I wish I had known about the correlation between health and food when I was pregnant. It’s pretty weird to me that I really had no idea what I was putting into my body was directly affecting our baby. I mean, of course I knew about the “no alcohol, raw fish, coffee” thing that was widely recognized. But I was fully under the impression that eating whole grains, low-fat milk and dairy and low-fat crackers was not only healthy, but was important to ensure we had a bouncing bundle of joy after 9 months, and you need to get a good list of baby names for your baby.
Our oldest had awful colic. Many of you can relate, I’m sure. The unending screaming, obvious discomfort and constant need for being walked around (he couldn’t just sit in a swing or bouncy seat) was exhausting. Looking back, I’m pretty sure I had a mild case of postpartum depression going on as the combination of the screaming, lack of sleep and feeling that it would never end made for a sad mommy. And the thought that what I was eating could even remotely affect the way I felt or the way our son was feeling didn’t even cross my mind. I wish it had, as I think it could have relieved quite a bit of the burden.
Unfortunately, I think many of us still don’t see the dangers in eating foods that could potentially harm our babies, especially genetically modified (GM) foods. An article in the UK “Daily Mail” cites a new study that discovered “Traces of Bt toxin [which are implanted using GM techniques into corn and some other crops] were found in the blood of 93 percent of the pregnant mothers – 28 out of 30. It was also found in 80 percent of the umbilical cords – 24 out of 30.” Does that scare anyone else? Sure, we may not have proof of how this affects babies and mothers, but it can’t be good, right? So much potential downside, and really no upside, in my opinion. And so many people don’t even realizing they are eating GM foods; but with 90% of soybeans and 85% of corn grown in the United States being genetically modified, if you’re eating processed foods, you’re most likely eating GM foods. Foods that are labeled USDA Organic don’t contain substantial levels of GM ingredients, but due to cross-contamination, even organic products will generally contain trace amounts.
You can check out the full article about unborn children and GM toxins HERE.
Terese says
I, too, wish I had known more about GMO’s and the impact of eating feed lot beef and farmed seafood. My first had horrible colic, too. I can feel your pain! Thanks for this article – hopefully getting the word out will help others make better choices to live healthier lives.
This article also has great info on eating before and during pregnancy: https://www.toplinefoods.com/pregnancy-and-nutrition/
Rashelle says
I, too, had a baby with horrible colic and I was also probably postpartem, as I couldn’t bear the thought of having another one…and I didn’t! My son is now 10 and I regret now, not having another one. I ate so badly and no one, not my OB-Gyn, husband or myself thought to help me eat healthier! I was always sick…so wanted lots of fast food and fries! Makes me sick to my stomach now because, obviously that’s what was wrong with him and now he has loads of allergies…nothing terrible (corn, pinto beans….I ate a lot of Mexican fast food!) But it breaks my heart that I’ve passed down these things to him…his Dr also said he has a low thryroid (like me) and so we’re watching it.
Our OB-Gyn’s need to take better care of us and help get mothers informed about the foods we’re eating. No wonder kids these days will have a shorter life-span, not to mention the plethora of maladies that are plaguing them these days.
Thank you for informing the public about proper nutrition! I will share your post!!