What Can WIC Do For You?

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program was started in 1972 after the Children's Nutrition Act of 1966 was passed. The goal of this policy of Congress was to provide safeguards for the nation's children and provide them with good food and nutrition through grants-in-aid. Then came WIC, a program for low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at a nutritional risk. This includes women who are pregnant with their first child.
 
Benefits
This program affects many people. Half of all infants in the United States are receiving WIC and about a quarter of the children aged 1-4 are using WIC. Because of the need for this program it became a permanent national program. Eligibility is based on your income level and it comes in the form of a voucher that lists what you can get and how much of each food you can get.
 
For many low-income families, WIC is the only way they can get by each month. Not only that but they would be eating food that is less nutritious because they couldn't afford the healthier items that WIC provides, but after talking to several people that receive WIC, I found that many of these people would not drink enough milk or have fresh fruits and vegetables if they didn't have this program because they simply couldn't afford it.

Over the last several weeks I have been posting about how nourishing the body while pregnant is the best way to provide a healthy life for a child's future because this will reduce the risk of other health complications later in their life. By having a program like WIC, people with lower incomes can still nourish their baby before birth and give that child a chance at a healthy life right from the start.
 
Here is a break down of the different programs that WIC has and what you would receive if you were a part of each category:

 Drawbacks
There are nutrition education classes that are a part of the WIC program to get the people educated and it helps them learn healthy from unhealthy and also what foods they should avoid. Many of the participants of WIC do not have transportation and it makes it difficult for them to attend the classes.

The people that are a part of the program are not fully aware of all the regulations of the program and may not know that if they will not use a voucher for something because they wont eat that food, or don't like a food to not use the voucher for that food, so it will leave more money in the program for others to use.

If your child needs special formula, they will cover it even if it ordered by the infants doctor; such as lactose intolerant infant formula. Unless they are on a feeding tube or other major issue, then you will have to pay for the special formula on your own.

Lastly, this is a grant based program and when they run out of money, no one new is approved-even people who may really need the assistance.

Do Something
What are your thoughts about this program? Does it meet the needs of those that are in the program? Does it include enough people? Or are there eligibility requirements to difficult to meet? What else could the program change to make it better?

If you have an opinion, it matters! Contact a legislator today and let them know what your ideas are. For representatives in MN click here. Enter your Address, City, State and Zipcode and it will give you links to webpages of representatives in your area.
For representatives in other states search Google for legislators in your state.

If you have never written to a representative before and want to, here is an example on how to write an effective letter to a congressman:
http://www.asbmb.org/Advocacy/advocacy.aspx?id=14388

To learn more about the WIC program and its regulations please look through these sites. They have a lot of really great information about the program and its requirements.
http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/fanrr-food-assistance-nutrition-research-program/fanrr27.aspx#.Un5iI9fnbIU



Cooking and Nutrition in Every Trimester

Healthy snacks are an important part of every one's diet, but last week we found that this is not always easy. Cravings for unhealthy foods happen. Last week we gave alternatives. This week I found a few videos that split up important cooking and nutrition tips for each trimester, making it as easy as 1, 2, 3. Take a peek at these short clips.

Pregnancy Tips - 1st Trimester Cooking & Nutrition

Pregnancy Tips - 2nd Trimester Cooking & Nutrition

Pregnancy Tips - 3rd Trimester Cooking & Nutrition

So those were some good tips. There are more recipes and tips on the SureBaby website here. Overall, it is important to eat healthy for many reasons. Some of these reasons change depending on which trimester you are in.

The first video talks about morning sickness and eating small meals and snacks frequently while consuming protein foods for breakfast and supper in the first trimester to help minimize morning sickness, when this symptom is most prevalent.

As for the second trimester, many moms-to-be are busy just like the rest of the population, so this video gives an example of healthy and quick alternatives for them to get all the energy that they need. I mean they are after all, growing a baby, and that takes a lot of energy.

The third video discusses some of those healthy alternatives to cravings I talked about last week on my blog. This is the time when the baby is gaining the most weight and therefore you are going to be also, about 1 lb a week. Eating healthy during this time will help you lose the weight after the birth of the baby.

