Mindful Birth Workshop

February 12^th 1:30-4:30pm

WBWC, Suite 304

Cultivating Mindfulness Techniques

for Pregnancy, Birth and Parenting

 Mindfulness is about being fully awake, in the present moment. When we practice mindfulness we can become more focused, relaxed and calm. Life slows down and we begin to experience the vividness of each moment. Learn and cultivate the Mindfulness Techniques as developed by Jon Kabat Zinn at the Center for Mindfulness, University of Mass. Not only will these techniques assist you in pregnancy and birth but will offer you a set of skills to use as a parent and throughout all areas of your life. This introductory workshop will include techniques for taming the stress response, mindful breathing, body scan (mind/body connection), and introduction to seated meditation. All of which will be useful tools for the labor process.

A short mindful movement (yoga) session will also be incorporated into this time. You will learn simple yoga postures that will help ease pregnancy and be useful as labor positions.

*pre-registration recommended, class size will be limited

$60.00  Early Bird by Jan 22^nd is $50.00

Register with info@carolinawellnessintitute.com

Led by Paula Huffman BS,RN,ERYT, Mindfulness Instructor

Paula is a perinatal educator and has been working with pregnant women and couples in the area for 25 years in both a medical and educational capacity. She is holds specialty certifications in prenatal yoga, restorative yoga, childbirth education. Paula also provides Doula services on a limited basis. She studied through the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Mass, and teaches Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Pain Management Classes at the UNC School of Medicine’s Program on Integrative Medicine. All of these services are offered by Paula through both group and private sessions. (919) 260-0255

Former WBWC Board Member Publishes Book on Birth

We are delighted to share the news that one of our former board members and a current advisor to the WBWC, Dr. Anne Drapkin Lyerly, is publishing a new book on birth, available this week. A Good Birth: Finding the Positive and Profound in Your Childbirth Experience (published by the Penguin Group), will be out and available on August 1st.

Drawing on her landmark study involving more than 100 childbearing women as well as maternity care providers, Dr. Lyerly describes what women say constitutes "a good birth."  She has tapped the wisdom of women who have delivered in a variety of circumstances and locations, including the WBWC.  Publishers Weekly called her book "insightful" and her message "important."  We agree!!


You can meet the author this week -- to celebrate the launch, she will be at two events local bookstores, for a short reading and signing:


Thursday, August 1st, 7pm
Flyleaf Books
752 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Chapel Hill


Sunday, August 4th, 2pm
McIntyre's Books
220 Market Street, Fearrington Village, Pittsboro


You don't need to be pregnant to read this book -- it's about birth, something we've all interfaced with in one way or another.  Of course, it is a great book for expectant moms, but it has broad lessons for anyone who has been through it (as a mom, partner, loved one, friend), has helped someone give birth, or who is interested in this very special bookend of life.


More about the author and the book can be found at:

 

www.annelyerly.com

www.facebook.com/annedrapkinlyerly

Love that Mommy Body!

by Claire C. McKiernan

Spider veins, muffin tops, stretch marks, loose, stretched out skin, extra weight, all this and more! How come superstar moms don’t have all this? Answer: They do (or did), but they have access to personal chefs, nutritionists, trainers, beauticians, and full-time nannies so they can devote hours a day to their bodies. And when that doesn’t work, they have cosmetic surgery and they still have Photoshop used on many, if not all, the photos you see, which, by the way, have been taken by professional photographers at the right angle and in perfect lighting.

Meanwhile, you, selfish thing that you are, spend your time nursing, cuddling, feeding, rocking, playing, teaching, reading, bathing, dressing, and wiping up spills, runny noses, tears, and adorable but stinky behinds. And when you are waiting at the hair salon to indulge in having your bangs cut for the first time in three months so you don’t resemble an English sheepdog, you pick up a magazine describing a superstar getting her body back two weeks postpartum. She looks amazing! Why can’t I look like that?  (Hint: because you spend more time raising your children, you ninny!) Do you think your kids would prefer a mom who lets them blow raspberries on her pudgy dough-like belly or a sexy mom?

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Every mother goes through this. And just about every mother winces about something that changed on her body. As a mother of four, I can tell you that your body will change in predictable and non-predictable ways. Some changes will be temporary, some permanent, some you’ll get accustomed to and even stop noticing, some things you will actually like, and other things, well, that’s where you need to employ some mind over matter.  

