What to expect when you're expecting (36 page)

Biofeedback
. Biofeedback is a method that helps patients learn how to control
their biological responses to physical pain or emotional stress, and it can be used safely to relieve a variety of pregnancy symptoms, including headache, backache, and other pains, plus insomnia and possibly morning sickness. Biofeedback can also be used to lower blood pressure and combat depression, anxiety, and stress.

Chiropractic medicine.
This therapy uses physical manipulation of the spine and other joints to enable nerve impulses to move freely through an aligned body, encouraging the body’s natural ability to heal. Chiropractic medicine can help pregnant women battle nausea. back, neck, or joint pain; and sciatica (plus other types of pain), as well as help relieve postpartum pain. Be sure any chiropractic practitioner you see during pregnancy is familiar with caring for expectant women, using tables that adjust for a pregnant woman’s body and using techniques that avoid pressure on the abdominal area.

Massage
. Massage can help relieve some of pregnancy’s discomforts, including heartburn, nausea (but only in some women; others may be more nauseated by massage), headaches, backache, and sciatica, while preparing muscles for childbirth. It can also be used during labor and delivery to relax muscles between contractions and reduce the pain of back labor. What’s more, it’s a great way to reduce stress and relax. Just make sure you’re being massaged by someone who’s trained in the art of prenatal massage (not all massage therapists are); see
page 147
for more.

Reflexology.
Similar to acupressure, reflexology is a therapy in which pressure is applied to specific areas of the feet, hands, and ears to relieve a variety of aches and pains, as well as to stimulate labor and reduce the pain of contractions. Because applying pressure to certain areas on or near the feet and on the hands can trigger contractions, it’s very important that the reflexologist you visit be well trained and aware of your pregnancy, and that he or she avoids these areas before term (afterward, again, they could be just the ticket to bring on a long-awaited labor).

Hydrotherapy.
This therapeutic use of warm water (usually in a whirlpool tub) is used in many hospitals and birthing centers to help relax a laboring woman and reduce her discomfort. Some women choose to give birth in water; see
page 24
.

Aromatherapy
. Scented oils are used to heal body, mind, and spirit and are utilized by some practitioners during pregnancy; however, most experts advise caution, since certain aromas (in this concentrated form) may pose a risk to pregnant women; see
page 147
.

Meditation, visualization, and relaxation techniques
. All of these can help a woman safely through a variety of physical and emotional stresses during pregnancy, from the miseries of morning sickness to the pain of labor and delivery. They can work wonders on general expectant mom anxiety, too; see
page 142
for a relaxation exercise you can try.

Hypnotherapy.
Hypnosis may be useful in relieving pregnancy symptoms (from nausea to headaches), reducing stress and easing insomnia, turning a breech birth (in conjunction with the more traditional external cephalic version), holding off preterm labor, and providing pain management during labor and delivery (hypnobirthing). It works by getting you deeply relaxed—and in the case of pain management, so relaxed that you’re unaware of any discomfort. Keep in mind that hypnosis isn’t for everyone; about 25 percent of the population
is highly resistant to hypnotic suggestion, and many more aren’t suggestive enough to use it for effective pain relief. Make sure any hypnotherapist you use is certified and experienced in pregnancy therapies. For more on hypnobirthing, see
page 306
.

Moxibustion
. This alternative medicine technique combines acupuncture with heat (in the form of smoldering mugwort, an herb) to gradually help turn a breech baby. If you’re interested in trying moxibustion to turn your breech baby, look for a practitioner who’s experienced in the technique (not all acupuncturists are).

Herbal remedies
. “Botanicals” have been used since humankind first began looking for relief from ailments, and they are today used by some practitioners to relieve pregnancy symptoms. Most experts, however, do not recommend herbal remedies for pregnant women because adequate studies on safety have not yet been done.

Clearly, CAM is making an impact in obstetrics. Even the most traditional ob-gyns are realizing that it’s a holistic force to be reckoned with, and one to begin incorporating into ob-business as usual. But in making CAM a part of your pregnancy, it’s wise to proceed with prudence and with these caveats in mind:

Make sure your traditional ob-gyn or midwife is aware that you’re seeking a CAM treatment, so your care is truly complementary. Keeping your entire prenatal team in the know is important for your safety and that of your baby.