I was impressed with these videos because they gave a lot of information in a matter of two minutes or so each. Learning and finding information about pregnancy can be tough, but always remember...eating healthy is key to a healthy baby. So use some of these tips to get enough energy the healthy way.

Those Crazy Cravings..

Pickles and Ice Cream Image

Cheese Whiz sandwiches anyone? How about pickles and ice cream? Just ice? Black olives and cheesecake?

These are a few of many of the food cravings that people have claimed to have during pregnancy. A lot of the people I know gave into their cravings during pregnancy, saying it is impossible...because your body wants what it wants! While this is kind of true, it has more to do with the flurry of hormones going on in your body.

Research says that pregnant women prefer sweeter tastes over salty ones. I found this topic interesting in the fact that some people believe that these cravings MEAN something. Such as nutrient deficiencies, however there is no research to prove this. So who knows whether the link to iron deficiencies due to cravings of ice, cigarette butts, or laundry starch is true.

Some things to remember when those cravings hit is not to avoid them because it is important to satisfy your emotional feelings.....So if you are craving:

• Cranberry juice: Get the fortified stuff
• Milk or dairy: Go for it, it contains lots of protein, calcium, and other nutrients
• Ice Cream: Try low-fat frozen yogurt
• Pastries: try taking graham crackers with cream cheese and fruit preserves to get the sweetne

If your craving is a healthy one, go for it! If not, some other ways to curb the cravings include:

• Getting exercise!
• Eating breakfast
• Eat regularly to avoid drops in blood sugar
• Lots of emotional support
• Eat less unhealthy foods (i.e. substitute a fun-sized candy bar for a full-sized one)
   

 Sources:
Coping With Pregnancy Cravings 
Food Cravings and What They Mean 

Obamacare and Your Baby

Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act is a very long very in depth system of health care that many, including myself, know little about. The goal of the program is to give more people access to better health insurance with more coverage. Many people are denied health insurance now due to the fact that they have a preexisting condition. Obama wants to stress that this program regulates health insurance, not health care. This means that you can keep your same doctor and get the same services, only more will be covered by insurance and less people will be denied.

For those who are or plan to be pregnant, there are many things that may be changing, some of which have already gone into place. Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) gives more women access to guaranteed preventive women's health services. Many of those services used to only be offered by co-pay or deductibles that a lot of women could not afford.

Services that are very important and that will be covered completely are:

• Testing for gestational diabetes
• Breast-feeding support and supplies
• HPV Testing
• Almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV
•  Many other services that will be covered can be found here.

 

 The really great parts about all of the changes to health insurance that I found were:

• If you have had a Cesarean section, you will not be denied for a preexisting condition
• Preventive care is a focus and this is important because, it is better to prevent a problem, than to treat one
• Women no longer need a referral to see their OB-GYN, they get to choose their primary doctor from their plan's list of participating providers

So with these provisions that we just learned about, the goal is to provide the best care available, with more services being available, to give your unborn child the best chance at a healthy life. If you are healthy, it is likely your baby will be healthy. So take precautions like these that will be more affordable to give your child the best chance at a healthy life.  

Sources:
Obamacare Facts

Pregnant and Diabetic

Gestational diabetes is high amounts of sugar in the blood that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy.
 
There are a number of things that put you at higher risk for getting it, but pregnancy itself causes hormone levels to change and those changes can affect insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. For this reason it is standard to be tested for it about halfway through pregnancy. Some signs to look out for include:

• Being thirsty
• Multiple trips to the bathroom
• Vomiting
• Weight loss
• Being tired
• Getting infections (i.e. skin, bladder, or vaginal)

The best way to keep gestational diabetes under control is to provide carbohydrates by foods that contain natural sugars and fiber to slow down the process of digestion. These foods include fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates like pasta and bread. Also be moderate in the amounts of fat and protein you eat and eat a variety of healthy foods. But don't eat many foods that contain high amounts of sugar like pop, juice and desserts. In some cases medicine may need to prescribed if diet and exercise are not controlling your blood sugar levels.
 
Doing these things should avoid any harm to your baby. But if you are worried you may have gestational diabetes, contact your doctor.
 
Sources:
Gestational Diabetes

Should I? Or Shouldn't I?