Mind Trick 1: See yourself through the eyes of your partner

  You’re not just a mom, you’re a woman! You want to feel good about yourself and you want to feel attractive to your husband/s.o. Who says that you aren’t attractive? Probably only you. Think about it: at which times do you feel most attracted to/in love with your partner? Chances are, it is after he has done or said something particularly sweet/funny/thoughtful. Your attraction to his physical body is definitely a part of it, but flaws disappear in the eyes of love. He most likely feels the same way.

Mind Trick 2: Laugh

When one WBWC mom was drying her legs after getting out of the shower, her 3-year-old daughter came up and cupped her breast, telling her mom that “it was bouncing around like an old rubber ball.” Writes the mom, “Did she have to say ‘old’ when I was only 28 at the time?!?” The same dear and honest child told her mother that she enjoyed touching her mom’s stretchy, pudgy, post-baby belly because “it is like an amusement park for me.”

Nothing like kids to help you feel young! “I can’t say those comments didn’t sting a little, but you know what? I can shake my head and laugh about them. She’s a really great daughter and turning into a strong woman who will hopefully always love and accept her own body as it changes and matures.”

Mind Trick 3: Smile at other moms

While you are being tough on yourself, you may be thinking that a lot of other moms look pretty darn good. We’re all in the same boat. Be as forgiving of yourself as you are of them. You don’t know what changes they’ve gone through, and chances are, they think you look pretty good, too. Smile at them and you’ve done a service to you both.

Mind Trick 4: Put it in perspective

Your life and your world can change in a second. Appreciate the life you have: in the big scheme of things, do these body changes really matter? If you can hug your child in your arms, hear her laugh, see her smile, than you already have more than some people.

Have you ever looked at a photo of yourself as a teenager and wondered why you didn’t appreciate the body you had back then? Well, when you are 65 you’re going to wonder the same thing about the body you have today. And when you’re 85, are you going to weep over the stretch marks on your breasts? Of course not; they’ll be too wrinkled to even find those stretch marks (har-har)! Time waits for no one, so enjoy all the natural gifts you have while you have them. And when you are 85, I hope you wear your wrinkles with pride!

Mind Trick 5: Believe it, and you’ll be it

You’ve heard it before: the sexiest part of your body is your brain. Look around and you’ll notice that there are women of all shapes and sizes that have sex appeal. Why? Confidence. How do you get some? Give yourself pep talks, do small things with confidence, find a passion and get good at it, remind yourself of all the things that you like about you and let those things glow.

WBWC mom, Elisabeth, wrote in with this great example:

“After the birth of my second child I could RUN FASTER! The very first time I went running post baby I surprised myself by how much quicker I could run -- even before training, while still very much in my post baby chubby body. After both babies I trained for half marathons to get my strength back. After my first baby I ran my first half marathon with a 10:12 pace. After my second baby I ran my second half with a 9:36 pace! That's a huge difference for me, a pace I never imagined running. I told my husband I want to try for a third baby, to see if I can break a 9 min pace!

 I don't know if I can run faster because something changed physically with my body, or because my second birth was such a life-changing event for me. Although both of my babies were born naturally in birth centers, my second birth shot my confidence through the roof. It was another hard, long labor, thanks to a posterior baby. There were 3 times during labor I broke down in hysterics, knowing I could not birth my child. I was wrong. I could, and I did. After accomplishing something I knew I couldn't do, I am a much, much, MUCH stronger gal today. So maybe I run faster now because mentally I see my body as stronger...I don't know!”

Becoming a mother is a very big accomplishment, as is the job of mothering around the clock. Instead of looking in the mirror and harping on what you don’t like, pay attention to what you do like, both inside and out. You still have those great eyes or that adorable pinky toe that curls in funny. Maybe something has even changed for the better. If your hips grew a size or two, do yourself a favor and forget about numbers. Buy the size you need because you will ultimately feel better wearing something that looks good on you than you will squeezing into something that doesn’t. Only you know what size you bought, and you will forget it once you are getting compliments for an outfit that flatters your new (temporary or permanent) body!

Confidence is far-reaching. Writes one mom, “After I gave birth naturally to my first born, I couldn’t believe how confident and strong it made me feel as a woman and as a new mother. That confidence trickled into everything I did. Over the years it has led me to try new things that I never would have tried before, I’m better at recognizing opportunities, making new friends, and my confidence has strengthened my marriage!”

