Great
expectations
Doing best for baby
during pregnancy
By Michael F. Roizen, M.D., and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D.
THERE’S NOTHING QUITE like the emotional juxtaposition of pregnancy. On one hand, you’re thrilled, elated and
impatient; on the other hand, you may feel anxious about a
million unknowns. As you balance these competing emotions,
we have one word for you: Relax. The most important thing to
keep in mind is this: Most pregnancies turn out absolutely
fine. Women’s bodies are designed to carry children safely and
effectively. That doesn’t mean everything will be smooth sailing on this journey, but it does mean that the odds are greatly
in your favor. If you can learn how to maximize your chances
that nature will run the course it’s supposed to, then you
increase those odds even more.
Of all the things we want you to learn, two of the most
important involve things that you may have never spent
much time thinking about: epigenetics and the placenta.
for your health
it’s not a filter in the way we’d like it to be—toxins can get
passed to the fetus as well, whether it’s the gunk from cigarettes, saturated and trans-fatty foods or other toxic substances. That’s why we want you to pay so much attention to
what goes inside your body during pregnancy. Anything you
ingest or inhale, your baby does too.
What you can do
Pop your pills. Take a prenatal vitamin.
Get enough folate. Your child needs the nutrient folate,
or folic acid, because it has a direct effect on DNA. If she
doesn’t get enough folate, her DNA can go through
changes that cause her to add chemicals that have
been linked to birth defects. You should take
400 micrograms of folic acid daily.
Take DHA. One of the keys to strong
brain development is taking a supplement of DHA, which helps create a
myelin sheath that speeds up connections between neurons. Get 600 mg a
day. (Vegetarian sources, which avoid
a possible toxin risk from certain fish
sources, are also available.)
Know your foods. Your baby will
get exposed to everything you eat. So
for the best development of your child,
know the good stuff to have and the
bad stuff to avoid. Green light: Fruits,
vegetables, fish, lean poultry (
non-fried), legumes, nuts, dried beans, peas,
cereal grains, low-fat dairy. Red light:
Saturated and trans fats, simple sugars, syrups, enriched or bleached flour.
Walk and stretch. Now’s a good time to start (or
continue) walking every day. That will give you a base
level of fitness and also minimize the chances that
you will get hurt. Aim for 30 minutes every day. We
also believe that you should incorporate flexibility and
strength training into your routine to help your body
prepare for the rigors of pregnancy and parenthood, as
well as a pelvic-strengthening program, and a core workout to get your muscles back in shape postpartum.
■ Find a buddy who’s been through it all before. Her
experience and assurances will help you take the edge off
during some of your more worrisome moments. C
strength training into your routine to help your body
p
out to get your muscles back in shape postpartum.
Chill. The reason why stress is a problem in pregnancy is because anxiety depletes the immune system. In a
situation that’s already fragile because of the immune-sys-tem changes your body’s going through, added stress compromises your immunity further, which can expose you to
preeclampsia (high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine) as well as increase the risk of going into
pre-term labor. Some recommendations:
m n s tem changes your body’s going through, added stress com-
u
n
tein in the urine) as well as increase the risk of going into
g
a
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■ Try meditation and deep breathing.
■ Find a surrogate worrier—someone who can sweat
the small stuff, such as household chores, bill paying, running errands (it’s a great task for a husband, partner, friend
or a mom who insists on helping with something).
Epigenetics
Over the past few years we’ve discovered that classical
genetics is only part of the picture. It’s not just your genes
that determine who you are, but how those genes are
expressed—a cutting-edge field called epigenetics, the study
of heritable changes in gene function that occur without a
change in the DNA. While you can’t control which genes
you pass on to your child, you do have some influence over
how those genes behave.
You and your partner have your own sets of DNA, and
you made your own biological song in the form of a baby.
That genetic coding is indeed fixed, but you still have the ability to interpret the song and change the way your offspring’s
genes are expressed through some of the actions you take during pregnancy. Here are some tips for the healthiest results.
The placenta
This is where the magic happens. The placenta is responsible for the exchange of all nutrients and waste products
between the mother and fetus. Weighing in at about 1¼
pounds, the placenta works like a two-way filter. Unfortunately,
The Costco
Connection
YOU: Having a Baby is available
at most Costco locations.
