3D/4D ultrasound of Baby Lyons taken at Interview Ultrasound. It's amazing and worth every penny. Cost was $175.00. Use code AL0406 to get a free DVD of your baby.

Baby-led Weaning- A Real Food Approach to Feeding your Baby

Baby-led weaning is the practice of trusting your baby’s innate sense of hunger, of want, of self-knowledge and of self-limitation. Baby-led weaning offers parents and their children a natural, relaxed approach to the introduction of solid foods and the eventual cessation of breastfeeding. Instead of relying on prepared, commercial baby foods or even homemade purees, mothers and fathers simply introduce their babies to natural, wholesome real food from the start – relying on their babies to self-regulate and lead the way. In her book Real Food for Mother & Baby which is available online (see sources), author Nina Planck discusses her experiences with the baby-led approach to solids at length.

My friend Beth passed along this article to me, click here to read more if this topic interests you!

Pregnant CrossFitter - Cate Kelly

My name is Cate. I live in Bryn Mawr, PA. I have three kids, a dog and a lucky husband. HAHA. I have been crossfitting for almost three years, and I have been at KOP with Aimee for almost a year and a half. I am a stay-at-home mom. My kids keep me pretty busy. I LOVE to go to the box but there are lots of days that I can’t go and I just do my best to follow along at home. Every once in a while, we get a babysitter on a saturday morning and my husband goes with me to KOP. That’s how I know he still loves me! That is my heaven.

I had been crossfitting for almost two years when I got pregnant with our third child. During my first two pregnancies (both were normal & healthy) I worked out in a globo gym, doing cardio and light weights. I lost muscle during each of my previous two pregnancies. When I found out I was pregnant last summer I was at a really good place with my training. I was happy with my performance and I liked how I felt about my body. I wasn’t ready to give that up for 9 months of being pregnant, 6 weeks of recovering from delivery, and then another 9 months to get back to where I started. I knew I wanted my third pregnancy to be different but I wasn’t sure what I could handle.

I decided to break it down by trimester and I set a goal to get through the first trimester with my usual intensity. I discussed this with my OB and she totally agreed. The thing is I am not sure she knew what I meant by intensity. I am certain she didn’t know what I meant when I said I was lifting ‘heavy’. But I trusted my body to let me know when enough was enough. At the end of my first trimester I had the sense that I could keep going. My second and third trimesters came and went and my body was telling me that working out hard was the right thing to do.

The thing that really surprised me about training while I was pregnant was how comfortable I was lifting. I thought that carrying heavy things was uncomfortable and unsafe for pregnant women. Literally in my first pregnancy my husband would accompany me to costco to lift cases of water into my shopping cart. During this pregnancy, I deadlifted 285 lbs, I squatted 245, and I I pressed 120. I regularly completed the wods with the rx’d weights. I did fran, grace and kelly all rx’d. when I scaled a workout, I was typically cutting down on the runs, or substituting an exercise because I had limited range of motion. I was shocked at what my body could do.

My baby girl, Keira Grace was born on May 2nd. My last workout was the day before, squatting 205 for sets of 5. I normally would have rested that day but I was determined to have her that weekend and I was pretty sure that squats would help her along. She was 7 lbs 5 oz and perfect in every way (unless you count the fact that she wakes up 2-3 times a night). She is my third and labor was relatively easy. Keira was born 2.5 hours after we arrived at the hospital and I was home the next day. I started back crossfitting five days later. It wasn’t really my plan to start right back in but I was exhausted and hormonal and it just hit me that if I had worked out all through my pregnancy it didnt make sense to stop now. Working out made me feel good and gave me more energy. My first workout back was helen and I did it at home. It was tough. It kind of reminded me of my first helen ever. But the fun part is that everything has come back so quickly. There’s nothing like progress to keep me motivated!

