Ranting About Poor Diet During Pregnancy!

I'm a midwife and if you will allow me, I wish to rant about something and it is pregnancy and diet related. But just bare with me to get to how it is related to diet. 

I must warn you though. This is a graphic story about a scary birth. So if that bothers you, you might not want to read it.

I wanted to tell about a recent delivery I did. The labor seemed pretty typical for a second baby. But she had one of the worst shoulder dystocias I have ever seen (at least in some respects). A shoulder dystocia is when the baby gets stuck after its head is born but before the body comes out. The baby's shoulder gets stuck on the mom's pubic bone. When the baby is stuck like this, you HAVE to get it out fast because if you don't he will die or become brain damaged. It's very serious.

Well, I've handled many shoulder dystocia's before. I'm pretty good at getting stuck babies loose. There are several maneuvers that are used in situations like this and I am familiar with them all. But I couldn’t even reach this baby's shoulders at first because they were wedged so badly up in there. To deal with this, we flipped the mom to hands/knees (one of the maneuvers). She had been on my birth stool. But I ended up having to put my entire hand inside her to reach the baby’s shoulder and work it loose. Believe me, this is not exactly the most pleasant thing to have to do or have done to you.

The baby is now fine. Thank God!  But the poor kid was really in shock immediately after coming out. I had to help him breath because he didn't want to breath on his own after the trauma he had just gone through. To my surprise, when my assistant called out 1 minute for me to take his APGAR, I thought, “Only one minute?! That seemed like an eternity!” I checked him over really carefully and I couldn’t believe it, he was a perfect 10! He never did loose too much color because his cord was still going good. (We never cut a cord prematurely like they do so often in the hospitals.) So even though he needed to breath, his color was good because he was getting 02 from his cord. But he was just terribly limp and did not want to breathe. That's why he needed help. Amazingly the Mom did not tear at all, either.

Okay, so here is my rant and here is the diet connection….

The fact is that a lot of shoulder dystocias are caused by the mom eating too much junk during her pregnancy, especially sugar. Not all shoulder dystocias are caused by this but a lot of them are. The midwives in my area often call such babies "sugar babies" because they are too fat because of sugar in the mom's diet.

And I believe this mother’s diet was terrible! I suspected it all along during her prenatal care but she would always tell me what I wanted to hear whenever we talked about her diet. And she never spilled sugar in her urine or anything that I could really point to during her check up to get her attention. But I still knew she wasn’t eating right because of how she talked about food with her two year old. For example, she always uses candy as a way to motivate her child to do something.

So now, after being in this client's home and delivering her baby and after examining her placenta which showed definite signs of a bad diet, I am totally convinced that she ate way too much junk during her pregnancy. Her kitchen was full of nothing but junk food and LOTS of it (cookies, candies, all kinds of fattening chips, etc.) And it’s only her husband and her who live there with their 2 year old daughter. The husband is not very overweight but my client is overweight. So I’m figuring she has to be eating a fair amount of the junk she had in her kitchen.  

I hate it when I have to deal with a scary birth and I’m the one responsible for a safe delivery. But honestly, the fact that this mother’s diet was crappy is probably the real reason we had such a difficult delivery.

I know there is only so much I can do to convince my clients to eat more healthy. I try to guide them without preaching or getting on their case. But after a birth like this, I wonder if I am doing enough to teach them about nutrition. I wish all mothers would see that when they don’t take their nutrition seriously they are really putting their children at risk. 

Sorry for ranting about this but I really felt like some of these things needed to be said. I hope I haven't offended anyone. But please take your nutrition seriously, especially when you are pregnant!

~ Beth

It's just not worth the risk - your own life and your babies life by eating like that. Thanks for the warning - I had no idea that it effected the chances like that o.o

Two quick questions: What was the point of putting your parenthetical statement in there about the hospital? Were you trying to take a stab at OB/GYNs because you're a midwife? I was just wondering.

I don't know... you may be right, there may be some correlation, but I don't know.

During my pregnancy I was VERY hard up for money. I was working full time to pay my rent and electricity, and the rest went for gas and groceries....it wasn't much. I was getting WIC, but not food stamps (didn't think to apply).

I didn't have the most healthy diet, and my body definitely reflected that, but my son was a healthy 7 lbs 9oz when he was born.

By not healthy I mean I was consuming a lot of sugar (1 package of kool-aid a day made with 1 cup of sugar). I ate fairly well for the most part, when I could...but if junk was available (and it is almost always less expensive than the healthiest of foods) then I would eat junk.

I admit, I did get lucky. No gestational diabetes, nothing.

I just find it hard to believe that a bigger baby is due to the mother eating poorly. I was 9lbs 10oz and my mom is/was a health food nut.

Interesting.  I've never heard the sugar baby thing before.

I love reading midwife stories.

I got on my hands and knees to push at my hospital delivery with baby #2 and from the looks I got from the staff you'd've thought I was standing on my head.  As if hands and knees was somehow MORE bizarre than laying on my back while a nurse told me to push "up and out".  UP?  No thanks.

