Homebirth Two/Nutrition, Exercise, & Other Prenatal Concerns

  1.  The Divine Design of Pregnancy
    1. Conception (description) - Genesis 21:1-2 "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him." 1 Samuel 1:11,17,19-20 "Then she made a vow and said, 'O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed...give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life....' Then Eli answered and said, 'Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.' ...Then they rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, 'Because I have asked for him from the LORD.'"
    2. Implantation
    3. Growth of baby
      1. Heartbeat around 25th day
      2. All organs formed by end of third month
      3. Maturation of systems takes place in second trimester
      4. Brain matures and body weight added in third trimester
  2. Nutrition
    1. Why important - 1 Corinthians 10:31 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
      1. Baby
        1. Proper development
        2. Higher birth weight
          1. Lower morbidity
          2. Lower mortality
        3. Higher level of mental development
        4. Healthy placenta
          1. Baby grows properly
          2. Plenty of oxygen
      2. Mother
        1. Prevents toxemia (pre-eclampsia)
          1. Dr. Tom Brewer's research [See non-handout reprint]
          2. Widely believed to be caused by weight gain/high blood pressure, when the other way around
        2. Prevents anemia (low iron)
        3. Prevents postpartum hemorrhage
        4. Increases likelihood of successful nursing
        5. Improves energy level during pregnancy
        6. Prevents gestational diabetes
        7. Reduces overall risk of cesarean birth or lesser interventions
        8. Minimizes or eliminates common pregnancy discomforts
          1. Pregnancy "mask"
          2. Constipation/hemorrhoids
          3. Leg cramps ("charley horse")
          4. Yeast infections or UTI's
          5. Unnecessary swelling
          6. Varicose veins
          7. Nausea/heartburn
    2. What it is - Proverbs 23:1,3 "When you sit down to eat with a ruler, consider carefully what is before you...do not desire his delicacies, for they are deceptive food." Isaiah 55:2 "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good..."
      1. Brewer diet [See again non-handout reprints]
      2. Avoidance of:
        1. Food colorings
        2. Preservatives
        3. "Enriched" foods (first was "depleted")
        4. Excessive sweets
        5. Excessive fats
  3. Exercise
    1. Reasons
      1. Strengthen and stretch muscles
      2. Helps lessen or prevent pregnancy discomforts
      3. Affects body's ability to metabolize sugar
      4. Also improves energy level
      5. Maximum benefit seen during birth process (stamina, strength, duration of labor)
    2. Types specific to pregnancy [See SLC handout]
      1. Tailor sitting (often)
        1. Allows uterus to have space
        2. Can prevent varicose veins
      2. Squatting (often)
        1. Loosens thigh muscles
        2. Allows more pelvic space
        3. Excellent position for birth
      3. Pelvic rock (10-20x, 2-4x day)
        1. Relieves backache or round ligament cramps
        2. Allows uterus more room
      4. Conscious relaxation
        1. Decreases overall stress level during pregnancy (a calm pregnancy is usually a healthy one!)
        2. Prepares for total relaxation during labor (fear causes tension, which causes pain)
        3. May practice tensing one part of body and deliberately relaxing it to become familiar with contrast
        4. May use background music if desired
        5. Focus on releasing worries through prayer, trusting in the Lord - Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
      5. Butterfly (10x, once a day)
        1. Can add stamina when needing to squat for long periods of time in labor
        2. Also good for supporting muscles of pelvic region
      6. Kegels (10-20 at a time, as often as you think about it)
        1. Strengthen pelvic floor muscles
        2. Keeps internal organs in place
        3. Prevents incontinence
        4. Prevents birth injury and helps with postpartum recovery
      7. Perineal massage
        1. Stretches perineum and allows for more elasticity during birth
        2. Refer to accompanying handout for full description of procedure
    3. Exercise in general
      1. Getting in some type of aerobic or cardiovascular workout does wonders in pregnancy
      2. Continue with what you were already doing before
      3. Use wisdom and discernment in knowing when to slow down
        1. Bouncing, jarring movements not recommended, especially in late pregnancy and early postpartum
