Living Fully Nourished

Introduction

Approaches to pregnancy and childbirth have changed gradually through the ages. Primitive women went through their entire pregnancies with no problems. When the time to give birth arose, she merely went about it quietly and with little or no pain. There was no interference from anyone. The whole birth process took her away from regular life activities for perhaps a couple of hours.
As people became more "civilized" (in their diets and lifestyles), they began creating means of intervention—attending the processes of pregnancy, labor, and delivery "better than nature" could.
Man had a wonder and fear of childbirth as he had never observed it. He believed women possessed some sort of "power." Because of this, he eventually took charge of the entire birth process (from conception to birth) by interfering in its natural progression: Practices such as drugging during labor, Caesarean sections, forceps deliveries, drugs for various "complications" of pregnancy, etc., were ushered in.
Now there are even more devices to "aid" women through labor and delivery. Devices such as sonar sound, fetal heart monitors, etc., are very commonplace in hospital deliveries.
Humans seem to have lost faith in nature and most do not believe that a birth can be natural. Most of us have little or no knowledge of the factors that create a normal pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnancy is regarded as disease to be treated. Women usually give birth in hospitals for the convenience of physicians. Physicians have long since discovered that interference in childbirth is an economic plus for them.
Despite all of this, there is a growing number of women (usually educated) that no longer patronize physician/hospital births. They are choosing homebirths attended by midwives or by their husbands alone. These women have a thorough knowledge of the mechanics of their bodies throughout the birthing process and also know that diet, exercise, etc., during preconception and pregnancy have much to do with how well the birth process will go and how healthy the child will be.

   

Preparation For Pregnancy—Preconceptional Care

The quality of a child's life is determined before birth—it even begins before conception. A woman's body must be healthy prior to conception to insure proper development of the new being.
The prospective mother needs to exercise regularly, think positively, breathe fresh air, take sunshine, keep clean, get adequate sleep, and, above all, improve her diet at least six months prior to conception (if it is not already good). (However, any improvement in the diet at any time during pregnancy is better than no improvement at all.) The fetus will then develop in an already clean, healthful environment.
 

Fasting To Improve Baby's Future Environment

The best way to create an ideal fetal environment is to fast. It's sort of like cleaning your house before the arrival of a guest. A fast will enable the body to eject uneliminated toxins from tissues. Toxins may have been building up for years. Ridding the body of toxins causes better assimilation of foods and thus better nutrition. One long fast or a series of short fasts followed by a diet mostly of raw fruits with some vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts will prove very helpful before and during pregnancy and lactation.

Improving the Diet

The best time to improve the diet is before conception. An all-raw diet following a fast will be less difficult to achieve than switching directly from a conventional diet to the Hygienic diet. But for some it is easiest to gradually eliminate meats, grains, processed and cooked foods, etc., and to eat more and more fresh fruits and vegetables as time goes on. Which way is chosen to improve the diet is less important than the fact that the diet is improved at this crucial tie.
 

Exercise

"The stronger the body, the more it obeys; the weaker the body, the more it commands." —Rousseau
A woman's muscles need to be firm and well toned to allow for ease of delivery and less pain during the processes of pregnancy and childbirth. Starting an exercise program before conception, if not already on one, is essential. To start an exercise program during pregnancy when the body has been inactive prior to that time and the muscles are flaccid, could be dangerous.
Many women are accustomed to wearing tight-fitting clothing. Therefore their muscles haven't been used to support their internal organs as they should. Muscles, especially those of the abdomen, become flabby and weak when not used. These are the muscles to which most attention should be focused in preparing the body for pregnancy and childbirth.
Exercises such as sit ups, push ups, deep-knee bends, leg lifts, and yoga postures strengthen the abdominal, back, and leg muscles. These exercises should be as vigorous as the woman's physical condition permits. Start out slowly and gradually work out more and more and establish an exercising routine that works for you.
Many women suffer from lower back pain during pregnancy and labor. Had these women strengthened their spine and its supporting muscles prior to this time, this pain would not have occurred. These muscles will have the strength to support extra weight while pregnant if used regularly as they should be. (Note: the lower back is also a dumping site for toxins if the body is in a toxic state—exercise alone cannot alleviate back pain—a pure body is also necessary.)
 