I'm done having babies :knock wood:, but I thought your post was a great read.

Original Post by tiegurl:

Two quick questions: What was the point of putting your parenthetical statement in there about the hospital? Were you trying to take a stab at OB/GYNs because you're a midwife? I was just wondering.

The parenthetical was simply to explain the difference. I don't cut the cord before it finishes pulsing unless it is medically necessary and it is a fact (at least where I live) that most births in hospitals include cutting the cord immediately after delivery.

As for your second question. I honestly wasn't trying to take a stab at anyone. I am proud to be a midwife but I also know some mighty fine OB/GYNs. I am neither anti-hosptial or anti-OB/GYN.

~ Beth

Wow, I never knew about any of this. I didn't know that a bad diet could affect the birth of the baby, but it all makes sense now. How horrible. And why would you lie about your diet to someone who KNOWS what they are talking about and knows the consequences? It's very sad that she was being so selfish that she didn't even consider what could have happened to her unborn baby. I hope she feels very indebted to you because she really is.

Unfortunately, many young women of child bearing age in the united states are completely ignorant about nutrition...as are  many young moms. They have never been educated about what healthy eating is really like, hence, overweight kids who are actually malnourished with crappy dental health (especially from low-income families who lack education) Candy is a food group to them . Sending coca-cola with a kindergartners packed lunch from home isn't a shocker ( I work in a primary school) No veggies, no fruit...it's a wonder some of us grew up isn't it? Much less survived the womb. I think our schools need to teach nutrition as a class...and then implement those teachings in the school lunch programs.

Oh okay. I was wondering. I never seen the umbilical cord cut too early but I have been in two births at one hospital.

Original Post by tiegurl:

Oh okay. I was wondering. I never seen the umbilical cord cut too early but I have been in two births at one hospital.

 I think "too early" is a relative term.  For many docs, the moment the entire baby is out is the time to cut the cord.  To Lotus birthers any unnatural cutting of the cord is too early.  It should be left intact to fall off on it's own.  Look hard enough and you can find someone, somewhere who thinks that any time between those two extremes is too early or not soon enough.

I think there is a correlation between pregnancy and diet.  I was told by a very well respected miwife that women really need to always treat their bodies as if any cycle they could get pregnant. That means we really should be loading up on good food long before we ever decide to have childern.

I was a kid who brought soda to school and ate bags of chips as a healthy snack.  Now i am well beyond that, my DP calls me a food nazi because there is food that's simply not allowed in my house.  I had a 50/50 healthy pregnancy with my own DS.  I had HUGE junk food cravings that wouldn't go away by eating something healthy. 

Now since havig my DS I am much more healthier than I was in the past....dispite becoming over weight and nutrient deficient.  IF I should have an other child..and I am very vocal about Natural Familyplanning so its not going to happen, I will be in a better place for natural healthy delivery.

BTW, I heart midwives and can promise you I wouldn't step foot in a hospital to give birth EVER AGAIN. 

Weddingmama,

I just have to comment  on your picture (cartoon). I LOVE it! That is just too funny. Unfortunately, I can relate just a little too much.

Beth

Some babies are just born big. My son was born at 10lbs8. I had the Glucose Intolerance test, my urine was dipped every week, all because my belly grew H U G E during the pregnancy. I came back clear every time.

My daughter was born a week early at 9lbs3, same story, same results.

I make big babies, diet notwithstanding.

I never paid much attention to what i ate, i was suffering from sickness so badly that ANY food i managed to eat AND keep down was a bonus. If that meant eating ice cream or pretzels all day every day for weeks on end, so be it. Luckily i could eat mangos and huge oranges till the cows came home, so it wasn't all processed sugar and fat and salt laden.

