Tag Archive for 'maternity health'

Breastfeeding Can Extend Your Life (New Research!)

Published on April 7, 2013 in Breast milk, Breastfeeding and Pregnancy Health. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

If you are wondering where to stand on the breastfeeding v. formula debate, some new research may make that decision a little clearer.

A mass study published that past Wednesday in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition discovered that exclusively breastfeeding your baby for at least six months could cut your chance of dying from cancer and all other diseases by 17%. This includes an 8% reduction in dying by heart disease alone.

Previous studies on breastfeeding have primarily looked at the affect on the baby or the short term health benefits to the mother, such as weight loss.

“No previous study has investigated the association between breastfeeding and mortality in the mother,” lead researcher Anne-Claire Vergnaud said. She added that “failure to breastfeed” related to an increase in premenopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer and diabetes.

The study also confirmed previous findings on health benefits to the baby from breastfeeding including less likelihood of adult obesity or even being overweight, which reduces risk for seven different types of cancer as well as diabetes.

AICR Director of Research, Susan Higginbotham explains the connection between breastfeeding and longevity, “Physical changes in breast tissue that accompany milk production provide some protection as well.” Since breast tissue cells are shed during lactation, the cancer risk is decreased. She adds, “Because cells have potential DNA damage get shed before they can spark the cancer process.” Also, longer breastfeeding helps by reducing menstrual cycles and the lifetime exposure to hormones such as estrogen that can increase the risk of breast cancer.

Only 16% of US women exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months and 36% breastfeed exclusively for three months, so many American women are clearly missing the health benefits for themselves and their babies that exclusive breastfeeding has to offer. 47% of women in the U.S. breastfeed the first six months while also supplementing with formula.

Clearly the breast is best not only for your baby and for helping with your pregnancy weight loss, but also for your long-term health, reduced chance of cancer and overall longevity. That’s a powerful reason to breastfeed your baby!

Written by Amy

Eat Your Protein When You Are Pregnant Or Nursing!

Published on April 6, 2013 in Pregnancy Health. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

We all know that foods Salmon that are packed with Omega 3s fatty Acids are a go-to for women of all ages. Salmon has the added benefit of mood stabilizing your hormones by boosting your serotonin levels in your brain which helps you to feel-good. Higher levels of this naturally occurring feel-good chemical can help ward off depression or baby blues. Salmon is easy to make and throw on a salad for a great and healthy left-over meal. Health experts recommend having salmon at least once a week for optimal benefits.

What you might not know is that high protein foods like eggs and spinach are really important for you if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The Institute of Medicine recommends eating 425 mg of choline for all women, 450 mg if you are pregnant and 550 if you are breastfeeding. Both spinach and eggs with the yolk contain choline which is a nutrient that helps your baby’s brain develop.

Spinach has the added nutritional benefit of folate which helps prevent birth defects. The National Institute of Health recommends women eat 600 mcg of folate when pregnant and 500 mcg when nursing. One half cup of spinach, or similar green, provides about 130 mcg of folate, so about one-third of what you need. You can make up the difference by taking a supplement recommended by your doctor. However, just cooking a daily spinach omelet can give you and your baby the nutritional boost you need each morning.

Written by Amy

Antidepressants Are Safe During Pregnancy, New Study Results

Published on March 23, 2013 in Pregnancy Health. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

We have all heard about the Baby Blues and the more serious Post Partum Depression, but many times depression during pregnancy goes untreated and under the radar. Depression anytime can be serious matter, but new research now shows that it is very important, and not harmful, for depressed expecting mothers to get treatment.

Previous research showed that pregnant women who took SSRI antidepressants gave birth to smaller babies with hindered physical development. New research at Northwestern University showed that babies born to mothers who took SSRI antidepressants during pregnancy were the same height, weight and head circumference by the first year. The only different was infants were slightly shorter at birth, but the babies usually caught up to normal size in a few weeks.

Untreated depressed mothers are at risk for their appetite, nutrition, prenatal care and increased alcohol and drug use. Depression in mothers is also associated with premature birth and low infant birth rate, which increases the baby’s risk of heart disease.