There are many foods to avoid when you are expecting. Here is a list and a little background on why they should be avoided.

___________________________________________________________
1. Unwashed vegetables

• Toxoplasmosis may contaminate the soil where the vegetables were grown.

Vegetables

2. Soft cheeses

•  May contain E. coli or Listeria.
• You SHOULD choose cheeses that are hard or make sure they are made from pasteurized milk.

Soft Cheese

3. Raw/Undercooked meats or Deli meats
 4. Pate 

• For these two the main concern is again Listeria So either heat to 165 F or with the pate eat it canned.

Deli Meat

5. Fish with mercury 

• High levels of mercury can cause developmental delays and brain damage.
• Shoot for 12 ounces of fish per week that are low in mercury and limit tuna to 6 ounces per week.

6. Smoked seafood
7. Fish exposed to industrial pollutants

• Eat canned versions of these as well or heat to 165 F

Smoked Seafood

8. Raw shellfish

• Raw shellfish are a concern for everybody and should be avoided altogether when you are pregnant.
• It may contain parasites or bacteria.
• Cook to 145 F.

Raw Shellfish

9. Raw eggs/ Cookie dough

• May contain Salmonella
• Bake the cookies or don't use eggs!

Cookie Dough

 

10. Unpasteurized milk/juice

• May contain E. coli
• Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute before drinking. 

11. Alcohol

• NO AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL  is safe for consumption during pregnancy. 
• It can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which is the ONLY 100% preventable birth defect!

Alcohol

12. Caffeine 

•  Only in moderation. There is evidence to show that it can be related to miscarriages, but most says moderate intake.
• As a rule only take in 200mg or less per day.

___________________________________________________________

Pregnancy suppresses your immune system and can make your unborn child susceptible to many microorganisms that can cause food-borne illness. Some of these foods that may contain Listeria have been shown to cause miscarriages. If you are ever in doubt, don't eat it, OR cook it to the appropriate temperatures listed to kill off the harmful bacteria. 
___________________________________________________________
Sources:
Foods to Avoid
Food Safety Gov Checklist

Sometimes Pregnancy Can Get You a Little Off Balance...

How much weight is normal to gain during pregnancy? 15 lbs? 30 lbs? 60 lbs?

It all depends...the amount of weight that you need to gain depends on many things, including: pre-pregnancy weight and BMI.

If you start as Underweight(BMI<18.5)..........................you should gain 28-40 pounds
                           Normal weight (BMI of 18.5-24.9)...............................25-35 pounds
                           Overweight (BMI of 25-29.9).......................................15-25 pounds
                           Obese (BMI>30)..........................................................11-20 pounds

During the first trimester, most usually don't need to increase their daily calorie intake, unless you started out underweight (BMI of <18.5). However, according to MediResource Clinical Team, during the second and third trimesters, you will need an extra 200-300 calories every day. Something to keep in mind is that 200-300 calories is not that much. Eating an extra piece of toast and a banana would be sufficient or having some pumpkin bread and a glass of milk. You are eating for two, but the little one needs significantly less than most women think or would like to think.

Gaining weight is normal but as a reference you should gain only about 5 pounds in the first trimester, and then 3-4 pounds per month until delivery. So how do you balance energy needs?

Exercise

Yes. You guessed it, EXERCISE! Many pregnant women simply do not do enough of this. Why? Well it may be because of many reasons, but mainly because they don't know what is safe and they don't want to hurt their baby. The rule is..if you could do it before you were pregnant, you can do it now. So if you couldn't run a marathon before you got pregnant, don't try it now. 

 You should do:                                                          It helps you:

• Walking                                                             * Boost energy
• Swimming                                                        * Sleep better
• Low-Impact Aerobics                                 * Reduce discomfort
• Dance                                                                * Prepare for childbirth
• Yoga                                                                  * Reduce stress and lift your spirits
• Stretching                                                        * Improve self-image
• Weight Training                                            * Get your body back faster after childbirth

All this information can help you to understand how much energy you need. If you just can't control those cravings and you end up eating more calories than you need, exercise is a great way to help keep energy in balance. 

Sources:
Normal Weight Gain 
Benefits of Exercise
 Safe Exercise