Mind Trick 6: See yourself as a good example

You have a daughter, or a son, or both. If someone had told you beforehand that you would be given this precious baby, but you would never have a flat tummy again, you still would have made the trade. Now, your tummy, or spider veins, or stretch marks, or whatever are your badges of courage. They help tell the story of your life, like the scar on your knee from that downhill-- “Look Mom! No hands, no feet!”—bike-riding accident when you were ten.

You are also the most important female role model in your child’s life. Your child deserves to have an imperfect mom who can laugh, accept, and enjoy being herself. It’s all well and good to tell our daughters they are beautiful no matter what, but they know the “truth” based on what we think and say about our own bodies (and they overhear everything). What a wonderful gift to teach your child that you love yourself so that your children will more naturally love their changing bodies and not be so quick to judge the changing bodies of others.

The bottom line is: you are stuck with your body for the rest of your life. I hope you have a long, healthy, and happy life. See yourself as beautiful for your own sake as well as for those around you. Love your mommy body because it is uniquely you!

(My deepest appreciation to the brave souls that shared their stories with me; together we may have boosted a self-image or two! The prequel to this article--“Celebrate Yourself”-- was shoved into the “older posts” when it came out last month. To read it, click on my name below.)

Celebrate Yourself!

by Claire C. McKiernan

Did you know that October 11th was the first official United Nations Day of the Girl? The day was meant to call attention to all girls, whether they are up against the rules of their society, a lack of access to health care and education, a school bully, an eating disorder, or any of a number of horrors faced by girls--and women--everywhere.

This topic naturally leads me to your spider veins. Or flabby belly, or stretch marks, or that weird third eye that developed on your forehead in your third trimester. Pregnancy changes a woman’s body and instead of embracing it, we fight it, deny it, and mourn over it. What does this teach our daughters (and sons, for that matter)? What does it communicate to our partners and to society about women?

Many things about pregnancy, child birth, and post pregnancy are not sexy. They are not meant to be. You are not, after all, designed for the mere pleasures of man any more than he should be purely designed for yours. But pregnancy, child birth, and post pregnancy IS beautiful. These moments contain a beauty that is rich in their femininity as well as in their strength. And learning to love your body in spite of the weird and unexpected changes it endures can be a part of this strength. These changes depict the unique story of you and your transformation into motherhood.

I’ll get the party started and describe a few strange things that I experienced in pregnancy:

I grew a mole. Sometime in the third trimester of my first pregnancy, a protruding ugly thing, about the size of a half a currant raisin emerged on my temple. I accidentally swiped it with my finger nail during the throes of labor and bled like a stuck pig all over the pillow. I returned home with a baby in my arms and a bandage on the side of my head.  Thankfully, the mole did not grow back.

I sprouted wisdom teeth. With each pregnancy, somewhere in my 2nd trimester, I sprouted a wisdom tooth: four pregnancies, four wisdom teeth. I’d like to say they provided me with extra wisdom, but they mostly required extra time to keep clean, one kept carving into my cheek and giving me canker sores, I developed a cavity in another one, and I wound up needing them all extracted.

My feet grew. After my first pregnancy, my feet grew a half size requiring me to ditch every shoe I owned and purchase new ones. Some people might see this as a great opportunity, but I hate shopping, so this was no fun for me. After my fourth pregnancy, some seven years later, my feet somehow returned to their original size. Go figure. I now own both sizes, depending on the shoe.

My hair changed. After my first pregnancy, my hair turned a darker brown. It no longer gets natural auburn highlights in the summer sun, but I like the richness of it, so, that was a pleasant change. In my fourth pregnancy it became thick and coarse, giving me volume I had always dreamed of. I never liked my limp, fine hair, and now suddenly I had thicker, coarser hairs. You know what? I hated it. It felt like I was brushing someone else’s hair. It felt rough in comparison to the hair I had always had. Less than a year after the birth, it returned to normal (still quite dark). That brief encounter with the hair I had always thought I wanted was a turning point for me. Suddenly I realized that the hair I had always seen as limp and fine might actually be seen as shiny and silky-soft. I loved it for the first time and realized I should have loved it all along.

Of course, I experienced less oddball changes, some of which are permanent features. I went through the mourning stage and the futile attempts to erase the signs that my body had been through a metamorphosis in order to produce a thriving healthy child. But then, over time (and after the hair experience), something wonderful happened. I started putting a good spin on changes that have occurred, including stretch marks, which, on a good day, I can even SMILE about because they remind me of the babies I once held within my expanding belly.

