PREGNANCY

    Pregnancy is a natural process, yet one out of every eleven pregnancies produces an abnormal baby. External factors that are known to greatly affect a normal pregnancy include the nutrition of the mother and the safety of the environment. Exercise should be continued during pregnancy to maintain muscle tone and prevent back problems from the added 20 to 30 pounds of normal weight gain.


    Since the baby is made from molecular building blocks, maximizing nutritional needs and minimizing non-nutritional chemicals is vital. Nutritional needs for the expectant mother increase for all of the known nutrients. A lack of folic acid is now known to cause spinal cord defects in babies of deficient mothers. It'is estimated that 85% to 90% of all pregnant women take prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs during their pregnancy, with 3% to 12% of abnormal pregnancies resulting from their side effects. Drugs and babies do not mix well. Other dangerous substances include carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke, alcohol, and fumes from paint or toxic household cleaners. Actually, common sense gives us good direction in avoiding these things. The heightened sense of smell and taste during pregnancy gives a woman a great defense for her baby. Remember, if it bothers you, it will bother the baby. See the sections on Nausea or Morning Sickness in this book.
    *Plan for your baby at least one year before you intend to get pregnant. Begin taking the Vitality Pack Prenatal with Oligofructose Complex as directed. The Vitality Pack Prenatal satisfies all of the minimum recommendations for 18 vitamins and minerals, including folate, during pregnancy.
    Melaleuca also offers Prenatal Omega-3, designed to support healthy fetal brain and eye development. It provides an optimal blend of DHA and EPA to support prenatal cognitive health, and it has a lemon flavor to help mask the fishy aftertaste some pregnant women experience. Also, if a pregnant woman consumes too few omega-3s, the developing fetus will take all that's available, possibly setting the stage for post-partum depression in the mother.
    See your health care provider and follow his/her advice. Excercise for 30 minutes daily. Walking is the best exercise prior to the birth of the baby. Eating low on the food pyramid automatically gives adequate roughage to prevent constipation and water retention. Minimizing stress while balancing activity with rest is the best way to prevent toxemia during pregnancy.