uterus is torn.
• Very Painful Labor. Could be that you are not prepared, not relaxed or a true sign that something is wrong. Talk with your nurses, stay calm, it might just be transition. During transition you may not be able to tell but your nurse will know if its transition or something else.

The Natural Alignment Plateau (NAP)

Although this is not a complication of labor it is very important to know and remember. The natural alignment plateau simply put, is that, labor does not always progress consistently.

For example, you may get checked to see how far you are dilated. The Dr/nurse says you are at a 4. After an hour you are now at a 5! So in your mind you may think “I’m dilating 1 cm every hour, I have 5 hours left.” NO, it may take 3 hours to get to a 6, or 30 minutes.

Depending on how soft the cervix is, the physical alignment of the baby in the birthing canal, your hormones, if you muscles need a break (they will take the break they need), production of immunities for baby. All these things can speed up or slow down contraction and labor.

Some people have even taken naps after they have gone through transition. There body needed a rest before they began pushing so contractions got easier and further apart and they were able to take a 10-20 minute nap before they felt the natural urge to push.

So remember that everyone’s body has a different timing for each and every thing that happens in her body during labor. So if things seem to slow down, don’t get discouraged. Remember you body knows when it needs a break in order to be 100% ready for the next part of labor. Labor is not a sprint, its a marathon. Conserve energy when you get the chance.

Eat Right and Exercise

Healthy Eating

The solution to good health is and has always been to eat right and exercise. The meaning of “eating right” differs depending on the latest diet trends. Although the fact that always remains the same is our need for real nutrients. Vitamins, minerals, portions, amino acids, and water.

Eat Real Foods

How do you the appropriate amount of nutrition in your diet? Eat real food. Eat meals made with real ingredients. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain (and little of them), plant proteins (beans, nuts, legumes) more than diary or meat proteins. Plant fats (avocados, coconut, nuts…) more than dairy or meat fats. Plant based fats and protein will contain more vitamins, minerals and amino acids than your meat or dairy giving you a more rounded meal.

I’m not saying you need to go vegan or vegetarian when pregnant to have a safe delivery. For some that could be beneficial and for others that could be harmful. What you should consider is how much plant based foods you eat. The internet specialists say everyone should eat 30 different types of plants per week. Some say your plate should be 50% vegetables eat meal. I say continually reevaluate your diet constantly and consider how you can improve it.

Foods to avoid

Your doctor or society has a list of things you should not eat while pregnant. Foods like, deli meat, hot dogs, sushi, unripe or overripe fruit, high mercury fish, raw dairy. Most of the foods you should avoid when pregnant are listed because of the potential bacteria it could have. You might get sick and your baby could get sicker. So, with all your foods it is good to consider how clean, and well prepared you food is.

But don’t just consider what you should not be eating, focus on what your should eat. Diets and eating trends can be helpful as well as harmful. Lifestyle is key. Reevaluate your diet and, think of ways you can improve it and start working on healthy lifestyle habits.

The Brewers Diet

For more direct information on how to improve your diet I strongly suggest the Brewers Diet for Pregnancy. It is a very simple plan with suggestions and size servings for the minimum of the vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats and all that. It is easy to follow and shows you where and how to improve your daily diet for a healthier lifestyle.

Exercise

How much should you exercise? What exercise should you avoid? What exercises are best for pregnancy? These are all good questions but differ from person to person for the answer.

How much should you exercise?

This depends on how much you where exercising before you became pregnant. If you where going to the gym 3-5 times a week there is no need to change that habit. If you where not exercising at all, you should probably change that. Daily exercising is beneficial to your overall health, especially during pregnancy.

What Exercises should You avoid?

It will be safer to avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity. If you are into weight lifting you can safely continue this as you body is already used to it. But be sure to talk to your doctor, midwife, trainer and listen to your own body for how to limit yourself for the safety of your baby.

When exercising when pregnant you should not over do it. Do not push yourself to hard. Give you body rest in between workouts. Our goal is to stay strong, limber and get our blood flowing. Goals such as lifting a certain amount or running a mile in a certain amount of time are secondary or even non existent when pregnant. You should also avoid high impact exercise or a lot of jumping.