Effects of Birth Control Pills, IUDs, and Abortions Prior to Conception

Women should not conceive immediately after stopping use of birth control pills or after the removal of an IUD because this can pose danger to the fetus. Prior abortions, which stress the woman's reproductive organs, also pose danger to future fetuses. They can cause babies to be born prematurely.
The body needs a housecleaning to prepare for the fetus. Fasting, followed by a proper diet and other life essentials will prepare the body for the incredible feat of pregnancy and birth.
 

Care During Pregnancy

Women are convinced by the media, their physicians, relatives, etc., that prenatal care means going to the doctor for regular checkups. Frequent examinations are required by physicians to check for sugar in the urine, blood count, edema, etc. These "complications" are considered by conventional standards to be normal and therefore need to be checked for. Instead of avoiding these complications by right living, these abnormalities are tested for throughout pregnancy. What women are not told is that all these tests are very enervating and should be avoided and, in fact, visits to physicians are not only needless but fraught with many dangers for both mother and progeny.
We are told that only an uneducated, ignorant woman would neglect visiting an obstetrician regularly during pregnancy to make sure everything is going okay. But why wouldn't everything be okay? These obstetricians are trained to treat pregnancy as a disease rather than the normal and natural condition that it is.
The medical establishment conducts many tests on pregnant women to discover trouble only after it is developed. They have no ways of guiding women to health—they deal with pathological effects, not causes. Normally, physicians utilize drugging, which adds to the harm, to "remedy" the "problems" they purport to discover with their tests.
Prenatal care, however, does not mean visiting your obstetrician at all. It means providing the healthful conditions so as to produce and maintain better health and development in the unborn child. In other words, the child is very much so "at the mercy of the mother" for all the requisites of development and growth and freedom from harmful toxins. As Dr. Shelton says, "the child's needs are best served when those of the mother are perfectly supplied."
Prenatal care includes wholesome outdoor exercise, pure air, rest and sleep, sunshine, freedom from worry or anxiety, absence of overwork, and most importantly, proper food. The unborn child is totally dependent upon the mother to provide these things prudently.
Pregnant women need not eat more food than they did prior to pregnancy as is commonly asserted. They need only eat the best of foods—raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. These foods will provide an abundance of minerals, vitamins, and high-grade proteins for both mother and baby. Good foods are the raw materials for better eyes, better bones, better teeth, a better nervous system, a better brain, and better development all around the baby. Proper foods also improve the health and comfort of the mother and allow, for greater ease in delivery and healthier nursing.
Good food is not enough, however. A pregnant woman must secure the best conditions for efficient utilization (assimilation) of her food. She must observe food combining rules, eat only when hungry, never overeat or eat when emotionally upset or physically tired, never drink with her meals, etc.
"Well-nourished mothers (this does not mean overfed) give birth to well-nourished and, therefore, well-developed and vital children. Not merely the bones and teeth and respiratory organs are involved in the results of adequate or inadequate diets, but every tissue in the body is weakened or strengthened, as the case may be, by the mother's food. Mother's nutrition is the real prenatal influence." — Dr. Herbert M. Shelton, Hygienic Care of Children
 

Proper Diet

The best diet for a pregnant woman (and, indeed, for everyone) is that which has a proper balance of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. This can be obtained by eating a variety of mostly raw fruits with some vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouts. In eating this diet, the pregnant woman provides her baby with all the mineral salts, vitamins, and other food elements necessary for its proper growth and development.
The mother to be must also make sure she combines the foods according to food combining rules (no fruits with vegetables, no proteins with fruits, no starches with proteins, etc.) so she will assimilate the nutrients in these foods most efficiently and place the least burden upon her digestive facilities. Also, eating in an atmosphere of peacefulness as opposed to upset, in a well-ventilated environment, and in moderation are very important factors in proper nourishment.
Although most people will strongly advise against fasting while pregnant, it can be advantageous to both mother and baby to undertake a short fast (one to three days) during the early months of pregnancy. Many women, at this time, experience some form of nausea and discomfort and loss of appetite. This is not due to her pregnancy, but to her toxemic state. Needless to say, when there is no appetite, no food should be taken. Nature knows best and attempts to put the physiological house in order causing the pregnant woman discomfort and lack of appetite. A few days of fasting should restore comfort to the mother and enable her to eat without distress. Many people will tell the mother that harm will come to her baby and to her if she does not eat plenty of "good nourishing food" at this time, but what will she gain if she eats when she is nauseous and then ejects the food as soon as it is eaten? (See section on complications in pregnancy.)
A long fast during pregnancy, however, is not recommended. The fetus is growing and obtaining nourishment from the mother and can only go so long before deficiency will result.
Short fasts give the body a chance to adjust to the pregnant state. They allow the organs to rest and cleanse themselves to prevent abnormality of the fetus. Short fasts improve assimilation and utilization of nutrients from the food taken following the fast. Fasting also improves metabolism which makes nutrition more complete, not only in the intestinal phase, but also when it reaches the cell of the fetus.
 