Kiera

ORAL GLUCOSE TOLERANCE TEST- "OGTT"

The OGTT-A day I have been dreading for awhile (afraid of possibly going into insulin shock), ingest 50-100g of sugar and have your blood drawn and then see how fast your body can clear out the glucose. If you fail, you are insulin resistant and thus have "gestational diabetes". Failure results in one of two things, 1 - you have one more shot, you get to do this test for 4 hours & consume lots more sugar or 2- you have been diagnosed with "gestational diabetes" and now have to monitor your glucose for and extended period of time while consulting with an "expert" on nutrition.

I made the decision to do the following...a short met-con:

250m row

40 squats

30 KB swings 35#

20 Good Mornings 45#

10 Pull-ups

250m row

...followed by a handful of nuts, some turkey..and then downed my 50g of sugar in the form of OJ. Being that I go to the Bryn Mawr Birth Center, they gave me the option to either drink OJ or the fancy glucose sugar syrup. I chose OJ and I chose 50g vs 100g. Results to be determined but, as I was sitting in the office today awaiting my test, I was surfing around the web and came across this post from Robb Wolf. Gestational Diabetes: What constitutes low blood sugar? How fitting, he sums up the topic pretty concisely but I will copy and paste this one short paragraph:

FROM ROBB WOLF:

If you are unfamiliar, the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) is a diagnostic test used to establish gestational diabetes. The thinking goes like this:

If you consume a large bolus (75-100g) of glucose and fail to clear it in a timely manner, you are insulin resistant and thus have “gestational diabetes” (GD). I’ve written on this topic before and the whole thing makes me want to lobotomize myself with a blunt instrument. It’s a tough and incendiary topic. On the one hand our medical professionals deal with a huge population of women who eat very poorly, never exercise and somehow still manage to get pregnant. Miracle that this situation is, biology makes things worse. During pregnancy the mom becomes even more insulin resistant due to an evolutionary adaption in mammalian-mom’s in which they become slightly insulin resistant to allow a positive flow of nutrients to the developing fetus via the placenta. If the mom was more insulin sensitive than the fetus we could end up in a nutrient scarcity situation due to nutrition flowing to the more ubiquitous tissues of the mom. Biology fixes this problem by making mom a little insulin resistant, effectively “pushing” nutrients to the fetus. Score one for biology! Problems arise however when our modern diet and lifestyle make this otherwise favorable adaptation dangerous. Too many carbs (particularly chronic fructose intake), autoimmune complications with lectins, loss of insulin sensitivity due to sleep deprivation and stress can drive expecting moms into gestational diabetes. From the paper linked above we have an interesting observation that severity of GD is likely determined in part by estrogen and progesterone levels. One of the key features of hyperinsulinism is a decrease in sex hormone binding protein (SHBP) which then makes estrogen more available to the tissues. Interestingly, this problem with estrogen is actually at the heart of most female infertility, but that is a topic for another day (or a book…)

Thinking and reading has led me to believe that giving pregnant women an Hb1Ac blood test would be a much better indicator of diabetic risk than OGTT and would limit the false results and possible insulin shock!

"Linda" (not as Rx'd)

aka- "The three bars of death"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:

Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight
Bench press: body weight
Clean: 3/4 body weight

185# Deadlift, 95# Bench, 95# Clean - 31:37

I scaled the weights below what I would have typically used and paced at a rate where I was still able to breathe/talk through out the entire workout...for start of week 26 of pregnancy I felt I scaled well based on my level and ability. At this point when I work out, I approach every WOD with the thought that the exercise I'm doing is beneficial for my health and the baby. Even though the day's of doing WOD's as prescribed are becoming fewer and fewer, the production of another human is more amazing than putting a number with an Rx on the board.

What a difference in performance a month makes.

5 Rounds
5 Clean and Jerks (105#)
10 Chest to Bar pullups


7/24/10 - 10:16
8/31/10 - 17:00

Pregnant CrossFitter - Hannah Marley

For those who do not know me, I have currently been a member of crossfit KoP for over two years and just recently had my son in May 2010. Prior to being pregnant, I was able to make a fairly consistent 5-6 times a week to the gym. I was a high school athlete and continued my passion for sports in college. I become a health and physical education teacher. I love fitness and nutrition, though I do follow any strict diet or limit myself to certain foods. I eat a little or a lot of everything. To be honest, I crossfit so I can eat! Within my first year, I lost about 20 lbs and gained muscle all over my body. I continued to gain strength and endurance in my workouts. I looked forward to working out everyday!

