Meal Planning with the Diet for
Pregnant and Nursing Moms

The following is the recommended Diet for Pregnant and Nursing moms from the Weston A. Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org), as well as my supplement recommendations, available through most Nutritional Therapy Practitioners (NTP’s).

Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

• Cod Liver Oil to supply 20,000 IU vitamin A and 2000 IU vitamin D per day
• 1 quart (or 32 ounces) whole milk daily, preferably raw (www.realmilk.com)
• 4 tablespoons butter daily, preferably from pasture-fed cows
• 2 or more eggs daily, preferably from pastured chickens
• Additional egg yolks daily, added to smoothies, salad dressings, scrambled eggs, etc.
• 3-4 ounces fresh liver, once or twice per week (If you have been told to avoid liver for fear of getting "too much Vitamin A," be sure to read Vitamin A Saga from www.WestonAPrice.org)
• Fresh seafood, 2-4 times per week, particularly wild salmon, shellfish and fish eggs
• Fresh beef or lamb daily, always consumed with the fat
• Oily fish or organic lard daily, for vitamin D
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil daily, used in cooking or smoothies, etc.
• Lacto-fermented condiments and beverages
• Bone broths used in soups, stews and sauces
• Soaked whole grains
• Fresh vegetables and fruits

Recommended Supplements (contact me or your NTP for availability):

Wellness Package

• Cod Liver Oil with High Vitamin Butter Oil
• Nutri-Well Caps- multiple nutrient/glandular supplement
• Nitro-Greens- organic phytonutrient supplement
• Pre-Natal Packs by Biotics

AND/OR

• B12/Folate Plus

AVOID:

• Trans fatty acids (hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils)
• Junk foods
• Commercial fried foods
• Sugar
• Caffeine
• Alcohol
• Cigarettes
• Drugs (even prescription drugs)

Although I would love to go into the science and reasoning behind all of these recommendations, this is not what this article is about.  You’ll just have to trust your NTP, or look up more information through the Weston Price Foundation website, www.westonaprice.org.  Know that these guidelines will promote optimum fetal development, emphasizing skeletal structure, immunity, neurological function, coordination, behavior, and more.

I simply want to outline an example of a weekly diet and supplement routine that would fulfill these recommendations.  Many times my clients receiving this information are overwhelmed and do not understand how these recommendations can be applied to a “normal” life.  Hopefully this information will help. 

Note about pre-conception:
Try to prepare for a pregnancy at least six months before conceiving to ensure the strongest, healthiest pregnancy and fetal development possible.  This is a traditional and cultural practice that has been lost in Western culture. 

Such preparations include:

• Follow the diet for pregnancy and lactation mentioned above.
• Learn how to track menstrual cycles to understand when you are and are not fertile.  This will help a woman having trouble with fertility and help ensure proper times to try to conceive.
• Consider a detoxification plan with a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, and possibly have amalgam fillings removed by an experienced dentist who can ensure a safe removal.
• Consider taking additional supplements recommended by a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner to support reproductive organs for both men and women, and supplements to support early fetal development in case conception occurs, such as B-12 and Folate.  Supplements for pre-conception may include a female health supplements including glandular supplements, Raw Orchic glandular supplement for men, and Raw Ovarian glandular for women.

Here are my meal planning suggestions. 

All recipes in quotations are from my cookbook, The Reality Chef’s Complete Guide to Optimum Health: A Meal Planning Cookbook. Go to www.TheRealityChef.com to order your copy. 

Daily Breakfast:

• “Eggs and Bacon Breakfast,” “Omelet Breakfast,” “Leftovers Frittata,” “Sunny Salmon Eggs,” or any breakfast including 2 eggs, softly cooked.
• Every few days, consider a small serving of organic rolled oats, soaked overnight in water and a little whey (made from raw milk, if possible), and heated; serve with raw cream, butter, extra virgin coconut oil, “Crispy Nuts,” dried organic fruits, and other desired toppings.
•  8 oz raw milk
• Supplements: including high quality Cod Liver Oil and possibly an organic organ meat supplement such as “Organ Delight” by Dr. Rons.  (www.drrons.com)

Mid-Morning Snack:

• “Smoothies” made with 8 oz raw milk and/or kefir, 2 raw egg yolks, with added extra virgin coconut oil (may be used as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack).  Additional options could include organic frozen fruits, organic spinach, and Nitro-Greens (an organic phytonutrient supplement available through your NTP.)

Lunch:

*Eat a fatty fish like salmon or anchovies blended in salad dressing for lunch on days where organic bacon is not consumed for breakfast.

