Wednesday, February 23, 2011

awwwww

Baby Hippo Bonds With Century Old Tortoise

2-23-11

NAIROBI ( AFP ) - A baby hippopotamus that survived the tsunami waves on the Kenyan coast has formed a strong bond with a giant male century-old tortoise in an animal facility in the port city of Mombassa , officials said.

The hippopotamus, nicknamed Owen and weighing about 300 kilograms (650 pounds), was swept down Sabaki River into the Indian Ocean, then forced back to shore when tsunami waves struck the Kenyan coast on December 26, before wildlife rangers rescued him..

"It is incredible. A less-than-a-year-old hippo has adopted a male tortoise, about a century old, and the tortoise seems to
be very happy with being a 'mother'," ecologist Paula Kahumbu, who is in charge of Lafarge Park , told AFP.

"After it was swept away and lost its mother, the hippo was traumatized. It had to look for something to be a surrogate mother

Fortunately , it landed on the tortoise and established a strong bond. They swim, eat and sleep together," the ecologist added.
"The hippo follows the tortoise exactly the way it followed its mother.

If somebody approaches the tortoise, the hippo becomes aggressive, as if protecting its biological mother," Kahumbu added.

"The hippo is a young baby, he was left at a very tender age and by nature, hippos are social animals that like to stay with their mothers for four years," he explained.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Monday, February 21, 2011

extended breastfeeding

Published on mothering (http://mothering.com)

Unweaning Georgia

Issue 152, January-February 2009
By Jenna Hull

little girl breastfeeding Four years ago, when I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I had no knowledge of breastfeeding. I didn’t know how it worked. I didn’t know if I could do it, if I wanted to do it, or even if I was comfortable enough with myself to let my mammary glands be used for their primary purpose. Until then, they’d been used in only one way: the way that got me with child in the first place. Breastfeeding hadn’t really crossed my mind since I was a young girl, when I overheard neighborhood ladies clucking over Dorothy and Karen, who nursed their babies.

According to those ladies, Dorothy was breastfeeding her children only to keep her bust size large, and Karen was morally suspect for breastfeeding her three-year-old. Despite their gossip,  and even though I was only ten, I imagined a mother and child in a cozy snuggle, finding peace and warmth in  a nursing embrace.

Fast-forward 20 years. I found myself the single mother of a baby girl. After much contemplation during this pregnancy, I decided that I would breastfeed exclusively, bypassing formula altogether. With this choice, my daughter, Georgia, thrived, and I nursed her for nearly two-and-a-half years. I became pregnant with baby number two, and was just entering the second trimester.

Fast-forward again, this time six months, to the arrival of my infant son. The good news was that he was happy, healthy, strong, fantastic, oh so sweet, and thriving on mommy’s milk. The bad news was that my three-year-old daughter had changed.

Up till now, the always strong-willed Georgia and I had had a happy, loving, reassuring relationship. But with the birth of baby number two, even though I thought I had prepared her for her new sibling, she became jealous, mean, snotty, and intolerable. Hard as I tried, I couldn’t seem to get her to understand that I loved her just as much as I loved him.
Explanations about a mommy’s capacity to love all her children were useless. In vain were detailed talks with Georgia about how I used to take care of her when she was a baby. Photographs and videos of Georgia and me, taken during her infancy, didn’t help. My head was spinning: My adult brain was telling me that she should be consoled and reassured by my repeated, rational arguments, right?

Wrong, and yet another fine example of my mothering mistakes: thinking that my three-year-old daughter understands everything I say. But not only was Georgia confused, hurt, and angry, I was too. I needed to find a solution to our dilemma, because our life was quickly becoming unbearable. Clearly, my reassurances and explanations—short-, middle-, and long-winded—were getting us nowhere.

Then I had an idea that seemed to appear out of nowhere, but that I now know was a suggestion from my heart.
I thought of letting Georgia nurse again. I wondered if that would show her the love that all my words had failed to explain. After all, I reasoned with myself, she’d been weaned only six months before. What about unweaning her?
My head was not slow to respond: Are you crazy? What would the world think?

I remembered having read, somewhere along the way, that here on planet Earth, the average age of child-led weaning is about five years. By that statistic, Georgia might have two more years of nursing to go.

But again, my head bombarded me with panic and ridicule. I questioned whether or not I could unwean my toddler and tandem-nurse her and her baby brother, or if I even wanted to. If I didn’t want to, did that make me a selfish mother? And what about the ever-popular social theory that breastfeeding mothers come up against in this country: that if children are old enough to ask for the breast, they’re too old to have it? Georgia certainly was old enough to ask for it.
Was I comfortable enough with myself to let my three-year-old nurse again? I actually found this challenge the easiest to come to terms with, because the secondary purpose of breasts—the one that gets you pregnant in the first place—was not exactly uncharted territory for me. If my mammary glands had been explored by men for nothing more than pleasure, why should it be disgraceful to allow my three-year-old daughter to nurse for love and reassurance? I couldn’t prove it, I couldn’t explain it, I had no example to follow, and yet I felt that, somehow, unweaning Georgia would help us. Just do it, I chided myself again and again. Do it. Do it.

But I couldn’t just do it. Amid all my gut instincts, I also felt doubt, fear, and resignation. I didn’t want to tandem nurse. I didn’t want a nursing toddler. And I didn’t want any more pressure and judgments from the outside world for making yet another unconventional mothering choice. I already felt like an oddball among my family, friends, and peers for such things as having my children at home and cosleeping with them. I felt like a teenager struggling with peer pressure. But here I was, an adult woman, worrying about what the world thought rather than listening to my hunch to unwean Georgia and just see what happened.

