No Ultrasound? Paleo/Weston Price Pregnancy?

[grandbleu]

I'm wondering how long you'll manage on your diet though. I hope you can stay on it if that is what you want to do. I think it will depend on how you find the 1st trimester. I usually eat very healthily, lots of fruit, snacks of yoghurt, nuts, that sort of thing. I'm veggie so I don't eat meat, but I used to eat tofu and quorn, and lots of veg in the evenings, with some rice and pasta in small portions. Since about 6 weeks pregnant I've really struggled with food. I can't bear the thought of fruit or veg, and I've been mainly living off All Bran (a very plain breakfast cereal), wholemeal toast and the occasional baked potato. I'm really food averse, everything is wrong, nothing appeals at all, and I know this isn't uncommon during pregnancy, so you may find that with all the best intentions in the world, you end up just eating whatever you can cope with, rather than what you'd planned to eat or what you would usually eat.

Oh my gosh thanks for mentioning this...up until 5 days ago I was eating so healthy like normal and tons of veg. Now with this constant stomach ache the only thing that appeals to me is plain pasta, plain rice, baked potatoes, saltines, plain popcorn (I know all carbs!). It's so bad...definitely not the way I want or planned to be eating but everything "healthy" right now is making me feel sicker even thinking about it. How weird? I hope I feel better soon...I'm still trying to sneak some veg in but it's hard and forced at the moment.

 

[irish_cob]

I did a bit of research (google mainly) and it seems that food aversions and morning sickness are to keep you away from things which might be toxic, especially whilst the baby is in such a critical state of development. And fruits and vegetables are common things to be adverse to because they contain high levels of natural chemicals but they can be toxic. So it is normal to be feeling this way. Apparently meat is another thing that pregnant ladies are often adverse to but I can't comment on that as I've never eaten meat. I'm just embracing it and eating whatever my body seems to be able to cope with and making sure I take my folic acid. It won't last forever, I'm absolutely sure of that.

 

[Dr.M]

I'm not hun, but tbh I wish I hadn't had an US at all now as I was told baby has a high NT reading which has made me sick with worry. x

Its not DANGEROUS, just maybe overused, I'm sure your baby - like most babies - will be 100% fine. My goal isn't to scare - its to find the like-minded.

 

[Dr.M]

After reading all of this, I had to throw in my own 2 cents. I am not "attacking" the original poster, I'm simply throwing in some additional information.

As another poster pointed out, ultrasounds aren't radio waves. Kudos on beating me to that. I believe Tom Cruise's kid came out OK and didn't he buy an ultrasound machine for home use? Talk about excessive exposure!

Finally, carbohydrates are important. I saw that the OP said she gets her carbohydrates from vegetables rather than grains, and that's a good thing because carbohydrates are essential. Realistically though, grains are far higher in carbohydrates than vegetables so you have to eat less of them to get what you need. Why do you need carbohydrates? Well, basically your body breaks them down into glucose, which is what you use to power important parts of your body -- like your brain and heart. If you don't have enough carbohydrates your body will break down muscle and tissue to make up the difference. When that happens, a toxin called Keytones are created. Keytones make your blood acidic, which is a condition known as Ketosis. Ketosis can be fatal, especially to pregnant women, unborn babies, and diabetics.

So although the posters diet is do-able for a pregnant woman, you have to be careful about it and I personally wouldn't do it without a doctors blessing. It's easier, and less risky in my opinion to just opt for healthier grain options, like whole grain pasta instead of the regular variety. However, if you're comfortable with this type of diet, there's no reason you shouldn't pursue it.

Thanks - I don't feel "attacked" - I just wanted to state what I was looking for. I know they aren't "Radiowaves" - I was being flippant b/c I assumed everyone knew. And I hear that you disagree with me about the need for carbs - many people do, but many others feel as I do. There is an enormous amount of scientific literature that supports my ideas, but much of it hasn't trickled down to most docs, magazine articles or public policy makers. I'm allergic to most grains, and I think it would be bad news. Ketosis (natural state we evolved in) is different from ketoacidosis (dangerous state), and - in either case - I'd have to avoid all carbs to get INTO real ketosis anyway....which I don't. There are many excellent scientific and "general" readers studies on these things - I have no interest in arguing, but if you want resources to learn, I'm happy to make a book/article list. If you have access to PubMED or other scientific/medical research databases I can help you.

H and H 9 months

P.S> And I AM A DOCTOR. And I've consulted with many other doctors. So I feel very confident.

