Pregnant going raw?

[Tmoon]

Hello everyone!

I'm very interested in becoming raw for many reasons. Currently I'm 29 weeks pregnant. I had severe ppd with my first child and want to avoid this at all costs, I'm overweight and I don't eat like I should. How safe is it to go raw while pregnant? I'm mostly worried about the detox period and how it might not be good for the baby.

Can anyone give me any info, or suggestions? I can't wait to start but if I need to ease into it very slowly, I will.

Thank you everyone!!

[Raw Angel Mom]

Eating as much fresh food as possible and alive can only be good for the baby. Load yourself with fresh organic fruit. Make yourself smoothie add gojji berries, hemp seeds, chia seeds, golden berries (This will be a super boost of nutrient). Do fresh vegetable juice.

It is recommended to stay away from sprout due to a bacteria if present that could arm the baby.

The more raw you do, the easier your delivery will be and your baby will be healthy. Stay away from vaccination especially if your child isn't older then 2 years old or at least 8 month old.

If a mother has heavy metal, is low in vitamin A and B complex you are making your child more vulnerable to vaccine and heavy metal poisoning. Many children are diagnosed with pdd when in truth they have heavy metal poisoning.

Green apple neutralize aluminum and apple cider. Cilantro neutralize mercury. Add those ingredient in your smoothie

i am not a doctor and do your research. Dr. Gabriel Cousens seem to have guided pregnant woman, you could probably consult with him on the found. Find a nutritionist that knows about raw food, she cans give you good pointer with food.

I recommend e3live and spirulina (packed of nutrient and essential amino acids).

Get a blood test done to see where you are deficient. Seek for the food that are rich in that nutrient or vitamin.

Vitamin supplement don't work, they clogged your liver. Except for b12 or vitamin D stay way from vitamin, but instead supplement yourself with maca or anything that you feel is right for you.

As for your child, consider to change the diet, oxygen heal also and the brain needs to be simulate to self repair. You can consult an homeopath or a DAN doctor to get your child's heavy metal removed from his/her system.

Raw food will help your child tremendously.

Drink only GOOD WATER. Most filter won't work with chloramine, it has to say that it will eliminate this poison. I buy my water and filter it again. I also use dr. Emoto positive word to charge my water. I know it sound silly but google about dr. Emoto and see about his research.

You are doing the right decision to consider to do raw food.

[I_am_there]

Things to consider:

28 weeks is the peak time for fetal brain development in the womb. You do -not- want to create ketones in your body (your midwife/OB will know by doing a very simple urine dip) because these can create damage in the baby's brain.

Protein is very important during pregnancy and has been, many times over, linked with a significant decrease in the rates of preeclampsia. 70-80g/day is the accepted recommendation by most midwives. If you google the Dr. Brewer Pregnancy diet it will give you more info. I've seen numerous vegetarians have amazingly great pregnancies by tweaking that diet to fit them.Parenting does start with pregnancy so do base your choices on YOUR research.

Adequate calories are required to "protect" your protein. You won't be lacking in carbs so that's a non-issue. You actually need more calories while nursing than you do while pregnant.

Diet is vital during pregnancy. That and baby positioning (spinningbabies.com) are two of the most important things you do for your daily prenatal care.

Hope this gives you some area to start. disclaimer: I am a medical professional (LMA - soon to be licensed midwife) but I am not counting this as medical advice. :)

www.gentlebirth.org/archives may also have more info for you.

[Tmoon]

Thanks for the information :)

I'll probably end up just doing 50% raw right now and just eating as clean as possible for the remaining 50%. I don't want to end up doing it wrong and end up harming my kiddo! Hopefully this plan will give me enough vitamins and minerals to help keep the post partum depression at bay. That's honestly my main goal right now. Yes, I would love to lose weight after the baby too, but that's definitely secondary right now. Ive had two pregnancies back to back and I really feel I'm at a major risk of developing the depression again after this baby- since my body is probably very depleted of vitamins and minerals. I think I'll start with a greens smoothie in the morning with raw protein and just eating 50% raw for lunch and dinner with raw snacks in between. I don't THINK that will cause Detoxing too quickly. I've already spoken to my OB about it, but shes 100% against raw foods, of course she believes no one can live a healthy life style eating that way, so shes no help.

Thanks again! If anyone else has an input to add I'd love to hear it :)

[Aleesha Sattva]

definitely adding in 2 green smoothies a day is a great start. one in the morning and one before dinner. make sure you have some citrus in your green smoothies so your body gets all the iron from your greens (peel them first - lemon, lime, grapefruit, and orange).

remove all soy, dairy and wheat products from your diet and you are off to a GREAT beginning!

all the best growing that gorgeous babe!

[Tmoon]

Aleesha- thanks for the tips! I had no idea adding citrus helped with iron. Does it help with absorption? :)

I think my greens smoothies with consist of leafy greens, filtered water, raw almonds, raw protein and some fruit like bananas, apples and berries. Is there anything else you suggest adding to maximize my nutrition?