The good news from this study is that pregnant women should not hesitate in seeking healthcare professionals to treat their depression and that antidepressants do not appear to pose the health risks once believed on developing infants.

Written by Amy

Looking For A Satisfying And Healthy Pregnancy Snack? Try An Avocado!

Published on February 3, 2013 in Health, Pregnant and Research. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Avocados are one of those foods that everyone in my house can enjoy without complaining. Avocados are available and tasty year round thanks to growing in various regions including California, Florida, Mexico and Chile. My finicky 8 year old daughter will eat them sliced up any day of the week and positively gleams when she sees them on her plate, as if I slaved in the kitchen to prepare something extra special for her. As a toddler she would stuff them to her mouth so quickly that they would end up smeared all over her face and hands while perched in her highchair. We joked that her creamy smooth complexion was result of her daily avocado facial masks during mealtime.

Avocados are one of those foods that don’t take a lot of preparation to taste good. You can slice them up for sandwiches are salads. You can puree them for a healthy smoothie or throw them in cooked dishes. Avocados are so versatile with a mild flavor and smooth texture that they compliment just about anything from chips, salad, poultry, fish or beef. Whether you are a meat-eater, fish veggie or a vegan, avocados are usually allowed on the menu.

Odd fact – although you will usually find avocados stacked next to the vegetables in the grocery store, they are actually a fruit. Avocados are native to South and Central America. The two most common varieties are Hass and Fuerte and over 90 percent of the nation’s avocados are the Hass variety from California. Florida produces the Fuerte varieties that are larger and have more water and less fat than the Hasses.

Avocados are a suburb healthy treat for anyone and especially good for curbing that afternoon snack attack that many pregnant women often feel in even greater force than the rest of humanity and that a carrot or celery stick just won’t satisfy (although maybe when dipped in some salty guacamole). Although a medium avocado has about 30 grams of fat, it’s mostly the monounsaturated “good fat” that boosts good cholesterol and lowers bad cholesterol. A typical serving of avocados is about 1 ounce, which is approximately 3 slices and only 5 grams of “good” fat. Avocados are also a good source of lutein, an antioxidant that is good for the eyes.

Popular Super Bowl Treat:

The Hass Avocado Board estimates that over 71 million pounds of the purple-black Hass avocados will be consumed during this year’s Super Bowl parties. That equates to more than 27 feel of avocados, enough to cover an entire football field “end zone to end zone.” We can assume that most of those avocados will be consumed in the form of guacamole dip.

The most important element in making really good guacamole is using very good, ripe avocados. To find just the right ripeness, press the outside of the avocado gently. If there is a little bit of give, then the avocado is perfectly ripe. If it is hard, it is not ready and if there is too much give, then the avocado is probably too ripe and will not taste good. If you have your “perfect” ripe avocados, all you really need is salt and lime juice (lemon juice is also good if you don’t have a lime). The other good ingredients to add are cilantro, chiles, onion and tomato. However if you are prone to morning sickness, simpler is better, just use the ingredients that don’t make you avert your ever powerful nose during pregnancy (although many pregnant women swear that spicier is better when they are expecting).

Here’s a good recipe I found with these very ingredients which serves 2-4. Double or triple for larger servings and adjust the chiles portion of the recipe for your level of preferred spiciness.

Prep time: 10 minutes,

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe avocados

1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced

2 tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems), finely chopped

1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

A dash of freshly grated black pepper

1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Garnish with red radishes or jicama. Serve with tortilla chips.

METHOD

1 Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.

2 Using a fork, roughly mash the avocado. (Don’t overdo it! The guacamole should be a little chunky.) Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lime or lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. Chili peppers vary individually in their hotness. So, start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole to your desired degree of hotness. Be careful handling the peppers; wash your hands thoroughly after handling and do not touch your eyes or the area near your eyes with your hands for several hours.

Chilling tomatoes hurts their flavor, so don’t chop the tomatoes or add to the guacamole until ready to serve.

Remember that much of this is done to taste because of the variability in the fresh ingredients. Start with this recipe and adjust to your taste.

3 Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it. Refrigerate until ready.

