FOR HOLISTICALLY-MINDED PARENTS-TO-BE
MotherWise
Explaining these three important phases of Pregnancy
HOW TO BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM WHEN PREGNANT
THE REST-ACTIVEREST SANDWICH with practical specifics
UNDERSTANDING GESTATIONAL DIABETES
How you can make sure it doesn’t harm your baby
INTRODUCING KATHY FRAY
World-renowned
International Maternity Guru
w w w . M o t h
e r s W i s e . c o m
Message from the Editor
DearfabulousexpectantMothers,
As a best-selling birth-babies-motherhood Author, semi-retired Midwife, and international thought-leader in Perinatal Integrative Medicine, I genuinely get up every morning with a burning passion to reach more Mothers-to-Be, across the world, with the most comprehensive-yetaffordable education available anywhere, specifically with the goal that those mothers and their Babies (and their Partners & families) can experience the very best possible starts to their growing family’s life My motto:
Iwantyoutohavethemostbeautifullyextraordinarypregnancy-birthpostpartumexperienceyoucanimagine–regardlessofhownaturalit canbe,orhowmedicalizeditneedstobe
When it comes to all the topics related to fertility, pregnancy, labor preparation, childbirth, the postpartum and newborns, KNOWLEDGE IS POWER–andlackofknowledgecanbeincrediblydisempowering!
MotherWise clients generally come in two categories – the HECK YES’s andtheHECKNO’s.
Whichareyou?
TheHECKYES’saretypicallythosefirst-timemothers-to-bewhowantto know everything about everything To you we say: Welcome to the MotherWise Tribe! We can hold-your-hand along the way to ensure you can feel confident every step of the way, and help you to avoid those painfulpreventablepitfalls
The HECK NO’s are typically those second-timers who carry disappointment, regret and/or trauma from their previous birth experience(s), who are adamant they and this baby will never ever go throughasimilarordeal,andarenowdeterminedthistimearoundtoget themselves wayyyy more informed, because they don’t want to repeat any of those previous painful preventable pitfalls. They’re on a journey fromVictim,toSurvivor,toWarrior WelcometotheMotherWiseTribetoo! We’reheretocompletelyempoweryouwithpowerfulknowledge Love&light,
THE PREGNANCY REST-ACTIVE-REST SANDWICH
First Trimester
DuringyourFirstTrimesterofpregnancy,theonethingyour bodywantstodomorethananythingelseontheplanetis tomaintainthepregnancy
To accomplish this, your ovary (the one where the pregnancy egg originated from) sends out MASSIVE amountsofthemusclerelaxanthormoneProgesterone,as a huge effort to prevent your womb from contracting and miscarryingthepregnancy.
The side-effect of all this Progesterone, is that you feel TIRED! Oh so, sooo, TIRED! Oftentimes more tired that you can ever recall being in your whole life And the ONE thing youshoulddoduringthisFirstTrimester,isREST,REST,REST!
Listen to your body! Your Body is trying, real hard, to maintainyourpregnancyandgrowawholeneworgan:the Placenta
Second Trimester
DuringyourSecondTrimesterofpregnancy,thePlacentais nowtakingoverproductionofpregnancyhormones–and did you know a pregnant woman will produce more Oestrogeninonepregnancy,thananon-pregnantwoman willproduceherentirelife?!
ThisisyourperiodofActivity.Thisiswhenyoucantypically be feeling physically pretty comfortable, and emotionally reasonably energised, making this the perfect and most ideal time to prepare for childbirth, and the arrival of your baby.
So get all your baby nursery equipment sorted, attend your antenataleducationclasses,fillthefreezerfullofheat-andeat nutritious all-in-one dinners for after the baby arrives bearinginmindoneintwentybabiesarrivesearlytoo!
DuringyourThirdTrimester,thisisthetimewhenyouaremost at risk of developing obstetric medical complications, especially Pre-eclampsia, Diabetes, slowed Fetal Growth, and Premature Labour – all of which have significant risks to your Baby’swellbeing.
