How switching your grains in pregnancy may impact your future child’s risk of...
Avoiding refined grains, including white flour and white rice, is something I recommend to my patients during pregnancy, due to their impact on maternal blood sugar levels. As I share in-depth as part...
View ArticleUsing acupuncture to relieve lower back pain in pregnancy
50% of pregnant women will experience back pain during pregnancy. Many women forego treatment out of concern about prescription drug use and overuse of Tylenol (see this weekly tip for more...
View ArticleYet another reason to use probiotics in pregnancy: decreasing insulin resistance
Probiotics are live bacteria that benefit their hosts (that is, us!) in seemingly countless ways. Throughout pregnancy the gut microbiome undergoes significant changes, and probiotic supplementation...
View ArticleHerbs for preparing for labour: why you should stick with Red Raspberry Leaf
Red raspberry leaf tea (Rubus idaeus) is one of my favourite herbs in pregnancy. It has a proven safety record (considered Category A meaning that human pregnancy studies have demonstrated its safety),...
View ArticleUsing calcium and magnesium to prevent high blood pressure in pregnancy
Elevated blood pressure (hypertension) affects 10% of pregnancies in the United States and is a major cause of death in pregnant women and newborns worldwide. These hypertensive disorders include...
View ArticleTaking ginger for nausea in pregnancy: how much is safe?
In previous weeks I’ve talked about the use of acupressure at PC-6, and Vitamin B6, for treating nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Another great option is ginger, which has been shown in clinical...
View ArticlePreventing childhood asthma with Vitamin D in pregnancy
We know that Vitamin D is important for strong bones and healthy immune systems. In Northern countries like Canada, Vitamin D supplementation is widespread as awareness grows about its crucial role....
View ArticleRecurrent miscarriages: why progesterone is worth investigating
Miscarriages are incredibly common: it is estimated that 15% (1 in 7) of clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage (i.e. those pregnancies that were confirmed with a positive pregnancy...
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3 signs you’re fertile: making fertility awareness work for you
The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) allows you to identify the days in your menstrual cycle on which you’re more likely to be fertile. This information can be used to avoid pregnancy, or help get...
View ArticleVitamin D pre-pregnancy: is it the new folic acid?
When women start thinking about getting pregnant, they are routinely advised to start taking a prenatal with folic acid in it, to ensure they have adequate stores to reduce the chance of neural tube...
View ArticlePreventing post-partum depression: what your gut health has to do with it
The “gut-brain-axis” is getting a lot of buzz these days as we better understand the connections between intestinal function and cognitive/emotional centres in the brain. In short, the billions of...
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The protein connection during pregnancy: how much do you need?
Your body’s need for protein increases significantly during pregnancy – to support growth of maternal tissues (breast and uterus) as well as fetal growth and brain development. Low protein intake...
View ArticleThe difference between post-partum depression and post-partum PTSD
Awareness of post-partum depression is growing amongst all spectrums of health care providers, which is a truly important shift for mothers who struggle after the births of their children and need...
View ArticleHow long should you wait after a miscarriage to try again?
Miscarriage can be a traumatic and disorienting experience for women and their partners – and deciding if, and when, to try again is a challenging question for couples to tackle. There are many factors...
View ArticleThe relationship between sugar intake in pregnancy and childhood atopic diseases
There are countless good reasons to keep the sugar monster at bay during pregnancy – including healthy mom and baby weight gain, keeping energy levels constant, and decreasing the risk of developing...
View ArticlePregnancy stress and blood-sugar levels – what is the connection?
The impacts of chronic stress during pregnancy are well-documented – for mom and baby, including infant behavioural and attention problems and low birth weights. In my online program I dedicate an...
View ArticleShould progesterone be monitored in the first trimester with a history of...
In an earlier blog post I shared the important role that progesterone plays in maintaining pregnancy – progesterone literally means “pro gestate” and is critically important in sustaining a healthy...
View ArticleDepression in pregnancy – what do iron levels have to do with it?
Anemia during pregnancy can cause a host of problems, including fatigue, dizziness, frequent infections, and poor concentration and sleep. It also raises the risk for low birth weight and pre-term...
View ArticleVitamin D in the summertime – do you need to supplement if you are pregnant?
Living in the Yukon, I have many patients who have opted not to supplement with Vitamin D in the summer months given our long days and seemingly endless sunlight. Many are surprised to find out that...
View ArticleThe impacts of maternal eating disorders on asthma risk of children
Eating disorders before and during pregnancy, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are more common that we might presume. Women can enter pregnancy with a lifetime of disordered eating, or become...
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