Cultural Norms vs. Paleo Lifestyle Part 1::Prenatal Care

I’m changing topics slightly – this post will be more closely related to the Paleo lifestyle, in general.  Because of my knowledge and understanding of the Paleo way-of-life, I often question cultural norms – why do these practices exist?  Why is “x” or “y” considered “normal?”

Throughout my pregnancy and now in early parenting, I continue to question these cultural norms.  During my pregnancy it was “why do women need drugs to have a baby?”  We are the only animal that “needs” this. We are the only animal that “needs” to be monitored monthly (and in my case weekly) by physicians to ensure our pregnancies are humming along smoothly.  

My husband and I had a honeymoon baby – so, we were surprised by the pregnancy, but pleasantly so!  I’ve always had a fear of not being able to conceive or miscarrying because of my thyroid disease and gluten-intolerance, which are both closely related to infertility.  So, getting pregnant before “trying” was very welcome by my husband and me. 

We got to our first Dr. appt, got the bloodwork done and we were in fact pregnant.  She had me come back a couple of days later to test my hCG and make sure it was rising appropriately.  It wasn’t – while this hormone should increase by 100% every 2 days, mine increased by about 30%.  My doctor basically told me that I should expect to miscarry.  (She didn’t use these words, but that’s what I heard.)  We had a follow-up ultrasound scheduled for the following week, which meant I spent a week crying because my biggest fears were becoming a reality.  Well, we got to the ultrasound and I was a mess emotionally – I expected to hear/see nothing when she put the sonogram to my belly.  But, that did not happen.  It was magical – I could hear my baby’s heartbeat loud and clear. 

But, I was a nervous wreck until week 14 (which was the “danger zone” in my mind.)   And then around week 20, I was at a bachelorette party, when an OBGYN who happened to attend the party had the nerve to say to me “You’re 20 weeks? Are you sure your baby’s alive in there?  You’re looking really small…” Thanks for that.

So, nervous wreck Aubrey came back in full-force.  “Is she growing in there?”

At 28 weeks, my Doctor told me that my baby had Intrauterine Growth Restriction – fears: validated.  I was starving my baby.  The Doc told me that her brain was developing normally, but the rest of her body was not.  This is a “good thing” because the baby’s body was working correctly and sending all of the nutrients to the most important part – the brain.  All I could hear was “OMG, I’m starving my baby.”  Was this due to my “paleo” diet?  Was I really starving my baby?  Did I need grains in order to conceive a child? 

I also became borderline hypertensive in my last 8 weeks of pregnancy.  Me and Lilah were put on strict watch.

We monitored that baby – I went in for 30 minute heartbeat tests twice/week for the remainder of my pregnancy, all the while, in the back of my head thinking “these tests cannot be good for my baby.”  Lilah would kick and kick while these tests were taking place.  I read somewhere that heart monitors sound to babies like a freight train is in the room with them.  But, I did it – heartbeat tests to make sure my baby was alive and my high blood pressure wasn’t restricting blood flow to the placenta.

Anyway, the point of this entire rant is that this all felt so unnatural to me.  Guess what…Lilah came out perfect.  She was not growth restricted; she came out a healthy 7lbs 11 oz the day after her due date.  Her head wasn't huge with a tiny little body like my Doctor had warned us we might see - she was perfectly proportionate.  My blood pressure was perfect during my labor.  I had a healthy, happy baby girl.  And after all of that worry, nervousness, and doubt over my ability to carry a child.

Why do we put ourselves through this?  Although I believe in the power of medicine and medical intervention in the event of an emergency, is it necessary to perform weekly/monthly tests on pregnant women?  I’m sure many would argue yes, but I’d lean more towards a no.  We need to eat healthy, be active, and trust that our bodies can produce a child, like our ancestors did, and like all other species of animal does without medical help.  Looking back, the stress/worry that I was put through during pregnancy could not have been good for me or Lilah.  

As an aside, my husband and I did do the Bradley Method for our childbirth education.  I’d recommend this to any Paleo mama and will dedicate my next post to this.

Thanks for hearing out my rant.  For those pregnant mamas out there – TRUST your body.  TRUST your diet.  THINK positive thoughts.  Your baby will be perfect.

