Several months ago, I had received a notification that an initial intake had cancelled their appointment. Their reason? They were now pregnant. They no longer needed the appointment. And then hit me.
Oh, they don’t know that naturopathic care throughout pregnancy is actually incredibly valuable.
Let’s talk about it.
The current medical guidelines that exist in the conventional medical system aren’t there so that folks can have a really great pregnancy. Even a good pregnancy. They exist so that hopefully you don’t have a bad pregnancy.
So, what do we do differently?
Ideally, we meet patients preconception and at that time, we acknowledge both their risk factors and their intentions for family planning. And we create a plan that mitigates their risk based on their personal health history, their current health status, their blood work and their preferences.
Once they conceive, our conversation shifts to include:
Nutritional support in pregnancy
Appropriate exercise in pregnancy
Managing common pregnancy concerns (i.e. nausea, fatigue, vomiting, insomnia, headaches, aches and pains, constipation, heartburn, etc)
Appropriate and evidence-based supplementation throughout pregnancy
Supporting mental health in pregnancy
Postpartum support and breastfeeding
If you’re reading that list, it probably sounds like we aren’t really doing anything “fancy” and you’re right - all we are really doing is reading the evidence and filling the gaps where they need to be filled. The data is quite clear that even if pregnant women do get information on nutrition, they are not satisfied with what they are given. The data is clear that if they get mixed information on whether or not to exercise, they just don’t. If no one bothers to test their ferritin, they don’t know to ask for it. Nor what the number should be to prevent negative repercussions for both mothers and their babies through to teenage years. These small blips in care have big impacts.
The first goal is a positive pregnancy test. But what’s the second? Hopefully a healthy pregnancy. Who will help you reach it?
The next series of blogs will break down what you need to know about building your prenatal care team so that you have the best pregnancy possible for you!