Items To Avoid While Pregnant

While it is true that eating fresh, raw fruits and vegetables will have a positive influence on the health of the offspring; it is also true that consuming unnatural and toxic substances such as drugs, coffee, alcohol, fluoride, salt, vinegar, condiments, preservatives, processed foods, etc., will have a detrimental effect. These items, and more, must be avoided if optimum health is desired, for one's child.
 

Drugs, Alcohol, and Cigarettes

More and more young women drink alcohol and coffee, smoke cigarettes, and eat junkier foods than in the past. Along with this fact the number of unhealthy and defective babies born each year increases.
It is known that even moderate consumption of alcohol—in fact, even one drink—can have an effect on the fetus. Severe birth defects have been caused by alcohol consumption in pregnant women. Some babies are born with "fetal alcohol syndrome"—that is, they have shortened features, a pugnacious cast to their faces, and their eyes are very close together. Spontaneous abortion, smaller than normal babies, very small head size, mental retardation, complications of pregnancy (see section on this), and a broad range of other adverse effects are caused by alcohol consumption.
The placenta, which supposedly filters out harmful substances ingested by the mother, does not filter out drugs, alcohol, tobacco poisons, caffeine, spices, etc. This is why it is imperative that these substances be avoided by pregnant women (and everyone).
Smoking while pregnant causes a baby to be smaller and weaker. The smoke in the mother's bloodstream prevents oxygen from getting through to the fetus. Thirty-five percent of premature births (terms of eight months or less) are from smokers. Also, babies born with weights of less than 4.3 pounds are almost always from smoking women. Physicians, in many cases, merely warn their pregnant "patients" to cut down on cigarettes rather than to cease them completely. The same is true for alcohol.
An example of how deadly drugs can be is as follows: in the 1950s and 60s, a drug called thalidomide was marketed. It was frequently prescribed to pregnant women to help them to sleep. Not only did it not help them to sleep; it also caused them to prickle, perspire, tremble, vomit, become giddy, lose feeling in their extremities, and worst of all caused their babies to be born with severe deformities. Thalidomide babies were often born with seal-like flippers for arms and legs among other deformities. Seven thousand of these defective babies were born before the drug was removed from the market.
This is just one drug, however, amongst the myriad of drugs that has been, and still is being, prescribed to pregnant women to remedy a variety of symptoms ranging from morning sickness, eclampsia, etc., to sleeplessness, nervousness, etc. All drugs are harmful to everyone who takes them but even more to an unborn child.
Various parts of the fetus' body are formed at different times during pregnancy. For example, the nervous system forms 15-25 days after conception; the limbs 24-36 days after conception; the heart 28-45 days after conception; the fingers and toes 36-42 days after conception; and the ears and nose at 29-45 days. A drug taken at any one of these stages of development can cause defects of varying degrees to the body part that is developing. "Medicines," tranquilizers, X rays, insecticide sprays, exposure to smog, etc., are all very harmful to the fetus and should be avoided as much as possible.
A recent test conducted on 3,528 drugged (anesthetics, pain relievers, tranquilizers, muscle relaxants, etc.) pregnant women proved that children born of these women were slightly to severely mentally retarded. They lagged in language and learning skills. Their perception and memory were below normal and their judgments were faulty.
Physicians, in spite of the results of this test, say that the FDA is stringent in its protection of pregnant women. They claim there is not one nonprescription drug that has adverse effects on the fetus. (What about aspirin?) It is also claimed that obstetricians will not prescribe drugs that are harmful to baby. Yet they prescribe all of the drugs that have proven harmful in the above-mentioned test, oftentimes just to "keep a woman happy" without warning them of the possible "side effects" of the drugs. Remember: all drugs are very harmful to the unborn child. Drugs never produce health—only untoward effects.
 

Coffee and Other Caffeinated Beverages

A study conducted by the FDA has found that caffeine causes birth defects. This drug is found in coffee, teas, soft drinks (mostly colas), chocolates, and in numerous over-the-counter drugs. Most of these items are routinely consumed during pregnancy.
 