So after much thinking, reading, and consideration, I did do it: I decided that, when the opportunity was right, I would unwean my walking, talking, cognizant sprite of a three-year-old. I was able to come to this decision when I realized that I didn’t have to justify my mothering decisions to anyone—not to the world, my friends, my family, or my coworkers, and certainly not to the memory of those ladies of the neighborhood. I just needed to do what was right for my child and me. My heart had told me to give breastfeeding her another try.  It was just that clear.
So, after yet another crying session with Georgia laden with anger and frustration, I asked her if she wanted to nurse. At once, her tears stopped, and she nodded. The baby was napping, so the time was right to give unweaning a try. We settled on the couch and I cradled her in my arms. Her shoulders relaxed, her face softened, and she nursed. Automatically, her hand went up to my hair,  just as it always had.
At first I was anxious, as I felt all of my old worries return, swarming around my head like buzzing bees. However, they vanished as soon as I saw how happy Georgia was after nursing. Her happiness helped me realize that I’d made the right choice for both of us. It was then that  I realized that I, too, was happy.
My hunch to let Georgia nurse again couldn’t have been more right. Although life with two nursing children isn’t always simple, it was now markedly better. And as her tantrums and jealousy decreased, Georgia began to openly demonstrate affection for her brother.

Unweaning Georgia was not without its kinks, but I learned as I went along. If she had had her way, she would have nursed on demand, but the new baby made that impossible. Here was another unforeseen challenge—now that Georgia was nursing again, I didn’t want to immediately give her the message that her wanting to nurse was bad. So I delicately set up some nursing boundaries, and, again, things improved.

After Georgia resumed breastfeeding, she nursed until she was four-and-a-half years old. Her second and final weaning happened almost without our noticing. One day, when a friend asked me how nursing a preschooler was going, the question took me by surprise. I realized that Georgia hadn’t nursed once that week, or the week before. In fact, I couldn’t remember if she’d nursed in the past month. At that moment, I realized that she had reweaned herself, and that our nursing relationship was now completed.

As for me, I’ve realized that the world will continue to think what it pleases without asking me for my thoughts and opinions. Therefore, I need to live my life as I please.

Unweaning my child was not something I thought about until I was deep in the trenches of motherhood, searching for a lifeline. Too many times on this journey of motherhood, I have been pressured by the outside world to conform to its definition of the norm. But mostly I have not conceded, and because of that, I feel that I—and my kids—are stronger, happier, and healthier.

As I reflect on the mothering choices I’ve made, I think of my renegade neighbors, Dorothy and Karen, who breastfed their children at a time when bottles and formula were all the rage. Twenty-five years later, as  I breastfeed a toddler, I know full well  that it is anything but all the rage, and,  a generation later, I salute them.

Jenna Hull lives in northeastern Ohio with her two spunky children, Georgia and Trent, and ever-faithful dog, Emmy.

Photo provided by the author.

Toddler Tantrums

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/02/21/toddlers.temper.tantrums.parenting/index.html?hpt=C2

Parenting) -- With my 3-year-old twins in tow, I navigated several steep flights of subway stairs, managed four train transfers, and arrived safely at the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. I took photos of them in front of the giant Apatosaurus skeleton and imparted (probably erroneous, but who cares?) facts about the Jurassic era. I am the best. Mother. Ever!

To top off the special day, I decided to treat them to an educational toy at the gift shop. My son Theo wanted an astronaut, so I brought him to the space display and let him choose between three astronaut-themed items (I'm so smart to give my preschooler a sense of control by offering him a choice!). "No, astronaut!" he began to whine. "This is an astronaut," I said brightly, pointing to one of the helmeted play figures. "No!" He then slapped all the items out of my hand and began screaming. Ten minutes later, after Theo had stomped on a dozen packages of freeze-dried ice cream, I tucked one boy under each arm and staggered out. I am the worst mother ever, I said to myself, embarrassed, drained, and near tears.

5 Tantrum Stoppers That Actually Work

Turns out, the scene at the museum was not all my fault, and it doesn't mean my boy is "bad," either. Michael Potegal, Ph.D., a pediatric neuropsychologist at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, has spent the latest part of his professional career studying tantrums and how and why young children have such brutally emotional explosions. And what has he learned in that time? That their outbursts are as normal a biological response to anger and frustration as a yawn is to fatigue. So normal, in fact, that you can make a science out of the progression of a tantrum and predict one down to the second. Kids from about 18 months to 4 years are simply hardwired to misbehave, he says. And that means "nurture" (i.e., you) isn't always to blame.

8 Discipline Mistakes Parents Make

The mush behind the madness: Your tot's noggin

Let's take a quick tour of the human brain, stopping at a little blob of gray matter behind the eyebrows called the prefrontal cortex (PFC). This is the part of the brain that regulates emotion and controls social behavior. It's also the last area of the brain to develop; it has only just begun to mature at age 4. That immaturity -- as difficult as it makes parenting a toddler or a preschooler -- may serve an important developmental role in the acquisition of language (the most significant social tool humans have), says a new report out of the University of Pennsylvania.

The authors posit that the underdeveloped PFC is what allows young children to master a new language much more easily than adults. Simply put, our kids' more disagreeable behavior may be an evolutionary trade-off for the sake of human communication.