What Exercises are best when pregnant?

Walking, Yoga/Pilates, low impact exercise that get your heart rate up without exhausting yourself. There are many programs and YouTube channels that specialize in prenatal exercises. I really like the workouts from Pregnancy and Postpartum TV on YouTube. I also do a lot of walking on my treadmill as well as around our neighborhood.

Squats, butterflies, pelvic rocking (cat and cow), tailor sitting, and Kegel exercise are beneficial exercises that will help you strengthen the muscles and ligaments that you will need to carry your baby comfortably and deliver a natural birth. Take 5-10 minutes each day to do them daily for best results.

When Is A Cesarean Necessary?

No matter how much you want a natural birth and want to avoid a cesarean birth they are truly sometimes necessary. I do believe the c-section birth are done to many times for unnecessary reasons but that doesn’t mean they are all together bad.

I cannot tell you when a c-section is absolutely needed and when its not, I am not a doctor. But I do know how hard it can be when you have been preparing for a natural birth and now the doctors are telling you its time for a c-section. You may struggle with trusting them, you may be a fighter for your rights in your own medical decisions but this is the life of your baby we are talking about. You want no regrets. What do you do?

Listen

First is to listen to the doctors reasons for the c-section. Ask questions to that help you understand fully why he is recommending it.

Ask

“How much time do I have to decide?” This question will help you understand if he believes its an emergency or the safest route. Ask for 10 minutes alone with your husband to process everything.

“Can you explain what needs to be done for the c-section” Depending on the situation you may be able to take small steps towards a c-section slowly. If you body relaxes its possible that the problem could be remedied. So getting an epidural (which you will need for a c-section) but then laboring for another 30 minutes or so might improve your labor and allow you to finish vaginally.

Ask for a second option, or call a trusted midwife, doula, or medical professional for advise. They too will not be able to tell you what to do but might be able to explain the situation in a way you better understand or give you helpful questions to ask your doctor.

Alternative Options

Discuss alternatives options based off of your Veneration of Complications list that you have gone through. Seeking out options and understanding the doctors reason for why or why these options will not help in your situation will help you feel more confident in your decision.

Express Your Feelings

Tell your husband, doula, nurses, doctor all your concerns and how you feel. Express your desires and help them understand your thoughts so they can better help you. If you feel like you are unheard you will likely have regrets about not speaking up. So speak up and tell them how you are feeling.

Its okay to be afraid, tell them. Its okay to grieve the natural birth experience you wanted and while knowing in order to save your baby’s life you can’t have it. Its okay to feel confused, tell them. Its okay to feel anxious, tell them.

Remember

When plans don’t go the way you wanted, you can still trust in the Lord. He is good. Give thanks to the Lord.

When going through a c-section after going through most of your labor you can be encouraged that your labor and all the contractions you went though prepared your baby for delivery and your own body for postpartum. Messages throughout your body where sent preparing you and baby for birth. Having a c-section without ever going into labor will be harder on you and baby as your body was not prepared. Labor cues your milk supply, immunities, proper postpartum hormones and contractions for after birth. Your labor was not in vain. Give thanks to the Lord.

How To Avoid a Cesarean

You can avoid a cesarean birth and get the natural birth you want.

Prepare yourself mentally for a natural birth. Commit to the hardship of a natural labor remember its benefits. Practice relaxation and breathing techniques for an easier labor.

Prepare yourself with natural options for variations of complications.

Eat healthy throughout your pregnancy giving you and baby low risk of gestational diabetes, cholestasis and other complications derived from lack of nutrition.

Exercise to strengthen your body to be able to carry your baby when your 9 months pregnant and deliver your baby with the endurance you built up through your workouts.

Pray. Trust in the Lord and seek His righteousness over our own thoughts and desires. Pray for a safe and healthy delivery and that if that not be his will that your life would still glorify him no matter what hardships come your way.

Learn more about relaxation in Natural Labor

Learn more about the different stages of Labor

Learn More about Natural Breech births

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