Next time you look in the mirror and see something you’d rather not see, take the time to reflect (a pun—haha!) on why this change bothers you. Should it? Or is it that you just need time to get acquainted with yourself, accept yourself, and embrace the fact that your body shows off some of your life experiences?

So, what changes have you experienced? Common or quirky, temporary or lasting, positive or not-so-positive, these changes make us beautiful, strong women. If you want your daughters to feel that way about themselves and your sons to view women in this way, then it starts with how we view ourselves. Send some emails my way at cmckiernan@yahoo.com, and I’ll write a follow-up article (I won’t use names) celebrating the various changes our bodies have gone through in order to keep the human race alive!



“We’re Havin’ a Heat Wave…”

By Allison Koch, CNM

…And pregnant ladies are especially at risk to get dehydrated in a heat wave!

Being well-hydrated can increase your comfort, improve the body’s ability to nourish itself, prevent preterm labor, and help avoid unnecessary inductions for oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid).

So how do you know when your hydration is adequate?

First, be sure you are drinking AT LEAST 64 ounces of water daily. In the third trimester increase it by 8-16 ounces, to 80 ounces daily. If you don’t really like water, try electrolyte or vitamin waters. Popsicles count, too! (They are frozen water with a little flavor and color!) Second, your urine should be clear and colorless. You may pee frequently at first, but as your body gets better hydrated, you will adjust to the increased fluid intake.

Eat foods that help to hydrate you – watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber, summer squash, and greens are all high in water. Those foods also can have a diuretic effect on you and decrease swelling in hands and feet.

Try getting in a pool for awhile. Your skin will absorb water and the osmotic pressure makes your kidneys get rid of excess extracellular fluid (the kind that collects in your extremities).

A good rule for yourself: Fill two 1-quart bottles with water every morning. The first one has to be gone by lunch and the second one has to be gone by dinner.

Here's Why...

The number one cause of preterm labor is dehydration. The pregnant body is required to make 1.5 times its normal blood volume just to support the pregnancy. Approximately 2 liters wash over and through the placenta every hour in order to nourish the baby and carry away the baby’s waste, which is excreted through the mother’s kidneys.

When you become dehydrated from not taking in enough fluids, it creates a stressful environment for the baby. Hormone levels begin to rise, leading to an increase in Braxton Hicks contractions. The more Braxton Hicks contractions, the more prostaglandins are released, which leads to even more contractions. Sometimes, the stress is great enough to put the mother into true labor. If it goes on long enough, the cervix begins to change, and we are unable to stop the labor.

Those contractions from dehydration can lead to a hospital transfer because of the risk of a preterm birth. You can end up with an IV and medications you weren’t planning on because we are worried about a premature baby. It’s very hard to differentiate between premature labor and premature false labor. Because of the potential risk to the baby, we try to stop the labor. There are a limited number of tricks to try outside of the hospital, so there is a pretty high risk of hospital transfer when moms who haven’t reached 37 weeks are contracting regularly.

A few years ago, there was a study released about rates of low amniotic fluid according to the patient’s geographic location. Women who lived south of the Mason-Dixon line tended to have the lowest volumes of amniotic fluid when seen on ultrasound, especially during the summer months. Low amniotic fluid, called oligohydramnios, is a reason for induction of labor because of concerns about the effects on the baby.

The more hydrated you are, the more efficiently your body can nourish itself (and your baby). Think about it like this: If you have only a small fluid intake, your body will use up whatever you give it, until eventually you won’t have much to excrete. Your urine will get darker in color and more concentrated. Then your body will start to retain water as a way to protect its own circulatory system, because it senses that there is a shortage of water (drought). At first, you will get thirsty, but after prolonged drought, you are no longer thirsty. You may experience headaches, weakness/dizziness, and feel sluggish. You are likely to see swelling in your feet and then your legs.  As you hydrate better, you’ll excrete and get rid of the swelling because your body stops trying to hang on to fluid.

Get in the habit of staying hydrated, and when the temperature rises again, you’ll be ready!

Those Awful Aversions!

