BlueRibbonBaby.org

Typical Prenatal Diets

admin — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 01:42:57 +0000

Gestational Diabetes

admin — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 00:28:37 +0000

Gestational diabetes is one of the most common pregnancy complications today. So it stands to reason that one of the questions we are most often asked about prenatal nutrition is whether or not it can have an impact on gestational diabetes. Women want to know if they can avoid gestational diabetes by proper prenatal nutrition. The short answer is “yes”…the long answer is interesting, complicated, and controversial.

The root of the problem is in the definition of gestational diabetes, and whether or not it truly exists as a disease entity.

A blood glucose level of 140-150 milligrams per milliliters of plasma after fasting for twelve hours is considered normal in the non-pregnant woman, and was once considered normal for pregnant women too. But in the 1970s, research was conducted on thousands of pregnant women, and it was determined that a much lower 105 milligrams per milliliter was average — and therefore “safe” — for pregnant women. Unfortunately, these women who were studied were never evaluated for their nutritional status, neither before testing, nor for complications as pregnancy progressed, so nutrition was not even a factor in coming up with this number.

According to The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline, “Well-nourished women who consume adequate protein, calories, vitamins, and minerals keep their blood glucose levels at the same levels as normal non-pregnant women and even maintain an energy supply reserve (glycogen) stored in their livers.” If you are well nourished in pregnancy, you have a reserve that will keep you going for about 12 hours if you are unable to eat! This is not true of the poorly nourished woman: her blood sugar levels will spike and drop based on her eating routine, without any reserves to help her along.

“It seems certain that 105 milligrams per milliliter is an artificially low level for pregnancy blood glucose, a determination that was heavily weighted with results from women whose pregnancy diets simply were not adequate for the nutritional demands pregnancy imposes.” (The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline) Now perhaps you can understand why “gestational” diabetes is a questionable diagnosis, at best.

Management of this “condition” is also questionable and can lead to further complications. Calls to the Brewer Hotline over the years show that most doctors do not correctly manage so-called “gestational” diabetes correctly: they simply hand out a low- or no-carb diet, and disregard the nutritional needs of a pregnant woman.

So now you have a potentially false diagnosis, the management of which is likely to lead to further complications… so that the diagnosis becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline cites several reasons why this might happen to you:

you have a family history of diabetes that alerts your physician to the possibility that you, too, may be developing the disease even though there is no glucose spilling in your urine;
you have given birth previously to a baby who weighed more than 9 pounds (as happens commonly when your diet is excellent);
you are gaining more weight on a good diet than your doctor or midwife has been trained to think is acceptable (you may have twins, you may have been thin and underweight, you may be just perfect, but their weight limit is still back at 20 pounds, which was taught thirty years ago as the maximum acceptable weight gain limit);
you have a sonogram for some other reason and it’s determined that your baby is bigger than the charts say it should be for the length of your pregnancy (no account is taken of the fact that those charts are also heavily weighted with babies whose mothers were not optimally nourished!);
you have a normal (by the old standard) blood glucose level (140-150 mg. per ml.) when you take a test for it at some point in pregnancy (to satisfy your doctor’s insistence);
you spill some glucose in your urine, but upon further evaluation show no other sign of diabetes (pregnancy makes some women’s kidneys ultra-sensitive to glucose, so they allow some to escape — a condition called low renal threshold that is in no way related to diabetes and which is harmless).

As you can see, so-called “gestational” diabetes is a conundrum which, if you get caught in it, can make your pregnancy a frustrating experience, with perhaps no true risk. If you are a true insulin-dependent diabetic, you need special nutritional management during pregnancy. But if you just happen to “fail” a GTT and get labeled “gestational” diabetic, you might find that your care is being unnecessarily managed.

Why is this all such a concern? Why do doctors fear “gestational” diabetes? Truly diabetic women can have serious pregnancy complications. But most “gestational” diabetics can have completely normal pregnancies if they are well-nourished — hence, the short, affirmative answer to the question, “Can the Brewer Diet help me if I’ve been diagnosed with gestational diabetes?” YES!

