There is no reason to question your body when you don’t see milky white flowing from your breast when your baby arrives. The yellow, thicker liquid isn’t a sign that your milk has gone bad. In fact, this liquid gold is exactly what your body is meant to produce and exactly what your baby is craving.
Colostrum, often referred to as “liquid gold,” is the yellowish sticky substance your body produces in the first few days after childbirth before your regular breast milk comes in. It might be small in volume, but it packs a powerful punch! Here’s why it’s so important:
Immune system booster packed with antibodies
Colostrum is rich in secretory IgA antibodies, which act like a shield for your baby’s developing immune system. These antibodies line your baby’s intestines and respiratory tract, protecting them from germs and viruses in their new world.
“[Colostrum is] low in volume but high in protective factors, especially secretory IgA antibodies. These antibodies are passed directly from mom to baby through colostrum, providing immediate immune defense against illnesses like influenza, rotavirus, and ear infections.” – Dr. Tanya Altmann, pediatrician and co-founder of The Lactation Network
Nutrient Powerhouse
Don’t let the small amount fool you! Colostrum is concentrated with nutrients, high in protein, and low in sugar and fat. This makes it easy for your newborn’s tiny tummy to digest and provides essential energy for those early adjustments to life outside the womb.
“Colostrum is also high in protein and low in fat and sugar, making it easily digested by a newborn’s immature stomach.” – World Health Organization
Laxative Effect
More good news–Colostrum acts as a gentle, natural laxative! It helps your baby expel their first stool, which, don’t be alarmed, is a sticky, dark substance called meconium. Meconium accumulates in the baby’s intestines during pregnancy and needs to be eliminated to prevent problems like jaundice.
“Colostrum acts as a natural laxative, helping your baby pass its first stool (meconium).” –American Academy of Pediatrics
Promotes Gut Health
The foundation for good gut health starts early! Colostrum introduces beneficial bacteria that contribute to a healthy gut microbiome in your baby. This microbiome plays a vital role in digestion, immune function, and overall health.
“The initial exposure to bacteria through colostrum plays a crucial role in shaping the infant’s gut microbiome. Colostrum’s prebiotics, along with potentially some live bacteria of its own, act as a foundation for a diverse and balanced gut community.“ -Dr. Lilian Cheung, a pediatric gastroenterologist
Emotional Bonding
While it doesn’t come directly from the colostrum, the immediate focus on skin-to-skin contact, which is encouraged during colostrum feeding, promotes emotional bonding between you and your baby. This closeness releases feel-good hormones and helps regulate your baby’s body temperature.
“Skin-to-skin contact in the first 48 hours helps regulate the baby’s body temperature, heart rate, and breathing.” –Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM)
Colostrum is a natural wonder food designed to give your baby the best possible start. While the amount may seem small, its impact on your newborn’s health is truly significant. So relax, mama! Your body is perfectly designed to nourish your little one.
When you are pregnant, it’s important to consider how the foods you eat, the medicines you take, and the things you do, cumulatively affect both your own body and the body of your unborn child. While your own adult body may be able to handle quite a bit, that’s not always the case for a developing infant. For this reason, it’s important to be aware of the things that can be harmful to a fetus, and to avoid them while you are pregnant.
Things You Can’t Eat While Pregnant
When you’re pregnant, the food you eat will also end up nourishing and affecting your growing child. This is also the case for some time after pregnancy, while you are breastfeeding your baby. As such, it’s important to watch what you eat during pregnancy, and is important to avoid:
- Alcohol: Alcohol or drinks containing alcohol can have severe, adverse developmental effects on your baby, so it’s best to avoid them entirely while pregnant.
- Coffee and Soda: These drinks often contain high amounts of caffeine. There are some studies showing that caffeine is related to birth defects and low birth-weights.
- Deli Meats: Deli meats, such as sliced ham, turkey, and roast beef, may be contaminated with a bacteria called listeria, which can make it into the body of your developing baby and spread as an infection.
- Fish That Contain Mercury: Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, and Tilefish contain high levels of mercury, a toxic metal that can have adverse developmental effects on your child.