By Claire C. McKiernan

          You wake up one morning and the smell of your favorite hand cream is suddenly revolting. You walk into the kitchen and run out again when you get a whiff of fresh-brewed coffee. You walk back in a few minutes later, hand protectively covering your tummy, and can’t imagine why you are the only one who thinks the eggs being cooked are more sulfurous smelling than the house of Hades. Thinking of going outside for a breath of fresh air? Maybe, as long as the smell of wet earth, mulch, and budding trees doesn’t send you running back to the bathroom.

          Maybe the nausea ends every morning after you’ve been awake for an hour or so. Or maybe, your sense of smell stays in high gear. All. Day. Long. Perfume, coffee, fast food, spicy ethnic foods, seafood, tomatoes, tomato sauce, veggie burgers, garlic, rare beef, ground meat, chicken, sweet foods, and cooking vegetables were all on the list of WBWC patient aversions.

WBWC patient Alisa wrote, “In my first trimester, I couldn't hear or even think the words ‘popcorn,’ ‘macaroni and cheese,’ or ‘steak’ without wanting to hurl. Thankfully that's not happening anymore, as I've had cravings for both popcorn and macaroni and cheese several times in the last month alone!”

Basically, anything that is on the craving list for some women can be on the aversion list for others, and can completely reverse from pregnancy to pregnancy and even within the same pregnancy. Heck, even the smell of your husband/SO can become an aversion (and you craved him at least once, didn’t you?)

          And so goes those awful aversions of pregnancy: the unfortunate flip-side to the fantastic cravings. Each woman and each pregnancy is different. Sometimes there are aversions, sometimes there are cravings, sometimes there are both, and sometimes there are neither. They come and go, or last and last throughout the pregnancy (and possibly beyond).

          Here’s what WBWC patient, Danielle (who also had incredible cravings), experienced:

“When I found out I was pregnant, I was working as a cheese maker at a local goat dairy. I found out I was pregnant while on vacation for Christmas, and a few hours into my first day back in the cheese room I took a break to snack on some cheese and crackers. When I started eating, the cheese tasted as if it had gone bad. It was awful and tasted completely rotten! I threw it away, thinking it had sat too long while I was on vacation. I got a different cheese and it, too, tasted rotten! I threw it away and started inspecting all the cheeses in the walk-in cooler, worried that something had gone wrong. After tasting a few more cheeses, which all seemed bad, I found a co-worker and asked her to sample some. It turns out they were all fine! It was just my first food aversion. I could NOT eat any goat cheese until I was far into my third trimester! But I had to work my entire pregnancy making cheese full time, smelling it all day. Some mornings I would show up for work, walk in, and the smell of cheese would be so overwhelming I would run back outside and vomit! I even had to stop sampling it at the farmer’s markets; the sight of it sitting there on the cutting board would make me sick!”

CAUSES

Aversions, much like cravings, are a result of hormones. Your heightened sense of smell can make things smell fabulous or putrid. However, it is also possible that some of your aversions are protective. After all, perfume is not natural, fresh, clean air, and your body may be over-reacting to the perceived assault on your nose because subconsciously you don’t feel it’s safe to breathe in those chemicals.

It’s not such a bad thing if the aversions keep you away from chemical odors or foods that aren’t really good for you. Unfortunately, when the aversions apply to healthful foods or naturally pleasant odors, especially things you normally love, it is a nuisance, to say the least.

REMEDIES

So, what can be done about aversions? Not much, other than avoidance. There’s also an element of mind over matter. If you can refocus, you may find it helpful to have some pleasant thoughts or appealing odors (either in mind or physically nearby) at the ready for when an aversion is lurking around the corner. This won’t solve the problem, but it may reduce it. Remember: the more you think about it, the worse it gets. The same is true of cravings, of course.

Other than that, remedies are the same as for run-of-the-mill nausea during pregnancy: ginger, ginger candy, peppermints, and mint or ginger tea are helpful for some. They can settle your stomach as well as offer a distraction. Believe it or not, sucking on hard candies can have a calming effect (unless, of course, you are averse to ginger, mint, or anything sweet).

Then again, when an aversion comes on strong, sometimes the thought of putting anything in your mouth is unthinkable.  You might have more luck with aromatherapy, such as putting a drop of peppermint oil or lavender on a tissue or handkerchief (although at least one WBWC patient reported an aversion to peppermint for the full nine months of pregnancy).

