Pregnancy and Weight Gain

 

 

 

You just found out you are pregnant, how exciting!!! And although you are only five weeks along and most symptoms haven’t kicked in yet, suddenly you have a really big craving for a piece of cheesecake.  And after you finish that piece, you can have another because you are now eating for two, right?  Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

Although you need extra calories to help the baby grow, most sources will tell you that you only need 100-300 extra calories a day, which certainly will not excuse another piece of cheesecake!  You should always speak to your doctor first, but most OB/GYNs will tell you that you need to gain 25-35 pounds through your pregnancy, depending on your starting weight.  If you are underweight to begin with, your MD may want you to gain closer to 35 pounds, but if you are overweight, 25 pounds will usually suffice.

 

 

 

On average, you will gain 2-4 pounds during the first trimester and 1 per week for the remainder of your pregnancy.  These numbers may increase with additional babies (twins or triplets).  If you ever wondered where all this weight goes, here is an estimate from WebMD:

Baby	8 pounds
Placenta	2-3 pounds
Amniotic fluid	2-3 pounds
Breast tissue	2-3 pounds
Blood supply	4 pounds
Fat stores for delivery and breastfeeding	5-9 pounds
Uterus increase	2-5 pounds
Total	25 to 35 pounds

 

 

And don’t forget, every extra piece of cheesecake now will be harder to lose after your baby is born, so eat healthy and make good food choices now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nutrition and Fertility

We hear a lot about what expecting and breast-feeding women should eat – but what about eating to improve fertility? Did you know that an insulin imbalance or a diet full of high-glycemic carbohyrdates increase ovulatory fertility problems by a staggering 92%? An iodine deficiency can aggravate PCOS, cause miscarriages, or even hamper the growth of an unborn baby’s brain. Problems digesting protein increase ammonia levels in the body, which prevents eggs from adhering to the uterine wall. Pesticides on produce contain xenestrogens, or environmental estrogens, that can create hormone imbalances that counter fertility treatments.

Clinical Nutritionist Andrew Hopkins and yoga and lifestyle expert Corey Kelly will answer your questions about nutrition and wellness. We’ll cover what to eat to nourish your body for conception, pregnancy, and breast feeding – but also foods that can help you recover from labor, foods that energize you to keep up with toddlers and teens, and food to increase your longevity so you can enjoy a long, happy life with your family.

Acupuncture and Fertility

A widely published German study found that using acupuncture with IVF achieved a 42% clinical pregnancy rate compared to only 26% in the control group that did not receive acupuncture. When acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are used in conjunction with IVF, clinical experience suggests the pregnancy rate can be raised to at least 60%.

For couples going through Assisted Reproductive Technology, Traditional Chinese Medicine can help improve the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs, regulate the hormones to produce a larger number of follicles, increase the blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the uterine lining, relax the patient and decrease stress, prevent uterine contraction, lessen the side effects of Western drugs used in IVF, strengthen your immune system, improve male semen to create better quality and quantity of embryos, and decrease the chance of miscarriage.

Join Cherlyn Coplon BS, MSOM, Lac with yoga and lifestyle expert Corey Kelly to answer your questions about the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine for your fertility and your lifestyle.

Stress and Fertility

80% of all illnesses are caused or worsened by stress. Not only will it rob you of the health you need to have a baby, it increases the production of a neurotransmitter dopamine, which impacts your fertility. Stress can also lead to weight gain, and excessive weight lowers the success rate of in vitro fertilization.

The anguish of infertility can be painful and lonely; many couples feel they can’t talk about it with others. Mind-body programs that reduce stress have reported fertility increases up to 35 percent, regardless of the patients’ histories.

Yoga is a safe, gentle way to handle stress and sadness. It will help bring your body into balance, improving your sleep, reducing your stress, and lowering your blood pressure. Yoga and lifestyle expert Corey Kelly will answer your questions about reducing stress to make your body ready for the baby.

Introducing Corey Kelly –”Anatomical Engineer” extraordinaire — from Tribalance

Corey Kelly had spent years as a personal trainer, bodybuilder and martial artist. In 2005, he took his first yoga class at a friend’s urging, but five minutes in, wondered when it would end. He glanced repeatedly at the clock as the moments crawled by, relieved when it finally hit the 50-minute mark.

 

“Now that we’re warmed up,” the instructor announced, “the real yoga begins.”

 

Corey realized it wasn’t an hour-long class. He took a deep breath and surrendered to the yoga. In that moment of clarity, of becoming fully present, his past experiences and future path crystallized. He didn’t look at the clock again. Rising to an empty room after a long savasana, Corey knew he was going to teach and open a studio.

 

In 2006, Corey met the advanced instructor Shiva Kumar Madayya, who began practicing yoga in his hometown of Mysore, India at the tender age of six. Corey and Shiva became friends, and eventually Shiva moved to Chicago, where he lived with Corey for about a year. For both, the experience was like a year-long yogic immersion.  Through Corey’s yoga and tai chi practice, he overcame his early-life battle with depression and substance abuse.

 

In 2007, Corey founded TriBalance Yoga Center in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago. In November 2011, TriBalance relocated to a 13,000-square foot green facility, one of the largest of its kind in the midwest. The lifestyle center features four studios and expanded services, including chiropractic care, nutrition, acupuncture, personal training, physical therapy, several styles of yoga and a rigorous instructor training program. Corey considers it a community lifestyle center built by the community for the community.

 

In addition to teaching yoga, Corey does clinical-based therapeutic work, combining elements of nutrition, Ayurveda, traditional yoga therapy, Thai bodywork, massage and various forms of energy work. He has extensive experience with spinal cord and intense sports injuries. Corey has traveled to India to pursue his studies, which he continues on an ongoing basis.

 

Corey notes that his style draws many different people, and he works with a high percentage of men and athletes. He has enjoyed bringing yoga to several memorable settings, such as the outfield at Wrigley Field, teaching over a thousand people at the Chicago Yoga Rave Benefit, and teaching inmates at Cook County’s prison.

 

“I teach around 900 classes per year and I still can’t explain how the ‘real yoga’ I heard about in that first class works. It’s powerful and amazing. Yoga is a union, not only of body and mind but teacher and community. It is together that we are the strongest, and together we can change this world”