Emily Mason 0:04
You just confirmed you're pregnant and now your doctor is talking about prenatal nutrition. You remember hearing pregnant women are supposed to avoid sushi, deli meat and alcohol. But is that it? Today we are diving deep into the do's and don'ts of prenatal nutrition and talking about those pregnancy cravings you have heard so much about. Thanks for joining us. This is Preggie Pals.
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Emily Mason 0:55
Welcome to Preggie pals. My name is Emily Mason, and I will be your host today. If you haven't already, be sure to visit our website at New mommy media.com And subscribe to our weekly newsletter, which keeps you updated on all the episodes we release each week. Another great way to stay updated is to hit that subscribe button in your podcast app. And if you're looking for a way to get even more involved with our show, then check out our online community. It's called Mighty moms. That's where we chat more about the topics discussed here on our show. And it's also an easy way to learn about our recordings so you can join us live. Our expert today is Lauren Saunders. Lauren is a registered dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition and integrative physiology. Her chosen emphasis is in pre postnatal nutrition, helping moms achieve their healthiest body possible. Lauren, thank you so much for joining us. Can you please tell us more about your family?
Lauran Saunders 1:52
Yes, thank you so much, Emily for having me on. So I currently have a little girl. She's almost one and a half. And then we actually have a baby boy coming just in a couple of months this October. I'm a military wife and we are we're just living the dream, raising our babies and living life right now.
Emily Mason 2:12
That is awesome. And congratulations.
Lauran Saunders 2:15
Thank you.
Emily Mason 2:16
We also have a mama joining us today. DaeJah is a pregnant mom, who is on the episode today. Deja, can you please tell us how far along you are? And if this is your first baby?
DaeJah 2:29
Yes, Emily. So I am currently 37 weeks. This is my first baby and I am baking and I'm ready for her to come out.
Emily Mason 2:41
We've all been there I think I will also be chiming in on my experience with pregnancy nutrition. But first, let's take a quick break.
Today we're discussing the do's and don'ts of prenatal nutrition. Lauren, these next few questions are just for you. So the first one is explain what prenatal nutrition means. Is it just taking a prenatal vitamin? Or does it go deeper than that?
Lauran Saunders 3:18
Right off the bat, I will say it definitely is so much more than just taking a prenatal vitamin. I think prenatal nutrition can refer to eating before you're even pregnant during that trying to conceive time period or as you're getting your body ready and supporting your fertility. And then as you are pregnant, what's your eating that correlates to your prenatal nutrition as well. And really, the recommendations for both phases trying and currently pregnant really are the exact same thing. But I think it's also important with prenatal nutrition to understand the limitations that you may face, especially in cases like severe morning sickness where you can't eat what you are, quote unquote supposed to. So there's for sure some flexibility in the concept of prenatal nutrition. But it is so much more than just taking a vitamin but having an over encompassing well rounded diet to support you your fertility and your baby.
Emily Mason 4:18
That is so interesting. So I guess moving in and looking at vitamins more or all prenatal vitamins the same?
Lauran Saunders 4:27
Most definitely not. They they're not created equal. And what you might need could look very different than what your sister needs or your friend or your mom, because we all live very different lifestyles. And there's definitely some brands that are top of the line when it comes to like the dose of nutrients or the quality and the effectiveness. And those are the types of brands that I could recommend to pretty much anyone and it would really cover your bases. So brands like needed or fullwell fertility are kind of those top of the line prenatal vitamin brands But with a high quality supplement that usually comes with a higher price point, and sometimes that just isn't feasible for everybody. So I think any prenatal vitamin is going to be better than nothing. But it's important to know how to find the high quality ones that are within your price point that fit your specific nutrient needs. And that should be talked about more, and it really just isn't talked about at all. So that's something that I do help a lot of women with individually is finding, what are your specific needs? And how can we find a vitamin that's going to, you know, fit your needs, but also fit your price plan?
Emily Mason 5:37
That's amazing. I've never thought about specific needs. I just kind of thought vitamins were vitamins. So I'm learning something here too,
Lauran Saunders 5:44
I would say and sometimes, you know, some have certain food allergies or food restrictions, or maybe you don't eat any meat or you just don't like fish, that definitely would change what you would need to look for in a prenatal vitamin. Gotcha.
Emily Mason 5:56
Okay, so let's debunk some myths here. If someone is pregnant, can they never have sushi? Like what about a California roll?