My Story

admin — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:31:06 +0000

I met Dr. Brewer through a series of fortuitous circumstances. Knowing him changed my life in ways I only vaguely realize.

It began with my third pregnancy. I had been pregnant twice, and both times I had miscarried early on. This time it was finally happening, and I had gotten enough of an education by that time that I was interested in having a natural childbirth, so I wanted to take a class on the Bradley Method.

About midway through the class, my doctor put me on bed rest for preterm contractions. I now know that was just plain silly: they were perfectly normal Braxton-Hicks contractions, which couldn’t even be replicated in his office when I was hooked up to a monitor. But since the contractions occurred when I was walking, he said, “Well then, you need to stop walking.” I went home, and I sat.

This all happened because a good friend of mine had been on bedrest following a miscarriage and other complications. When I described my strange symptoms to her — the tightening in my abdomen when I would push a grocery cart, or walk a flight of stairs – she said it sounded like contractions to her. She got me scared. I got the doctor nervous. And he did the only thing he knew how to do: put me on bedrest.

My biggest complaint about being on bedrest was my lack of appetite. I had attended my Bradley classes long enough to have seen Dr. Brewer’s nutrition video, and I knew what I was supposed to be eating….and suddenly I was unable to eat that much food. I was in my 7th month, and I knew it was critical that I eat well. My Bradley instructor suggested I call Dr. Brewer personally to ask him what to do, and so I agreed. That conversation literally changed my life.

It began by altering my view of bedrest. Dr. Brewer taught me how detrimental bedrest was to my body and my baby. Dr. Brewer explained that my contractions were perfectly normal, and that walking was good for me, and that above all I needed good nutrition — hence, anything that would hinder good nutrition (such as a reduced appetite caused by sitting around all day) would be very dangerous to me and my baby. He said, “Get up and get moving, and eat. You’ll be fine.” I was.

A battle began in my heart and mind that day: a battle between my own common sense, and the incessant berating concerns of the worry-warts around me. Anyone who had been on bedrest before (and there were lots of them) had something to say to me. They told me I was taking chances with my baby’s life. They said I was putting my pregnancy at risk. They told me I should listen to my doctor. They thought I was breaking orders because of my own desire to be active, and they told me I needed to accept the responsibility of the child I was carrying and put my own needs aside.

I struggled with guilt and fear….and yet at the same time, what Dr. Brewer had said resonated with me, and deep down I KNEW that he was right and that my baby and I were going to be fine.

When I got to 36 weeks I was “allowed” to return to semi normal activities, including limited duty at work ( I never told my doctor I had been on “light duty” since 33 weeks anyway), and then at 38 weeks I was free to resume normal activities, and have my baby any time.

I went into labor on my “due date” two weeks later, but being on semi-bedrest for six weeks had taken it’s toll. I had missed several Bradley classes and was not fully prepared. Finances were tight since I had had no income all that time, so we didn’t hire a doula.

Petite Women: Same Nutrient and Calorie Needs for Pregnancy

admin — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 22:56:35 +0000

I was asked today whether the Brewer Diet was appropriate for petite women, or whether a small woman should eat less than recommended. Great question, since most concerns are directed to being overweight. A short or petite woman may be told she can’t gain as much weight, or is too tiny to deliver a big baby — which SURELY will be CAUSED by eating this much food!! Removing my tongue from my cheek, I will give petite women the facts they need….

The Brewer Diet is the minimum requirement for any woman to grow a healthy baby — regardless of height, weight, or any other factors. There are certain factors (such as activity level, stress, nursing, etc.) which might cause you to need MORE nutrients and calories, but not fewer. In the early part of pregnancy, your calorie needs are less, but your nutrient needs are still high as the placenta grows and hormones are produced.