This is the period when you also need to remind yourself you don’t have a “Due Date” – you have a “40-Week Estimated Gestation”, because it is normal for a fully ‘Term’ baby to be bornfrom 37weeksto42weeks
So, absolutely the most important thing you can be doing for Yourself and your Baby at this stage, especially beyond 30-32 weeks, is REST, REST, REST! Listen to your body! Your Body is trying, real hard, to grow your baby and maintain a healthy pregnancy
Third Trimester
BOOST YOUR PREGNANCY COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM
Not since the Spanish Flu a century ago has the benefit of having a robust Immune System been so important to mankind,globally!
However,pregnancynaturallyweakenstheimmunesystemmakingwomenimmuno-compromised.
Foralongtimethenormalphysiologicaleffectofpregnancyaggressivelyalteringawoman’sImmuneSystem,was believed to occur to avoid the woman’s body attacking the growing fetus, with more recent research believes this naturalresponseispartofsuccessfulembryonicimplantation.
From the integrative maternity wellness expert Kiwi/British Midwife Irene Chain-K practical things you c immunesystemduring
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Kathy’s Best Selling Books
“OHBABY….Birth,Babies&Motherhood Uncensored”hasbeenthe#1best-sellingchildbirth andinfantguidebookinKathy’scountrysince2005! Oftennicknamedbywomenastheir‘bible’thisis yourgo-toguidetobirthpreparationandthefirst12 monthsafteryourbabyisborn. Ifyouweretoinvestinjustonebooktohavea hardcopyof,tofeelbetterpreparedforlabor,andfor ittoliveonyourcoffeetableforthatfirstyearofyour baby’slife,thenOHBABYisthebooktohaveatyour fingertips!
“OHMAMA…PerinatalIntegrativeHealthcare”isthe handbooktoholisticmaternalandneonatalwellness forBirthPractitioners(Obstetricians,Midwives& Doulas) Howeveritisalsowrittenasaneasy-tounderstandguidebookformothers-to-be OHMAMAprovidesexplanationsofeffectivenatural wellbeingpracticesfromPre-conceptionhealth,to Pregnancywellbeing(normalandcomplicated),to Birthpreparation,toLabortinctures,plusofcourse thePostpartumperiodforbothmotherandnewborn healthcare.
“OHGROWUP…ToddlerstoPreTeensDecoded”is thepopularsequeltoOHBABY,andarevolutionary encyclopedic-styleguidetoparenting1-12yearolds. Dividedintofourdistinctsections,OHGROWUP explainstheStagesofachild’sdevelopment physically,intellectuallyandsocially-emotionally, througheachdifferentAge. Thenitimpartsthegroundbreaking‘Triadic’ philosophiesparentingchildren’sBodiesusing PhysiologicalIQ;parentingtheirMindsusing IntellectualIQ;andparentingtheirSpiritsusing SoulfulIQ.
“OHGOD–WhattheHelldoItellThem?!”isaunique guidefor‘vaguelyspiritualparents’ Forparentsraiseddevoidofreligionorraisedwitha religiousdoctrinetheydon’twishtopassontotheir children,thatcanbeatrickyroadtonavigatewith powerfulauthenticity
OHGODisnotforeveryone–itisforthe‘hardcore’of parentsfiercelydeterminedtheirchildrenare supportedtoembracetheirown(andeveryone’s!) soulfulessence
“OHGODwas1stRunner-UpattheprestigiousAshton WylieBody-Mind-Spiritmanuscriptawards.
STEP1-Appreciate theStatistics
The first thing to understand is what is “normal” for humanreproduction:
Firstly, it is normal that 70% of fertilized eggs don’t implant in the wall of the uterus - so that means that roughly only around 30% of fertilized embryos try to establishasuccessfulpregnancyinthewomb
For the woman she may simply experience this unsuccessful pregnancy as an unusually late and unusuallyheavyperiod However,ifshehasdoneahome pregnancy test during these very early days/weeks, it may potentially register as positive (because there is HCG pregnancy hormone in her system) but there will never be anything visible on an ultrasound scan This is often termed a “Chemical Pregnancy” What happens to the discarded 70% of fertilized eggs? The tiny embryonic cells are reabsorbed, and it is generally regarded that thewoman’sbody‘sensed’theembryowasabnormal)
Secondly, of the roughly 30% of fertilized eggs that do implant, roughly 1/3 don’t result in successfully establishing into a viable pregnancy These levels of miscarriage are normal for human reproduction - and again, the hypothesis is that the mother’s body senses anomaliesintheembryosoabortsthepregnancy.
