Our focus is primarily on wellness within office visits. Special attention should be given to eating healthy food and remaining active during pregnancy, creating changes that will last a lifetime.
Women do not need to eat a lot more food while pregnant, but it is important to eat the right food. Every day, be sure to consume:
- 6 to 8 large glasses of filtered water
- 6 to 9 servings of whole grain foods (although read the label to assure you are getting "whole" grain and not just brown-colored bread or pasta)
- 3 to 4 servings of fresh, raw fruit
- 4 to 5 servings of vegetables
- 2 to 3 servings of lean meat, fish, eggs or nuts
- one serving of vitamin C-rich food, like oranges, sweet peppers, or tomatoes
- 2 to 3 servings of iron-rich foods, like black-eyed peas, sweet potatoes, greens, dried fruits, or meat
- one serving of a food rich in folate, like dark green, leafy vegetables
While the midwife encourages women to improve the quality of their food, they also stress quantity awareness, as the average woman is already consuming more calories than necessary in a typical day.
- one slice of bread or a half cup of cooked pasta is a serving
- one small apple or a half cup of chopped fruit is a serving
- one medium carrot or a half cup of chopped vegetables is a serving
- a piece of meat the size of a pack of playing cards is a single serving
Unfortunately, we live in a contaminated world, so some foods must be avoided to optimize the growth and development of the unborn baby. Fish is an amazing food, abundant in fats that optimize intelligence. However, because of dangerous chemical pollutants, pregnant women should avoid swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish. Salmon should not be eaten more than once a week, and only light tuna should be consumed, avoiding albacore tuna. Milk and cheese should be obtained from a reputable source to avoid dangerous germs, antibiotics and hormones. Prepared foods should be cared for with awareness of spoilage and cooked thoroughly. Fast food should be avoided, and alcohol and caffiene should be kept to a minimum.
The Nurse Midwife will discuss additional supplementation with each woman on an individual basis, as they avoid routine prescription, preferring to assess each diet and lifestyle before making recommendations. Handouts regarding supplements, teratogens, safe medications and pregnancy, and a diet and exercise diary will be provided within the first prenatal session.
Exercise is strongly encouraged. Even if you've never been active, get up and go join the gym! Birth is an athletic event. Fit moms perform the best. Daily exercise will help you maintain, or obtain, an appropriate fitness level to endure the hard work required of birthing mothers. Every day, try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise like walking or swimming. Do deep squats several times a day. The only sports that should really be avoided while pregnant are those that might risk a blow to the belly, and scuba diving.
If a current client of Believe Midwifery Services, LLC this hand-out will help you understand when it is important to call your midwife and exactly how she can be reached.
- Bleeding like a period
- Leaking fluid
- Not feeling baby move after 24 weeks of pregnancy
- Very bad headache or blurry vision
- Any bad pain
- Feeling very frightened or sad
Clients, please save our emergency Answering Service phone number in your cell phone. As a reminder, non-urgent calls should be made to the office. If an assistant isn't available, or if calling after business hours, please leave a message to be returned during our next office day.
Other helpful hand-outs are the fetal kick count sheet and this hand-out for your dentist, in the event s/he has questions about safe medications in pregnancy.
Clients are asked to gather a few items for their birth and have these neatly prepared prior to the thirty-six week home visit. The assistants currently provid these visits as a home environment risk assessment. It is therefore important that families demonstrate their efforts in preparting their home for their birth, including having gathered all their supplies, installing their blue light for easy location of the home by the birth team, and securing a safe location for birth with a clear path to your bed, and a path to the door in the event a transfer. All medical supplies will be brought to your home by the Nurse Midwives.
Believe Midwifery Services owns four birthing spas. These are rented out for $300 and will be delivered near your thirty-seventh week of pregnancy, as soon as a spa becomes available. The contract for spa rental can be mailed with payment to reserve a spa. Directions for care and use of the spa can be found here. We also have a La Bassine spa available for rental, at $100, and this would be delivered at the home visit for those securing rental.
Devotionals have been written for our clients, but need to be reformated. They should be uploaded soon.
Following your birth and prior to our departure, the birth team will review care of mom and the newborn, providing an extensive handout. Here is a great sheet detailing common medications that are safe while breastfeeding, and those nursing mothers should avoid.
Meal Train is a fabulous resource for coordinating your friends and family for bringing meals to your home following your birth. This one step can be the difference between a frazzled postpartum experience and one of joy and relaxation.
Information regarding Intrauterine Contraceptives can be found here. The practice offers either the Mirena (hormonal) or the Paraguard (copper). If interested in either option, please review our informed consent to help determine if the IUD would be a good option for you and call the office to schedule an appointment with Penny.
This pdf provided by the CDC details vaccine ingredients (e.g., adjuvants and preservatives) as well as substances used during the manufacturing process, including vaccine-production media, that are removed from the final product and present only in trace quantities.