How Gross is It? Your Germiest Situations Analyzed

Okay, so they've got these mushy brain parts that make them prone to outbursts and irrational displays of emotion, but there's another factor at play in the toddler/preschooler's often difficult behavior: stress. "Kids this age think magically, not logically," explains Gina Mireault, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at Johnson State College, in Vermont. "Events that are ordinary to us are confusing and scary to them.

They don't understand that the bathtub drain won't swallow them or that their uncle can't really snatch their nose." And if you're not sure whether or not a simple bath will end in your demise, needless to say, you're going to feel pretty confused and prone to anxiety -- on a daily basis.

How to Say Goodbye to Mom Guilt

This feeling of heightened arousal causes our bodies to release cortisol, known as the "fight or flight" hormone. Maybe it should be called "tantrum juice:" Cortisol increases blood pressure, speeds up breathing rates, and may lead to confused or unclear thinking (sound like anyone you know?).

This anxiety is developmentally typical in moderation, but chronic anxiety or stress -- Is my stuffed Tigger going to come alive and eat me? -- is not; it can turn kids into virtual bundles of kindling primed to ignite at the slightest provocation.

How to handle a tasmanian tot

The next time your child has an episode, Potegal recommends asking yourself "What function does this inappropriate behavior serve?" If your tyke is looking for attention or a "tangible" (toy, food, or other treat), the best response is to ignore the behavior and maintain your own emotional composure. My friend Mana Heydarpour of New York City learned this lesson the hard way: When she told her strong-willed 3-year-old, Ella, that she couldn't watch her favorite TV show, she screamed, "I don't like you! I'm so disappointed with you!" "It made my blood boil so much that I couldn't help yelling back at her," Heydarpour says. As a result, Ella's fit lasted for half an hour. Potegal calls this the Anger Trap. "If you get just as mad and irrational as your child, it's like throwing gas on a fire," he says.

How to Be a Take Charge Mom

But he warns of another trap, too: the Sadness Trap. "When you comfort a child in the middle of a tantrum, you reinforce the behavior. Instead, say 'I'm sorry you're upset. When you calm down, I'll give you a hug and we can talk about what happened.'" This way, you offer support and sympathy while still showing your tot how to regulate his emotions. "Since that meltdown, I've learned to say 'I'm not talking to you while you're behaving like this,'" Heydarpour says. "Ella composes herself so much faster when I manage to do that."

But the above strategy doesn't apply to an "escape" tantrum: a child going bonkers because he doesn't want to do whatever it is you want him to (clean up, sit at the table, etc.). In this case, ignoring him gives him what he wants: You're no longer demanding that he wear his coat, or whatever it is that needs to be done. Putting him in a time-out chair doesn't work, either, since that's time he's not putting on his jacket. "Every second he's not complying, he's winning," says Potegal.

Instead, tell your kid that if he doesn't get dressed in five seconds, you're going to put your hands on his and do it together. If your tiny rebel makes no move after the five seconds are up, which he won't at first, take his hands in yours and gently force the coat on. "It's not meant to be pleasant," admits Potegal, but it should never include physical harm. If your child begins to slap or bite you, continue putting the coat on and then put him in time-out (or take away a privilege, if that's your standard discipline tactic). That way, your child sees he still has to wear the coat (so his protests were ineffective) and now has an additional consequence for his unacceptable behavior.

Toddlers are a literal force of nature who confound even the most calm and prepared. But there's a silver lining to these flop-and-flail-filled years: Just as kids can quickly slip into anger and sadness, so can they slip out of them.

The average tantrum lasts about three minutes, according to Potegal's research. That's why, shortly after a tantrum, your kid is back to playing as if nothing happened, while you're still quaking from the event a half hour later. His immature PFC (that mushy part responsible for social cues) allows him to move on without dwelling on past hurts. "Toddlers can transition from sad to happy and from angry to calm incredibly easily," says Potegal. So enjoy that post-freak-out cuddle, and gird yourself for the next round.

The life of a tantrum

A minute-by-minute breakdown of what happens when your tot blows his top.

0 SEC.

Uh-oh. Grocery-store meltdown in aisle 3.

30 SEC.

Foot stomping by this point means it will be a short one.

90 SEC.

Screaming and kicking: His anger has reached its peak.

3.5 MIN.

And just like that, it's over. He's now looking for comfort.

6 MIN.

Wow. He's acting like nothing ever happened.

10 MIN.

If his fits always last this long, talk to your doc.

Sunday, February 20, 2011

some links-recipes & bread

http://thisweekfordinner.com/2007/01/31/recipes-main-dishes/

http://www.breadmachinedigest.com/reviews/grainmill-reviews/nutrimill-grain-mill.php

http://www.cookingbread.com/

http://www.reciperascal.com/

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

DC area birth options

http://www.birthoptionsalliance.org/

What Are My Options?

HB 1407, Birth Options Preservation Study

Celebrating a momentous change in Maryland's midwifery regulations! Read more...

About Us

Our Mission
To assist expectant women and families in the Capital area by providing evidence-based information about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting and advocating for accessibility of a full range of caregiver and birth location options.

Our Vision
We envision a culture that supports and celebrates birth with any caregiver or in any setting the expectant woman chooses.