4 Just before serving chop the tomato; add to the guacamole and mix.

Refrigeration Tips:

Only refrigerate ripe avocados as unripe ones will not ripen in the cold. You can store ripe avocados in the refrigerator up to 5 days. If you store too long, the flesh will darken and turn into flavorless mush.

Pureed avocados can be stored in the freezer up to 4 months for use in dips, sauces and spreads. Make sure you place pureed avocados in an airtight container leaving about an inch of head space. Also, for better flavor add a tablespoon of lime or lemon for each avocado you blend in your blender.

So go for that guacamole dip without guilt this Super Bowl Sunday, it’s good for you and your baby and yummy to boot!

Written by Amy

Light During Pregnancy Is Important For Fetal Eye Development

Published on January 27, 2013 in Advice, Articles, Health and Research. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

A fascinating new study of mice during pregnancy, leads evidence that pregnant humans also need light during pregnancy to aid in proper fetal eye development.

A new study conducted by scientists from Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and recently published in the journal Nature, reveals information about the importance of sunlight during pregnancy for the eyesight of babies that are born prematurely. The study concluded that the eye, which requires light in order to see, also needs light to develop normally during pregnancy.

Co-author Richard Lang, PhD, a researcher in the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center said:

“This fundamentally changes our understanding of how the retina develops. We have identified a light-response pathway that controls the number of retinal neurons. This has downstream effects on developing vasculature in the eye and is important because several major eye diseases are vascular diseases.”

Lang collaborated with David Copenhagen, PhD, a scientist in the departments of Opthalmology and Physiology at UCSF. Mouse models were used in their study which produced surprising outcomes:

Copenhagen commented, “Several stages of mouse eye development occur after birth. Because of this, we had always assumed that if light played a role in the development of the eye, it would also happen only after birth.”

The researchers in the current study revealed that the activation of the newly labeled light-response pathway must occur during pregnancy in order to achieve the precisely planned program that creates a normal eye. They point out that it is crucial for the right number of photons to reach the mother’s body by late term pregnancy.

The team of scientists completed several experiments using laboratory mouse models that let them look at the light-response pathway’s purpose and parts. Mice were raised in darkness, and in a regular day-night cycle starting at late term pregnancy to examine the comparative outcomes on vascular progression of the eye.

The scientists confirmed the purpose of the light response pathway by changing an opsin gene in mice known as Opn4 that creates melanopsin which stops the initiation of the photo pigment.

The melanopsin protein is there in both humans and mice during pregnancy. The authors say they will continue to examine how the light-response pathway might impact the probability of pre-term babies developing retinopathy of prematurity and its relatedness to other eye conditions.

So get outside and into the sunlight during your pregnancy as much as possible on a regular basis. The natural light not only helps your mood but is essential for your baby’s healthy eye development!

Written by Amy

National Breastfeeding Week in Ghana

Published on October 24, 2012 in Breast milk and Breastfeeding. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

National Breastfeeding Week was launched in Koforidu as a part of the campaign for exclusive breastfeeding in Ghana. The Theme is “Understanding the Past, Planning, the Future, Celebrating 10 years of the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding; Reviving Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative In Ghana.”

Research has shown that children who were not exclusively breastfed the first six months of life had increased risk of asthma, allergy, acute respiratory infections, nutrient deficiencies, cancers, obesity, and diarrhea and reduced cognitive development.

This campaign is also aiming at educating parents in the importance of not giving a baby water for the six months since in the past babies in this culture were traditionally given all types of drinks as infants including water, cod liver oil, gripe water and other liquids which is detrimental to their development and health.

The few mothers who attempt to practice exclusive breastfeeding in Ghana often find the social support system challenging as their mothers, grandmothers and in-laws and even pharmacy shops have sabotaged their efforts by encouraging them to supplement their babies with cod liver oil and gripe water to boost their babies’ systems.

Dr Iyabode Olusanmi, the country representative of UNICEF, who performed the launching, said the reduction in the exclusive breastfeeding meant that thousands of children had a lesser chance of surviving childhood just because they were not breast-fed early and exclusively, several children were being exposed to the risk of diarrhea and other infections and malnutrition and stunting growth would continue to plague children.

