Pregnant Indeed - Pregnancy Resource Information

Hummus, chocolate, and peanut butter. Those three were the only foods that I really noticed during my pregnancy, although onions gave me some pretty impressive gas, at times. I craved chocolate and peanut butter more than usual (it’s one of my favorite combinations at any time—I’m something of a Reese’s devotee), and I couldn’t stand the sight, much less the feel, taste, or smell of hummus. All in all, I was pretty content with my cravings and aversions, especially after all the horror stories I’d read.

The concept that it is possible to know too much struck home quite often during my pregnancy. While perusing various pregnancy and baby related websites, I kept discovering all the things that might go wrong or could be going wrong at any time, with or without my knowledge or potential for control. If it weren’t for a very level-headed husband and perfectly calm midwives to help keep me on an even keel, I might have gone off the deep end with paranoia and hypochondria.

Probably the worst of the potential problems was the threat of craving non food items, such as dirt or gravel. Just considering the possibility of having to deal with that kind of mental disturbance terrified me…briefly. I quickly came to the conclusion that that must be a rarity, not very likely in my case. After all, I never really even had to deal with the more common cravings to any extreme. I’m not even sure that mine were real pregnancy related craving and aversion. At the beginning of the pregnancy, we had put some hummus in the freezer to keep it from spoiling while we finished another container. When we took it out of the freezer, the texture had changed a bit, and it was very unappetizing. It’s possible that my aversion to the stuff grew from that unpleasant sight, rather than from the pregnancy. Similarly, as I mentioned before, I’m always a fan of chocolate and peanut butter, and it just may be possible (highly unlikely, assuredly, but possible) that I merely took advantage of the opportunities to indulge my cravings with more chocolate and peanut butter than I probably should have. This, too, may have been entirely unrelated to the pregnancy.

Either way, despite my explorations of the world of “things that might go wrong during pregnancy,” I managed to survive with no desire for a binge on dirt or a bite of a napkin…how thankful I was and am! The closest I ever got was my fear of the possibility, which proved to be a complete waste of worry, as such “borrowing trouble from tomorrow” so often is. There seems to be a great deal of debate over the matter, but I’m of the firm opinion that much of the craving and aversion is directly related to the body’s needs. Granted, not every specific craving is indicative of a need for what is specifically craved, but I believe that there are elements that correspond between the need and the desire. But, then, I’m no scientist—I’m just a gal who’s been pregnant once.

American Women at Risk: Help Protect Your Unborn Baby Against Birth Defects

Although Americans are more health conscious than ever, consuming millions of dollars’ worth of vitamins and nutritional supplements a year, it is a sad irony that so many American women are deficient in a simple vitamin that could protect their future children from birth defects. These neural tube birth defects can be severe, and include conditions such as spina bifida and anencephaly, or malformations of the brain and skull. Folic acid is the critical vitamin that works to prevent such defects. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates folic acid can help reduce the risk of spina bifida by a whopping 70 percent.

 Folic acid does its remarkable preventative work in the earliest stages of pregnancy, and it is even before a woman knows she is pregnant that folic acid becomes so important to help the development of the unborn child. That is why the CDC recommends women who may someday become pregnant take 400 micrograms a day (“400 mcg”) of folic acid. Taking folic acid well before planning a pregnancy is key, since statistically one-half of all pregnancies are unplanned surprises. Folic acid is an ingredient in most multivitamins, as well as many fortified breakfast cereals, and it is a simple matter to check the label for the recommended amount of 400 mcg.

How folic acid works to protect against neural tube defects is a mystery, but its effectiveness is well-established. Furthermore, it is clear that folic acid has health benefits for women of all ages, and may offer protection concerning conditions such as certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, and even depression. For further information, you can go online to the CDC’s website at www.cdc.gov and look up FAQs about folic acid.

So remember to take your multivitamin, or enjoy a bowl of Life or Total for breakfast, and know that you have taken a stand in the fight against birth defects.

The San Clemente Pregnancy Resource Center, a faith-based nonprofit organization offering help for women in crisis, understands the vital role of folic acid in pregnancy, and assistance offered to those facing an unplanned pregnancy includes initial supplies of prenatal vitamins. The Center also provides free pregnancy tests, free ultrasound exams, and free counseling on topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy prevention, adoption placement and parenting, and abortion risks and procedures. In addition, the Center offers abortion recovery support groups. It is open Monday–Wednesday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Thursday, 1 p.m.–7 p.m., and Friday 10 a.m.–1 p.m. It is located at 1450 N. El Camino Real, Suite B, San Clemente, California, phone number is 949.218.5777. Their website is www.sanclementepregnancy.com.