 

[Dr.M]

I agree with not overusing ultrasounds in general. I was only going to get a couple U/S (12 and 20 weeks) but since I have miscarried once I will probably get a couple more for my peace of mind and to make sure the baby is doing/growing fine. I didn't have an U/S for my first pregnancy and I was totally fine with that until I lost him at 12 weeks. It made me sad to not even have a photo of my wee one. But that is obviously a very personal issue.

As for diet - I'm a veggie! So it would be hard to eat the Paleo diet and stay alive LOL. But I do eat lots of whole grains, no processed foods, lots of veg and fruit in season and try to do organic with the more pesticide-laden ones.

I can't believe midwives are banned in US hospitals!? Really???

I think it's really interesting to not do everything by the "book" and do what you have found through research to be right and healthy for you and your baby.

Thanks! I really enjoyed hearing your perspective on this.

I had a mc too, but I never thought of the US afterwards - very interesting take. I'm an ex-vegan who got really sick (in part from a severe grain/soy allergy; in part b/c my body was not adept at transforming veg-based vitamin precursors (like beta-Carotene) into actual vitamins (Vit A). Def a great choice for many people. Once I realized it my optimal health at stake, I had to look for another option.

In the US things are state by state - in New York, midwifes definitely are in and around hospitals and very respected. The woman who posted otherwise was from PA.

Thanks again. H and H 9 months!!!

 

[Dr.M]

I did a bit of research (google mainly) and it seems that food aversions and morning sickness are to keep you away from things which might be toxic, especially whilst the baby is in such a critical state of development. And fruits and vegetables are common things to be adverse to because they contain high levels of natural chemicals but they can be toxic. So it is normal to be feeling this way. Apparently meat is another thing that pregnant ladies are often adverse to but I can't comment on that as I've never eaten meat. I'm just embracing it and eating whatever my body seems to be able to cope with and making sure I take my folic acid. It won't last forever, I'm absolutely sure of that.

Good Luck! I love your attitude!!!! I think the most important thing for anyone to do is to listen to their bodies! and try to make the healthiest choices they can. I'm not trying to tell anyone else what to do (a common b and b pasttime I guess). Just to share my solution and ideas.

 

[heather91]

I'm not hun, but tbh I wish I hadn't had an US at all now as I was told baby has a high NT reading which has made me sick with worry. x

Its not DANGEROUS, just maybe overused, I'm sure your baby - like most babies - will be 100% fine. My goal isn't to scare - its to find the like-minded.

I know its nothing to do with having a US but if I didn't have a US I would never have known about the potential problem, so I wouldn't worry. Think you've picked me up wrong x

 

[Dr.M]

I'm not hun, but tbh I wish I hadn't had an US at all now as I was told baby has a high NT reading which has made me sick with worry. x

Its not DANGEROUS, just maybe overused, I'm sure your baby - like most babies - will be 100% fine. My goal isn't to scare - its to find the like-minded.

I know its nothing to do with having a US but if I didn't have a US I would never have known about the potential problem, so I wouldn't worry. Think you've picked me up wrong x

Got it. Sorry for misunderstanding! xo

 

[MommyxThree]

Hi Dr. M, man I've missed some stuff going on in this thread today - I was swamped at work!

And you've got it right as the MW deal is state by state. I just know that locally the MWs I'm aware of aren't delivering in hospitals at the moment. I so do wish that would change. Hearing people talk (err, read what people write!!) from other states and countries make me wish I could move!!

Hope everyone is doing well today!!

 

[Dr.M]

This conversation inspired me:
https://thecavegirlcode.wordpress.com
Its a new blog exploring paleo eating and cross-fit-type training during pregnancy (with musings on natural health and recipes of course)

 

[Lumboo]

I don't think u/s are dangerous but personally do not think they are particulaly reassuring - and I speak as someone who has had 2 mcs.

I have had two u/s in this pregnancy so far; one as I was spotting and needed to see if it was caused by fibroids/cysts that I have, and the second to see if I was pregnant at all, as the first u/s confirmed a mc I never had! (so much for reassurance!)

For me personally I have always bled after an internal u/s so am not that happy to have another one unless really neccessary. I have no problems with the dating and abnomally scans though. However, if they weren't available I wouldn't be too fussed, as our parents never had them so it's not like they are truly needed - they are just nice to have for worried parents.