• Mixed salads or leftovers from my cookbook with cooked (fatty pieces of) beef, lamb, shrimp, or salmon, topped with “Strawberry Vinaigrette” or other homemade dressing made with extra virgin coconut oil.  Add anchovies or sardines to salad dressings, if possible.
• Kombucha Tea (homemade or available in health food stores)

*Add lacto-fermented vegetables to salads.  Find recipes in Sally Fallon’s “Nourishing Traditions” Cookbook (see sources below).

Afternoon Snacks:

•  “Homemade Chicken and Vegetable Soup”

*Make this basic soup weekly and add 3-4 oz of grass-fed, organic beef liver to the broth.  Do your best to grind the cooked liver up and keep as much in the soup as possible.

• Fresh organic fruits and vegetables, “Crispy Nuts,” lacto-fermented condiments and beverages, and other nourishing snack options from my cookbook or Sally Fallon’s “Nourishing Traditions” cookbook.

Dinner:

• Follow the weekly dinner plans in my Meal Planning cookbook!  (All dinner recipes include a proper balance of quality whole food sources of fat, protein, and carbohydrate.  Generally meals include a quality meat with 1-2 vegetables, served with butter.)
• 16 oz raw milk

*Use organic lard as a cooking fat option for dinner recipes.
*If possible, substitute one or two weekly meat options with organic beef liver.  Sally Fallon has good organ meat recipes in Nourishing Traditions.

I will be the first to admit that liver was the hardest thing to add to my pregnancy and lactation diet.  It is a good idea to try working on acquiring a taste for liver before having to battle a finicky pregnancy appetite.  If you happen to enjoy eating liver, by all means EAT IT!  Of course, you can’t eat just any beef liver.  Since the liver is a filtration and detoxifying organ, a toxic animal will not have organs safe for eating.  This is why Americans think organ meats are so dangerous.  When from a healthy, grass-fed cow, beef liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods available, surpassing vegetables and fruits by far.  (See resources below for top quality organ meats.)

Additional Considerations:

For many pregnant women, appetites may be very finicky, indigestion a problem, and morning sickness a setback.  Be sure to work with your NTP to address these issues, as they are usually symptoms of deficiencies or dysfunction that can be worked on with natural therapies that are safe during pregnancy.  Also, make sure you are continuing a regular pregnancy-safe exercise routine. 

Please educate yourself about your birth options.  Consider a DONA certified doula, a professional labor assistant that may help reduce complications and need for interventions.  Please breastfeed your baby or babies, and get all the help you need.  Happy Pushing!

*A note about fish: As wonderful as fish is nutritionally, we unfortunately have to worry about fish contaminated with heavy metals.  Farmed fish are nutritionally as bad as commercially produced beef, so I do not consider that an option either.  Generally, small fish like salmon, anchovies and sardines, shrimp, king crab, and lobster are safe.  See a good list here, just ignore most of the info at the top of the page:
www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm

About the Author
Rozlyn Mignogna, NTP- www.TheRealityChef.com
Rozlyn Mignogna is a Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and Birth Doula (DONA certification pending), practicing out of South Orange County, CA. 
Rozlyn is also a retired-for-now Broadway singer/dancer/actress, and was an original cast member in the musical “Wicked” in Chicago in 2005.  Now she enjoys singing and recording music for her church. Rozlyn is mostly proud of her beautiful family- husband, Brendan, and daughter, Eden.  In 2009, Rozlyn self-published a meal planning cookbook, “The Reality Chef’s Complete Guide to REAL FOOD.”  Learn more at www.TheRealityChef.com

Resources

• www.TheRealityChef.com - Rozlyn Mignogna’s main website.  Get connected with The Reality Chef’s YouTube Channel and shop for the cookbook, custom baby wraps, natural home cleaning products, and more!
• www.SouthOCDoula.com - Rozlyn Mignogna’s Doula site.  Check it out!
• www.OCFamilyDoctor.com - Rozlyn Mignogna’s mother, Dr. Andrea Roberson, is a family practice physician serving Orange County since 1985.  Dr. Roberson is open to alternative practices and values the balance between conventional and alternative medicine. 
• www.westonaprice.org - The Weston A. Price Foundation is the ultimate, must-get-connected-with nutritional organization.
• www.NTPTalk.com -  Our Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Alumni website with articles, video and resources for building healthy bodies with good nutrition.
• www.newtrendspublishing.com - Get your copy of Sally Fallon’s “Nourishing Traditions” cookbook and other fantastic nutritional books and resources.
• www.grasslandbeef.com - US Wellness meats provides a wide variety of top quality meats, including hard to find parts and organ meats.
• www.DrRons.com - Top Quality supplements and natural self care products.
• www.DONA.org - DONA International is the world’s premier doula organization.  Learn more about the advantages of birth and postpartum doulas.
• Go to www.TheRealityChef.com/resources for a complete list of valuable resources.

The statements and products shown on this website have not been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.  The opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and are not necessarily those of NTPtalk.com.