        2. Activities which require fine balance also not recommended
      4. Guard against overstretching, overheating
      5. Walking is probably the very best exercise, especially toward the end and if you've never had a regular workout
  4. Changes in pregnancy
    1. Normal physiological (and other!) changes
      1. Breasts become sore, begin to enlarge
        1. Preparation for breastfeeding
        2. Sometimes an early sign of pregnancy
      2. Sensitivity to greasy (or other) foods
        1. Can be the body's way of telling you to clean up your diet!
        2. Nausea is generally an indicator of toxins or low blood sugar
      3. Fatigue, sleepiness
      4. Frequent urination
        1. Pressure of uterus on bladder
        2. Too frequent can be indication of blood sugar problem
      5. Increase in blood volume
      6. Slight increase in body temperature
      7. Vaginal discharge
      8. Increase in emotional sensitivity
      9. Change in balance as baby gets bigger
      10. Joints soften and loosen (from hormones) in preparation for birth
      11. Painless, rhythmic contractions-also called "Braxton-Hicks," or prelabor
      12. Increase in spiritual sensitivity (sometimes)--take advantage of this!!
    2. What is not normal
      1. Foul-smelling discharge or painful urination
      2. Headaches, dizziness, persistent vomiting, or other signs of illness
      3. High fever
      4. Abdominal cramps or pains (labor can feel like cramps) before 37 weeks
      5. Vaginal bleeding
      6. Sudden decrease or cessation of baby's movement
      7. Excessive swelling of hands or face
      8. Rupture of membranes before 37 weeks
    3. Most of these can be prevented or treated nutritionally
  5. Simple prenatal procedures
    1. Tracking changes in the mother's body
      1. Weight
      2. Blood pressure
      3. Heart rate
      4. Urinalysis
      5. Edema
    2. Tracking growth and well being of baby
      1. Fundal height
      2. Heart rate
      3. Fetal movement counting
    3. How much is necessary
      1. Pray about it
      2. Search scripture
  6. Prenatal testing within the medical system
    1. Blood tests (initial screening)--some required by law or at least by licensed caregivers [See p. 27/Lisa's notes: Lab & other tests]
      1. Hepatitus B
      2. AIDS
      3. Rubella titer
      4. Syphilis
    2. Genetic tests
      1. Alphafetaprotein (AFP) (by blood test)
        1. High percentage of false results
        2. Often first step in long line of invasive tests
      2. Amniocentesis (sample amniotic fluid)
        1. .5 to 1.5% miscarriage rate
        2. Adds stress of unnecessary knowledge to pregnancy
        3. Mothers receiving "bad news" generally counseled to abort
    3. Other tests
      1. Vaginal & pap smear (cervical cells)-also required by all licensed caregivers
        1. Gonorrhea/chlamydia/herpes
        2. Yeast or bacterial infections
        3. Cervical cancer
      2. Ultrasound (including doppler use for fetal heart tones)
        1. Reasons why done
          1. Gestational age
          2. Fetal development
          3. Placental location
          4. "Just because"
        2. Known disturbances of amniotic fluid (temperature, etc.)
        3. Alters activity of cells
        4. Long-term effects unknown
      3. Group B strep (blood and/or vaginal test)
        1. Assessment of risk vs. benefit
        2. Applies label of "high risk"
        3. Complication rate relatively low
      4. Anemia (finger stick)-done by all licensed caregivers
        1. May be diagnosed without testing by physical observation
        2. Simple to remedy by diet
      5. Glucose tolerance (blood test)
        1. Unnecessary if no sugar in urine
        2. Prevented by a good diet
        3. Concentrated sugar (given for test) can be dangerous to mother and baby if gestational diabetes is present
        4. Safer to assume there could be a problem and clean up diet if it appears to be a concern
      6. Non-stress test (electronic fetal monitor)
        1. Reactive-baby moving often; heart tones responding accordingly
        2. Nonreactive-baby not moving; heart tones not fluctuating
      7. Stress test (EFM & oxytocin)-in theory, to see how baby tolerates labor.
    4. Implications of testing in general
      1. Should we use all technology available
      2. Should we pick and choose
      3. Secrecy of the womb - Ecclesiastes 11:5 "As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes all things." Psalm 139:13, 15-16 "For You have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb....My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed."

 

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