Weird pregnancy craving 1: Cigarette ashes

Nice tasty serving of cigarette ashes anyone? The American Pregnancy Association carried out a survey which revealed that cigarette ashes are one of the most craved non-food items of all time. Some women who have this odd craving admit that they have not only sniffed, but also actually ingested cigarette ashes during their pregnancy (don’t try this yourselves) whether they were smokers before their pregnancy or not.

Weird pregnancy craving 2: Charcoal

Drinking it, eating it, sniffing it; it doesn’t matter how they desire it, some pregnant women just can’t stop thinking about gorging on charcoal. These cravings for non-food items are known as ‘pica‘ and they affect around 25 to 30 per cent of pregnant women. Charcoal is a perfect example of this; some pregnant women admit that they just can’t seem to curb their craving for it. Charcoal is used medically in emergency situations to absorb toxins in patients’ bodies to prevent poisoning from toxic substances such as paint thinner, boric acid and cleaning products. Although this can save lives in certain circumstances, it’s important not to give in to charcoal cravings because it will absorb all of the important nutrients that mother and baby need.

Weird pregnancy craving 3: Soil

Items to get in the grocery shop: bread, milk, eggs, soil… soil? Yep. Some pregnant women out there can’t seem to stop salivating over soil. Whatever it is that causes this craving, you’re not alone if you experience this too. Britney Spears revealed that during her pregnancy with her second son, she couldn’t stop thinking about a generous serving of soil alongside her fried chicken cravings. This strange desire turns out to be quite common; in a 2008 survey of pregnant women, mud made it into the list of top 10 pregnancy cravings. Although there is no scientific evidence to suggest why this craving can occur, scientists suggest that the desire for soil during pregnancy could be the subconscious need for pre-natal vitamins such as copper and iron, which soil is brimming with. Ingesting dirt is also believed to ease morning sickness, although with all those bugs and parasites we certainly wouldn’t recommend it.

Weird pregnancy craving 4: Raw onion

One minute you’re heaving at the mere thought of eating a raw onion and the next you can’t seem to get enough of them. Raw onions – as unappetising as they may sound – are a pretty common food item to crave when you’re pregnant. There is no evidence to suggest that raw onions are unsafe to eat when you’re expecting, as long as they are consumed in moderation and as part of a healthy balanced diet.  There are raw foods out there that pregnant mothers should avoid though, such as raw fish. So as long as you can fit raw onions into a balanced diet and those around you can tolerate your onion breath, munch away!

Weird pregnancy craving 5: Paint

Forget slathering it on the walls, some pregnant women can think of nothing better than a good serving of paint. Some have even admitted to licking the walls and inhaling the smell of freshly painted rooms to satisfy their craving. It’s important that if you do experience this, you substitute it with something else; try chewing on some sugar free gum to refresh your mouth and help you to forget about your craving. Paint is abundant with toxic chemicals so you should avoid freshly decorated rooms as much as possible during your pregnancy.

Weird pregnancy craving 6: Fried eggs with mint sauce

Some women don’t crave non-food items, but they do have some rather elaborate ones all the same. A recent survey by a mother and baby social network site revealed that not only were eggs and mint sauce a common weird craving combination for mothers, but other more intricate concoctions such as tuna with banana, and sponge cake with tomato sauce were revealed too. Scientists suggest that pregnant mothers who are feeling emotionally stressed subconsciously revert back to foods and items that remind them of their childhood. Luckily, experts propose that sometimes all these women really need is some emotional support in the form of a big long hug.

Weird pregnancy craving 7: Ice

Some pregnant mothers have admitted to crunching their way through ice, despite its distinct lack of taste. Scientists suggest that it’s not all about taste but more about the actual texture. Although eating ice won’t harm you or your baby, carrot sticks provide a nutritious way of kicking the craving instead. Experts suggest that a healthy nutritious breakfast is the key to reducing these cravings by 50 per cent too. By filling your stomach up with healthy food from the start of the day, you’re less likely to reach for the soil, paint, fried eggs with mint sauce, or whatever else you fancy when you’re feeling peckish during pregnancy.

If you have cravings for non-food items, speak to your GP as soon as possible. They will be able to carry out the appropriate tests to ensure that you are getting all the essential vitamins and nutrients for a healthy baby and mother.

A room full of expecting mothers along with their husbands attended the ‘Baby on Board’ workshop organised by DNA on Feb 10, Sunday. The prenatal workshop was organised to help prepare expecting mothers for childbirth and the initial years of motherhood. Pre- and post- natal dos and don’ts were discussed at this workshop and a lot of myths were diminished by three of Mumbai’s leading pregnancy, lactation and childbirth consultants.

What expecting mothers should eat?

