Last week in Part 1, I tackled a topic that is critical to parents-to-be and vital to the outcome of the mental and physical health of their children. Only if parents are in full form, their offsprings will eventually become healthy, well-built, and handsome men and women. Mothers, in particular, should be fit to shoulder years of pregnancies, childbirth, breastfeeding, and raising their kids. Such undertakings deplete their bodies’ reserves of essential vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids in order to build new human beings and support their physical and mental growth before and after birth.

According to Dr. John Durnin of Glasgow University in Dr. Catherine Shanahan’s book, Deep Nutrition, “The fetus is well protected against maternal malnutrition — that indeed it behaves like a parasite oblivious of the health of its host.” When mother’s body is low in calcium, the fetus will take its need from her bones. When her diet is deficient in essential fatty acids (omega-3), the unborn will selfishly take the fats it requires from her brain to build its own brain. This also applies to folic acid, making her require supplemental iron throughout the childbearing and breastfeeding periods.

That is how a pregnant woman depletes her own stock of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and other building materials. The dependent fetus has urgent needs, compelling her to eat well; to take prenatal supplements to prevent nutrient deficiencies; and look after her health in order to be fit for the reproductive processes and the other tough missions that follow childbearing. These include childbirth, blood loss, and nursing; all deplete her body furthermore.

Now, I would like to go back to the role of the fathers-to-be where I left it last week. His task, of course, does not end with conception. He needs to walk the mother of his child through the entire periods of pregnancy and breastfeeding, which last thirty months or more, as explained in the Holy Qur’an (Chapter 46; from Verse 15. Read last week’s article). He should provide his wife an emotionally and financially stable marriage, a safe comfortable home, and secure relationship; free of unnecessary arguments, anxiety, conflict, quarrels, threats, and emotional and mental disturbances and stressors as well as physical loads and demands.

Pregnant and new mothers become extremely sensitive and fragile, ready with their tears during these delicate periods due to hormonal shifts and nutrient deficiencies. The father should also provide a safe environment with maximum comfort and physical, mental and emotional security. Groceries, vegetables, healthy fats (olive and coconut oils), and meat should be of the best and safest qualities (organic if possible); water should be pure or filtered; and the home of reasonable convenience and safety.

For the sake of his wife and children, the environment should be free of contaminated drinking water, fast food and fries, trans fats (cooking in vegetable oils), toxins, pesticides, additives, chemicals, cigarette and shisha smoking, car exhaust, and radiation from mobile phones, chemicals in furniture, carpets, and fabrics, harsh cleaning agents, and polluted air.

If she is provided with these comforts, she should be able to carry on her daily chores as usual, but in a sensible manner, avoiding lifting heavy loads or exhausting herself with housework. While reasonable movements and moderate physical activities are good for her, strenuous tasks could threaten the pregnancy. The well-being of the mother-to-be is of the utmost importance to ensure a successful pregnancy, a healthy, well-developing fetus, and a happy outcome.

The mother-to-be, on the other hand, owes herself different duties and to her unborn baby as well. In order to ensure the good health, safety, and development of her fetus, she needs to be conscious of what she puts in her mouth. Ideally, she should be nourished with fresh organic foods and healthy proteins and fats. She should be well rested (restful night sleep and day naps) and in a state of good mental and physical health.

She should also raise her water intake. As the pregnancy progresses, the body requires more water to make the amniotic fluid (nourishing fluids around the fetus), especially after the third month. Otherwise, whatever little water she drinks goes to supply fetal needs. Consequently, her digestive tract dries out, leaving her suffering from acid reflux, nausea, constipation, and haemorrhoids in result of dehydration. Constipation, diarrhea, and laxatives could put the pregnancy at risk of miscarriage or early delivery.

Apart from sleeping well and nourishing her body and brain with nutritious foods, mother should keep away from too much salt, refined carbohydrates and sugar, which compromise cell signaling and the immune system. According to Shanahan, it is important “to address the overconsumption of sugar and vegetable oil, both of which interfere with signal transmission required for normal growth and development [of the fetus]. Besides, obesity and excess weight could harm her and her pregnancy, causing gestational diabetes, hypertension, and delivery complications. Moreover after the birth of the child, she gets stuck with the extra weight.

Moderate physical activity is important to help her have enough oxygen intake, which is also essential for the fetus. Such exercises range from walking and swimming to yoga, tai chi, and Pilates. They should be practiced regularly, but sensibly. Exhausting and brisk movements could threaten the pregnancy.

In order to remain disease-free, mother should protect her health from nutrient deficiencies, dehydration, diarrhea, constipation, bacterial and viral infections, and contaminations during the entire nine months of her pregnancy to keep her body healthy and strong for the demanding steps of childbirth and breastfeeding. Other than reducing salt, sugar, sweets, and desserts, she should avoid processed foods and cooking in vegetable fats (trans fats) as well as additives and sugar substitutes, which could be neurotoxic and harmful to the brain of the fetus, possibly causing learning disabilities and more.

Cigarette and shisha smoking and secondhand smoke should be avoided as they restrict fetal oxygen. Studies have found nicotine around the cervix of non-smoking women, who are exposed or live in environments of secondhand smoke. Alcoholic drinks also harm the brain of the fetus. I will discuss it in future parts of the series.

Such self-care does not end with the nine-month gestation. Breastfeeding takes a toll on her body and depletion in nutrients continues, when her body begins to make the nutrient-rich breast milk immediately after the delivery to nourish her rapidly growing baby. The mother’s milk is enriched with antibodies to protect the infant from pathogens and build its own immunity. Breast milk is similar to blood in its content; it requires an abundance of nutrients for the mental and physical development of the infant. While the mother is nursing her little one, her brain releases oxytocin, the bonding hormone, creating an exceptional bonding between mom and baby.

Therefore, a nursing mother should have nutrient dense foods (fresh vegetables and fruits) and take postnatal vitamins and healthy fatty acids to supplement her own losses of nutrients. She should also pay attention to the recommendations above and protect her milk from toxins or allergens that could harm her baby.

Having a baby is a hefty load on mother’s health. It should not be taken lightly. Mother’s health is a serious matter to be handled with a lot of care and love. Next week, I shall discuss the nutrients important to mother’s well-being and to the success of her pregnancy. Some of them are absolutely essential to the mental and physical developments of the fetus. We shall also see what happens to the development and bone structure of subsequent children, whose mothers are debilitated by malnutrition and previous pregnancies.

References:

• Dr. Catherine Shanahan and Luke Shanahan, MD, Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food

• http://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/news/20050107/secondhand-smo...

N.B.:

Individuals with medical conditions or on medication should consult their physicians when they decide to introduce anything new in their diet even if it is natural.

The previous Health Solutions articles are located at www.arabnews.com

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