I found out I was pregnant in September 2009 and my first thought was I had to quit crossfit and I am going to get fat! I attempted to discuss working out with my doctor. If your doctor does not crossfit, they won’t get it! I heard a lot of, “don’t get your heart rate over 140.” Are you kidding me? I walk up the stairs and I well over 140! I researched what there was on pregnancy and crossfitting and there was not a lot, but I was able to read Carey Kepler’s blog and she had several posts about her pregnancy. If she can do it, why can’t I? I spent the entire 9 months of my pregnancy at the box whenever I had the time and energy. I rx’d most wods until my body and mind told me not to. My first and foremost concern was the health of my child. I kept a journal of my workouts and thoughts during my pregnancy. Here is a journal entry I found just weeks before my delivery, “I have learned to compensate for 35 extra pounds, poor balance, flexibility, and agility. In the long run this will make me a better crossfitter. I am more in tuned to my body and mind. For the past 9 months, I have had training unlike anyone else in the box has had…” A week later I wrote this, “I have been mostly frustrated, miserable, and angry while working out. It really sucks watching my PR’s slip away, slower times, loss of movement, but I know I will have gained so much more. I will have a beautiful baby.” Crossfitting while pregnant is not easy. You deal with hormones that men cannot even grasp. You have your bad days and you have your good days.

I worked out a week up until I had my son. My last wod rx’d was 20 shoulder to overhead #115 and 40 sandbag burpees (chest to the deck). I was in labor for 30+ hours and my doctor then decided to give me a c-section. Liam was born on May 29, 2010 weighing in at 10 lbs 5 oz and 23 inches long. To put that in perspective the average baby weighs about 7lbs 7 oz and 14-20 inches long. I am not claiming crossfit helps make big, strong, healthy babies, but that is what happened in my case!

Liam is now 3 months old, and I have the challenge of working off a few extra pounds. I am still not where I was prior to being pregnant, but I will get there. I am not going to say it’s been easy, because it hasn’t, not one bit. I have to deal with the surgery from my c-section and the lack of sleep and energy from having a newborn. It is a battle to show up to the gym day after day. I just do my best. This makes me healthier and I want to be that example for my son.

I am not a doctor, but my words of advice for pregnant mothers would be to continue working out and listen to your body. When your body is tired, then rest. If you feel good, and want to lift heavy weight, then just do it but be careful.

If anyone has any questions about my experience or just want to talk about crossfitting while pregnant, I am would love to hear from you!

Liam

SWEET Boston MA, Week 16

NUTRITION

Now here's a spicy subject...pregnant or not. At my first CrossFit Level 1 certification, Tony Budding taught the lecture about Nutrition and claimed changing it in someone was like changing their religion. Very true. Well if you layer pregnancy on top of good nutrition for a first timer who has no clue about grains, leaky gut, dairy, acid base balance, sugar, insulin, the importance of protein and fat, paleo or zone and attempt to change them...watch out! Coupled with hormones you are setting yourself up for disaster.

First Trimester:

Here's my two cents. Before becoming pregnant I became VERY strict with my diet, I was not consuming any grains, dairy or alcohol (prior to sectionals March 2010). I was feeling great and performance followed suit! Once I became pregnant, I continued this trend for the first 8 weeks. Following that, my body started to crave strange things, cheesecake, pizza, fish sticks, mustard, tomato/mozzarella salad- to name only a few. I found I wanted more fruit over meat, more carbohydrate sources vs. protein sources. I was very turned off by steak. I gave in to these cravings and as funny as it sounds, I took it to mean that my body was asking for something in these foods that I wasn't getting otherwise. This is when I noticed a strange thing happening. One day I ate pizza; something that would send me in a downward spiral for the next few hours, tired, groggy, sick, washed out & unable to function like a normal human. On that day however, it tasted great, the fact was I didn't feel bad afterward, another "little person" was sharing my food. I was fine! I didn't abuse these cheat foods, as I craved them I gave my body what it asked for.

