Organico Bantry

We are delighted to have been selected to be finalists in the Green Me Awards 2009 for the Cork Area. The GreenMe Awards recognise and reward businesses and community groups that ”communicate the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility, sustainable development and ethical best practice in business or the community”. Endorsed by Duncan Stuart, Greenme.ie is a website that helps everyone become ‘greener’. Other nominees in the Cork area are Cafe Paradiso, Arbutus Breads, and the Clonakilty Fair Trade Committee…may the best among us win…

From everyone down here in Organico – a Big Thank You for recognising us and our work!

Supplements for pregnancy

 
Apart from eating well, many women take some supplements for pregnancy because it is a time when there is a huge nutritional demand on your body. The baby is gets first call on nutrients so you might need more than you can get from food alone.
I take Solgar’s Pre-Natal Nutrients – a very good all-rounder which you can start when you are planning a baby and carry through until you stop breast feeding (it contains the folic acid you need). Another really good choice is Higher Nature’s Mum-2-Be. Both contain the Folic Acid you need for pre-conception and for the early stages of pregnancy. Along with this, I take fish oils for Omega – needed for brain development, helping prevent complications including premature birth, and helping prevent post-natal depression. It also keeps your skin and hair looking good! I take the Eskimo-3 capsules because I’m a wimp and don’t like the texture of the oil.
On the advice of Patrick Holford, I also take extra zinc, magnesium, B6, calcium and occasionally some iron. I have put in a sample of each of the Floradix iron drinks – one has yeast (great for energy) and the other does not (great if you get thrush, bloating, or have candida over-growth). I sometimes also take Spatone Iron Sachets because they are great when you are on the move.
Patrick recommends zinc and B6 for regulating hormones, thus helping to prevent post-natal depression; the calcium and magnesium are necessary for baby’s bones and for preventing mum’s leg cramps.
Another supplement to consider is vitamin D during the winter months especially if you work inside, as most of us do. In ‘Northern’ countries doctors routinely prescribe vitamin D; they don’t here but I wonder if they should. It helps with calcium absorption and bone health as well as mood swings. I would at the least take a calcium supplement with vitamin D in it (Solgar do a good one).

If acidity strikes in the middle of the night (I got this in the early stages a lot) try eating some live natural yoghurt before you go to sleep and keep snacks, such as nuts or ginger biscuits, by the bed. Frutin (sold in Organico and many good Health Food Shops) is a natural anti-acid supplement that is safe for use during pregnancy and gives quick relief.
For nausea I found the Sea Bands (from O’Sullivans Pharmacy in Bantry and many good Pharmacies) very helpful, as well as Nux Vom 6 a homeopathic for nausea, and B6 and Magnesium are both recommended to help reduce ‘morning’ sickness. A hot drink made with fresh ginger helps – you can add a little honey to taste. Alternatively, you can get ginger in capsules or tincture if you don’t feel like the tea. I also kept a bottle of peppermint oil handy to use like the smelling salts of old – it clears the head and settles the stomach. Eating calming foods like rice, yoghurt, bananas, toast, crackers (I really liked oat cakes) as well as nuts, dried fruit, and soups. Nairns make some really good ginger biscuits – I was known to munch them in the middle of the night even!
For constipation eat lots of fibre (Linwoods flaxseed can be added to cereal or yoghuty for added fibre and omega oils), drink lots, take weekly yoga classes and if necessary see an osteopath! Also it might be caused by Iron in tablet form – check with your doctor if you are on one. The iron in the 2 multi-vitamins I have suggested should not cause constipation.

Skin and hair
For strechmarks I have used Trilogy Body Oil which contains rosehip oil which is amazing for treating scars, stretchmarks and generally to give your skin a treat!
For sore feet, legs, shoulders etc I use Arnica Gel from A.Vogel which can be very soothing. I also invested in a pair of Fit Flops (very bouncy sandles available in many sport’s shops and some pharmacies and shoe shops) which I have worn every day since I bought them 2 months ago – and they eased my feet a lot.
 There is alsoVenegel by A.Vogel which can sooth veins considerable – though taking care of your back seems to be the best way of taking care of your veins – or so my osteopath tells me!
For dry or flaky scalps (this condition seems to affect several girls I know who are pregnant and many who are not!) I am trying a combination of internal and external treatments – Eskimo oil internally and Dead Sea Mineral products by Dead Sea Magic externally. They do a good shampoo and a fantastic Scalp Mud which I put directly on my scalp and leave for a few minutes before running it through my hair like a conditioner and washing out.
I used a skin brush a lot during the first 5 months as I was very itchy – I think it is the skin stretching – and as I said, lots of oil.

Books
Patrick Holford’s ‘Optimum Nutrition for Pregnancy’ is fantastic resource for diet and supplement tips. We sell it if you would likt to have a browse through.
I also found ‘Birth and Beyond’ by Dr. Yehudi Gordon very helpful – it is a huge book which covers everything from a very balanced perspective – he is a medical doctor but one with a very holistic outlook. I bought it on Amazon for about €15.
‘Birthing From Within’ is also amazing from an emotional perspective – there are instructors trained in this technique in West Cork who can help you to address the fear that surrounds birth for many women.