Our History
Birth Options Alliance is an outgrowth of the Takoma Park Birthing Circle, a local support & referral group that held monthly meetings & hosted a listserv from Spring 2004 until Spring 2007. In March 2007 the Capital area learned of the closing of 2 long-standing midwifery practices. Pregnant women, mothers and concerned citizens across the region brought their energy together at the Birthing Circle and as a result, Birth Options Alliance was born!

fish

http://fishcooking.about.com/od/howtochoosefreshfish/bb/mercury_fish.htm

Before You Buy Fish - Check for Mercury

From Hank Shaw, former About.com Guide

See More About:

Fish with the Highest Levels of Mercury

King Mackerel
Swordfish
Tilefish
Shark

Fish and Seafood with Mid-Range Mercury Levels

Tuna (all varieties except skipjack)
Orange Roughy
Marlin
Grouper
Spanish Mackerel
Chilean Seabass
Bluefish
Lobster
Weakfish (sea trout)
Halibut
Sablefish
Striped Bass or Rockfish

Fish and Seafood with Low Mercury Levels

Snapper
Monkfish
Carp
Freshwater perch
skate
Canned light tuna (skipjack)
Spiny lobster
Jacksmelt
Boston or Chub Mackerel
Croaker
Trout
Squid
Whitefish
American shad
Crab
Scallop

Fish and Seafood with Very Low Mercury Levels

Catfish

Mullet

Flounder, fluke, plaice, sand dabs

Herring

Anchovies

Pollock

Crayfish

Haddock

Sardine

Hake

Salmon

Oyster

Tilapia

Monday, February 7, 2011

Herbs

http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/pregnancy/herbsandvit/index.php

Wise Use of Herbs and Vitamins during Pregnancy

by Linda B. White, M.D.

To make love with the goal of creating a child represents longing incarnate. It is an act both wonderfully irrational and a bit reckless. Once the child within takes hold, you are no longer one, even after the birth. Being pregnant reminded me of those Russian Matrushka dolls with tiny women nestled one inside the other--only in pregnancy, the figures are strung together by umbilical cords. Motherhood can evoke feelings that run the gamut from profound to mundane, rapturous to maddening.

A woman and her fetus are literally connected--spiritually, emotionally, and physically. If you desire a child, now is the time to optimize your health. A few weeks--critical ones for organ development--typically pass between conception and the realization that you are pregnant. Susun Weed, herbalist and author of Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year, offers the following advice: "Basically, what we should be doing every day of our lives is taking care of ourselves--getting sufficient rest, eating well, exercising, making sure that we're touched lovingly, that we're supported by people who believe in us and encourage us."

Herbs Commonly Used during Pregnancy

Although herbs are not necessarily needed by all women during pregnancy, the following herbs are recommended by experienced herbalists and have been used safely by women for centuries. Kathryn Cox, owner of Motherlove, an herbal company for women in Laporte, Colorado, suggests generally choosing herbs that can be eaten as food: nutritive herbs rich in vitamins and minerals such as red raspberry leaf, nettles, alfalfa, and dandelion. Rosemary Gladstar, author of Herbal Healing for Women, stresses that with these traditional pregnancy herbs the whole plant is meant to be used, preferably eaten as a vegetable (in the case of dandelion greens or nettles) or in some cases taken as a tea or tincture. Unless under the care of a health practitioner, pregnant women should not use concentrated botanicals that isolate a few chemical properties. Also, do not exceed recommended dosage guidelines unless advised to do so by your healthcare practitioner.

Red Raspberry is a tonic that has been used safely by people in North America and Europe for hundreds of years. Catherine Hunziker, owner of WishGarden Herbsand an instructor at the Rocky Mountain School of Botanical Medicine in Boulder, Colorado, calls it "the best all-around herb for a healthy pregnancy. It's a nourishing, building herb that has an affinity for the reproductive system."

This nutritive herb is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins B, C, and E, and the alkaloid fragarine--the constituent that contributes to the plant's potency as a pregnancy tonic. It increases fertility in men and women (especially when combined with red clover), tones the uterus, eases morning sickness, and assists in plentiful milk production.

If you have a history of miscarriage, some herbalists recommend that you should delay using the common variety of red raspberry (Rubus idaeus) by itself, especially as a tincture, until after the first trimester. You can then drink one to two cups of tea a day every other day. Also, if your previous labor has been under three hours, red raspberry may be contraindicated. Check with your health practitioner.

To make a tea, add one to two tablespoons dried leaf per cup of boiling water and steep ten to 20 minutes. You may want to alternate red raspberry with other nutritive herbs such as nettles or combine it with other nourishing herbs. Motherlove's "Tea for Two" recipe contains red raspberry, red clover (blood cleansing), nettles (nourishing), alfalfa (also nourishing), and spearmint (tastes good and calms the stomach).

Nettles are rich in biochelated iron, calcium, and protein, as well as a host of other important nutrients. "It is virtually a pregnancy tonic by itself," says Gladstar. The benefits of drinking nettle infusion before and throughout pregnancy include nourishing and strengthening the kidneys, increasing fertility in men and women, nourishing the mother and the fetus, diminishing leg cramps and childbirth pain, preventing hemorrhage after birth, reducing hemorrhoids, and increasing the richness and amount of mother's milk. According to Sharol Tilgner, ND, president of Wise Women Herbals in Creswell,Oregon, nettles should be picked prior to flowering to avoid bladder and kidney irritation. Although use as a tonic is considered safe in pregnancy, concentrated extracts of stinging nettles (such as used to treat hay fever) can act as an abortifacient.

Alfalfa is loaded with vitamins A, D, E, and K, eightdigestive enzymes, and numerous trace minerals. It is particularly helpful in late pregnancy because the vitamin K it supplies promotes proper blood clotting, thereby reducing the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

Dandelion. Both the leaf and root of this common garden "weed" provide many essential nutrients: vitamins A and C, iron, calcium, potassium, and many trace elements. The root is said to be a specific remedy for the liver. The leaf is a mild, nonirritating diuretic, which can reduce water retention during pregnancy. You can eat flesh leaves as salad greens, cook them, or steep them as a tea. However, because dandelion is rich in vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin that can accumulate in the body, use only in moderation.