Fluoride and Salt

Physicians tell many pregnant women that the fluoride put into our drinking water will prevent future dental caries in their offspring. They're told to drink much of it while they're pregnant for this reason.
However, these same physicians admit that if these women drink too much of it, it will cause mottling of the child's teeth. But how much is too much? I'll tell you—any amount. Pregnant women should drink only distilled water and that only if they are thirsty. Fluoride is poisonous and cannot be helpful to anyone. We cannot be poisoned into health.
Salt is poisonous, but especially for pregnant women and their fetuses. Edema is attributed to a high salt intake. This problem is very common in pregnant women in this country as the salt intake is incredible —salt is in almost every processed or prepared "food." But if only fresh, raw fruits and vegetables are eaten, there will be no problem with ingesting salt that is harmful to both mother and child.
 

Processed Foods

Pregnant women are advised to drink pasteurized milk to insure they get enough calcium for their babies bones and teeth formation. Pasteurization (boiling) is, however, just another form of processing that destroys food elements. Therefore, a woman drinking pasteurized milk thinking she is getting adequate calcium and vitamin D from it is being deceived and is depriving her child of much needed nutrients. Adults do not have the digestive faculties to get calcium from milk for it is bound in the indigestible protein complement, casein. If the milk is pasteurized, it becomes unusable due to heat derangement.
Many pregnant women are also told by their obstetricians that they should give in to their cravings— pamper themselves. They eat such abominations as cakes, pies, ice cream, pickles, candy, canned fruits and vegetables, etc., all jumbled together in a haphazard way which causes both mother and baby to be undernourished. Being filled up on these harmful foods which contain preservatives, additives, food colorings, salt, sugar, white flour, etc., a woman is no longer hungry for those foods she should be eating for adequate nourishment. Processed sugars and refined white flour and rice rob the body of calcium and other nutrients that are so greatly needed during this crucial time. The body must surrender its previous supplies of minerals and nutrients to metabolize these denuded products.
In tampering with the foods nature intended for us, man has succeeded in destroying the natural balance of his diet. But these food indiscretions are not the only causal factors in the lack of health that is so prevalent in our modern times. Such factors as foul air, polluted waters, lack of exposure to the sun, lack of exercise, lack of sleep and rest, living a fast-paced life, taking drugs and stimulants, overworking, domestic inharmonies, economic strife, etc., arc also contributors to much disease common today- including the birth of many unhealthy and inferior children.
 

Overeating and Weight Gain

Despite the fact that most women have increased appetites during pregnancy, food intake should not be increased. The greatest weight gain during gestation should be about 20 pounds. The pregnancy itself (fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid, enlargement of the uterus and breasts) weighs only about 15 pounds. Anything in excess of this is merely fat which will be difficult to remove later. This extra weight can harm both mother and the baby. It causes an increased risk and a more difficult delivery. In fact, a group of midwives in Austin, Texas, will not take on clients that are overweight for this reason. They're left for the obstetricians to handle in a hospital setting and labelled as high risk.
During gestation, a woman must exercise willpower and common sense when eating. Keep meals simple and never eat between meals. Keeping meals simple means to have not more than a few items of food at once, eating them plain—no additions such as salt, condiments, oils, margarine, butter, etc., and mostly raw.
When pregnant, all of the internal organs are "squeezed" by the growing fetus inside. For this reason, it is even more imperative not to overeat or eat foods difficult to digest or eat too often as this can cause constipation. Constipation plagues many pregnant women who, instead of complying with the aforementioned, rules, take laxatives (X-lax, herbal teas, etc.), eat bran, or give themselves enemas. These are all taxing to the system and should be shunned.
Part of the reason that a woman on a conventional diet eats so much more when she is pregnant is because this diet is deficient in most elements essential to the normal growth of the fetus. She eats more in an effort to meet the body's demands. This is unwise. It is best to eat of Hygienic fare in moderate amounts for a healthy fetus (and mother).
Other troubles overeating and wrong eating cause are morning sickness, indigestion, hemorrhoids, swollen ankles, varicose veins, overdistension of the abdomen, a fat baby, and a difficult delivery. Restricting the diet, rather than overfeeding prevents postnatal hemorrhage so common in overweight women, who have a very toxic condition.
 