The workshop began with a session on diet and nutrition during pregnancy by internationally certified pre- and post- natal counsellor Sonali Shivlani. She gave useful advice to mothers like eating six times a day, including protein intake in your meals, taking 600 ml of milk or milk products every day for the calcium content. Lactose intolerant mothers can substitute it with jaggery, nachani, etc. She also stressed on the importance of taking supplements (only those prescribed by a doctor) and foods to be avoided during pregnancy. These include raw meat, soft cheese, caffeine, alcohol and raw eggs. She also busted some traditional myths about pregnancy like:

• Drinking coconut water can make your baby’s head bigger (No it doesn’t)
• Papaya is  bad for pregnant women ( It’s not)
• Eating ghee helps lubricate the birth canal and makes delivery easier (All it does is increase the mother’s weight making post pregnancy weight loss harder).

What to do after the baby is born?

This was followed by a session with leading paediatrician, neonatologist and lactation consultant Dr Zinal Unadkat, on childcare and nutrition. She also explained the dos and don’ts after baby is born — how to go about things and understanding the baby’s needs. She answered some common questions that new parents usually had. She also shared some interesting tidbits she had come across in her career as a paediatrician and dispelled some traditional myths that are often followed by families like making the baby taste honey which is in fact very dangerous for a newborn. She also pointed out that massages did not help the baby grow and should only be administered by the mother to bond with the child and that too very gently.

Breastfeeding tips

Effath Yasmin, international board certified lactation consultant held a session on lactation and breastfeeding care. She spoke about the common difficulties that new mothers have with regards to breastfeeding their baby and suggested various helpful techniques. She also stressed on the importance of breast milk and how it contained everything that a newborn needs. According to WHO recommendations, at least 2 years of breastfeeding is essential. Mothers should also breastfeed the child within one hour of the baby’s birth.  She also advised mothers to stay away from formula as it was no match for breast milk and should only be used in dire emergencies.

And finally belly dancing…

The last segment involved exercise during pregnancy including belly dancing by Charlotte Marchant. Many expecting women tried it with Charlotte and picked up a few belly dance moves. A mother herself, Charlotte started training expecting mothers after she felt a drastic, positive change in her life doing these workouts and belly dancing. Many of her students later told her what a smooth delivery they had due to this workout. After this fun session, there was a short, informative session on labour and delivery tips, which was followed by a Q & A session with all the four panelists. The workshop came to an end after this and happy, expecting couples left the room geared up for the most important day of their lives.  

Also read

• Your most common pregnancy queries answered
• What parents of newborns ought to know
• Top breastfeeding queries answered by lactation expert

Pregnancy is a particularly trying time when a million questions haunt a pregnant woman’s mind. To add to this, there are so many misconceptions surrounding it, especially in our country. Sonali Shivlani, an Internationally Certified Pregnancy, Lactation and Child Nutrition Counsellor, answers some of the most frequently asked questions on the subject. 

Why is it important to take special care during pregnancy? How do a woman’s choices during this phase affect her and her child?

Pregnancy is the foundation period and is the start of life for your baby. Care taken during the pre conception and pregnancy period can actually impact the life of a human being. Having said that we do not consider that pregnancy is an illness. It is a very normal phase of life and should be treated thus. Simple changes like eating healthy, keeping active throughout the day are the most important. Your fitness levels determine the fitness levels of your baby. Keep yourself happy and stress free. Normal stress is good. Abnormal stress which makes you sad and unhappy should be avoided. Finally try to stay away from chemicals and chemical products as these can impact the development of your new-born. Always ensure that you keep your doctor’s appointments. Your prenatal checkups are your window into the womb and they help detect any issues early and can be corrected in most cases. 

How should one’s diet and eating habits change during pregnancy?

It is a popular misconception that a pregnant woman should eat for two. However this is technically not true. Remember that a baby even at full term weighs only around three kilos. You need to increase your calorie consumption only by about 500 calories daily. Just two slices of bread, a glass of milk and an extra fruit per day are enough to complete that requirement.

You must also remember that there are various hormonal changes and food gets digested more slowly. So eat small meals. The baby needs to be fed constantly so eat every two to three hours. Small mini-meals can help prevent common pregnancy complaints like acidity, nausea and that bloated feeling.

 The first trimester is a particularly difficult time for a pregnant woman. Her nutrition usually suffers due to morning sickness and associated nausea. How can she deal with it?

Morning sickness is due to normal hormonal changes. Some women do not get it at all and others complain of it all through the pregnancy. But in most cases women will see relief after the first trimester. Fortunately the body has reserves, so if nutrition is not optimum the baby is not compromised. If the mother cannot eat anything at all, then she should consult her doctor. She can have smaller meals, small slivers of ginger, and dry toast or biscuits with every mini meal. 

How can the spouse and family members help a pregnant woman face all the challenges of pregnancy?

Pregnancy is a wonderful time but physical and emotional changes can make it very demanding on the mother to be. Support from family members and spouse can go a long way in making her feel comfortable. Spouses can help by being regular with doctor’s visits, prenatal classes and helping around the house. If there is an older child, the spouse and family can help take care of him/her. Listening to the mother-to-be and assuring her of love and support is also very helpful. Family members can offer support by helping with chores and not being critical. Supporting the mom in choices she makes especially regarding her birth preferences and not being over bearing on the subject is also important.