Re. diet - I would not change my diet in pregnancy, as it is healthy enough, and I don't seem to like the 'banned' food items anyway. I think a sensible diet will produce a healthy enough baby, but more importantly provide the Mum with enough energy to 'push' when required!

 

[jupiter1234]

Hi Dr. M,

I also intend not to have any ultrasounds. I've been following a WAPF-ish diet for about 5+ years, and I visit Mercola and the WAPF website for health information. I learned about concerns with ultrasounds from Mercola, and although it would be nice to see the picture and have some evidence that this is really happening and (hopefully) going smoothly, I really want to stay strong to avoid the potential risks. I've also heard the stories of false signs of abnormalities, and I don't think it's worth the potential worry and subsequent more invasive and risky tests that would follow.

I'm 17 weeks along, and my diet has been very dairy heavy for about half of that time. I drink a lot of raw milk that I get from a local farm where the cows are pastured, and I eat some Organic Valley raw cheese and Seven Stars Farm yogurt. I make kefir and soups from bone broths. I eat a lot of pastured eggs. I fry them in butter or bacon fat and make some over-easy, some over-medium and mostly just eat the yolks. I have been pretty averse to just meat so far, besides more processed meats like bacon or roast beef lunch meat, so I eat it sparingly. I stay away from grains now, as I've had problems digesting them on and off for years, though I didn't early in the pregnancy (I didn't feel well and was having a hard time figuring out what sounded good to eat). I made muffins the other day from almond flour and they really hit the spot and treated me well. I also have a hard time digesting veggies sometimes, I don't eat a lot of those. I occasionally make salads with romaine lettuce, and I put veggies in my soups for flavor and minerals. I love citrus fruit, and occasionally eat some other fruits as well. Oh, and chicken livers. I went through some time where I really wanted liver, and I cooked where it was still semi-raw in the center with lots of butter and onions. I haven't been craving livers for awhile now though. I was also eating chocolate for awhile, and had mixed feelings about that choice, so I've now stopped. That was a tough one!

Have you (or anyone else) read anything about the vitamin K injection? I'm considering not doing it, but supplementing gradually for awhile after birth.

Thanks for this post! It's nice to find others making similar choices.

 

[OneFitMom]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I found this today while doing a search, and couldn't resist adding my two cents

I am 34 weeks and have been doing Paleo for more than two years, including throughout my pregnancy. As a result, I've had no morning sickness (just some minor queasiness/aversions in the first trimester), no cravings, no high blood pressure, no excess weight gain, very minor and very infrequent edema (only when I have strayed from my diet!!), and at last check, the baby is in the 75th percentile for fetal growth.

Through my research, I discovered a few modifications that should be made for pregnant women, namely, a slight reduction in protein intake (pregnant women's livers process protein differently), an increase in fat (to compensate for calories lost by reducing protein) and an increase in carbohydrate intake to approximately 100-150 g per day (easy to accomplish by simply eating more fruit). I also personally decided to add a little bit of dairy to my diet (unsweetened Greek yoghurt and grass fed butter) for extra calcium, but the necessity of this is definitely debatable.

You are a doctor and so you obviously understand the science behind the diet and why it is not dangerous for pregnant women and their growing babies. But if you're looking for real life proof that it can be done, you have it here

 

[OneFitMom]

Why do you need carbohydrates? Well, basically your body breaks them down into glucose, which is what you use to power important parts of your body -- like your brain and heart. If you don't have enough carbohydrates your body will break down muscle and tissue to make up the difference. When that happens, a toxin called Keytones are created. Keytones make your blood acidic, which is a condition known as Ketosis. Ketosis can be fatal, especially to pregnant women, unborn babies, and diabetics.

You are confusing ketosis (which is normal, healthy and not at all dangerous) with ketoacidosis (a potentially fatal condition that can be experienced by diabetics when their blood glucose levels are out of control). They are not the same thing.

Ketones are not a toxin; they are a legitimate fuel that all body tissues can run on, with the exception of the brain, which needs a small amount of glucose (that can easily be produced by the liver).

Ketones are a byproduct of lipolysis (breakdown of fat), and are not caused by the break down of muscle tissue. Most peoples' bodies are in some degree of ketosis between the time they wake up and the time they have their morning meal, especially if they work out in the morning.

You do not need to consume carbohydrates in order for your body to produce the small amount of glucose it requires to fuel some brain tissues. The body is perfectly capable of creating its own glucose from protein via a process known as gluconeogenesis.