So in summary, with human reproduction, only twothirds of 30% of fertilized eggs (ie, only one-in-five) actually ever establishes into a successful viable pregnancy
he MotherWis Preventi T
Eventhougharoundhalfofallpreg majorityofwomen-onceaware miscarriagetooccur(andforami canbeah
Everyoneisdifferent,andthereare ourownindividualm
Consideringthegreatmajorityof unknowncause”couplesoftenw causes;whatarethesymptomsofm beprevented;howdowebesttreat dosomewomen/couplesexpe
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gnanciesareunplanned,thegreat theyarepregnant-don’twanta inority,experiencingamiscarriage ugerelief)
no‘rights’or‘wrongs’ we’reallon maternityjourneys.
fmiscarriageshavea“medically onderjustwhatarethepotential miscarriage;howcanmiscarriages athreatenedmiscarriage;andwhy eriencemultiplemiscarriages theanswers?
STEP2-Signs&Symptomsof aThreatenedMiscarriage&
ActualMiscarriage
There are two distinctive Signs & Symptoms of a threatened(oractual)miscarriage Butwedoknow, forsure,thatSTRESSISVERYUNHELPFULtoyourbody trying to successfully establish a pregnancy So, if you know you are feeling very worried about potentially miscarrying, you need to intentionally and consciously dial-down that anxiety!! (Read a wonderfulnovel,talktoyourbaby,meditate,bingewatch Downton Abbey - whatever it takes - but know the pregnancy is looking for an optimal environment to establish itself into, and a women’s body who is under emotional turmoil is farrrr from anoptimalvessel)
Signs & Symptoms
VaginalBleeding: Any vaginal loss, from very light amounts of brown spotting, to a much heavierbloodlosssuchassoakingasanitary padinhalfanhour.
Abdominal Pain: Any abdominal pain, from just very light period-like cramps that are a littleuncomfortable,toexcruciatingpain.
STEP3-Managementofa ThreatenedorActual Miscarriage
Thebestmanagementalldependsontheseverity ofthesymptoms However,afundamentalpointto understand is that until your baby can be successfully delivered by emergency C-Section and live(say,24-28weeksonwards),thereisnota lot that modern medicine can do to halt a miscarriage treatment becomes about managing the symptoms of the miscarriage (NB: Beyond 20-24 weeks, a “miscarriage” is renamed “preterm labor of a premature baby,” which on occasioncanresultinstillbirth.)
With Mild Abdominal Pain and/or Mild Vaginal
Spotting: Take some paracetamol and put a pantylinerinyourundies,thenrest!Rest!!Bedrest!!! until well after the symptoms have stopped Afterward, within a day or so, have an ultrasound scantocheckthepregnancy'sviability(commonly, a visible fetal heartbeat and “subchorionic hemorrhage” will be noted, indicating that your babyisstillfine,butthatmostlikelyyouhavebeen overdoing life, and you need to drastically slow down) Remember, never push through your feelingsoftirednessinearlypregnancy;thatisyour body trying to make you rest so it can successfully establishyourpregnancy.Listentoyourbody!
WithSevereAbdominalPainand/orHeavyVaginal
Bleeding: If you need strong pain relief (such as IV opioids)and/orpotentiallyabloodtransfusion(due to excessive blood loss), definitely present at the emergency department for assessment, because it is very likely you are currently miscarrying or have already miscarried Though certainly, not all miscarriages are so dramatic, and some have no symptomsatall.
STEP4-Treatment ofRecurrent Miscarriages
Experiencing 2-4 miscarriages in a row is not “normal” (though it is also not that uncommon) Suchasituationdeservesnotjustmodernmedical obstetric investigations but also (in my VERY STRONG opinion) investigations by a holistic naturopathic medical doctor specializing in fertility/subfertility/ infertility, such as a medical herbalist (Remember,modernObstetrics'specialty is pathological disease they are not the experts inmaternitywellness.)