You can meet Sonali Shivlani, Effath Yasmin and Dr Zinal Unadkat, experts in the field of pre- and ante-natal counseling at an enlightening prenatal workshop ‘Baby on Board’ organized by DNA on the 10^th of February at Hotel Courtyard Marriot, Andheri East, Mumbai. To get invited, sms DNA PN <your name> <location> to 575758. Alternatively, send a mail to prenatal@dnaindia.net or visit www.dnaindia.com/prenatal.

There are lots of rumours about what one should or shouldn’t eat during pregnancy. This video debunks some of the more common myths. While everyone knows that milk and vegetables are must-haves during pregnancy, there are doubts about chocolates and artificial sweeteners. According to experts, chocolate are fine even with trace caffeine content. Artificial sweeteners are fine too, except for saccharine. 

Also read:

• Tips to get pregnant faster
• Fertility treatments – how safe are they?
• Post Pregnancy Weight loss

Source: Health Guru

Now women like Mamta, Goga, Pushpa and Ganga care. Hiding their faces behind colourful, pink and red veils, and laughing shyly over the discussion on pregnancy and birth, these women are becoming aware of the need to eat properly, check blood pressure and weight regularly and write down the phone number of the local jeep or van driver to call when birth pains begin or in case of any emergency.  Rajasthan has among the highest maternal mortality ratio in India at 335 per 100,000 live births.

But in a project coordinated by SUMA-Rajasthan White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, in partnership with White Ribbon Alliance India and GRAVIS (Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti) in 10 villages of Osian block of Jodhpur district, the results have begun to show. When Goga, in her mid 20s, had her first child, a son, nine years ago and her daughter, who is now two years old, she wasn’t aware of the need to have iron tablets, or get herself weighed every month to ensure she and her baby were fine or get her BP checked. But when she was carrying her newest addition, a daughter who is now five and a half months old, she paid attention to her diet. 

“I ate greens, bajra rotis, iron tablets, took tetanus injections. The jaapa (birth) went off well,” Goga, smiling shyly, told IANS in Khetasar village of Osian bloc. Goga, whose husband is a carpenter in Surat, Gujarat, managed to save Rs.5,000 by putting aside some money for her delivery every month. But she didn’t have to spend a paisa. In fact, under the Janani Suraksha Yojana of the National Rural Health Mission of the central government, Goga got a cheque for Rs.1,400 a fortnight after the birth and was also compensated for the Rs.300 she spent on the vehicle to reach the primary health centre at Osian, some 27 km away.

In between her first and second child, Goga had three miscarriages, which is a common story among the women here. She underwent medical treatment at Umaid Hospital in Jodhpur for nine months at a cost of Rs.10,000, she said. ”Attitudes (to birth preparedness) have begun to change, and that is a big thing,” Smita Bajpai, programme officer of Chetna, an NGO, told the visiting IANS correspondent. 

“In our initial phase of work here, we had to deal with a lot of hostility from family elders. The in-laws would tear up our posters and other material we would bring to educate women, and tell us to go away. It took us some persistence to break through.” Ganga, who has four daughters, gave birth to a little boy a few months ago. Her eldest daughter is 12. A resident of Khabada hamlet, set among the sand dunes, Ganga had three miscarriages before the birth of her fifth child. All her babies were born at home. In the case of the last child, Ganga registered with the primary health centre, took her injections on time, and wrote down the important numbers on the calendar. 

One major change among the women now is that they go for birthing at hospitals, either the primary heath centre or the nearest facility that is equipped to handle births. Earlier, births would take place at home as a norm, assisted by the dais or midwives. Have the Safe Motherhood measures helped reduce the maternal mortality rates in the villages? 

Aparajita Gogoi, country director CEDPA (the Centre for Development and Population Activities), which helped form the White Ribbon Alliance India, says the measures may not lead to direct prevention of maternal mortality but are extremely important “in preventing delays which lead to maternal deaths”.  ”Women alone cannot take the key steps for birth preparedness, and they need their husband’s support and families support in preparing for steps like locating the nearest health centre, arranging transportation and money and blood donors and having emergency numbers handy,” Gogoi told IANS on e-mail. As Ganga’s mother-in-law said, “We followed all the instructions to see that nothing goes wrong for the jaapa this time.”

Source: IANS

For the report, pre-term was defined as 37 weeks of completed gestation or less, which is the standard WHO definition. As per Rajiv Tandon, senior advisor for maternal, child and newborn health, Save the Children India said that the problem of premature birth needed both attention and intervention if India wanted to improve its record. However, a key way to reduce preterm numbers is to find ways to help all pregnancies go to full term, or 39 weeks. A number of risk factors for preterm birth have been identified, including a prior history of preterm birth, underweight, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, infection, maternal age (either under 17 or over 40), genetics, multi-fetal pregnancy (twins, triplets, and higher), and pregnancies spaced too closely together.

Source: IANS