Back on Track!

So, life caught up with me and I slacked on the blog posting.  But, then something really incredible happened….I got a comment!  Sweet Emily from NC commented on my last post and reminded me that there are women out there who could use a little guidance in the Paleo Breastfeeding department.

So, here I go again…blogging away, in hopes that I can help some women who are interested in, but nervous to try to breastfeed on a Paleo Diet.

As an update, I finished the Strength and Beauty Challenge.  I lost 4 lbs, 4.3% body fat, and 9.5 inches!  I felt great, my milk supply remained at a homeostatic level throughout the challenge, and my attitude and energy were at an all-time high.

I also felt more confident in myself, as a mother, and a wife.  And!!!  And!!! I decided to start studying to be a Certified Sports Nutritionist.  I already have a degree in Exercise Science, so I really just need read a (pretty complex) textbook and take an exam for this certification.  I’m trying to get this complete by the end of December. 

Anyway, my before and after pictures are posted below – check out my posture – you can just tell I’m more confident.

But, then, as I feared, once the challenge was over and I left my weekly accountability group, my diet lagged.  My little family took a trip to El Paso and ate like kings, then came Halloween, and then my parents and grandma came for a visit – although I’m still eating 90% paleo, there were definitely more cheats than necessary in October. (And when I say cheats, I mean pizza parties.)

And the weird thing – along with an increase in sugar and carbs came a decrease in self-esteem, a weight gain back to where I was before the challenge, and a general lack of energy. (But, there was one good thing about increasing my sugar intake – my ketosis rash has disappeared!)

Lilah’s also been sleeping terribly lately.  Is this coincidence, or is she actually reacting to the increased sugar in my diet?

There’s only one way to find out – get back on track.

Strict Paleo it is, once again.  And I will re-commit to blogging.  If you’re reading, please post comments!  It really encourages me to keep going :)

 

Days 16-18 - Ketosis or VLC Rash?

A few days after I began this challenge, I noticed a rash which started on my chest and spread to my clavicle and back.   It looks similar to acne.  Could it be from working out and sweating more? From my new sports bras?  New lotion?  Something I ate?  I tried everything to get rid of it - washing all my clothes in really hot water, washing my sheets, showering immediately after exercise, but nothing worked.  I was at a loss.

I didn't really think it was something I ate, since I have only eliminated foods since beginning the challenge.  So, I turned to Google... and found that when some people enter ketosis, they can get a rash on their chest, clavicle, and back.  Interesting.... 

After doing some research, here's what I've found the rash could be caused by:
1. Excess Ketone bodies in the blood, causing a rash
2. When your body begins to burn fat instead of carbs, it breaks down stored triglycerides.  Since toxins are typically fat soluble, when these triglycerides break down, they release large amounts of toxins into the bloodstream, causing a rash
3. Excess Omega 6's are also stored in the fat cells -when the triglycerides break down, excess Omega 6's get into the bloodstream, causing a rash
4. When you begin a VLC diet, your protein intake typically increases, thus increasing digestive enzymes and histamine.  The rash could be due to a histamine sensitivity.

So, here's my order in trying to eliminate the rash:
1. increase Omega 3 intake significantly (taking 1t/day liquid right now - will increase to 1T/day)
2. increase carbs in my diet - currently between 80g & 100g/day - will increase to 100-150g/day

Hopefully this works!  On a positive note - this tells me that I am definitely in fat-burning mode, which was the whole point to this challenge!

Both me and baby are doing wonderfully.  For the first time in a long time, when someone asks "how are you doing?," I say "fantastic."  Seriously, fantastic.

My husband and I walk a 3-mile trail a couple of times/week with Lilah.  Today was the first time in over a year that I actually felt like breaking into a jog while on this trail.  I didn't, but I wanted to :)

Milk supply is still hanging in there.  I haven't noticed any substantial increase or decrease since beginning the challenge outside of the supply dip fiasco about a week ago.

I also haven't noticed any temperament changes in Lilah.  She's a healthy, happy little girl!

Here she is gnawing on her favorite food - bacon!