Suboptimal sperm commonly causes miscarriage too it is not all about what is going on in the woman’s body I strongly recommend both partners invest in PreConception HealthCare, involving 3-6 months of naturopathic health supplements for the man, and 6-12 months for the woman, before trying to conceive [Refer to Kathy Fray’s OH MAMA book for specific adviceonPreConceptionHealthCareregimes]
because there are just so many MANY things that need to “go right” forthattohappen
When we consider that only 3-4 percent of all babies are born with any type of congenital birth-defect abnormal anomaly (from very mild to very severe), this “natural selection” process of the mother’s body rejecting80%ofherpotentialpregnanciesishowover 95% of all babies born are anatomically and physiologically perfect - which must never be taken forgrantedasagiven,aseverysingletimeitisfrankly anextraordinarymiracle, Kathy
Light&Love,
Ifso,justknowthatisNORMALandmeansyou'reright-on-trackBUTwhatyou shouldnotdo,isnothing!
Getinformed.Getknowledgeable.Getempowered
ONLINECOURSEINCLUDES
10Modulesthathold-your-hand,likeakindandcaringwiseAunty,gentlyguidingyouthroughthematernity journey,fromNewlyPregnant,toOverdue Morethan60Video/Podcastaudiostolistento,rangingfromjustafewminuteslong,toKathy'sextraordinary 90-minutevideoonUnderstandingtheSecretsofNaturalLaborforNormalBirth Nearly40fascinatingArticles,mostonlytakingafewminutestoread.
Plus bonus content of nearly 30 one-hour deep-dive discussions into specialist maternity topics of Kathy interviewinginternationalclinicalexperts
Are you feeling worried or anxious or fearful about ANY aspects of your Pregnancy,Labor,BirthormotheringaNewborn? For a limited time, use the Special Discount Code: MOMWISE35 to slash the price from₱4,000toanincredible₱2,600!Howincredibleisthat?
UNDERSTANDING GESTATIONAL DIABETES
WhatisDiabetes?
Usually before becoming pregnant we know of Type-1 and Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus, however, we usually have not yet come across the term Gestational Diabetes, which is a condition that uniquely affects some pregnant women.
DM (Diabetes Mellitus) is primarily an insulin-level disease, as insulin is the hormone that facilitates our body’s cell tissue converting glucose (blood sugar) into energy
Type-1 IDDM (Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus) is when a person is born unable to produce normal insulin levels, and this is usually diagnosed during childhood or adolescence IDDM is treated by supplementing the body’sinsulinthroughtabletsorinjections
Type-2NIDDM (Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus) is typically associated with aging, due to inadequate levels of insulin production and/or increasing insulin resistanceand/orWesternlifestyleofveryrichdiets(now becoming more commonly diagnosed in younger generationsduetochildhoodobesity)
ButthebigproblemwithDiabeticinsulinimbalances,it is an escalating downward spiral: As cellular tissue becomes low in glucose energy, the body releases higher and higher levels of glucose sugar into the bloodstream to feed the “starving” cells. But it is not the lack of blood sugar that is the problem – the problem is the lack of insulin for cell tissue to convert the glucose into energy This leads to worsening hyperglycaemia (high blood sugar) which can cause seriouspermanentdamagetobloodvessels
Type-3 GDM (Gestational Diabetes Mellitus) is a unique phenomenon within the physiology of pregnancy: Pregnancy hormones increase the mother’s insulin resistance, to boost energy available to the baby, resulting in the mother’s insulin levels doubling by the 3rd trimester. But, if the pregnant woman’s pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin to keep up with demand, then she will develop high blood sugar (hyperglycaemia) – and all its subsequentpathologicalobstetriccomplications.