Herbs to Avoid during Pregnancy

Experts agree that pregnant women should avoid herbs that have strong medicinal or potentially toxic effects. Francis Brinker, ND, author of The Toxicology of Botanical Medicines, notes that many of the herbs not recommended help initiate menstrual flow, particularly in nonpregnant women. For women who miscarry easily, higher doses of these herbs in early pregnancy may increase this risk.

Under professional guidance, a woman may be advised to take some of these herbs to treat specific conditions, including complications of pregnancy. For instance, herbalists have traditionally used black haw, false unicorn root, cramp bark, and wild yam root for threatened miscarriage. Both blue cohosh and black cohosh are sometimes recommended during the last weeks of pregnancy to prepare the uterus for childbirth or to stimulate contractions. Shepherd's purse has been utilized to abate hemorrhaging during childbirth.

The point is not to self-medicate with the following botanicals. It is also important to realize that the examples in each category do not represent an exhaustive list.

Herbs that stimulate uterine contractions: birthwort, blue cohosh, cinchona, cotton root bark, ergot (as in commercial preparations for migraine headaches), goldenseal, gotu kola, Peruvian bark.
Herbs that stimulate menstrual flow: agave, angelica, bethroot, black cohosh, chicory, feverfew (in flower), hyssop, horehound, lovage, milk this-tie, mistletoe, motherwort, mugwort, nasturtium seed, osha, fresh parsley leaves (especially placed vaginally), pennyroyal, poke root, pulsatilla, rue, saffron, sumac berries, tansy, thuja (white cedar), watercress, wormwood, yarrow.
Herbs high in volatile oils (which can stimulate or irritate the uterus): eucalyptus, nutmeg, osha, yerba mansa, and the mint family members basil, catnip, lemon balm, marjoram, oregano, peppermint, pennyroyal, rosemary, true sage, and thyme. For the common culinary herbs, the concern lies with the use of high doses in women susceptible to miscarriage, not with using herbs to flavor food.
Plants high in alkaloids (which can also stimulate the uterus): barberry, blood root, broom, goldenseal, coffee, mandrake, tea.
Herbs that affect hormonal function: dong quai, hops, licorice, motherwort, wild yam.
Harsh herbal laxatives: aloe, cascara sagrada, purging buckthorn, rhubarb, senna, and yellow dock (in large amounts).
Strong diuretics: juniper berries, uvaursi (bearberry).

Nutrition during Pregnancy

You need to stay well nourished for your own health andthat of the child developing within. When should you start to eat wisely? Now. Irwin Rosenberg, MD, director of the US Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Center on Aging at Tufts University, emphasizes that sound nutrition is important not only during pregnancy but at the time of conception. Because the timing of conception is often unpredictable, he says, "Ideally women ought to be maintaining good nutrition throughout their childbearing years."

Should pregnant women take vitamin supplements? Generally, the best way to get vitamins and minerals is by eating a varied diet of whole foods, one that includes an abundance of grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, food herbs, nuts, seeds, and, if you're not a vegetarian, dairy and lean meats.

Vitamins and minerals from foods tend to be well absorbed and assimilated, with little risk of overdose. "Healthy food is, by far, more important than supplements," says Betsy Walker, MS, who teaches nutrition during pregnancy at the Seattle Midwifery School. "If a woman is getting a very good quality diet, I don't think she absolutely needs supplements. Women who are not receiving good nutritional counseling should be taking a prenatal supplement." Because vitamins and minerals extract easily into vinegar, Cox makes a cider vinegar extract of dandelion leaf, nettles, parsley, burdock root, and violet leaf, which she adds to greens and grains for extra nutrition.

Although the National Academy of Sciences recommends that prenatal vitamins be prescribed on an individual basis, depending on a woman's nutritional status, routine prenatal vitamins have become the standard of care. However, no amount of vitamin pills can substitute for a healthy diet. Furthermore, when it comes to supplements, more doesn't mean better. Unless advised to do so by your health practitioner, don't take megadoses of single vitamins during pregnancy. The main concern is vitamin A, an excess of which has been associated with birth defects. Other vitamins and minerals can also be toxic to the fetus, and an excess of one mineral can unbalance others.

Studies show that diets of pregnant women most often lack four vitamins (folic acid, B-6, D, and E) and four minerals (calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc).1 Of these, iron is the most difficult to obtain from diet alone. The recommended daily allowances (RDA) for pregnancy listed below represent the amount a woman should derive from diet, plus or minus a supplement.

Folic acid is necessary for DNA synthesis, and therefore critical in the development of all tissues, particularly the nervous system's. Oral contraceptives may deplete folic acid levels. Diet surveys have found folic acid intake to be low in the US, particularly among women and blacks.2

Deficiencies have been linked to megaloblastic anemia and neural tube defects (incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord). Folic acid supplementation has been shown to reduce recurrence of neural tube defects by 72 percent.3 When a group of more than 2,000 women took a multivitamin that included 800 micrograms of folic acid from the time of conception through the first three months of pregnancy, their babies had 50 percent fewer birth malformations of all types and no neural tube defects.4

Because the neural tube forms within the first four weeks of pregnancy, you need to get sufficient folic acid while you're trying to conceive. The US Public Health Service 1992 advisory statement recommends all women of childbearing age get 400 micrograms a day and not exceed 1 milligram a day, except under medical supervision.