Days 12-15 Goats Milk Formula

Good news!  My supply is back where it needs to be!  However, this little dip in supply got me really motivated to find a formula that would work for Lilah in case something happened to my supply again.  I literally have 0 stored bags of breastmilk at this point.  I've seen a lot of good things about the Weston A Price and Nourishing Traditions homemade breastmilk, (http://www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/recipes-for-homemade-baby-formula) so decided I'd give it a whirl.  Now, these recipes are pretty complex and require a lot of non-traditional ingredients, including homemade whey, infant probiotics, butter oil, etc.  So, here's I made this formula, but with a minimalist approach :)

If you're interested in creating your own formula, I'd recommend goats milk, as babies can more easily digest the protein in goat's milk as opposed to cow's milk.  However, goat's milk does lack B12, as compared to cows milk.

So, here's my rationale - since Lilah is still consuming primarily breastmilk (and good quality breastmilk!), I didn't feel that I had to follow the recipe exactly.  Here's what I did:

6 oz goats milk

2 oz water

1/2 t coconut oil

1/4 t olive oil

1 T homemade bone broth (for extra nutrients, including B12)

Since the bone broth coagulates when cold, you'll need to warm this formula before using and shake well.

Guess what?!?  Lilah loved it!!!!  Our nanny's been giving her 1 bottle/day of this so that she can store some breastmilk for emergencies (like if I forget my milk at work one night..)    And the goats milk doesn't seem to have any effect on her digestion.  She seems to be tolerating it just fine.

Now, if you're going to be supplementing more than 1 bottle/day, I would recommend adding in some or all of the additional ingredients from the original recipe.

I feel Soooo much better knowing that there is a "formula" that we can fall back on in case something happens to me or my supply.  

This is such a great feeling - my energy is so great, my baby is full, and I am a happy mama :)

Here's a delicious and simple recipe I made the other day:

Cook 3 pieces bacon

Add to the bacon grease:

1 c kale

1/2 apple, sliced

3 T scallions

4 oz leftover meat (I used smoked pork)

1/2 red pepper

handful cherry tomatoes

spice with herbs and S & B

I used basil and parsley

Delicious, quick, and easy lunch!

Days 9-12 - The Supply Dip

Ok - so from what I've been reading on other blogs, when a nursing mother goes paleo, she sees a significant drop in supply on week 2.  Well, I'm no week 2, and I've gotten the significant drop - but here's the catch - I don't think this is due to my diet.

I have about a 90 minute commute to work (yes, each way) and when I got there, I realized I forgot my pump parts!!!  Devastating.  My commute is also done on a bus that my company charters from Austin to San Antonio each day...so, I couldn't leave early and go home to get my parts.  I was stuck for 12 hours with no pumping.  What do you know, the next day, my supply took a hit.  This did not make me very happy, especially since I've tried giving Lilah a few different types of formula and they have all been no-go's. So, a supply decrease combined with Paleo eating - how was I going to get myself out of this mess?

The one thing I told myself before starting this challenge was that I would not put myself before my baby and would quit the challenge if my supply dropped.  But, now, because I knew the supply drop wasn't because of my diet, I wasn't ready to quit.  Instead I started pumping more frequently (5x/day) to counteract the day of no pumping.  I also added in a little more fruit and sweet potatoes, just in case the extra carbs would help boost supply.

So, that's where I'm at.  I'll update you with how this strategy works out!

I've kept on track with the diet and workouts.  Lilah is doing well - I haven't seen any noticeable difference in her demeanor since switching to Paleo.

Here's a delicious lunch idea that I made the other day.  Cucumbers, smoked salmon and guacamole.   So delicious and refreshing post-workout!

Day 8 - Coconut Oil

Fats in breasmilk are made up of a medium-chain fatty acid called lauric acid.  Most other fats that adults consume are long-chain fatty acids (both animal and plant fats).  Medium chain fatty acids are more easily digestible and lauric acid, specifically, has antimicrobial and healing properties.   Now, here's the interesting part, lauric acid is only found in one common food - coconut oil!