In early pregnancy there is some leeway in terms of calories. During that time, most people find that the best place to cut calories, without cutting too many nutrients, is in the whole grains area. You can generally skimp on whole grains, yet still get enough similar nutrients in other foods and standard prenatal supplements, yet with fewer calories. Increasing fruits and vegetables is a good way to make up for some of the fiber and vitamins you would get from whole grains. On the contrary, it’s very hard to replace the nutrients in milk, eggs, lean meats, fruits and vegetables with anything else. So if you’re feeling like it’s “too much food” in early pregnancy then cut back on the whole grains — but listen to your body, and be sure you are getting enough nutrients. Make every bite count, and when you cheat, cheat on something with protein in it — a candy bar with nuts, for example. (That was Dr. Brewer’s recommendation!)

Having said all that, I have to tell you that Dr. Brewer did NOT recommend eating less food than his diet recommends at ANY point in pregnancy. In his view, this was the bare minimum for any woman, any baby, any size, any race, any anything. Any alterations he made based on individual circumstances involved MORE not less. He did say that while nursing, you could ease up a bit on the protein….but otherwise, this was his minimum standard for all women.

Suppression of the Truth

admin — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 00:39:52 +0000

Morning Sickness

admin — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 03:18:21 +0000

Morning sickness is probably the #1 complaint of pregnancy! Although, statistically, they say that only about 50% of women actually experience morning sickness, it sure doesn’t seem that way when you talk to REAL women!! (Who are “they” anyway??)

Dealing With Guilt

admin — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:18:18 +0000

Unfortunately, one of the most common concerns I hear about Dr. Brewer’s website and the information presented on the nutrition factor in toxemia , is that it makes women feel guilty. Some women find out that their nutrition was insufficient to support their pregnancy, and they feel guilty. While I understand that feeling as a natural response, I also want to be sure that no one thinks Dr. Brewer EVER had that intent.

If you find that the truth about diet and drugs in pregnancy makes you feel guilty, or if you think it’s intended to make women feel guilty, then you are sadly misunderstanding the point. Women are the victims here…not the perpetrators.

How would you know what a proper diet for pregnancy is, unless someone told you? If this is the first time you have heard this information, feel angry at those who failed to inform you, not guilty about something you had no control over. Dr. Brewer’s information should EMPOWER you to make changes, not make you feel guilty.

Doctors won’t tell you how to eat. So if you didn’t know, and didn’t eat very well, you are not to blame. This information has been hidden under a bucket for ages, so it is not surprising that you didn’t know. But all that has changed now, so instead of being angry at Dr. Brewer for pointing out the truth, or blaming yourself for something you didn’t know, commit yourself to learning all there is to know about proper prenatal nutrition and health and be one of the CHANGERS who helps other women to learn the truth and not become victims.

I have been in the unenviable position of trying to explain the HOPE contained in Dr. Brewer’s diet to a woman who had a child with cerebral palsy, following premature delivery due to severe toxemia. She was expecting her second baby, and they were telling her it was likely she’d have the same problem again. I wrestled for months, trying to figure out how to tell her. When I finally did, she was glad I had told her! She read Dr. Brewer’s book, and made changes in her diet. She felt better, and she felt empowered to make changes. And she carried her second baby to term. I wish I had told her sooner…I waited until her blood pressure went up, and the fears started to come true. She did get her blood pressure back down with Dr. Brewer’s diet, and everything ended well….but it would have been nice for her to have avoided the scare, and just enjoyed her pregnancy.

But I mention that story because I decided not to wait anymore. I can risk that someone will feel guilty, if I can explain that they are NOT AT FAULT. And that is what I want you to hear. It’s what Dr. Brewer wanted you to hear. Women aren’t doing anything wrong, they just aren’t being told the TRUTH by those who should know.

Thank you, Dr. Brewer!

admin — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:01:50 +0000

Over the years, many mothers have written to Dr. Brewer telling him how much they appreciate his personal assistance, and how they have experienced their healthiest pregnancies ever while using his diet. We have published a few of those letters here. If you would like to add your story, we would love to include it on the website. Just scroll to the end and leave a comment.