Lauran Saunders 6:10
i This is so funny, because there's a lot of controversy out there. But it is such a nuance to think. And I wish that food safety as a whole was more talked about instead of you know, here's this laundry list of don't eat sushi, don't eat deli meat, don't eat soft cheese, we really should be focusing on food safety as a whole. And the fact of the matter is that no food is 100% safe or unsafe. So if you eat sushi that was not put together properly with good food safety practices, you are likely to get sick from that. But you are just as likely to get sick from a salad, or a burger or a sandwich or whatever else that is also not put together with good food safety practices. And vice versa. Like if you are going to a high quality sushi restaurant, and they follow excellent food safety practices, the fish just flash frozen all of there's no risk of cross contamination, your risk of getting sick is actually quite low. Whether you choose raw, raw sushi or cook sushi, whatever it may be. So I know women are just you know, so anxious and don't even want to risk it, which is totally fine. You can you can go for a cooked roll, you can go for a California roll. That's totally fine. But I think it's more important to think that food safety overall should be the priority. I mean, pregnant or not. If you're getting sushi while you're pregnant, if you're getting sushi before, if you're getting sushi after food safety should always be at the top of your mind.
Emily Mason 7:42
Absolutely. So I guess I definitely ate sushi when I was pregnant, because that's what I craved. But I was so concerned with deli meats, how safe are deli meats to eat? Or do those kinds of follow those same standards that you were talking about in the last question.
Lauran Saunders 8:01
You know, it definitely is a lot of the same concept of food safety and like that, that risk versus reward. With deli meat, I always say you have three options, you can eat it, you can heat it, or you can completely avoid it. With you know, going to a high quality restaurant where you want to get a sandwich, you're probably having better chances getting a good quality, safe piece of deli meat compared to picking up a sandwich from the gas station that's been sitting in the refrigerated section for two days. Does that makes sense? And so And with that, like heating up, that really does lower any risk of bacteria contamination, stuff like that. But I will say like for myself and for a lot of other pregnant women, sometimes the deli meat is the only protein source that even sounds good to you. And the benefit of getting adequate protein in and pregnancy for myself definitely outweighed any risks. And of course, like having that knowledge of food safety practices, listening to your gut instincts, and your intuition definitely takes you far as well.
Emily Mason 9:12
Right. Yeah, that makes sense. Um, so you touched on it just a little bit. But you said, you, you know, this is the only time maybe you got protein or that it was the only protein you could stomach. Pregnant women are told to up their protein. But how can they do that if they have a bunch of morning sickness or nothing? Sounds good.
Lauran Saunders 9:36
Yeah, absolutely. And I mean, speaking from my own personal experience with two pregnancies, being told to up your protein is something that is almost always so much easier said than done. Especially if you are experiencing that morning sickness or those food aversions. A lot of the high protein foods and specifically meat products just do not sound good. But protein is so benefit So at treating some of the morning sickness and the nausea symptoms, which is why we are encouraged, you know, up your protein intake yes to grow baby, but also to help with so many other symptoms. So I always recommend opting for some more bland proteins when you can, that don't emit a very strong smell or a strong taste, especially if you're kind of in that sickness, morning sickness. So nuts, seeds, beans, chickpeas, yogurt, or cottage cheese mixed into things could give you a protein boost. So for example, maybe you're making a creamy soup for dinner or tomato soup or something like that, adding a scoop of Greek yogurt to that can boost your protein where you're really not going to taste it. Or with mac and cheese, maybe blending up a little bit of cottage cheese to add to that can also boost the protein content. So it's really important to aim for good proteins at each of your three meals a day, your snacks during the day to meet that high demand of protein. But when you're like absolutely so sick, going for some of those more bland options could just help you get that boost you need.
Emily Mason 11:07
That absolutely makes sense. And I guess you're talking about, you know, having nuts and those kinds of things. Is there a science to waking up in the morning and I would always keep you know, protein right next to my bed like nuts or something that I could keep there all the time. And if I ate before I got out of bed. I felt so much better. Is there a science to that? Or is that just kind of different for each person?
Lauran Saunders 11:37
It you know, it is pretty well researched that if you are up on your protein intake, kind of before that sickness, even hits, it will help stave that off. So I do recommend to most women to keep a bag of nuts next to your bedside table and have a few of them munch on it a little bit before you get out of bed because that can really, really help with some of that nausea. And that's something that I've done for both of my pregnancies as well.
Emily Mason 12:03
Awesome. Well, we have some more prenatal nutrition questions coming up. And we will hear more from a pregnant mama and get a breakdown her of her pregnancy cravings after this break.
DaeJah you mentioned you're due in late August, you're 37 weeks pregnant. Can you talk to us about different food cravings that you've had in your second trimester compared to your first?