Morning Sickness in the First Trimester:
I didn't have a bad case of "morning" sickness, but there were a numerous amount of foods that made me cringe at the thought of eating them. Certain smells in the first trimester turned me off and there was an overriding nausea lingering. Early on I drank alot of mint tea to help with the nausea. I felt more nauseous in the evenings.

Morning Sickness in the Second Trimester:
Similar to most women, I did not experience any "morning" sickness in the second trimester. Almost to the day I turned the corner on the second trimester it was like someone pulled up the curtain and I could go back to Zoning and a more Paleo approach to food. I will be honest though, I was craving more sweets than normal-(note the above photo and cupcakes). I added dairy back into my diet and found that the addition of greek yogurt in the morning was working well for me!

Another discovery was that I needed fuel my body more often. Almost every three hours I needed to nourishment! Smaller meals throughout the day was much more beneficial to my body then big meals.

Check out this Q & A from Loren Cordain, Ph.D., Professor:

Q: Hello Dr. Cordain

I would like to know if you could direct me to any research that indicates what amounts of protein are necessary for pregnant women who live the Paleo Diet way. I am in my third trimester with my first child and have been living Paleo since I first heard you lecture on it back at Boulderfest before your book came out. I have been the picture of health and my pregnancy has been very easy. I am finding that my protein and fat requirements are significantly higher.

Is there any research you could direct me to regarding protein requirements for pregnancy based on trimester?

Thank you very much and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,
Lynda

A: Hi Lynda,

This question has come up before and the bottom line is that your probably should increase your fat and carbohydrate consumption, and limit protein to about 20-25% of energy, as higher protein intakes than this may prove to be deleterious to mother and fetus for a variety of physiological reasons. In my next book, I have devoted a chapter to maternal nutrition before, during and after pregnancy and why protein must be limited during pregnancy.

My colleague John Speth (an anthropologist) at the University of Michigan wrote a paper on protein aversion in hunter-gatherer women during pregnancy. Listed below is the abstract: (note the 25% protein energy ceiling!!!)

"During seasonal or inter-annual periods of food shortage and restricted total calorie intake, ethnographically and ethnohistorically documented human foragers, when possible, under-utilize foods that are high in protein, such as lean meat, in favour of foods with higher lipid or carbohydrate content. Nutritional studies suggest that one reason for this behaviour stems from the fact that pregnant women, particularly at times when their total calorie intake is marginal, may be constrained in the amount of energy they can safely derive from protein sources to levels below about 25% of total calories. Protein intakes above this threshold may affect pregnancy outcome through decreased mass at birth and increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. This paper briefly outlines the evidence for the existence of an upper safe limit to total protein intake in pregnancy, and then discusses several facets of the issue that remain poorly understood. The paper ends by raising two basic questions directed especially toward specialists in primate and human nutrition: is this protein threshold real and demographically significant in modern human foraging populations? If so, does an analogous threshold affect pregnant female chimpanzees? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, we can then begin to explore systematically the consequences such a threshold might have for the diet and behaviour of early hominids."2

The physiological basis for this aversion stems from a reduced rate of urea synthesis during pregnancy that is evident in early gestation1 as well as increases in the stress hormone cortisol3. Hence, pregnant women should include more carbohydrate and fat (i.e. fattier meats) in their diets and limit dietary protein to no more than 20-25% of their total caloric intake.

A few notes from the Whole9 - Melissa Urban:
We don't have a ton of experience specifically with Paleo for Pregnancy, but we've consulted with Robb and an OB/GYN friend of ours in Houston, and the consensus is that eating in the manner that's best for YOU is also what's best for your baby. We specifically recommend that you stay away from soy - there have been some terrifying studies about the estrogenic effects of soy on babies in utero, and you don't need to be passing any external hormone stimulation along to your little one before their own systems are fully developed. Otherwise our recommendations would be the same - stay away from inflammatory foods like grains, dairy and legumes, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits and make sure you're getting enough good fat to support your energy levels.