Teas
Raspberry Leaf Tea is recommended from about week 30 to tone the uterus (comes in loose leaf or capsules). Goldenrod tea is very good to keep the urinary system healthy and prevent infections. Rooibosh is a good substitute for regular tea (no caffeine) and Traidcraft Decaffeinated coffee tastes great.

Some Local Resounces:
Betty O’Toole for Shiatsu Massage and Pregnancy Yoga 087 7972059
Jessie Field for Pregnancy Yoga (and hopefully for mum and baby yoga in the autumn!) 086 0766608
Liz Ewing – for nutrition, general health and stress management 028 30895
Christine Meadows – nutritionist 027 51615
Catherine O’Sullivan Homeopath Bantry 027 52689
James Heggarty Homeopath Bantry 027 50501
Kieran English Osteopaths 028 38638
Florence Vion 023 8834748 Osteopath Clonakilty
Home Birth Association of Ireland http://www.homebirth.ie/

If you are pregnant, I hope you are feeling well and are delighted and healthy. This is an extended version of an article I put in the Grapevine in July 2009; it includes all the bits I had to edit due to space shortage. I hope it is useful. I have divided the article into 3 parts for the blog.

I have been trying all kinds of things to stay healthy during my pregnancy, so I have decided to share some of it before it’s too late (apparently when the baby comes I won’t have much time for writing!). For the first 3 months I was tired – the huge changes taking place mean most of us need more rest than usual and may feel drained. Lots of rest is essential at this point – your body needs time to focus on the work going on inside. For me, this was not the time to go out, go on holiday or do anything that was not strictly necessary! I also felt pretty nauseas, so my husband did all the cooking – I couldn’t even face washing-up without feeling awful! Handy that! Since then though I have felt great – so everything must be working!
I have found pregnancy yoga invaluable. I go to 2 classes a week, one in Bantry with Jessie Field and one near Durrus with Betty O’Toole (who also offers wonderful pregnancy massage!). I have also had regular cranial osteopathy to keep everything in balance and prevent back and hip problems, varicose veins and odema. I would strongly reccommend finding local practitioners in your area early on in your pregnancy so that they get to know you and your body and you get the best care possible.

Healthy Eating
Pregnancy is a great time to get your diet in order. Plenty of fibre, fresh fruit and veg, complex carbs and protein are all essential to keep you and baby strong and healthy. Lunch in our Café keeps me pretty well fed! If you eat at home then check out our website for good recipes.
I found that my eating patterns changed a lot over the first 7 months (I still have 2 months to go!). Right at the start I was pretty hungry even though I was feeling sick; and I kept on eating ‘for 2’ for a while. But it evened out – I haven’t eaten so much over the last 3 months and my weight has stabilised. Between 2 doctor’s visit s I didn’t put on any weight, whereas up till then I had been a bit over the average weight gain. So don’t panic if you feelo hungry at the start – just try not to eat chips!

Regarding a healthy diet during pregnancy and breast feeding, the World Health Organisation says:
‘’A healthy diet is one that is based mainly on plant foods. Therefore it is
important to eat lots of vegetables, fruits, bread, potatoes, pasta,
cereals, beans and lentils accompanied by only relatively small amounts
of: low fat milk, cheeses, kefir and yogurts; fish, lean red meats, and
poultry. Whenever possible try to get locally grown vegetables and
fruits, especially when they are in season. These can be less
expensive, more nutrient dense, fresh and safe from contamination.’’

I craved fruits at the start of my pregnancy – sounds good but it was hard in January to find nice fruit! Not very seasonal I know. I ended up going to Marks and Spencer’s! It’s great to eat lots of grains like brown rice, quinoa and breads made from nutritious grains like spelt so you are getting all the trace elements that are missing from white rice, flours and pastas. Lentil soups are fantastic – fibre, protein, and filling too. Lots of fruit and veg of course. As much as possible avoid fried foods, and though you need protein I think red meat is best kept to once or twice a week as it can be hard to digest. Good quality eggs are a good protein source.
If you have unusual cravings check out what the food you crave supplies – you might be lacking some mineral (some people talk about craving liver for example so possibly they need iron).
Though fish is very healthy some fish is very high in mercury and other heavy metals and should be eaten in moderation. Tuna is one to be especially careful of – because they are near the top of the food chain they eat many smaller fish and their mercury levels can be very high. We sell a tuna that is better – it is fished in clean waters – but I would personally avoid the ones in deli counters.
I find taking Epresat from Salus Haus very helpful because it is a great top-up if you go through a period of not eating well.
With regard to drinks, it is advised no to drink tea or coffee containing caffeine with you meals as this inhibits iron absorption. Lots of water is really the best thing you can drink while pregnant and breastfeeding – 6-8 glasses per day at least. Alcohol should really be avoided during the first 3 months and after that only a glass or even half a glass or wine very rarely – it can cross the placenta barrier and cause all manner of problems for the baby! Just enjoy the hangover-free mornings and let your partner enjoy you being the driver!