Check out this article on the healing properties of coconut oil and why it is so important for a pregnant/nursing mom to consume coconut oil.  (*note - this article may be slightly biased, as it comes from the coconut research center - however, you can find countless additional articles on this subject by searching Google.)

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article10612.htm

Me: 
Feeling a bit sluggish - although it's probably because Lilah has not been sleeping well at night, and I have done 4 workouts in 4 days - my body needs a rest!

The Milk:
Supply is still holding up great!

The Baby:
Happy!  She had the giggles all day long :)

 Diet Log:

Meal 1:	Meal 2:	Meal 3:	Meal 4:	Meal 5:
[7:00] coffee w/ 1/4 c cocnut milk, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1/2 scoop protein powder, 2 boiled eggs	[9:00] banana, 2 T sunbutter, 1 c coffee w/ cream	[12:00] 1/2 avacado, 1 c carrots [1:00] 2 c mixed greens, 4 oz chicken, celery, carrots, tomatoes, 1/2 avocado, 1 egg, 2 T olive oil, 2 T sunbutter		[7:00] 1 1/2 bowls chili - bacon, chorizo, beef, tomato juice, stewed tomatoes, artichoke hearts, onion, red pepper, spices

Workout:

15 min spin bike - 4 rounds of 20 lunges, 10 squats, 10 frog-squats, 10 jumping squats

Days 6 & 7 - Eat More Fat!

Fats are ESSENTIAL to the growth and development of your baby.  They also play a HUGE role in your energy levels and brain power as a breastfeeding mama.  Contrary to popular belief - fat does not make you fat - and fat should be an integral part of your everyday diet.  As a pregnant or nursing mom, some nutritionists suggest getting 50-60% of your daily caloric intake from good fat sources.  (Think natural fat sources - olive oil, fatty meats, butter from grass-fed cows, coconut oil, walnut oil, avocado, etc)

I just read a great article on Fat - here's an excerpt:

And why are fats so important? Besides being delicious and making our foods taste good, they are absolutely necessary for optimal health. Without fats, the body cannot absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. Digestion is impossible without fats since fats stimulate the production of bile acids, and cell membranes, which are made of fats, control the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. Fats are also crucial to brain function and mental health. Studies have found that people suffering from depression are often deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and some researchers implicate omega-3 deficiencies in learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. And most surprising of all to many convinced of the lipid hypothesis, the heart muscle prefers saturated fat for fuel and thus the fat around our hearts is comprised mostly of saturated fatty acids, which are required for proper heart function.<sup>5

 Find the rest of the article here:</sup>
  http://www.paleomagonline.com/2012/01/15/face-the-fats/

Me:
Feeling GREAT!  Pushed myself to do a workout on Saturday and Sunday and my energy is fantastic.  However, my body is really sore from increasing the number of workouts that I've been doing.  My mind is also feeling much more clear and I am able to focus better. 

The Milk:
I am super excited about the fact that I have STORED 1 bag of breastmilk!  I've been living day-to-day with my milk supply over the past few months, and I was actually able to pump more than my baby needed this weekend.  Huge success for us :)

The Baby:
Still waking several times/night to nurse, but that is likely because we co-sleep.  She is sleeping more soundly, with less kicking between night wakings.  During the day she is happy, alert, and playful.

Here's a picture of my post-workout lunch on Saturday cucumber, salmon, and guac - so delicious!

Here are my workouts for the past few days:

Team of 4: 100 yard sprint, 100 burpees, 10 GTO, 80 pullups (jumping), 8 GTO, 60 box jumps (24-in), 6 GTO, 40 thrusters (65 & 45 lbs), 4 GTO, 20 box dips, 2 GTO, 100 M sprint S & B WOD, 20 burpees, 4 rds: 7 goblet squats, 7 ring rows, 250 M row

