Pregnancy: The 9-Month Marathon

Nursery décor.  Daycare. The just-right designer stroller.

When you’re pregnant, there’s no shortage of decisions.

But what about  the myriad of other health choices pregnant women make, almost unconsciously? Whether to reach for that second slice of pizza, or try an apple instead? If  they should take a post-dinner walk around the neighborhood, or camp out on the couch (with a book of baby names)? Late night TV, or a solid eight hours of sleep?

And of course, we’ve all heard the phrase “eating for two,” but what does that really mean? Is pregnancy really cart blanche to pound your way through a nightly pint of Haagan-Daz? Or does it, perhaps, suggest something more powerful – that expecting women have a unique responsibility to make health choices for not only themselves, but, by default, for their babies?

Sure, noshing on a nutrient-rich diet when you’re nauseated – or when you’re only craving french fries and pickles – isn’t easy. Neither is working out when you’re exhausted from growing a human.

Still, these healthy habits are incredibly important. In the clip below, we asked maternal fetal medicine expert Dr. Loralei Thornburg to explain why.

Craving Social Support for Your Pregnancy?

Researchers from the University of Rochester and Cornell University have teamed up to launch a major study, “eMoms Rochester,” that will assess how effectively electronic and web-based strategies can promote healthy behaviors in women both during pregnancy and immediately after their babies are born.

This innovative research effort is the first of its kind and part of a broader federal initiative to evaluate how technologies, such as cell phones, can be employed to improve health.  Women who participate will not only receive information on how to be healthy during and after their pregnancies, but could also receive up to $140 in gift cards as a small “thank you.”

Want more information about the “eMoms Rochester” study? Just visit www.emomsroc.org or call (585) 273-3090.

Who Made You the Peanut Butter Cup Police?

Faced with a candy-centric holiday, parents too often find themselves playing the part of “sugar police.”  It’s only natural; they’re genuinely concerned for their kids’ tummies, their teeth, and more importantly, their learning lifelong habits about balance and making healthy choices.

For this week’s blog post, we tapped pediatrician (and parent!) Dr. Stephen Cook to give some smart advice for keeping the holiday candy craziness from spiraling out of control –- plus, tips for making the night truly memorable (just watch the clip below!)

But before we talk about the kids, let’s be honest. They aren’t the only ones likely to slip into an Oct. 31 sugar coma; we’re liable to, too. Below are a few suggestions for parents with a penchant for the candy bowl:

• Buy a type of candy you don’t like, so you’re less tempted by the leftovers. Are you a Butterfinger fanatic, but don’t like the mouth-puckering zing of Sweet Tarts? Then buy the latter. That way, when there are leftovers (and we know there will be leftovers – you stockpiled like it was Y2K!), you’ll be less tempted to inhale them.
• Bring the extra goodies to work – but keep the bowl out of your reach. Studies show that if the candy dish is on your desk, you’ll probably eat more. Put the communal candy pot in a neutral place (e.g., the coffee room), so you’ll have to me more purposeful about grabbing a piece.
• Cap trick-or-treating time. We know you wind up helping the kids eat the goods (come on, who hasn’t heard of a “parent tax” on peanut butter cups?), so consider limiting the amount of loot the kids haul home by setting an hour or half-hour limit on the trick-or-treating. You’ll all be better for it.

Do you have any great tips for navigating the candy chaos each Halloween?

Dr. Stephen Cook is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at Golisano Children’s Hospital at URMC. Learn more about how some of his work is shaping local kids’ health and nutrition, here.