Keep in mind that you may be more prone to experiencing an aversion when your tummy is empty. If you can stomach regular, small snacks throughout the day, keep them handy. If you can’t seem to eat anything, day after day, and are feeling overwhelmed, talk to a midwife. She may have a trick up her sleeve that works for you, or at least help alleviate the stress you are feeling.

Be reassured that the aversions will eventually go away, and focus on the cherished end result. As one WBWC patient wrote in response to my aversion request last month:

“I haven't had any cravings the whole time, just nausea and aversions (to sight, smell, and thought of various foods)…I would give more details, but just thinking about food (even foods that I can eat just fine when placed in front of me) makes my stomach turn... oh well. Feel very blessed to have a healthy pregnancy anyway.”

Keep your chin up, a smile on your face, a clothes pin on your nose, and you’ll get through it!

FAQ About Group Prenatal Care

by Allison Koch, CNM

  Why Group Prenatal Care?

 Perhaps one of the best reasons is that for the family planning a birth center birth, Group offers the opportunity to meet with like-minded women who have made the same choice.  The cultural model of birth in the US is one of fear: fear of pain and your ability to cope with it.  This includes a lack of confidence in the body's knowledge and wisdom, the current love affair with technology which undermines women's knowledge and confidence, and the belief that “experts” know more about you and your baby than you do. 

Having a forum for discussing questions, concerns about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and parenting provide you with a supportive community which will enhance your experience and build your confidence in your ability to birth,  breastfeed your baby, and parent. 

What happens at Group?

Several women with similar due dates meet with a midwife and a nurse in an informal setting. The usual measurements (weight, blood pressure, baby’s heartbeat, etc) are obtained, but the majority of the session is spent in conversation with others, learning about pregnancy, birth, and parenting concerns.  And we serve snacks.

Is there an additional charge?

No. This is your prenatal care.  If you have health insurance, it is covered.  If you are self-pay, it is included in the fees you are paying for your care.

Why is it a two -hour time commitment each session?

Discussions get pretty lively when moms get together to talk about pregnancy and birth!  The commitment we make to Group participants is that we will start and end ON TIME – so instead of sitting in the waiting room when the office is busy or your midwife is running behind, you will start your visit as soon as you arrive and be learning and interacting the entire time.  I have found that once women get to know each other, the 2 hours go by very quickly.

 Have other questions or want to join the Group? 

Groups are now forming for September and October due dates.  Call Layne at (919)933-3301 to sign up or ask your questions!


For moms due in November who are interested in joining the Group:
I am doing a quick survey to find out what time would be best for the upcoming Group.  We would meet on Thursdays, at either 9 AM-11 AM or 4 PM-6 PM. Which  would work better for you?  Email me at allison@ncbirthcenter.org or leave a comment on the blog.  We'll go with whichever time is convenient to the most people.

Those Weird, Wonderful Cravings!

By Claire C. McKiernan

                Rare meat, chicken,  nuts, oysters, eggs, gallons of milk and mineral water, pounds of cabbages, apples, peaches, berries, carrots, honey dew, peppers, grapes, cucumbers, pomegranates, raw onions, tomatoes, kale, mustard greens,  and  spinach… and citrus fruit by the truckload. What is this, feeding time at the zoo?

How about if I add Chinese and Indian food, gelato, Coke, root beer, Twizzlers, kim chee, fried food, split pea soup, chunky peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with potato chips smooshed inside, dry, burned toast, yogurt, smoothies, Kashi cereal, frosted shredded wheat, milkshakes, chocolate, pickles,  ice cream, ice, miso soup, Uncrustables, and mouth-watering  grilled cheese with garlic pickles, raw onions, and spicy mustard? And for some, the irresistible smell of dirt?

Whew! Sounding more familiar? Yes, we’re discussing a day in the lives of pregnant women. For some, these foods are just a strong preference, and for others, they are overwhelming desires: If I don’t have a strawberry smoothie in the next 90 seconds I am going to FREAK OUT. Have you tasted this cucumber?!?! This is the BEST cucumber in the world!!!  I bet if I dipped this egg roll in melted chocolate, it would taste like heaven… you get the idea.

With my first pregnancy, I was super-diligent about eating healthfully, but I did find myself wanting cookies and cream flavored ice cream (a flavor I wouldn’t normally buy). Fortunately, pregnant women are very adept at rationalizing; after all, ice cream has calcium and fat, both of which the baby needs to grow properly, right? I made a homemade smoothie of yogurt, OJ, banana, and various frozen berries (blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries) every morning for months, and I ate pounds of peaches that summer. With my next two pregnancies I wanted beef and other protein-rich foods.