- Raw Eggs: Raw eggs may contain salmonella, a bacterial infection that is most dangerous for people with compromised immune systems. Be aware that raw eggs are an ingredient in a lot of different foods, such as homemade mayonnaise, Caesar dressing, or carbonara.
- Raw Meat: Uncooked meats or even meats that are cooked rare can contain certain harmful bacteria that your adult immune system can handle, but your baby’s cannot. This is also true of raw fish, which is featured heavily in sushi.
- Shellfish: Certain shellfish like clams, mussels, and especially oysters are often eaten uncooked or undercooked. These should be avoided while pregnant.
- Some Cheeses: Some cheeses, especially soft cheeses or cheeses that contain mould may have listeria, which can spread as an infection to your baby.
If you have already eaten something on this list, don’t panic. Eating these foods presents an elevated risk of complications during pregnancy, but not a guarantee. If you have been eating something listed here, it’s simply best to stop now, and to inform your doctor while you both monitor your situation.
Medications You Can’t Take While Pregnant
Medications can affect your body in unique ways. For grown adults, this can help to numb pain or reduce inflammation, for example. However, these same helpful medications can negatively affect a baby’s developing body, whether transmitted from mother-to-child while in the womb, or via breast milk after after the child is born.
If you are pregnant, you should avoid the following medications during pregnancy:
- ACE inhibitors: These medications, such as benazepril and lisinopril, lower blood pressure, which can have an adverse effect on your baby’s health.
- Antidepressants: Some antidepressants have been associated with birth defects when taken during pregnancy. Speak with your doctor about your antidepressant prescription if you are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant.
- Anxiety medications: Prescription medications used for anxiety, such as Xanax or Valium, should not be taken during pregnancy.
- Aspirin: High doses of aspirin may cause defects in a fetus’s circulatory system. Speak to your doctor before taking even low doses of aspirin.
- Bismuth subsalicylate: This medication, found most commonly over-the-counter in Pepto-Bismol, may cause birth defects in infants.
- Decongestants: Some decongestants, such as phenylephrine or pseudoephedrine have been associated with birth defects in infants. This is also true of some cough medicines that contain the substance guaifenesin.
- Ibuprofen: This commonly used painkiller, which appears in generic form or under the brands Motrin and Advil, has been associated with birth defects when taken in early stages of pregnancy.
- Isotretinoin: This acne medication, which appears most commonly in the brand Accutane, is likely to cause birth defects and should be avoided during pregnancy.
- Lithium: Lithium is sometimes used to treat bipolar disorder with a prescription. Speak to your doctor about whether or not you should continue your prescription if you are pregnant or are planning on becoming pregnant.
It’s important to understand that our knowledge of how certain medications interact with pregnancy is constantly evolving. In 2014, for example, researches released two studies concerning the effects of Tylenol use on pregnancy. Even these papers, as well-researched as they were, contained strong caveats about their results. If you’re taking any medications while you are pregnant, it’s best to consult with your doctor to stay up to date on the latest research and to understand what doses may be safe or unsafe for you and your baby.
Things You Can’t Do While Pregnant
Certain activities may cause undue stress on your body or the developing body of your child during pregnancy, while certain environments can expose you to unhealthy substances or situations. It’s important to know what activities and situations to avoid so that you can have the healthiest pregnancy possible.
Activities To Avoid
- Activities With High Risk of Falling: Activities like skiing, skating, and rock climbing all carry risk of high impact falls. These falls could be dangerous for both you and your baby.
- Contact Sports: Contact sports can present a large risk of injury to you, but you may also suffer trauma to the abdomen, which can put your baby at risk as well.
- High Altitude Sports: Some activities like hiking, rock climbing, and mountaineering can take you to very high altitudes where the air is relatively thin. Exercise at high altitudes can lead to both you and the baby not getting enough oxygen.
- High Impact Activities: Some recreational activities, such as aerobics, can contain a lot of jumping and other high impact movements. These can increase your risk of injury while you are pregnant and your center of gravity is shifted.
