WEEK 19 – IMPLEMENTING CHANGES AND OMEGAS OMEGAS

Weekly Baby News

Baby Size: 20cm head to toe and up to 340gm

Nails are forming and fingerprints are now visible. The ears have been in the correct position since last week however the bones in the inner ear and nerve endings are becoming developed assisting hearing for you baby.

Naturopathic Advice

Hearing Nutrients are helpful at this time due to bub’s focus of development. Nutrients are B vitamins, Choline and EFAs. Choline is a new nutrient that we haven’t previously discussed and can be found in foods such as: eggs, peanuts, white meats, broccoli, asparagus, and cauliflower. Choline is also supportive of neurotransmitter development and also supports the ever-so-important functioning of Methylation. This week is a great week to start exposing your unborn to a CD that you’d like to use to help relax and sleep post-natal, also a perfect time for the father to start talking to bub or perhaps reading a storybook. They say reading the same storybook in pre-natal will be recognised by the baby after he/she is born. What a perfect little ritual to connect father and child to start whilst still in the womb. We have been looking for a book for my husband to read, one that I’m happy to listen to each night for the next few months, which can be difficult, definitely try and find a reasonably short one haha.

Why do we keep banging on about Omega EFAs?

It has been mentioned a few times throughout the blog about omegas, what fish are best to eat and again this week with hearing development. If you still haven’t increased your Omega intake either through food or supplementations here are MORE reasons to help motivated you:

• Reduces the risk of pregnancy depression and postnatal depression

• Reduces risk of preterm birth and increased birth weights

• Support baby’s brain and neurological developments

• Support baby’s eye development and has been proven to enhance eye-motor skills in infants

• Reduce the risk of allergic skin conditions such as eczema and dermatitis in infants, also reduce severity of IgE (allergic) diseases in the first year of life.

• Supports healthy blood flow to the baby

• Regulates mum’s and bub’s hormone production

• Vital for uterine, placenta and mammary gland growth

I totally understand that a fish oil can be hard to take during pregnancy, as prior to being pregnant I could handle a fish oil liquid daily, however now I do struggle to get my capsules down. It is important to ensure you take a fish oil that has been through the highest quality controls with minimal mercury and other metals. Plus to ensure the capsules are not rancid by the time they reach your house. Yes good quality can be expensive however it is worth paying the extra 10-20 dollars than taking a supplement that is going to cause more harm than good. Check with your naturopath, which brands are best to buy and that are suited to your pregnancy.

My Journey

I was due for another Esoteric Acupuncture Session with Trent Banyan (Link: Trent Banyan Acupuncture), this was just what I was needing this week as a beautiful way to connect with my pregnancy. You may think this is strange out of all the woman that surround me in life, however Trent has been the one that has shared the best knowledge and advice I’ve come across around the pregnancy and birth not to mention being a helpful support. Trent and his wife, Teagan, have done a lot of holistic research and their awareness around family life is so very inspiring.

I had uncontrollable anger the morning before I saw him and an over-thinking busy fear-filled mind, and thankfully left my session in a peaceful clear state. The session brought the connection and insight I was greatly craving. Trent was able to facilitate the calming of my mind and working on my solar plexus that resonated with where I was at.

I also gained from the session, in my meditative state, a good reminder to listen to my inner voice and follow that intuition. And it is ok to shut off my medical mind at times and rather to go within to find the answers I’m seeking, as books and people can’t always give the answer individualised to my pregnancy, thoughts and wishes.

This week I also had a catch up psych session we looked at my two personality traits. The achiever/controller/ pusher/medical mind verses the patient/ intuitive/ mindful/ calm mind. How to accept and work with the two rather than just be all one or the other. Plus not to beat myself up if I do step into controller/planner as it can be helpful at times and useful. Also when to acknowledge I need to step out of her and into the intuitive/trusting side.

We also discovered when I haven’t found time for my physical body to rest, it is very important for me to acknowledge these signs of overwhelm within myself before I blow. Also getting out of my head and to stop worrying about potential scenarios or trying to figure them out right now in this moment. Instead focusing on visualising the mum I hope to be and all of her qualities, then when a issue does arise in the future I can trust I will make the correct decision in that moment. Accepting the 2 flavours of my personality and knowing that just with one or the other won’t work, I need to be happy with my combination and accept the role they both play in my life. The discussion of using my medical knowledge to do everything possible to help my pregnancy, birth and baby also came up, as it has been causing me some grief. This knowledge can be a curse/stress for me as my head tells me ‘I should know better’, I do need to trust that my baby has chosen me due to my knowledge therefore need to utilise it rather than be ignorant. If something were to happen in the way of health I would want to be able to say I did everything in my knowledge and power rather than resent myself for knowing better. However I feel the need to find a happy medium of utilising my knowledge without it causing an emotional hindrance or stress that can distract me from connecting to my intuition.

My affirmation from the session: “I am completely trusting”

So it was a big week of processing and thinking, which resulted in me being quite exhausted, and flat coming into the weekend when my sister and her family arrived.

Yours in Health

Talita Sheedy