Diagnosing&TreatingGDM (GestationalDiabetesMellitus)
Our renal kidneys filter (clean) our blood, excreting our urine as waste product, so an early sign can be detecting glucose in urine. This is because when our nephrons (kidney cells) are bombarded with sugarrich hyperglycaemic blood, it damages their glomerulus capillaries allowing large glucose molecules to leak into the urine. Subsequently, midwives routinely ask pregnant women to do a urine dipsticktestateachantenatalappointment
Apart from Glucosuria (glucose sugar in the urine) othersigns&symptomsofDiabetesMellitusinclude:
Fatigue,Weakness,Excessivehunger&Infection(all duetolackofenergy)
Large volumes of urine, intense thirst and dry itchy skin
As an extra double-check for undiagnosed Gestational Diabetes, at around 24-28 Weeks pregnant, midwives recommend to women a Polycose screening test for Diabetes This screen takes one hour and includes a blood test on arrival, drinking a sugary drink and returning exactly an hour laterforasecondblood-test
If the results come back with mildly elevated blood sugar levels, then it’s recommended the test is repeatedin3-4weeks
If the results come back with higher than normal levels, then it’s recommended a 12-hour fasting diagnosticGTT(GlucoseToleranceTest)isdone
If the results come back with very high blood sugar levels, or if the GTT test result is positive, then the midwife or obstetrician must recommend the woman receives a referral consult with the DIP Team(DiabetesinPregnancyteam).
“The Diabetes in Pregnancy team will educate the woman on managing her blood sugar monitoring, includingdietandexercise.
Some GDM is able to be controlled through diet modifications alone, and some GDM becomes insulindependent(justwhilethewomanispregnant).”
GestationalDiabetes: AffectsonBaby
Although maternal blood sugar crosses the placental barrier, insulin molecules do not, so all babies produce their own insulin for converting blood sugar into cellular energy. If maternal Diabetes Mellitus goes undetected or is poorly managed, then this will affect the baby including:
High levels of fetal insulin which inhibits lung maturity, leading to potential neonatal respiratorydistressafterbirth.
High levels of fetal insulin also act as a growth hormone, leading to fetal macrosomia (largecherub-likebaby).
Macrosomic babies have increased risk of shoulder dystocia at birth (shoulders getting stuckaftertheheadisborn).
Macrosomic fetus has increased demands for oxygen, leading to possible fetal hypoxia andsubsequentgrowth-restriction(small-for-datesbaby).
Fetalhypoxialeadstoruddy-rednewbornwithpolycythaemia(increasedredbloodcells), whichincreasestheriskofsevereneonataljaundice.
Large for dates uterus due to Polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid around baby from baby’s increased urinating) can have another whole set of additional potential complications
Andafterbirth,severeneonatalHypoglycamiaduetothebaby’sinsulin-richbloodloosing itssupplyofsugar-richmaternalblood,rapidlyleadingtotransientdangerouslylowblood sugarlevels
All in all, quiet a can of worms – which is why signs and symptoms of GDM are so routinelymonitoredduringpregnancy–becauseallpregnantwomenareatriskof GestationalDiabetesjustfromthefactofbeingpregnant.
Thegoodnewsisthatafterchildbirththegreatmajorityofwomen’sbodiesreturn totally back to their normal insulin and blood glucose levels However due to an increased risk of Type-2 Diabetes later in life, a GTT test every couple of years is recommended.
Are you feeling worried or anxious or fearful about ANY aspects of your Pregnancy,Labor,BirthormotheringaNewborn?
Ifso,justknowthatisNORMALandmeansyou'reright-on-track BUTwhat youshouldnotdo,isnothing!
Getinformed.Getknowledgeable.Getempowered
ONLINECOURSEINCLUDES
10 Modules that hold-your-hand, like a kind and caring wise Aunty, gently guiding you through the maternityjourney,fromNewlyPregnant,toOverdue
More than 60 Video/Podcast audios to listen to, ranging from just a few minutes long, to Kathy's extraordinary90-minutevideoonUnderstandingtheSecretsofNaturalLaborforNormalBirth Nearly40fascinatingArticles,mostonlytakingafewminutestoread
Plusbonuscontentofnearly30one-hourdeep-divediscussionsintospecialistmaternitytopicsofKathy interviewinginternationalclinicalexperts
ALLOFTHESEAREFORONLY₱4,000-₱2,600?