Situations and Settings To Avoid
- Cats: Cats themselves are not a danger to pregnant women. However, the toxoplasmosis infection can be spread from cat feces or cat litter. If you have a cat, you may consider asking your spouse to take over litter duty for the duration of your pregnancy.
- Cleaning Products: Some cleaning products contain fumes that can be toxic when inhaled in large quantities. To an adult these may be of no concern, but they can be harmful to a developing infant. Check the labels of any cleaning products you use for warnings and try to leave doors and windows open when you clean so that chemicals can air out.
- Fresh Paint: Wet paint can also give off noxious fumes. Although most modern paints are very low-risk for pregnant women, some older paints contain traces of lead, which can be dangerous to a fetus. You can minimize this risk by waiting until after the first trimester to do any painting, using water-based paints, and working in a well-ventilated room with appropriate protection.
- Hot Tubs and Saunas: While you are pregnant, you run a greater chance of fainting from overheating. As your body’s temperature rises from the hot tub or sauna, you can risk hurting both the baby and yourself.
- X-Ray Imaging: There is some risk of complications arising during pregnancy due to exposure from x-ray radiation. However, the risk is fairly low for most x-rays. If you are in a situation where you may be x-rayed, you should inform your healthcare provider that you are pregnant so that you and they both can make the best decision about whether or not and where you should be x-rayed.
There are some risky activities and situations a pregnant woman can find herself in, but most of them can be avoided in daily life with minimal effort. Ultimately, it’s best to listen to your body — do what’s comfortable for and don’t push yourself too hard — and listen to your doctor as well.
First-time moms may be apprehensive about working out while pregnant, which may stand in the way of maintaining an active lifestyle. One question you may be itching to ask your health provider is: can I exercise while I’m pregnant?
Routine exercise during pregnancy is generally encouraged and can be very beneficial to you and your baby. Even if you didn’t exercise before your pregnancy, you might want to consider consulting your doctor to see if you should begin doing so in order to help reduce pregnancy symptoms, facilitate muscle tone, and also to ease labor pains. However, while exercise is ideal during pregnancy, some activities should be avoided to prevent harm. With the approval of your physician, consider some of the safe exercises below.
Workout Activities To Avoid During Pregnancy
Although prenatal exercises such as light yoga and stretching are generally great activity options throughout pregnancy, there are some activities involved in certain workouts you should consult with your doctor before engaging in. For example, it is advised to avoid certain yoga poses the further along an expectant mother is. To prevent harm and complications during pregnancy, you may want to stay away from the following activities:
- Activities that involve a high risk of the falling or physical contact: sports such as volleyball, basketball, or soccer and other sports with a high risk of falling like downhill skiing, outdoor cycling, or rollerblading should be avoided after the first trimester (or 20 weeks) to prevent potential injury.
- Activities where you lay flat on your back: lying flat on your back for an extended period can cause the weight of your growing uterus to restrict circulation to you and your baby. These activities are especially off-limits after 20 weeks.
- Excessive bouncing or advanced abdominal moving: activities such as sit-ups, leg lifts, and stretches that involve jumping and/or bouncing can pull on the abdomen as well as stretch and tear ligaments.
- Exercises in warm or humid environments: Hot yoga, exercising in a warm climate, or sitting in hot tubs and saunas will raise your body temperature. This may trigger blood to be carried away from your uterus in an attempt to cool off your skin.
- Exercises that restrict your breathing: holding your breath or exercising at too high of an intensity will not allow you or your baby the constant flow of oxygen you need.
Safe Exercises for Working Out While Pregnant
The body undergoes significant changes throughout pregnancy, meaning that you may be able to do slightly more vigorous exercises in your first trimester that you might not be able to do in your third. While avoiding the activities above, there are several accepted exercises and activities to try throughout every trimester of pregnancy.
First Trimester Pregnancy Exercises
Most people would not want to work out while experiencing nausea, fatigue, heartburn, constipation, and other symptoms of pregnancy — however, exercise can help reduce first-trimester conditions and symptoms. With your doctor’s permission, try some of these exercises during your first trimester:
- Walking, jogging, and running.