RDA: 400 mcg.
Food sources: liver (750 mcg. in 3.5 oz.), whole grains, legumes (358 mcg. in 1 cup lentils), sunflower seeds (317 mcg. in 1 cup), beans (292 mcg. in 1 cup pinto beans), green leafy vegetables (200 mcg. in 1 cup frozen spinach, 171 mcg. in 1 cup turnip greens), citrus fruits (109 mcg. in 1 cup orange juice), broccoli (104 mcg. in 1 cup), and brewer's yeast. Herbal sources include dandelion, amaranth greens, lamb's quarter, nettle, and red clover.

Vitamin B-6 is important in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, and in the production of antibodies and red blood cells. Oral contraceptives can deplete this vitamin. A deficiency may aggravate morning sickness, which supplementation can help relieve. In one clinical study, 342 pregnant women were randomly assigned to receive either 30 mg. of vitamin B-6 or a placebo. Compared to the placebo group, the women taking vitamin B-6 reported a significant reduction in nausea and vomiting, although one-third continued to experience gastrointestinal upset.5

RDA: 2.2 mg.
Food sources (contents given in mg. per 3.5-oz. serving): torula yeast (3), brewer's yeast (2.5), sunflower seeds (1.25), toasted wheat germ (1.15), legumes (.81 for dry soybeans), walnuts (.73), whole grains (.55 for brown rice), fruits (.51 for bananas), green leafy vegetables such as spinach (.28), and meat, fish, and poultry.

Calcium is vital to the health of bones and teeth in both the fetus and the mother. It's important not to take calcium and iron at the same time because each counters the absorption of the other. For this reason, some practitioners recommend that women take a multivitamin that contains iron and, at another time, a calcium supplement. In addition, a high protein intake depletes calcium stores, which is one reason the RDA is so high (since most Americans consume more protein than they need). If you follow a lower protein vegetarian diet, you may not need this much calcium.

RDA: 1,200 mg.
Food sources: sardines (370 mg. in 3 oz.), dairy products (300 mg. in 1 cup low-fat milk), mackerel, firm tofu processed with calcium, seaweed, tahini, almonds, dark leafy greens (180 mg. in 1/2 cup), salmon (165 mg. in 3 oz. canned with bones), broccoli (70 mg. in 1/2 cup), beans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, and dried fruit. Herbs containing calcium include nettles, red raspberry leaves, oatseed, oatstraw, alfalfa, chamomile, borage, dandelion, and red clover. A cup of lamb's quarters or amaranth greens contains about 400 mg. An infusion of two handfuls of nettle, red clover, raspberry leaf, or oatstraw in 2 to 4 cups boiling water, steeped 4 to 8 hours, contains 250 to 300 mg. per cup. Food herbs rich in calcium generally also contain magnesium in a ratio well utilized by the body.

Vitamin A is essential in building strong bones and teeth, and in the growth and repair of all tissues, especially skin and mucous membranes. Because of the potential toxicity of high doses, which are associated with birth defects, stay within recommended guidelines. Beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, is considered more beneficial and is not associated with toxicity.

RDA: 4,000 IU
Food sources (given in IU of beta carotene): Orange fruits and vegetables such as carrots (11,000 in 1 large carrot), sweet potatoes, winter squash, (2,700 in 2 to 3 medium), cantaloupe (3,400 in 1/4 melon), peaches (1,330 in 1 medium), and dark leafy greens like mustard and kale (7,400 in 3/4 cup cooked), spinach (7,300 in 1/2 cup cooked). The best herb source is dandelion (3,500 to 6,500 in a 1/2 cup of steamed or flesh dandelion greens), although you do not need that much--just adding a few leaves to your salad will boost your vitamin intake. Other herb sources include alfalfa, cayenne, paprika, and elderberries.

Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis, as well as amino acid and thyroid hormone production; it also aids iron and calcium absorption.

RDA: 70 mg.
Food sources: guava (242 mg. in 1 medium), papaya, green peppers (96 mg. in 3.5 oz.), broccoli (90 mg. in 2/3 cup cooked), Brussels sprouts (87 mg. in 6 to 7 cooked), cauliflower (78 mg. in 1 cup), cabbage (47 mg. in 1 cup), turnip greens, strawberries (59 mg. in 10 large), citrus fruits (53 mg. in 1 orange), cantaloupe (33 mg. in 1/4 melon). Herbs include dandelion leaves, nettles, elderberries, rosehips, cayenne, violet leaves, pine needles, and alfalfa.

Vitamin D is important in the absorption of calcium and phosphorous and for the fetus's bone and tooth development.

RDA: 10 mcg. (400 IU)
Sources: sunshine, alfalfa, nettles, dairy, butter, eggs. Deficiency is rare.

Vitamin E is important for red blood cell growth and proper immune function.

RDA: 10 mg. or 10 IU
Food sources: wheat germ, vegetable oils, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, whole grains, eggs, spinach, soybeans, hazelnuts, almonds, and seaweeds. Herbs include alfalfa, rosehips, raspberry leaf, and dandelion.

Vitamin K is necessary for the formation of thrombin--a chemical critical to blood clotting. In the presence of certain intestinal bacteria, our bodies can make this fat-soluble vitamin. Insufficient vitamin K can contribute to postpartum hemorrhaging.

RDA: 65 mcg.
Food sources: (given as mcgs. per 3.5-oz. serving): kale (729), green tea (712), leafy greens such as turnip greens (650) and spinach (415), broccoli (200), lettuce (129), cabbage (125), watercress (57), asparagus (57), oats (20), green peas (19), and whole wheat (17).