Complementary medications (such as homeopathic and herbal preparations) are not tested or approved by the FDA. Because they haven’t been thoroughly tested—as FDA-approved drugs are—their safety hasn’t been clinically established. Which is not to say that there aren’t complementary medications that are safe to use in pregnancy and possibly very beneficial, just that there is no official system in place to determine those that are and those that aren’t. Until more is known, it makes sense to avoid taking any homeopathic, herbal medication, dietary supplement, or aromatherapy treatment unless it has been specifically prescribed by a traditional practitioner who is knowledgeable in CAM and who knows you’re pregnant. (This is also true once the baby is born if you are breastfeeding.)

Complementary procedures that are usually benign—or even beneficial—for the nonpregnant may not be safe during pregnancy. From therapeutic massage to chiropractic maneuvers, special precautions must be observed when a patient is pregnant.

CAM can still be strong medicine. Depending on how it’s used, this potency can be therapeutic or it can be hazardous. Keep in mind that “natural” is not synonymous with “safe” any more than “chemical” is synonymous with “dangerous.” Have your practitioner help you navigate through the potential pitfalls and steer you toward CAM practices that can help—not hurt—when you’re expecting.

T
HERE’S A TINY NEW BEING DEVELOPING
inside of you—a baby in the making. Adorable little fingers and toes are sprouting, eyes and ears are forming, brain cells are rapidly growing. And before you know it, the speck of a fetus inside of you will come to resemble the baby of your dreams: fully equipped and suitable for cuddling.

Not surprisingly, a lot goes into making a baby. Happily for babies and the parents who love them, nature’s incredibly good at what it does. Which means that the chances that your baby will be born not only perfectly cute, but perfectly healthy, are already excellent. What’s more, there’s something you can do to help make those excellent chances even better—while helping yourself to a healthier and more comfortable pregnancy. It’s something that’s relatively easy to do (except maybe when you’re feeling queasy)—and something that you probably already do at least three times a day. Yes, you guessed it: eating. But the challenge during pregnancy isn’t just to eat (though that may be challenge enough during those early months)—it’s to eat as well as you can. Think of it this way. Eating well when you’re expecting is one of the first and best gifts you can give to your soon-to-arrive bundle of joy—and it’s a gift that can keep on giving, handing out not just a healthier start in life but a healthier lifetime.

The Pregnancy Diet is an eating plan dedicated to baby’s good health—and yours. What’s in it for your baby? Among many other impressive benefits, a better chance for a bouncing birth weight, improved brain development, reduced risk for certain birth defects—and as a bonus, believe it or not, better eating habits as baby grows to be a potentially picky preschooler (a perk you’ll really appreciate when broccoli’s on the dinner menu). It may even make it more likely that your child will grow to be a healthier adult.

And your baby’s not the only one who’s likely to benefit. The Pregnancy Diet can also increase the chances that you’ll have a safe pregnancy (some complications, such as anemia, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia, are less common among women who eat well); a comfortable pregnancy (a sensibly selected diet can minimize morning sickness, fatigue, constipation, and a host of other pregnancy symptoms); a balanced emotional state (good nutrition can help moderate those crazy mood swings). a timely labor and delivery (in general, women who eat regularly and well are less likely to deliver too early); and a speedier postpartum recovery (a well-nourished body can bounce back faster and more easily, and weight that’s been gained at a sensible rate can be shed more quickly). For more on the many benefits of a healthy diet during pregnancy, see
What to Expect: Eating Well When You’re Expecting.

Luckily, scoring those benefits is a piece of (carrot) cake, especially if you’re already eating pretty well, and even if you’re not (you’ll just have to be a little more selective before bringing fork to mouth). That’s because the Pregnancy Diet isn’t all that different from the average healthy diet. While a few modifications have been made for the pregnant set (not surprisingly, baby making requires more calories and more of certain nutrients), the foundation is the same: a good, balanced mix of lean protein and calcium, whole grains, a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats. Sound familiar? It should—after all, it’s what sensible folks in the nutrition field have been touting for years.

And here’s some more good news. Even if you’re coming to your pregnancy (and bellying up to the table) with less than ideal eating habits, changing them to follow the Pregnancy Diet won’t be that tough, especially if you’re committed to making the changes. There are healthy alternatives for almost every less healthy food and beverage you’ve ever brought to your lips (see box, next page), which means there are nourishing ways to have your cake (and cookies and chips and even fast food) and eat it, too. Plus, there are countless ways to sneak crucial vitamins and minerals into recipes and favorite dishes—which means that you can eat well when you’re expecting without your taste buds being the wiser.