She called on the GHS to focus their attention on achieving the set goals for exclusive breastfeeding in the communities to reach mothers, fathers and husbands, older women, mothers-in-law and all those who played critical roles in influencing feeding practices in young families.

The World Breastfeeding Week campaign was launched globally about 20 years ago to raise awareness of the importance of exclusive breastfeeding in reducing infant mortality.

Written by Amy

Pregnant Woman Struck By Lightening

Published on May 7, 2012 in Articles and Health. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

A pregnant woman and her unborn baby were struck by lightening a few days ago.

The woman, Kelly Lough, was getting into her husband’s car during a storm while holding her umbrella.

There was a large flash and big boom, she stated, and she felt a jolt of electricity flow down her right arm and out the left as well as her toes.

The doctors think that maybe her old pair of rubber soled shoes that she had intended to throw away were what might have saved her life by providing a bit more insulation than the pair of high heels she had intended to wear.

Ms Lough was rushed to the hospital and she, as well as her unborn baby, were found to be both perfectly healthy. The weather officials believe that Ms Lough was probably struck by one of the minor side bolt and not the main branch.

The National Weather Service puts the odds of being struck by lightening are 1 out of 775,000. Our own TummyStyle statistician places the odds of a pregnant woman being struck by lightening at 1 in 100 million!

Written by Jennifer

Selma Blair Breastfeeds Her Baby Anytime Anywhere

Published on April 6, 2012 in Breastfeeding, Celebrity Fashion, New Maternity and Nursing Clothes, Nursing and Nursing Clothes. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Actress Slema Blair has been talking about when she will breastfeed her baby and we are proud to say that it is anytime anywhere. She’s been heard to say that she doesn’t care whom she offends.

Additionally, she’s been ensuring that her diet and nutrition is done correctly so that her son can receive the best nutrition possible.

TummyStyle suggests the Maternal America Mesh Nursing Top as a good option for Selma for her on the demand breastfeeding needs. This nursing top has pull to the side access. Its sleeves are down to the elbow and has a stylish stripe pattern. It’s a great deal at only $78.

Written by Jennifer

Breastfeeding Hospital Crib Cards

Published on March 16, 2012 in Breast milk and Breastfeeding. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Nursing Bra Tank by Bravado

I just found these really cool breastfeeding hospital crib cards from the CDC.

There is a boy breastfeeding card and a girl breastfeeding card, but they say exactly the same thing. Just the colors are different.

They point out the advantages of breastfeeding such as less chances of being overweight, fewer ear infections, less chance of diabetes, among others. They also give you the hunger cues such as hands in mouth, searching from side to side, stretching and lastly crying (which means you are late!).

The intent is for the hosiptals to put them on the cribs but you can always print one out and put it there to remind the nurses you are breastfeeding.

Written by Jennifer

New Research Shows Breastfeeding Is Tied To Lower Incidence Of Asthma

Published on February 9, 2012 in Breast milk, Breastfeeding and Research. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

If you are looking for one more reason to breastfeed your baby, consider the latest research on the link between breastfeeding and lower asthma rates in children. According to two new research reports, breastfeeding increases lung volume which makes babies and children less susceptible to get asthma.

Also, this new research found that even mothers who were asthmatic still benefited their children by breastfeeding them and thus increasing their lung volume. In the past it was thought that only asthma-free moms should breastfeed. This research shows that the babies benefited from breastfeeding whether or not the mom had asthma. (It’s suspected that the babies suckling activity when breastfeeding increases it’s lung power).

Even more significantly, these studies showed that the longer the mother exclusively breastfeed their baby, the less risk the child had of getting asthma or breathing related problems. A team led by Karen Silvers with data on more than 1000 kids found that each additional month of exclusive breastfeeding was tied to a nine percentage drop in asthma risk.

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively (with no formula) for the first six months of the child’s life then to continue to breastfeed (as solids are introduced) for two years or longer.

So, here’s some more reasons to breastfeed your child (particularly exclusively breastfeeding them for the first 6 months of life). Your child will reap the benefits for a lifetime.

SOURCES: bit.ly/yCsmfY American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, online February 3, 2012 and bit.ly/wVKRCQ Journal of Pediatrics, online January 29, 2012.

Written by Amy