My mom said she knew I was pregnant with my second baby when we went out to dinner one night and I ordered fried chicken with gravy, corn, and mashed potatoes with gravy and devoured it without looking up from my plate. I remember that meal; it was FANTASTIC. I also had to have frosted shredded wheat for breakfast for a good two months of that pregnancy.  I was salivating for it--I couldn't wait for that cereal as soon as I woke up--it was the most satisfying part of my day. At the end of my fourth pregnancy, I was eating four oranges every afternoon.

WHY THE CRAVINGS?

Thankfully, when it comes to food cravings, especially those that result in heartburn, they tend to disappear overnight.  So what gives? The short and most accepted answer is: hormones. But that’s not terribly interesting, is it? So let’s consider some more interesting possible reasons.

First, food cravings may be your body’s protective measure to make sure your baby receives necessary nutrients. A desire for citrus or beef might be triggered by a need for vitamin C or protein, respectively. Your body is constantly working to grow that baby, so it could just be a need for extra calories.

Pregnant women also have heightened smell, and since the sense of smell is closely tied to the enjoyment of food, smelling something like fresh baked bread might trigger a strong desire for carbs.           

Since food cravings are a well-known side-effect of pregnancy, psychologically we are less inhibited about fulfilling our food desires. Blame it on hormones, the needs of the baby, or whatever excuse seems to work! Besides, there are enough things you can’t do in pregnancy (fill in the blank here, it’s different for each of us), why not go for what you can do? For instance, maybe you can’t go pole vaulting, but you can jolly well eat that entire bag of kumquats!

Finally, as wonderful as it can be to carry a precious child inside you, it also comes with its share of unexpected aches and pains, both physical and mental/emotional. You need to relax when and where ever you can, and while taking a bath, reading a book, or going for a peaceful walk may often do the trick, sometimes only food will do. You are looking for comfort, and enjoying those moments can give you a much-needed mental boost.            

FOOD SAFETY

              That being said, we should cover some important food issues. The desire to eat non-food items such as dirt, or things that aren’t meant to be eaten on their own like ice, corn starch, or flour is a condition known as pica. This could be a sign that you are anemic and need more iron in your diet. Tell a nurse or midwife if you experience non-food cravings! This should be easily remedied.                                                                  

Additionally, there are foods that are not considered safe during pregnancy. Avoid alcohol, moderate-to-high mercury fish (such as king mackerel, orange roughy, and  swordfish), and foods that could make you sick with the listeria bacteria and endanger the baby (unpasteurized foods including some soft cheeses, undercooked meats, processed deli meats and hot dogs unless they have been cooked to steaming hot). The WBWC provides handouts about fish mercury levels and listeria.

CURBING CRAVINGS

How do you stave off, or at least curb, your cravings? The best way is to avoid getting hungry by snacking healthfully every two hours. Getting moderate exercise or finding other distractions can work, too.

You can also try creating low-fat and nutrition-rich substitutes. Craving cheesecake? Try a bit of cream cheese smeared onto an organic graham cracker and topped with locally grown, fresh, sliced strawberries.

Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Just kidding!  This never works! Theoretically, it might work if you anticipate that you’ve been craving cheesecake every afternoon, and you eat it before the craving comes on, but otherwise, it’s just an unappealing appetizer for a cheesecake entrée.

Let me put it this way: if you can manage to stave off a craving for a malted milkshake with a satisfying ice-cold glass of skim milk, then you have never actually experienced a pregnancy-induced food craving. You are also most likely male (and if so, kindly wipe the bemused smirk off your face).

Remember: everything in moderation. If you get exercise, and eat regularly and healthfully, then don’t worry about the occasional indulgences. Those weird desires will eventually go away.   Sometimes ya just gotta give in. After all, a happy mama is a good mama!

Tell Me Your Food Cravings!

By Claire C. McKiernan

     I am working on a future article about the weird and wonderful food cravings of moms-to-be (both past and present). Please feel free to email me at cmckiernan@yahoo.com . Title your email 'WBWC: Cravings.'  You can also post your craving on our blog or Facebook page.

     I will not use any names in the article! However, if you have a specific anecdote to share and want me to use your name, let me know.  Thanks!