Iron requirements double in pregnancy, chiefly to keep up with the production of hemoglobin (the chemical that carries oxygen in red blood cells) in mother and fetus.

RDA: 30 mg. The drawback of supplemental iron is constipation. Absorption is increased by vitamin C.
Food sources: clams (24 mg. in 3 oz.), oysters (11 mg. in 3 oz.), legumes (9 mg. in 1 cup soybeans), tofu (7 to 13 mg. in 4 oz. firm), organ meats (6 mg. in 3 oz. beef liver, 15 mg. in 3 oz. pork liver), whole grains (5 mg. in 1 cup cooked quinoa), beans (4 mg. in I cup cooked pinto beans), dark, leafy greens (3 mg. in a cup cooked spinach), dried fruits (2 mg. in 5 figs), seeds, nuts (especially almonds), egg yolks, rosehips, and blackstrap molasses (6 mg. in 2 tbsp.). Herbs containing iron include yellow dock root, dandelion root, nettles, and alfalfa. According to Cox, these herbs provide an assimilable source of iron that is nonconstipating.

Zinc is important in enzyme function, the formation of insulin, protein synthesis, development of reproductive organs, and immune function. In a study of women with blood zinc levels below the median, the group who took a prenatal vitamin that included a zinc supplement bore infants of greater birthweight and head circumference than the placebo group.6

RDA: 15 mg.
Food sources: (given as mg. per 3.5 oz. serving): fresh oysters (148.7), pumpkin seeds (7.5), gingerroot (6.8), nuts (3 to 4), whole wheat (3.2), oats (3.2), lima beans (3.1), green peas (1.6), garlic (.6).

Natural Remedies for Common Pregnancy Complaints

Morning sickness afflicts millions of pregnant women to some degree. Fortunately, several natural remedies offer relief.

Nutrition. Eat small, frequent meals and sip warm liquids. Foods rich in vitamin B-6 (whole grains, meats, blackstrap molasses) are said to alleviate nausea of all types, and clinical studies have shown relief with B-6 supplementation. Because morning sickness is often worse when your stomach is empty (especially when you first wake up in the morning), keep snacks on hand.

Herbs. Ginger is probably one of the best antinauseant remedies around. It is also an emmenagogue (initiates menstrual flow in nonpregnant women), not an abortifacient (induces miscarriage). If a woman is not pregnant but her period is late and she takes ginger, she's likely to start bleeding. If she is pregnant and has morning sickness, ginger can ease nausea and vomiting. In one clinical trial of women with severe nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, namely hyperemesis gravidarum, 250 mg. of powdered gingerroot four times a day significantly reduced discomfort.7 A review of ginger's use as an antinausea remedy concluded that ginger is safe in pregnancy "provided normal doses are consumed."8

What form of ginger should you take? Weed responds, "Whatever form you can tolerate." Choose from fresh, dried, or powdered ginger, ginger tea, or crystallized ginger. Find your favorite type and place it by your bed-side to sip or nibble first thing in the morning. Gladstar's recipe for ginger tea is as follows: grate one to two teaspoons of fresh gingerroot, simmer in a cup of water for a few minutes, and add honey and lemon to taste. Mindy Green, herbalist and co-author of Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, recommends an herbal tea of meadowsweet, spearmint, ginger, and chamomile. (Note: If you're allergic to ragweed, you may also be allergic to chamomile.) Red raspberry leaves are also said to soothe nausea.

Aromatherapy. Pregnancy tends to heighten your sense of smell, and foul odors may make you sick to your stomach. Pleasant aromas, on the other hand, such as oil of lavender, lemon, or spearmint, may alleviate nausea. Green reminds you not to apply essential oils undiluted to your skin and never to take them internally, adding, "The safest essential oils to use during pregnancy are those from flowers." For safety, she also suggests you wait to use essential oils until after the first trimester.

Homeopathy. Dana Ullman, MPH, author and director of the Homeopathic Educational Services in Berkeley, California, says that homeopathic medicines are safe to take during pregnancy. His list of remedies for morning sickness includes Sepia, Ipecac, Tabacum, Nux vomica, Bryonia, Ignatia, and Cocculus. To choose a remedy, Ullman suggests you read about them in a homeopathy self-help book.

Insomnia. Sleeplessness typically strikes in the third trimester, when a womb full of revolving elbows and knees interferes with comfortable repose.

Herbs. Herbs high in calcium, "nature's tranquilizer," soothe the nerves, promote restful sleep, and also ease muscle cramps. Some good ones for pregnant women are skullcap and oats (oatmeal, oatstraw, or oatseed). For relaxation, add a cloth bag full of chamomile and lavender blossoms to a warm bath before bed.

Aromatherapy. Inhaling essential oils of neroli, ylang-ylang, lavender, rose, and jasmine are said to calm the nervous system.

Homeopathy. The following remedies are often recommended for occasional difficulty sleeping: Coffea, Pulsatilla, Arnica, and Chamomilla. Consult a homeopathic self-help book to choose the correct one for you. Combination remedies for insomnia are also widely available.