Look I don't know this person or there life style but we don't keep junk food of any sort in my home and if we do eat out which is rare its Sushi ... and I put on what I was told bye one doctor horrible amount of weight  while I was pregnant.....now I was over weight to begin with due to losing a Family member due to a medication change , a best friend to cancer and my parents decided to divorce this all happened not long after I married the love of my life and while I was trying to cope with all this I also gained a nasty physical injury which no longer allowed me to continue my career for a time or any other I was told to rest and recover . This was all a little to much to handle so I took to eating one meal a day if I ate at all and doing nothing heck there were days I didn't get out of bed and since my husband worked out of town for months at a time he never really new what was going on just that his wife was putting on a lot of weight , and since he love's me he never said a word and was a supportive as possible when a person can't be there all the time. Now I realize that there are better ways to deal with problems but that's how I did it and went from very fit and active 145lbs to 245lbs at my highest about a year before I got pregnant ... At this point I went to my doctor who told me I needed to eat at least six times a day since my body felt it was starving so it horded everything  and exercise were I went form 245lbs to 192lbs and was steadily losing weight when I got pregnant , after I got pregnant I lost another 20is lbs due to being very sick up till the fifth month were I started to feel good but strangely not very hungry... I only craved fresh veggies and fruit (sorry no weird cravings here) and that's what I ate however I was still able to put on 40+ lbs which made me want to cry and I got high blood pressure and was put on bed rest. my doctor wasn't really concerned however when I was sent to a different doctor as I live in a small town now (pop 800) and they no longer do delivery's he was like why have you put all this weight on what are you eating you must do a glucose test you need your blood and urine tested ....all by the way were totally normal...he felt I shouldn't be putting on any weight at all so when I got home and had a good hormonal cry......after that I would not eat anything all day no matter how sick I felt and when I would eat at night I would only have a salad....my husband started to freak out cause he was really concerned...he had words with that doctor but it didn't help me any....but guess what at every weigh in I had gained and continued to due so when I finally went into labour (2 weeks over due) the doctor and nurses were like oh my god your huge I bet your going to have a 10lbs+ baby in there ...this didn't make me feel very good none the less I was totally against using any drugs and was fanatical about having a vaginal birth (things didn't go to plan) the nurses were really awful and though I was in labour for 2.5 days  and argued with the doctor to keep trying the last day which he agreed to and left the room shaking his head and laughing ....however 12 hours later and a lot of pushing I suddenly had a new pain this was different then anything else I had felt up till now and was on one side and I knew that I needed a doctor now as something was wrong ....I had to argue with the nurses for 45mins to an hour .....ever tried to argue with someone while in intense labour .....the one nurse actually told me I had 10 min to get this thing done .....I looked at her like lady are you kidding me?....anyway i finally got my doctor who confirmed I was in troubled and would need a section (that was Fun) here's the kicker that huge baby was a 7lbs 21inches long little girl who had simply turned her head the wrong way (so they say) but I loved this after I was given such a hard time about how much weight I had put on I was no being told my daughter was under weight(other than that she was very healthy) and they didn't know if they would release her to us when I was able to go home and that I was required to have a health nurse visit immediately after we returned home and every week following it to make sure she was  putting on enough weight and that I might not be able to strictly BF..... the health nurse didn't come out immediately not because she wasn't contacted just cause she was very busy and didn't feel this was something to be concerned about and if I had any concerns to bring her in to our family doctor...she came out 2 weeks later and guess what on just BF my little girl who when she left the hospital weighed in at 6.7lbs went up to 9.1lbs ....anyway what I'm getting at is that I don't feel that every pregnancy problem stems from weight gained or from being over-weight to begin with I have good friends all which have had at least one baby and the majority put on far more weight then I and they started at a really good weight ...I will use my best friend as an example as she normally weighs in around 136lbs and at the end of her pregnancy she was at 227lbs she barley made it to the hospital she got out of her clothes on the bed and with out a word of a lie 12 min later there was her daughter a very healthy 22inches and 9.8lbs our other friend didn't put on that much however she had a 10.4lbs boy 23inches and she was only in labour 6 hours easy as that so I really don't feel it's fare for someone professional or otherwise to blame weight as the reason things go wrong I honestly think that sometimes things just go wrong and some of us are built for child birth the rest of us make due with what we have 

I think the point to be taken is...if you have to choice to take better care of your body and eat healthier when pregnant, do it.  There are some circumstances out of our control, of course, but if you have the attitude of "I'm going to get fat anyway, so why not?" you should change it.

I have four kids--ate and exercised pretty much the same all four pregnancies.

#1 and #3 I had gestational diabetes.  It was better controlled with number 3, and he was 9 pounds 11 ounces.  #1 was only 8' 15'--and she was the one with the compound presentation, delivered in a military hospital while I was on active duty...obviously very carefully watching my intake and exercise.  Numbers 2 and 4, I had no GD (how, I do not know), and they were average 7 1/2 pounders.  You get what you are given.

Generally though, the best thing you can do for your baby, and yourself so that you can stay in some relative good shape to bounce back after childbirth is to eat healthy and be honest with yourself about it--even if you can't muster up the courage to be honest with the doctor.

Original Post by kelleigh:

I don't know... you may be right, there may be some correlation, but I don't know.

During my pregnancy I was VERY hard up for money. I was working full time to pay my rent and electricity, and the rest went for gas and groceries....it wasn't much. I was getting WIC, but not food stamps (didn't think to apply).

I didn't have the most healthy diet, and my body definitely reflected that, but my son was a healthy 7 lbs 9oz when he was born.

By not healthy I mean I was consuming a lot of sugar (1 package of kool-aid a day made with 1 cup of sugar). I ate fairly well for the most part, when I could...but if junk was available (and it is almost always less expensive than the healthiest of foods) then I would eat junk.

I admit, I did get lucky. No gestational diabetes, nothing.

I just find it hard to believe that a bigger baby is due to the mother eating poorly. I was 9lbs 10oz and my mom is/was a health food nut.

I know this is a late post but I think this is a VERY irresposible post. Lots of women eat badly during their pregnancies and DO get VERY sick. I got pre-eclampsiea during my first pregnancy and nearly died in my delivery. So just bc you didnt have any problems doesn't mean a thing.

It like a smoker denying that smoking causes cancer, because THEY don't have cancer...