Feature: Mindful Eating During Pregnancy
Mindful Eating During Pregnancy By Sara Halcumb, RN
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ating a healthy, balanced and nutrient-dense diet while pregnant directly impacts your health and the health of your baby. However, oftentimes information about what to eat while pregnant can be confusing, outdated or feel far too limiting when a craving strikes. During my two pregnancies, I really did my best to be mindful of what I ate. Of course, from time to time I would give in to my desire for a bowl of salted caramel ice cream or some yummy Pad Thai takeout. Intuitive eating during pregnancy is ultimately about balance and letting yourself have a treat once and a while. For the most part, I followed the guidelines and ate how I knew best as a nurse and nutrition enthusiast. This isn’t to say that everyone will automatically know what to eat while pregnant. I recognize that I had the nutrition information because of my background in healthcare. And even then, guidelines
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evolve. So what should pregnant women eat? And what shouldn’t they? Recently, I spoke to two local women to get their perspective.
Meet the Midwife:
Naomi O’Callaghan, MSM, LM, CPM Naomi O’Callaghan is a licensed midwife and owner of Vancouver Community Midwives. She is also a clinical herbalist and specializes in botanical medicine for the childbearing year. Here’s what she had to say about healthy nutrition during pregnancy. What are the types of foods you advise your clients eat during pregnancy? When choosing foods, pregnant women should think in terms of “eating the rainbow.” They should fill their plates with reds (beets, strawberries, radishes, tomatoes), greens (spinach, broccoli, kale), purples (blueberries, grapes, plums,
Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • March 2020
eggplant), yellows (apples, squash, bananas) and oranges (carrots, oranges, apricots). They should also include healthy proteins such as legumes, fish, chicken, beef and seafood and whole grains such as barley, brown rice and oatmeal. Be sure to include plenty of water, about 10 cups a day. This helps to support healthy amniotic fluid levels and the natural increase in maternal blood volume. Are there any foods you advise your clients avoid during pregnancy? Foods that pregnant people should avoid during pregnancy are sushi, highmercury fish such as albacore tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, deli meat, raw eggs and unpasteurized dairy products. Why is it important to eat a balanced diet during pregnancy? There are many reasons why a pregnant person should eat mindfully during their pregnancy: continued on next page
Naomi's photo courtesy of Naomi O'Callaghan
