The Nature Nurtures Blog

So we meet again to discuss the second rebirth and the most complex of the three, pregnancy going hand-in-hand with lactation. This is some of the most difficult transitions for a woman. The mother’s immune system has to compromise itself to let the foreign chromosome grow in and at the cost of itself. Thus the susceptibility to a myriad of viral infections. The uterus which is usually a pelvic organ grows in huge dimensions and occupy the abdominal cavity, thereby compressing the intestines, the urinary system and the blood vessels in the abdomen. This can lead to constipation, swelling of feet, back pains etc. The stomach is almost pushed into the esophagus around the second half of the third trimester leading to severe reflux.

The entire nutritional focus of the mother’s body is geared towards a healthy development of the baby. The baby they say, is an ideal parasite, it sucks out all the nutrition it needs from the mother especially the calcium from her bones. Hence the chubby babies of malnourished mothers in the under privileged sections of the society.

So if you are having morning sickness leading to vomiting and thereby low consumption in the first trimester, don’t be too anxious. Your baby is still growing. (Tip: keep a piece of ginger in your mouth and bite on it slowly. This helps reduce the nausea and vomiting).

As you can see, the main nutritional focus of pregnancy should be iron, calcium, folic acid and good fats.

Have you ever felt low, weak, light-headed, irritable, exhausted, mildly depressed or slightly giddy? If the answer is yes, then you are probably facing an energy crisis in your body.

Before you reach out for that cup of coffee, tea or a chocolate bar to get your ‘energy boost’, hold on. These are the very energy ‘sappers’ that you are heading towards. They are high on caffeine which will give you a sudden spurt of energy for a short period followed by an extended period of low. Besides, over their prolonged usage, you become dependent on a certain level of consumption to maintain your levels of energy.

Excess caffeine over a prolonged period can also lead to palpitations, anxiety, insomnia. So then are we suggesting a caffeine-free life? Well, if possible yes, or just have it for fun, taste or to socialize occasionally but always in moderation and never ever as a substitute to boost energy.

Introduction Touch is the first of the senses that we feel. Even in our intra-uterine stage and right through the infancy, we thrive on Touch. And then somewhere along the way we forget it. The business of living takes so much of our time that we forget the...