And my diet log: Meal 1: Meal 2: Meal 3: Meal 4: Meal 5: [7:00] coffee w/ 1/4 c coconut milk, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1 scoop protein powder, 2 boiled eggs [9:00] banana [12:00] post-WOD 6 oz coconut water, 2 T sunbutter [1:30] 1 cucumber, 3 oz smoked salmon, 1/4 c. guacamole (avacado, onion, tomato, salt & pepper)  spoonful sunbutter, 10 blueberries chicken breast, 2 pickles, handful mixed nuts, 1/2 c carrots [9:00] 4 oz red wine, 1 piece dark chocolate [7:00] coffee w/ 1/4 c cocnut milk, 1 tsp coconut oil, 2 boiled eggs [9:00] banana, 2 T sunbutter [12:00] pulled pork, coleslaw, cilantro (at a friends house - probably not 100% sugarless), a few strawberries 1 oz turkey meat, 1 oz chicken breast, small handful blueberries 8 oz+ flank steak, yellow squash and zucchini with walnut oil, 2 T sunbutter

Day 5 - Water

Me:
Feeling really good so far.  Completed this workout today:
 20 push-ups
 40 lunges
 40 kettlebell swings
 10 burpees
 40 sumo-deadlift highpulls
 50 mountain climbers

The Milk:
I pumped about the same as Day 4.  So, about 1 oz less than I usually pump.  However...here is the odd thing. Lilah typically drinks 16-20 oz while with the nanny during the day.   For the past few days, she has only drank 14 oz.  She's also been a little backed up - typically she has a BM every day or every other day, but she went 4 days without one this week.  So, at this point, I'm not sure if the decrease in the amount she is consuming is because my milk has changed in content (possibly more fat - leading to being more full from less) or because her stomach is bothering her and she is not able to eat more.  We'll wait and see!

The Baby:
All is well with baby besides the back-up, which she's dealing with surprisingly well.  On a more positive note, we had a big achievement today!  She isn't really "into" solid food at 8.5 months - she'll usually only take a few spoonfuls of baby food before getting frustrated.  However if I'm eating a whole piece of meat, she always wants to gnaw on it, which makes me nervous.  So today, I just put bits of hamburger and brisket on the table and she was able to pick them up, put them in her mouth, and chew them herself!  I was so amazed (and a little mad at myself for not trying this self-feeding method sooner.)  So, then I gave her a little asparagus and she loved it! She eventually took the whole asparagus stalk and gnawed on it for a while. So proud of my little girl today!  And I'm totally excited to have a method where we can get some solids in her and not have to rely 100% on breastmilk.

The Lesson:
If you're a breastfeeding mom looking to lose weight, water should be your best friend.  Lots and lots of water. I had always heard this, but how much is "lots?"  A good estimate is 1 oz for each lb of bodyweight.  I am ~ 155 lbs, so aim for 155 oz of water/day.  This helps keep your body hydrated and provides the base for your milk.  Milk is 88% water, so the more you drink, the easier you are making it on your body to produce milk.

Diet Log:

Meal 1:	Meal 2:	Meal 3:	Meal 4:	Meal 5:
[6:15] 2 hard boiled eggs, coffee w/ 1/4 c coconut milk, 1 tsp coconut oil, 1/4 scoop protein powder	[10:00] apple w/ 2T almond butter, 1 hard boiled egg	[1:00] 2 c. mixed greens, 8 oz chicken breast, handful tomatoes, 2 celery stalks, 1 boiled egg, small handful blueberreis, 2 T olive oil, 1/4 c. cashews	[3:30] post-wod - handful mixed nuts, super greens	[7:00]6 oz brisket, 10 stalks asparagus, 2 T sunbutter

Day 4 - Carbs and Breastmilk

Since I didn't think to start this right away, I am now on Day 4 of the Challenge.

Me:
I actually have pretty good energy considering I've pretty much eliminated carbs from my diet.  I have been eating 1 piece of fruit/day.  I've stayed on track with my workouts and have done 3 Crossfit style workouts so far.

The Milk:
So far, so good!  Actually, on Day 1, I had to pump EARLY at work because I was so full!  It has been a really long time since that has happened.  I think this is due to the extra water I've been drinking (aiming for 150 oz/day).  The evening of Day 2, I had much more milk than I typically do in the evenings, when my supply seems to be at its lowest.  Day 4, I feel a slight dip in supply - typically I pump 16 oz during the day - today I was able to pump 15.