Exercise and Work, Stress

It is very important for a pregnant woman to get regular and systematic exercise. This is to insure muscle tone, elasticity, and stamina for the marvelous upcoming event (childbirth). However, it is unwise to undertake a strenuous exercise program such as horse-back riding, tennis, motorcycling, etc., while pregnant unless it was indulged before pregnancy. If a woman was, however, not much of an exerciser prior to pregnancy and wants to obtain optimum health for herself and her unborn baby, it is still possible for her to incorporate exercise into her daily life. These exercises should be taken up gradually. Exercises that are not very strenuous such as walking in the open air and sunshine or swimming are recommended.
There are a wide variety of books on the market that are very good for pointing out specific exercises for pregnant women. These may include prenatal yoga or other stretching formats that strengthen the area of the body that will be put to use during labor—the abdomen and back. Exercises that helped me when I was pregnant are leg lifts (tightened abdomen and back muscles), deep-knee bends, and kagels.
Whatever exercises a woman in gestation chooses to undertake are okay so long as she remembers to do them regularly rather than sporadically. If she exercises only occasionally, she will more likely end up with sore muscles rather than benefits. Some women claim that their ritualistic schedule of exercise achieved painless childbirth for them.
Without exercise, abdominal muscles (and all muscles) will be lax (atrophied) and will be unable to support the womb and its appendages. A very common cause of aborted pregnancies is the debility of the mother. It takes strength to carry a child and to bring it into this world and proper nourishment alone will not provide it.
Exercise improves circulation and thus there will be a greater supply of nourishment to the fetus. This, in turn, will produce a more well-developed child. It will also provide the mother with stamina during labor.
If a woman is working during pregnancy (employed), it's fine to work right up until the last day before birth if in reasonably good health and if she wants to. However, sit-down jobs can contribute to backaches (toxins settle in the lower back when sitting a lot). Sit-down jobs also prevent a woman from getting the proper exercise, fresh air and sunshine she needs to be healthy. If a woman has a sit-down job however, she should try to get up and move about regularly and to get outside whenever possible and walk in the open air.
Avoid jobs that require overwork (overtime, few breaks, etc.) as a pregnant woman needs much rest and relaxation also. A job that is very stressful should also be avoided. Stress affects your mental state which can injure the child to the extent that it impairs nutrition and thus causes a supply of faulty nutriment to reach the fetus.
 

Rest and Relaxation, Sleep

Rushing about doing this and that is not necessary and can be harmful, especially while pregnant. Taking the time to rest when fatigued or to relax regularly instead of pushing oneself is very necessary. The human body assimilates nutriment' better when in a rested and relaxed state as opposed to a nervous, rushing state which produces indigestion and other problems.
In our modern world, many people truly do not know how to relax. We need to learn how. During pregnancy is a good time to learn as during labor is too late. Regular practicing of relaxation techniques while pregnant will prevent tenseness during labor which is a major cause of pain and tearing of the perineum.
A definite figure as to how much sleep a pregnant woman needs is as fallacious as is a set amount of vitamins and minerals that are necessary. Each individual's needs are different. If a pregnant woman eats well, rests and relaxes regularly, exercises, and has little or no stress in her life, she will need less sleep than one who eats wrong foods, overeats, has a stressful job, is nervous, etc. The amount of sleep a woman needs while pregnant is generally no more than she needed prior to pregnancy. However, she may tire more easily in the last months of pregnancy as there is a greater strain on her body. A mid- afternoon nap is very helpful.
 