Thank you for the help!!

[Tmoon]

Oh wait, and some citrus too! Haha, I forgot to add that to my list!

[Aleesha Sattva]

yes it helps your body absorb the iron!

adding soaked chia seeds is IMO vital... high in calcium and protein plus omegas. can't go wrong with that! matt monarch's prices are really good on his site. instead of almonds i'd add pumpkin seeds (zinc) and hemp seeds (hulled). the almonds would make your smoothie a little gritty unless they were blended reaaaaaaally well.

[Tmoon]

Oh great!! thank you!! i used to work at a healthfood store that sells all those seeds (and luckily i still get a discount :) and i will definitely check out matt monarch's site too!! i really appreciate your input, thank you again!! should i soak all of the seeds? the chia, pumpkin and hemp? how long do you suggest soaking for?

[Aleesha Sattva]

chia and pumpkin yes. hemp no.

the chia seeds... i put about an inch in the bottom of a jar and fill it with water (500-750 ml jar) - give it a shake... wait 15 minutes and shake again and put it in the fridge. the next day it's ready for consumption.

pumpkin - i'd just soak them in water and keep them in the fridge but other people may have a better idea on that front. i don't soak nuts... since i seldom eat them.

[Aleesha Sattva]

did some research (http://www.avenaoriginals.com/library/recipe_display.asp?a=Soaking_Nuts_and_Seeds) for ya:


Question — Why is it important to soak nuts and seeds before eating them?

Answer — Nuts and seeds naturally contain enzyme inhibitors. And by soaking them, you not only release the toxic enzyme inhibitors, but also increase the life and vitality contained within them! The purpose of these enzyme inhibitors is to protect the nut and/or seed until it has what it needs for growing (ex. sunlight, water, soil, etc.). Since the soak water will contain the enzyme inhibitors, and is very acidic to the body, please be sure to rinse your nuts and seeds well after soaking.

PROCEDURE: Typically, we buy a couple of pounds of nuts at a time (raw almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.), soak them overnight in glass jars or large bowls (I like to soak them for a minimum of 12 hours), then rinse them well in the morning. When it comes time to dry them, every tray of my 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator usually ends up full! We generally leave our dehydrator set at 105 degrees Fahrenheit, then I simply set the timer for 18 to 24 hours, checking the nuts near the end to be sure that they are dry and crunchy. Then I store the dried nuts and seeds in jars with lids (you could also use containers) in my refrigerator or cupboard, and they are ready to use in any recipe! For me, it's all about keeping it simple, and saving TIME!

Question — Do soaked nuts and seeds have to be dehydrated?

Answer — If you are unable to dry your nuts or seeds, only soak an amount that you can be sure to use within two or three days. For convenience, I like to soak nuts and seeds in mason jars, rinse them after 12 hours, and then if I don't have a chance to dry them, I store them in my refrigerator without a lid so that air can get to it. But it is vitally important to rinse them at least once (preferably twice) a day with fresh water, draining the water each time. Be sure to use these nuts within a few days, because as with any live food, mold tends to set in within days if you're not careful.

[I_am_there]

Have you considered placenta encapsulation for PPD? It's a fantastic tool and you can do it yourself. If you're birthing in a hospital it might raise a few eyebrows, but I've -always- been able to get my doula client's placentas if they wanted them.

Also, something positive by Earth Mama Angel Baby or perhaps the Rainbow Relaxation by HypnoBirthing may be a good investment as well.
Our expectations build our experiences.

Birthing back-to-back can up the risk of some things - but a good diet and attention especially to your iron level (floradix/bloodbuilder.. don't know what's raw, but I do know those work) can really help offset those risks.

Take your babymoon that first week - do NOTHING except eat, drink, pee, and nurse that beautiful new baby. That investment in the first week is priceless. I learned that with my 6th. And then sloooowly ease into life afterwards, taking good care to keep track of your bleeding as a guide. If it returns to bright red/more then you're doing too much. Rest is the best preventative for PPD, mastitis, low milk supply, etc.

[Tmoon]

Thanks I_am_there! I am actually encapsulating my placenta the day I give birth :). I have to have another c section, due to some birth defects that I have, so I will have the date and the midwife will pick it up for me at the hospital and dry it at my house. I believe the c section played a part in why I developed my ppd as well, but it's unavoidable unfortunately.

I had tons of rest and everything when my baby came, but I still developed it at 6 months post partum. Hopefully with my gradual change in diet, supplements and my placenta I will be able to maintain my stable state of mine afterwards :)

I really believe that my diet will help out majorly. I was 100% vegan for several years (and my hubby too) and we were never happier/healthier! I definitely eat mostly vegan now, but a lot of junk. Not enough fresh, raw stuff. And after I had my first child, it was even harder for me because I never wanted to put him down and prepare anything healthy to eat!! This time will be different though. Thanks so much for your input!