Towards a healthy pregnancy and a healthier baby

MANILA, Philippines - Did you know that breastfeeding can help trim down those post-natal pounds? Or that vegan moms need more vitamins B and B12 to have healthier babies? Or that expectant mothers are supposed to gain only two to five pounds during the first trimester of pregnancy?

These were just some of the useful tips that expectant moms and eager dads were treated to during an afternoon of pregnancy tips and baby nutrition at the Playtex: Pregnancy, Nutrition & Beyond symposium.

Held at the ground floor of SM Makati City, the event’s speakers were Dr. Regina Achias of the Medical City, Atty. Jenny Ong, and Jen Tan of the Lactation, Attachment, Training, Counseling, and Health (LATCH) organization. Yoga instructor Sitadev Romero also talked about breastfeeding benefits and nutrition tips and gave yoga demonstrations for pregnant mommies.

The talk on food choices gave way to weight issues during pregnancy. While it varies for every woman, the initial range is 25 to 35 pounds of weight gain for the entire pregnancy.

With weight gain come questions on weight loss. The usual suspects to losing weight were brought up — have fresh fruits for dessert, eat small meals and snacks every two hours, consume less sugary foods. But for Dr. Achias, the best advice is to take things slowly. Childbirth is not an easy feat, and the body will need time to recover.

“Pregnancy is not a time for dieting. You shouldn’t be too concerned with the weight you’ve gained because all those will go back to normal in time,” she said.

Because of the hassle for working mothers, breastfeeding has become a chore rather than a necessity. But working mother Atty. Jenny Ong said that breastfeeding has numerous benefits, most of which are wasted when mothers prefer to give in to the comforts of powdered formula immediately.

For one, breast milk is baby’s first immunization because it contains colostrum, which fights infection and provides protein and vitamin A. Not only that, an added bonus for mommies is that breastfeeding burns 500 calories a day — that’s almost the same as jogging for an hour.

But the best benefit is the bond that breastfeeding creates for mother and child. “Skin-to-skin contact through breastfeeding brings mommy and baby closer to each other,” said Atty. Ong.

To end the afternoon, pregnant mothers were also given simple yoga exercises that can help ease discomfort. Yoga instructor Romero led the demonstration and emphasized the proper breathing techniques and the importance of a relaxed composure.