Prenatal Nutrition
A Mother's First Task in Pregnancy
Prenatal nutrition is the most crucial thing only the mother can do to ensure a healthy pregnancy and birth. And yet, typical prenatal care, even with midwives, rarely includes nutritional counseling in the first trimester when eating well establishes the placenta's healthy function and provides all the nutrients needed to grow a baby from scratch.
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Modern medical and midwifery schools emphasize prenatal maternal assessment and fetal surveillance through ultrasound measurements. For instance, when a fetus is growing too slowly, more ultrasounds are ordered. This emphasis on medical assessment overshadows the mother's first task and responsibility: to nourish the life within and to support her prenatal health by eating a wholesome prenatal diet.​​​
Nutritional education and counseling should be an empowering and routine part of the first trimester, instead of giving a diet sheet later, after complications arise. Seldom does a healthcare provider take a nutritional history from the mother and teach her how to make necessary adjustments, such as increasing nutrient-dense foods, or to stop skipping meals at work, or relying on fast food. Additional ultrasounds cannot enhance the baby's growth; only wholesome food can nourish the baby, placenta, and mother!
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As a nurse-midwife and birth story specialist, I recognize the correlation between a lack of nutritional awareness, insufficient prenatal diet, and avoidable complications. There are specialists who treat complications during pregnancy and birth, but I am dedicated to helping mothers prevent many of those complications through wholesome nutrition. Even minor adjustments to your diet can prevent or help manage many worrisome conditions in pregnancy.
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When you make your first prenatal appointment,
also make an appointment with Pam
to ensure you are eating nutritionally for a healthy pregnancy.
The earlier you start,
the better start you give your placenta, baby, and prenatal health.
You can make an appointment anytime.