Vitamin D prevents preeclampsia

Hot Mama Alert! Are you getting enough vitamin D? The amount in your prenatal vitamins may not be enough to prevent preeclampsia.

Women with a Vitamin D deficiency in the first trimester have a five fold greater risk of preeclampsia according to a university study recorded in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Stats on Preeclampsia:

- Effects up to 7% of first pregnancies

- Often results in necessary pre-term delivery

- Leading cause of premature delivery and maternal and fetal death worldwide

- Occurs late in second trimester or in third trimester

- Symptoms include the following: high blood pressure, high levels of protein in urine, swollen hands and feet, and sudden weight gain.

Researchers stressed that even slightly low levels of vitamin D during pregnancy may double the chance of having preeclampsia. Prenatal vitamins typically have 200-400I.U. of vitamin D. This amount may not be enough to protect a Hot Mama.

1000 I.U. of vitamin D may be a more protective dose, especially for pregnant women living in Northern climates where sun exposure is low and those with darker skin. For optimal absorption, take 500 I.U. twice a day.

Prevent stretch marks while pregnant

Stretch marks, ugh! Those unsightly little white lines that all Hot Mamas dread when pregnant....

The bad news is that most women get them during pregnancy. The good news is that I've compiled a list of what you can do for both prevention and treatment once you have them.

For Preventing Stretch Marks:

1. Do not gain excess weight! The more the skin stretches, the more stretch marks there will be! Stick to your exercise program and continue eating a balanced diet. Rapid and/or excessive weight gain are the number one no-no for prevention.

2. Moisturize your belly with either cocoa butter or almond oil with vitamin E twice daily.

3. Drink water and avoid dehydration. Well hydrated skin stretches better.

4. Eat zinc rich foods such as seeds and nuts or make sure your prenatal vitamin is rich in zinc. Zinc is a skin nourishing mineral.

For Fading Stretch Marks:

1. Apply a Vitamin K cream daily and eat vitamin K rich foods such as green leafy vegetables and tomatoes. Vitamin K is extremely effective at healing scars, stretch marks, and skin lesions.

2. Apply Lavender Oil on Stretch Marks daily. This can be found at your local health food store.

3. Try the product Strivectin-D. (This is the more expensive treatment than option 1 or 2, but many Hot Mamas have reported good results.)

Prevent autism while pregnant

Autism can be one of the scariest words for an expecting Hot Mama. To date, the causes of autism seem to be a combination of both genetic and environmental factors. We are not geneticists here, so we are going to give you the most recent info on implicated cleaning supplies and other toxins, how to avoid them, and a list of natural alternatives.

First and foremost, make sure you are taking folic acid. Adequate maternal folic acid levels are crucial to ensure normal development of a fetus’ brain.

Second, avoid Mercury, a toxic metal, which has been found in abnormally high levels in the blood of children with autism. Dangerously high levels of mercury are found in fish such as shark, swordfish, and mackerel. Avoid these fish while pregnant. Also, limit your intake of all other fish to two servings per week.

AVOID common cleaning supplies containing phthalates and glycol ethers. Phthalates are a class of synthetic chemicals that are used to both stabilize synthetic smells in products such as air fresheners and are also used to make plastics flexible and soft in products such as teething rings! (Just criminal!) Stay away from anything with labels such as “fresh scent” such as laundry detergent, air fresheners, and other cleaning supplies.

INSTEAD use natural cleaning products such as Baby Ganics, Mrs. Meyers, and Greenworks.

INSTEAD use BPA free teething rings, bottles, and sippy cups.

AVOID fluoride in toothpaste and in water. Fluoride has been implicated as a neurotoxin.

INSTEAD drink bottled water and use toothpaste and mouthwash without fluoride such as Tom's of Maine.