- Swimming and water aerobics.
- Pilates.
- Low-intensity weight lifting.
- Stationary cycling.
Yoga Poses for the First Trimester
Practicing yoga throughout pregnancy is highly encouraged to ease aches and pains, alleviate indigestion, and relieve stress. However, it is advised to avoid hot yoga and positions that involve backbends, laying on your back, abdominal twists, raising your feet above your head and heart, and situations where you may fall. Yoga poses in your first trimester should include some basic standing, standing balancing, hip openers, mild abdominal, and open-seated twist poses. Some yoga poses that are safe for your first trimester to try include:
- Side Angle Poses.
- The Palm Tree Pose.
- The Butterfly Pose.
- The Cat Pose.
- The Warrior Pose.
Second Trimester Pregnancy Exercises
Months four to six will see the development of a “baby bump”, and you may experience shortness of breath and heartburn. Your nausea and fatigue may be subsiding, and you might have more energy to exercise, but, as you are further along in your pregnancy, you will want to be more mindful. It is recommended that 30 minutes of exercise on most, or all, days of the week should be your goal.
Your activities here should be less intensive than your exercises in your first trimester. It is a good rule of thumb that if you are too out of breath to carry a normal conversation during the following workouts, you may want to slow down:
- Walking and jogging.
- Swimming and water aerobics.
- Stationary cycling.
- Squats.
Yoga Poses for the Second Trimester
During the second trimester, you’ll want to avoid poses such as the Boat or Plank Pose, which puts pressure on the abdominal muscles. Additionally, you can substitute and modify poses using support to prevent a loss of balance. Yoga Poses to try in your second trimester can include:
- The Warrior Pose.
- The Triangular Pose.
- Downward Facing Dog.
- The Child’s Pose.
- Poses while laying down on your side.
Third Trimester Pregnancy Exercises
It can be beneficial during the third trimester to do exercises that will strengthen birthing muscles. Pelvic floor exercises, squats, and gentle ab workouts can help reduce third-trimester pains while preparing the body for labor. These types of activities can include:
- Walking.
- Kegels.
- Knee Lifts.
- Toe Taps.
- Squats.
- Swimming and water aerobics.
Yoga Poses for the Third Trimester
Yoga in the third trimester should include poses to help create a good pelvic alignment and position for your baby. This consists of some poses from the first and second trimester, however, will involve some new poses such as:
- The Tree Pose.
- Standing Hip Rotations.
- The Warrior I and II Pose.
- The Cobbler’s Pose.
- The Bridge Pose.
Each exercise above will serve a specific purpose throughout your pregnancy. Walking, running, and jogging are heart-healthy, and swinging your arms during these activities can help build upper arm strength. Swimming and water aerobics involve low impact motion while building core muscle strength. Yoga can help you stretch muscles, decreasing blood pressure and relieving aches and pains.
All of these activities should be done on flat ground to prevent falling, and it would be best to take special consideration not to overexert oneself during any phase of pregnancy. When working out, remember to do what feels right, to warm up and cool down, and to always stay hydrated. You may also want to wear comfortable, loose fitting clothing. In certain instances, it may be prudent to purchase disposable nursing pads to absorb leakage, prevent staining your clothes, and to protect your nipples from becoming sore or cracked.
Exercises To Induce Labor
You should always speak with your doctor before trying to induce labor. Additionally, if you are counting on exercise to help induce your labor, you may want to consider other options. Exercising while pregnant can make for a healthier baby, easier labor, and can even reduce the risk of a cesarean birth — however, it is not proven that increased physical activity will induce labor. Though it is not proven, it won’t hurt to try inducing labor with exercise in most cases.
Exercising while you are pregnant should always be discussed with your doctor to create a routine that is best for you. Your doctor can also put to bed any breastfeeding myths, such as claims that exercise negatively affects your milk supply. Before you start any of the activities above, or any work out activities in general while pregnant, it is a good idea to get the go-ahead first from a medical professional. In most cases, a regular prenatal exercise routine will be suggested so that you can have the most complication-free labor and delivery possible.
