“Patients often ask me what they can do to naturally improve their chances of delivering a healthy baby,” remarks Dr. Wimlack J.
“There are many things the pregnant woman can do today to improve the chances of delivering a healthy baby. The first thing I remind them to do is to make sure they follow their doctor’s recommendations. That may include keeping their well-baby appointments. I personally recommend that they eat well, drink plenty of water, stay active, get enough sleep, and supplement their diet with the appropriate nutritional supplements.”
What about Omega-3 Fish Oils, Dr. Wimlack? I’ve heard that adding extra omega-3 supplements may help women have a healthier baby, is it true?
“That’s an excellent question. It turns out that the use of nutritional supplements of omega-3 fatty acids have been studied extensively by medical researchers and the answer to your question is a resounding YES. Your growing baby needs significant amounts of the omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA and EPA, for their brain and nervous system to grow normally. Taking a quality nutritional supplement with at least 250 mg of DHA and 100 mg of EPA, may be the safest way to get the necessary nutrients your developing baby needs,” says Dr. Wimlack.
How do you know that the fish oil supplement is safe?
Dr. Wimlack responds, “You should be concerned anytime you take something into your body while you are pregnant. The growing baby is even more sensitive to harmful substances. I look for products that have the full approval of the Thai FDA. Since mercury, PCBs and other pollutants can be found in some fish oil supplements, I recommend that you use only supplements that certify that their products are exceptionally pure and have been tested and found to be free of harmful levels of these substances. Xtend-Life is clearly proud to have such a pure product in their Omega 3 / DHA Fish Oil. They openly reveal the results from recent PCB tests and mercury (heavy metal) analysis. Not only are these results very impressive…from a customer’s perspective, they’re also very reassuring.”
Summary of a Healthy Diet for Pregnant Women
- Eat a “Whole Food Diet”
- Foods from all the food groups, including lots of vegetables, whole grains, fruits and lean meats and safe fish*
- Avoid excessively salty and sugary foods and junk food in general (minimize intake of processed foods)
- Eat more frequently, perhaps smaller portions at each meal
* Safe fish: Some species of fish are known to contain unsafe levels of mercury, PCBs and other contaminants. Ask your doctor which ones to avoid and which to emphasize. Species from remote pristine waters like the Southern Ocean are not only high in DHA but also tend to contain fewer traces of contaminants than other commercial fish species. A good example of this is a species called Hoki.
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