Archive for the ‘ health ’ Category

0
11
Jan

The Truth About Stretchmarks


photo / AmysFun

I’m 34 weeks along and completely covered in stretch marks, so I can’t imagine what I’m up against in these last 6-or-so weeks.  By completely I don’t just mean above my belly button and on my thighs, but hello evil red welts on my ass crack!!

Some people like to tell me that I don’t oil up enough, but that’s just not true.  Since I found out I was pregnant I’ve been saturating my skin in olive oil and natural body balms.  After spending much too much on fancy oils and balms showing no promise, I decided to do some research of why my body is so stretch-mark-prone, and which oils and vitamins will actually help me through this last “stretch” of pregnancy.  As I wait for my shipment of oils & vitamins to come in from Swanson’s, here’s the research I compiled that I sure in the hell wish I had 6 months ago:

So, Why the hell do you get stretchmarks?
The skin and underlying tissue stretch beyond their ability to give, and the collagen deposits located deep in the tissues break apart– the skin actually rips and tears. The tiny tears heal, resulting in scar tissue. Then you’re left with red, pink, purple or brown depressed streaks in the skin.  Stretch marks often appear as small, red, pink, purple or dark brown depressed streaks in the skin.

Genetics play a major role in whether or not you will get stretch marks, and if your mom or sis got them during pregnancy, you probably will too.  Supposedly a sensible diet helps skin to stretch better, which would explain all mine, and why my health-nut friend has NONE.  Dry skin tends to be less elastic than well nourished skin, thus why you should slather on the oil.  Ina May Gaskin’s Spiritual Midwifery claims that women who are “uptight” are more likely to get stretchmarks too, so it’s important to practice stress management and rub out any tension you have in your belly… and although I like to think that I’m down-to-earth, my dad says I may be one of the most uptight girls he’s ever met.  I don’t know if Ina May actually meant it to be that literal.

So what can you do?

  • Eat well: foods high in vitamins C and E, zinc and silica will help your skin to stretch better and also help your skin to bounce back quicker after giving birth. Supposedly, eating an ayurvedic diet is said to help keep scar tissue from forming (wish I knew about Ayurveda before I was pregnant!)  Taking your prenatal vitamins are also critical for beautiful skin and a healthy baby.
  • Stay Hydrated: drink 2-3 quarts (8-12 cups) of water each day!  From the very beginning!!  Keep your skin healthy from the inside!
  • Moisten your skin: oil that contains ingredients such as vitamin E, vitamin A, shea butter, & wheat germ oil.  Calendula also helps promote healthy healing of skin tissue.  Certainly moisturizing helps to improve the skin’s elasticity, however, the effectiveness of just plain oil in preventing stretch marks have been shown to be rather limited.
  • After pregnancy: continue applying oils.  Rosehip seed oil is known to mend scar tissue, but should be avoided during pregnancy (and perhaps if you’re still breastfeeding!  Ask your midwife).  Also, although rare and ridiculously expensive, helichrysum oil is said to be extremely effective in mending both physical and emotional scarring!  Ooolala!

Now, any creams or lotions for stretchmarks should be totally avoided during pregnancy and after.  A Much Better Way‘s article on 10 Safest Products for Pregnancy explains.  Stick to body oils!  Or make your own and save yourself tons of money (since most oils are just drops of the effective stuff in a carrier oil like Almond or Olive oil).

0
1
Jan

Organic is not an option with WIC

Last month I received my first coupons for WIC (Women Infants and Children), a program run by the Food and Nutrition Services of the USDA which provides Federal aid to more than 8 million low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, as well as infants and children under the age of five who are deemed to be at nutritional risk. I was pretty stoked to qualify for a program which would lessen my financial stress… but as my WIC officer began explaining the “Allowable Foods List”, I started losing my excitement.  Except for the $8/month they give you for fruits and veggies, you aren’t allow to buy anything organic.

The fact that the USDA doesn’t encourage pregnant & nursing mothers, infants, and small children to eat organic food is not only mind-boggling but infuriating to me.  WIC claims that they do not limit women’s choices or their individual dietary preferences in any way, stating that it “safeguards the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information”.   Without the option to purchase organic products, women and their children are being forced to comply to a list of products laden with pesticides, unknown growth hormones, added sugars, artificial sweeteners, and genetically modified ingredients.

Each month I am given coupons for the following:

  • 16-oz whole grains (which is almost impossible to find, since whole grains rarely come in packages that small.  The only thing I can find is Kroger’s brown rice.)
  • 3 cans 12-oz frozen or 46-oz juice
  • 4.75 gallons of store-brand milk (read this article, this one, and this one to find out why pasteurized milk is the devil)
  • 36-oz hot or cold breakfast cereal (with privileges to frosted shredded wheat, hello?)
  • 1-lb cheese (ok to buy American, wtf?!)
  • 1-jar 18-oz peanut butter (why I DO love WIC, however, allowing mothers to buy Jiffy is ridiculous!  Read this)
  • 1-carton store-brand eggs, white only, may not include fortified/enriched eggs w/vitamin E, DHA, or Omega 3.
  • 1-can beans
  • $8 fruits and/or veggies!!!  Organic is acceptable!!!

Overall, I can save about $25/month with WIC, which is really sweet.  However, I don’t use the milk or egg coupons because those products scare me shitless!  I just wish I didn’t have to waste that money… and it seems pretty rediculous to me that pregnant women should be drinking almost 5 gallons of freaky-deaky milk each month!!!

However, when I complain frequently to my dad about WIC, he reminds me that the WIC program today is much better than it was when I was born.  New USDA rules for WIC food includes more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains and less foods high in saturated fats.  The WIC program is meeting basic nutritional needs at a minimum cost– with finite funding, increasing food costs and increasing caseloads, many state WIC programs find themselves under pressure to cut costs.  Often organic foods are treated as luxuries.  Many states prohibit WIC recipients from using their WIC benefits for organic food, while other states which once allowed the purchase of organic food have reversed that decision under cost pressure.

Due to the changing economy, the number of WIC eligible families is growing tremendously and WIC funding does not increase with the number of eligible families.  The program is trying to stretch its funding as much as possible so no one gets turned away, and the cost of feeding two families organic food would cover three families eating conventional product. It would be difficult to justify turning away one family in order to feed two families organic food.  Supposedly, state WIC administrators are very receptive to information about pesticide residue in conventional food and the effects of pesticides on children and all of whom share a concern about adequate nutrition.  It’ll be interesting to see how WIC unfolds by the time my baby has a baby.