DaeJah 12:34
Alright, yeah, my first trimester, I went through severe morning sickness, but I was a little bit like, I was a rebel. So I kind of just ate and threw up ate and threw up. I just because the cravings was just overpowering. So my cravings on my fresh semester was mainly just like fruits and vegetables, which was very odd for me because I eat that on a regular daily basis. But it just had to be more and more and more. My second trimester. My my cravings got to like being only orange juice and tacos, I just wanted orange juice. And tacos and orange juice had to be freshly pressed. From Jamba Juice. I couldn't drink no other at all, or I will feel sick. And tacos. It was either my dad had to cook them. Or I had to go to one of my favorite taco places, which is was like 40 minutes away. So my boyfriend he would, you know, he wouldn't be nice about it. But I can tell he had a little hidden animosity. And he was upset that we had to drive 40 minutes away. Three to four days out the week. So my pain was in my second and my second trimester where it was like they were like, overpowering my life. My first trimester I just was sick. But I was I was. I don't know, I was just like, you know, I've thrown up before pregnancy. So I don't mind throwing up again. I just wanted what I wanted.
Emily Mason 14:00
That absolutely makes sense. So Lauren, I guess Can you speak on this? Is it common to crave different foods depending on the trimester you're in or even different kinds of foods?
Lauran Saunders 14:12
Yeah, it definitely can be common. And oftentimes, our cravings can tell us what's going on in our body or if we are deficient or something or if we need to have iron on something. So like, for example, a lot of women end up low in iron at the second half of their pregnancy because the nutrient demand is so high because your baby is taking all that iron from you. And so a lot of women will find in the second half of pregnancy or later on that they're craving ice or red meat or non food items. And that's usually a big indicator that your iron levels are low. And then like on the flip side in your first trimester, it actually can be pretty common to crave more carbs. Sugar and sweet are things. And there's some really interesting research behind this thought that it may be in our first trimester, we're a little bit hypoglycemic. So running a bit lower on our blood sugar, and our body recognizes that we need those carbs to help keep it back up. So, curricular use definitely can change. And I will always say like, if you're constantly craving sweets and sugar and high carbs, there's also a good indicator that you might not be getting enough protein and fiber to fill you up. And your body just naturally reverts to wanting those carbs because of that, but definitely like there's going to be those ebbs and flows throughout your pregnancy for sure.
Emily Mason 15:43
That's really interesting. So Dasia you mentioned that during your first trimester, you were getting sick and eating and getting sick. How did you combat staying hydrated during that first trimester? Um,
DaeJah 15:55
one thing I've never had a problem with is drinking a lot of water. So and then I'm just a big juicehead, too. So I just did a like a lot of cucumber and lemon in my water. And my boyfriend. He's like a health nut. So he he will be on me every five to 10 minutes. Did you drink your water? Did you drink your water? Did you drink your water? And I'd be like, you know, I'm tired of hearing his voice on top of being sick. So I just made sure I always kept water with me. And then my I had a couple of friends who bought me like cups. That helped me track throughout the day, how much water I was drinking. And so it just became kind of fun. And plus I got with me with this being my first child, you know, we get I get kind of like overly paranoid. So I was like, I was trying to make sure I was doing everything that I had to do.
Emily Mason 16:42
Right, right. Lauren, do you have any other advice? I think Dasia had some great tactics there. But do you have anything else to add on staying hydrated?
Lauran Saunders 16:55
Yeah, for sure. I love that you said how you would like mix in love and, and cucumber. I know for a lot of pregnant women and my self included, sometimes clean water is just absolutely awful, and you don't want it. So adding those mixes adding fruit, if you need to have you know, a flavor packet or drops or an electrolyte packet, things like that, that's going to make it more palatable, definitely go for it. And then I always recommend like, the bigger the bottle, and the less often you have to fill it up, the more likely you are to actually drink it. And so if you need to, you know, get yourself a 40 ounce bottle and get a straw or something that's going to make it easier to do, by all means do that. But all liquids count to when it comes to stay hydrated. So if you can drink milk, if you have, you know, broth or soups are really juicy fruits, those can all count towards your hydration goals as well. Hmm.
Emily Mason 17:48
Interesting. Well, we've got more questions coming up. But first, let's take a quick break.