The Baby:
Night 3 was rough.  She was very bloated and gassy and did not sleep well.  She also has not had a bowel movement in 3 days, when typically she has a BM every 1 or 2 days.  This could either be because of the diet change or because I introduced yogurt to her this week.  It's hard to tell what's causing the back-up, but I'm really nervous for the release. (yikes!)

The Lesson:
Today I read an article called Crack vs Carbs - it talked about how today's society is addicted to carbs.  An interesting thing that the author said was "people could live their entire life without eating a single carb except for the carbs consumed from their mother's milk."  Interesting statement - and also piqued my curiosity.  So, if mother's milk is made up of 37% carbs, does the mother need to intake carbs to produce that?  Or can her body "create" carbs from fats and/or protein?  How did our ancestors feed their babies during the winter months when fruit would not have been abundant? Here's what I learned.  The carbs in breastmilk are primarily lactose.  Lactose is made up of two sugars - Glucose and Galactose.  If you do not intake these sugars, in order to feed your baby, your body will 1. find them from bodily stores 2. create carbs from protein with the help of the liver.

Since I am trying to stick to the diet as much as possible (without sacrificing my milk supply to my beautiful girl) I researched foods highest in Glucose and Galactose and found that there are several vegetables high in these simple sugars. I'm aiming for the most bang for my buck here - so if I'm filling up on veggies, I might as well be filling up on the ones that can provide nutrients to my baby.  So, summer squash, tomatoes, celery, and blueberries  and cherries it is! (I know, blueberries & cherries are not a veg - but these will be my "daily serving of fruit" - perhaps nibbled on throughout the day.)

So, really, how did our ancestors live without carbs?  I'm thinking that the makeup of breastmilk at the macronutrient level must have been much different than it is with today's breastfeeding mamas....


Here's my food log for the day:

[5:45] 2 hard boiled eggs, coffee w/ 1/4 c coconut milk, 1 tsp coconut oil [7:00] it's a 2-cup of coffee morning [10:00] apple w/ 2T almond butter, superfood drink [12:00] 2 oz turkey breast [12:30] 2 c. mixed greens, 8 oz chicken breast, handful mushrooms and tomatoes, 1 boiled egg, 2 T olive oil, 1/4 c. cashews [3:00] handful of mixed nuts [7:00] 1/3 lb burger, 2 slices of bacon, a few mushrooms, large handful carrot sticks [8:00] decaf coffee w/ 1/2 scoop protein, 2 sticks celery, handful blueberries						Water intake (Oz)	Sleep (hrs)
						145 oz	8 hrs - 3 nursings (lilah slept much better last night)

Paleo Diet and Breastmilk Supply - The Challenge

I am starting this blog because I couldn't find a lot of good information on the Internet about breastfeeding and the Paleo diet.  And when I say good information, I mean information from breastfeeding moms who are/have been on the Paleo diet and have been able to maintain their milk supply. 

So, here's the deal.  I just signed up for a 28 day diet and exercise challenge.  I am fairly fit and healthy, but wanted to take my commitment to health and fitness to the next level.  My primary goal is not to lose weight, but rather to re-commit to working out and eating clean.  Now, if I lose a few pounds, I won't be mad :)

And here's the background:  My baby is 8 months old, she's pretty much exclusively breastfed, consuming around 30 oz of breastmilk/day.  I have had to start supplementing a bottle of formula here and there because I am a working mom and cannot always pump as much/as often as I'd like.   I've been on-again, off-again Paleo for about 10 years.  I feel GREAT when I'm on it, but just can't resist the sweets, and end up falling off again.  That said, I am definitely gluten-intolerant, so definitely try to avoid that.  (I want to know who the meanie was that went and made things like Betty Crocker gluten-free chocolate chip cookies)

Anyway, back to the point.  I am doing a 28-day challenge called "strength + beauty." The premise is this:  a group of women do this challenge together and hold each other accountable.  We eat super clean (and by super clean, I mean no sugar - not even fruit or sweet potatoes!)  So basically meat, veggies, nuts, healthy fats.  We also commit to working out 4-5x/week.

I am going to blog about how my body handles the change to a clean diet, how my milk supply holds up, any changes I notice in my baby, etc.

Wish me luck!