For a limited time, use the Special Discount Code: MOMWISE30 to slash the price from₱4,000toanincredible₱2,600!Howincredibleisthat?
�� OfferValidOnlyThroughThisSpecialEditionMagazine!
POSTNATAL DEPRESSION
Real Causes – Real Cures – Real Preventions
There is usually an exhausting, painful grief a new mother goes through – no matter how good her pregnancy turned out to be, or how thrilling the birth was, or how beautiful breastfeeding has ended up becoming, or how crazilyinlovesheiswithhernewbaby
It is okay and normal for new mothers to sometimes feel at their wit’s end with the 24-7 role of motherhood, with its selfsacrificialrelentlessdevotionandshocking lossofSelf We’renotbadtothinkthatway Heck, this is the one job we can never resign from and it’s unrealistic to expect thatweshouldlikeourworkallthetime.
However, about 15-20 percent of mothers (though from my observations I believe it’s more like 20-25 percent) find that during their normal postpartum adjustment, they experience an episode of moderate to severedepression
Inwardly you may feel an unrelenting sad hollowness, and be unable to understand why you’re feeling like such a moody, irritable, grumbling, crumbling lost-soul thatisnolongerliving,justexisting
You’re feeling like there’s no way out and life is never getting better, optimism is vanishing before your eyes, and is being replaced instead with an intense inability to chill-out anymore – like a pressurecooker about to implode, and being sick andtiredoffeelingsosickandtired!
Somemothersarecleverenoughtopubliclymaintainaneverythingis-fine persona, while robotically functioning with tight-lipped martyrdom and seething resentment. These angry feelings then mutate into perpetuating shame, guilt at not feeling happy, and an inexplicablepsychodynamicofachingdarkness Youmaybecoping, ornot,withyourbabyandhouseholdtasks,butyoucertainlyarenot enjoyingyourlife!
Feeling like this is not normal – and like a tooth cavity, the decay won’t go away without treatment This is a postnatal stress disorder or postpartum depressive reaction – with the most common variety being Post Natal Depression (also calledPostpartumDepression)
Tragically,PNDwashistoricallyviewedtobejustafeeble-mindedhousewifewhoneededtosimply‘pullherselftogether’ Fortunately, neurological scientific research now clearly understands that for many mothers, PND is actually simply a physiological imbalance of neuro-transmitters (primarily serotonin) manifesting in the emotions of happiness and contentment being inhibited – primarily caused by the seismic hormonal upheaval of pregnancy and birth, and often intensified by REM (rapid-eye-movement) sleep-deprivation Modern science and modern doctors know PND can be littletodowiththewoman’spersonality,andmuchmoretodowithhercollectivepredicament
If you’re wondering if you have a postnatal depressive or distress disorder, then the first thing I recommend, is to read Chapter-11 of my OH BABY book I provide very user-friendly specifics to assist you to identify which particular postnatal disorderyoulikelyhavedeveloped,andsomewonderfulproven remedialcures.
The other specific thing to do, is to complete the multi-choice questionnaire EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) whichyoucandoatwww.mothersmatter.co.nz/epds.htm.
If your EPDS score is 9-12 then know you are border-line The herbalsupplementsof5-HTP,GinkgoBilobaorSiberianGinseng couldassisttremendouslytoimprovethings,alongwithaboost ofEssentialAminoAcidsandageneralmulti-vitamin
For mild depression, a popular natural herb in Europe is St John’s Wort. [Note: Do not combine St John’s Wort with prescribed medications as its metabolic properties can cause detrimental drug-drug interactions, including deactivating the contraceptive pill. Also St John’s Wort, like pharmaceutical antidepressants, takes 2-6 weeks to become therapeutically beneficial]
If your EPDS score is 13+ then know you probably have undiagnosed clinical depression, and really should visit a kind and caring doctor, who will probably prescribe you with an antidepressant such as Aropax SSRI (selective serotonin reuptakeinhibitor).
Butattheendoftheday,pleaseknowinyourheartthatthereis NO wisdom in hesitating to find help For ignoring your own needs mean you lose, your partner loses, and your baby loses Itisyourjobtolookafteryourbaby’sMother.