Lauran Saunders 18:01
Oh, I'll start and kind of like a two two part thing. Because from you know my experience as a prenatal dietitian, I definitely see the importance when it comes to managing your symptoms having overall an overall better pregnancy experience and postpartum outcomes and better health with your baby. But I also want to say that there are times when, quote unquote, eating well does not always seem feasible, or it straight up just isn't feasible in the case of like hyperemesis or severe morning sickness. And those are times where you definitely just need to give yourself some grace, our bodies are amazing at trying to prioritize that baby, and what you eat and the nutrients you do take in, they're gonna go towards your baby first. So, yeah, we want you to eat well during pregnancy. But it's also realistic. That's, that's not always going to happen. And that's okay.
Emily Mason 18:52
That's really interesting. DaeJah Do you have anything to add into that?
DaeJah 18:58
Um, I think Lauren stated it perfectly. Because sometimes, you know, I feel like I ate healthy. I did what I was supposed to do, but I by the Human Nature took over and I needed to eat a couple of things. And every time I went to the doctor's, her heartbeat is strong. We didn't have no complications or anything. So I'm just like, Okay, well, I trust I trust what I'm doing.
Emily Mason 19:23
I think we all get to that point where we're very anxious, and then we realize that our bodies do know what they need, and they're very intuitive. Lauren, can you talk to us about some super foods that pregnant moms or moms looking to get pregnant might look out for?
Lauran Saunders 19:44
Yeah, absolutely. I'll first define like a pregnancy superfood, I would say is specific foods that are high in the nutrients that our bodies need more of when we become pregnant or when we're trying to get pregnant. So foods that are going to be Hi in like folate, omega threes, iron, glycine, antioxidants, things like that. So some of like the top pregnancy super fruits that I would recommend including as often as you can our Aigues. Salmon, red meat, especially as you get later on in pregnancy and your iron demand goes lentils for a great iron folate and plant based protein source. And then like bone broth, which is full of glycine to help with our collagen production as our we have so much skin that is stretching, our organs are stretching, we're creating new skin for the baby. Bone broth and types of foods like that are going to be excellent, excellent super foods.
Emily Mason 20:43
Interesting. DaeJah Do you have any tips for our pregnant listeners out there?
DaeJah 20:49
Um, I would say, for me, I would say the best thing that helped me was to get knowledge from other pregnant moms and, and hear other pregnant moms experiences. I also stayed off of Google, Google is a letters scary, they give you all the worst things that can happen first. So me and my doctor decided to stay off of Google. And this, you know, I say have fun and embrace the new, the new the new you because your body will never be the same again. So that's one of the biggest things. I learned to really love myself and learn that it was okay. Coming into my new womanhood being a mother.
Emily Mason 21:36
It's very good tips. Lauren, do you have any tips? And where can listeners go to work with you?
Lauran Saunders 21:45
Yeah, absolutely, I would definitely echo everything that deja had said, Those are excellent tips. And I would also just say, you know, pregnant, pregnancy can be hard. And it definitely is a time to give yourself some grace. Because you are growing an entire human, you're going through a lot of those body changes, and you're trying your best. And it's not a time where we need to get down on ourselves. So giving yourself grace when you feel like maybe you're not eating as well as you should, or whatever it may be. I think that grace can go a long way. And then as far as working with me, I do one on one nutrition coaching for fertility trying to conceive pregnant moms and postpartum moms. And then I also have my signature online pregnancy nutrition course that anyone can do called Baby building bootcamp. And it is just chock full of so much information regarding all aspects of pregnancy eating, what you should be eating, what's safe food safety, what you actually should avoid, exercise safety, mental health, mindful nutrition, so many things that I think every pregnant woman should have access to. And you can find my course on my website, prenatal rdm.com, or through my Instagram at prenatal dot rdn.
Emily Mason 23:03
And we will definitely be linking those in on our website. So all of the people listening can go over there and check those out and find out more about you. Thank you so much to all of our guests who joined us for this episode today. Be sure to check out new mommy media.com, where we will have our podcast episodes plus videos and more.
That wraps up our show for today. Thanks for listening. If you love Preggie pals as much as we do, please consider checking out the amazing businesses that sponsor our show week after week. And we'd also love for you to tell another pregnant mama about this resource, which of course is absolutely free. And if you want to check out some of the other podcasts we produce, such as newbies, parents savers, the boob group and twin talks, then visit our website at New mommy media.com. Thanks for listening to preggie pals your pregnancy your way. This
Disclaimer 24:08
This has been a new mommy media production. information and material contained in this episode are presented for educational purposes only. Statements and opinions expressed in this episode are not necessarily those of new mommy media, and should not be considered facts. While such information and materials are believed to be accurate. It is not intended to replace or substitute for professional medical advice or care and should not be used for diagnosing or treating healthcare problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. If you have questions or concerns regarding your physical or mental health, or the health of your baby, please seek assistance from a qualified health care provider