Stretch marks. According to Green, massaging a pregnant belly (and breasts) with aromatherapy oils can help the skin expand and thus prevent stretch marks. She says that topical use of diluted essential oils is generally safe for healthy pregnant women, especially after the first trimester. She combines 15 drops lavender oil, 5 drops neroli oil, 2 drops rose oil, and 800 IU vitamin E in 4 oz. carrier oil. Gladstar's recipe for belly oil combines 1/2 cup cocoa butter, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 20,000 IU vitamin E oil, 2 tsp. grated beeswax, 1 tsp. lanolin, and 1/4 cup apricot, almond, or grape seed oil. Melt the ingredients together and rub this oil over belly and breasts two to three times a day. Or you can buy Motherlove's Pregnant Belly Oil, which combines comfrey, calendula, mallow, raspberry; and vitamin E in either olive oil or a beeswax and lanolin salve; or WishGarden's belly oil, which contains elderflower, comfrey, and bee pollen in olive and sweet almond oil.

Hemorrhoids. Motherlove's Rhoid Balm blends comfrey root, calendula, yarrow, and plantain in olive oil and beeswax. Their Sitz Bath combines comfrey, yarrow, uva-ursi, and sea salt in a muslin bag, to infuse into warm water. Used after the birth, this remedy helps heal tears and sore muscles of the pelvic floor. Sage Mountain has a salve of comfrey and St. John's wort. Because cold temperatures constrict swollen veins, Gladstar suggests you keep it in the refrigerator and apply it two to three times a day. Homeopathic remedies include Nux vomica, Belladonna, Muriatic acid, Aloe, Pulsatilla, Aesculus, and Hamamelis.

Heartburn. You can chew or make a tea of the seeds of digestive herbs such as fennel, anise, or dill.

The Common Cold Herbs. Echinacea (when not combined with goldenseal) is fine for any pregnant or lactating woman. Garlic, which is antibacterial, antiviral, and expectorant, may also be safely taken. Ginger, which is warming, can ease cold symptoms. Gladstar likes to use echinacea (immune boosting and antimicrobial), mullein (demulcent, expectorant), and elderberries or flowers (expectorant, diaphoretic, helpful in the early stages of cold and flu) alone or in combination. More than anything, it's important to treat yourself to a day in bed.

Vitamins. Because it is water-soluble, it's all right to take 1 to 2 grams of vitamin C a day.

Homeopathy. Self-care homeopathic texts list a number of homeopathic medicines. The choice depends on your symptoms. Alternatively, you can go with the shotgun approach of homeopathic combination remedies for colds.

Linda B. White, M.D. works as a freelance writer and editor. She has written for many health magazines, and is the coauthor of Kids, Herbs, and Health (Interweave Press, 1998) and of The Herbal Drugstore (Rodale, 2000).

Notes

1 National Academy of Sciences, Nutrition during Pregnancy (Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1990).

2 A. F. Subar, G. Block, L. D. James, "Folate Intake and Food Sources in the US Population," American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50 (1989): 508-516.

3 MRC Vitamin Study Research Group, "Prevention of Neuraltube Defects: Results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study, Lancet 338 (July 1991): 131-137.

4 A. E. Creizel and I. Dudas, "Prevention of the First Occurrence of Neural-Tube Defects by Periconceptional Vitamin Supplementation," New England Journal of Medicine 327 (December 1992): 1832-1835.

5 T. Vuktyananich, S. Wongtrangan, and R. Rungaroon, "Pyridoxine for Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial," American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 173 (1995): 881-884.

6 R. Goldenberg, T. Tsunenobu et al., "The Effect of Zinc Supplementation on Pregnancy Outcome," Journal of the American Medical Association 274 (August 1995): 463-468.

7 W. Fischer-Rasmussen, S. Kjaer et al., "Ginger Treatment of Hyperemesis Gravidarum," European Journal of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 38 (1990): 19-24.

8 S. Fulder and M. Tenne, "Ginger as an Anti-Nausea Remedy in Pregnancy: The Issue of Safety," HerbalGram 38 (1996): 47-50.

Bibliography

Brinker, Francis, ND. The Toxicology of Botanical Medicines. Sandy, OR: Eclectic Medical Publications, 1996.

Brinker, Francis, ND. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions, 3rd Edition, Sandy, Oregon: Eclectic Medical Publications. This edition is due out August 2001.

Gladstar, Rosemary. Herbal Healing for Women. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.

Heimburger, Douglas C., and Roland L. Weinsier.Handbook of Clinical Nutrition. Mosby, NY: Mosby-Year Book, 1997.

Long, Patricia. The Nutritional Ages of Women. New York: Macmillan, 1986.

McGuffin, Michael, Hobbs, Christopher, et al. American Herbal Products Association's Botancial Safety Handbook. CRC Press, 1997.

Murray, Michael. Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements. Rocklin, CA: Prima, 1996.

National Academy of Sciences. Nutrition during Pregnancy and Lactation. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1992.

Swinney, Bridget, MS, RD. Eating Expectantly. Colorado Springs, CO: Fall River Press, 1993.

Weed, Susun. Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year. Woodstock, NY: Ash Tree Publishing, 1986.

For More Information

The Eclectic Institute
14385 SE Lusted Road Sandy, OR 97055 Phone: 888-799-4372; 800-865-1487; 503-668-4120 Fax: 888-655-4372

An herbal sales, information, and publishing center providing natural alternatives for the optimization of health.

Motherlove
PO Box 101 Laporte, CO 80535 Phone: 970-493-2892 Fax: 970-224-4844

Offers herbal products for including teas, tinctures, and salves to use throughout pregnancy.

Sage Mountain
PO Box 420 East Barre, VT 05649

A learning center Sage Mountain also sells a few of Rosemary Gladstar's favorite tinctures and salves.

Offers an extensive range of herbal extracts and teas, including many for childbearing and infant care.

remembering things