Supplements and Deficiency Diseases

Most obstetricians recommend that pregnant women should take calcium and iron tablets and other supplements to assure proper growth and formation of bones and teeth and to prevent anemia in the mother. They also say that women have an increased vitamin need now that there are two instead of one and therefore should supplement the diet. This is a fallacy. First of all, if the woman is eating adequately of proper foods she will not need any "extra." Secondly, humans are not able to utilize inorganic minerals. Taking unnatural supplements can only cause extra strain on the mother for she will have to eliminate these toxic substances.
Milk is often used as a supplement during pregnancy. Women are told to drink preposterous amounts of milk to get their calcium. They are scared into drinking it by doctors who tell them quite correctly that calcium will be taken from their bones and teeth if not in adequate amounts in their diets. This is true, but she will not obtain proper calcium from milk. As mentioned earlier, most milk is pasteurized and therefore deranged.
Also, humans lack the enzymes, lactase and rennin, to properly digest and utilize milk even if it is raw milk, and the calcium in cow's milk has been known to absorb the finer calcium in human cells thus making it harmful rather than helpful. (See Lesson 33 for details on the harmfulness of milk consumption.)
Calcium tablets are also taken in abundance by pregnant women. These are harmful rather than helpful. They produce acidity and actually rob the body of calcium. They thus help to produce osteoporosis and osteomalacia.
A deficiency of calcium in the pregnant woman's body causes her child's bones and teeth to be malformed and weak. The child may later have dental caries, crooked teeth, etc., throughout life as a result. However, a deficiency of calcium is not due only to a lack of calcium in the diet but to poor assimilation and utilization. This may be caused by overeating, eating of wrong combinations of foods, etc., that impairs digestion and absorption from the intestinal tract. It may also be due to the faulty action of the body in general (general poor health) and the various organs in particular that handle this particular element. Also, adequate sunshine is necessary to assist in calcium metabolism. It is not how much calcium that is contained in the foods one eats, but how much is absorbed and retained that counts.
For those who do want to make sure the foods they eat contain calcium, here are some foods that have large amounts of it: fruits, cabbage, lettuce, green leaves, nuts (almonds), figs, asparagus, kohlrabi, etc. Also, Dr. Shelton in his book, Hygienic Care of Children, says that orange juice (fresh-squeezed) helps the body to retain calcium and phosphorus and to assimilate nitrogen (protein).
The fetus stores a calcium supply in its tissues. It can draw upon this supply at a later time. During the first months of pregnancy is when it is most crucial for a pregnant woman to obtain and retain adequate calcium for her and her baby's health.
Another mineral that most people tend to be fanatic about while pregnant is iron. A lack of iron causes anemia. Anemia is a deficiency disease with symptoms of lack of red blood cells, a pale complexion, nervousness, night sweats, and susceptibility to disease. It is not infrequent that pregnant women become anemic. This is because of improper nourishment and the inability of their bodies to use nutriment.
A lack of proper food or the inability to assimilate food leads to a gradual decline of the body's power to produce red blood cells. This is caused by imperfect nutrition—a lack of food iron or impairment of the digestive processes.
A short fast (one to three days) helps to rejuvenate the blood and the body's ability to assimilate more than to merely eat more iron-rich foods. Daily sun baths, exercise, and fresh air also help. Doctors recommend iron pills and eating lots of liver. Needless to say, these will not help but can only harm for they are inorganic and poisonous.
During a fast, red cells continue to drop and then new red cells with regular edges form (in the case of anemia). If wary of undertaking a fast at such a time, a pregnant woman should consult a professional Hygienist or someone else familiar with fasting.
If you eat a proper diet, you will have no problem meeting iron needs. There is no need to dwell on iron needs, or on any one nutrient. All of our needs are met by an adequate diet as mentioned earlier and all other essentials of life.
 

The Placenta

Mother's placenta does not magically extract only those good and necessary nutrients that mother gives. It also absorbs harmful substances. Most things mother takes in through the lungs, digestive tract, and skin show up in cells and tissues of the growing baby. These toxins irritate the newly-forming cells.
These toxins may just pass through the baby, or they may cause injury such as a birth mark or a major organ failure or some other injury. Drugs, environmental hazards, food additives, etc., interfere with organ development and can cause so-called congenital anomalies or birth defects.
In 27% or more births, defects occur and are continuously increasing as more and more chemicals enter our environment. Everything from drugs to additives in foods, sweeteners, aerosol sprays, car exhaust, pesticides, household cleaners, etc., are as harmful to the unborn child as they are to everyone.
Don't take risks even though so and so didn't take care of herself and still had a normal baby. However, it doesn't help to be afraid of or fanatical about the possible hazards in our environment as the baby can pick up on your fears. It is best to avoid as many hazards as you possibly can and don't worry as you can't control all of them. For example, don't use harmful pesticides or cleaning fluids in your home. Get plenty of fresh air in your home—open the windows. (It's best to live out in the country away from the pollution.) Try to avoid driving in heavy traffic. Eat organic fruits and vegetables when available. Don't eat any processed foods. These are just a few of the things a pregnant woman can do to avoid harmful substances from passing through her to the placenta and getting to her unborn child.
 

Sexual Relations While Pregnant

"A farmer who would not permit a stallion to worry his pregnant mares, will not hesitate to make regular sexual demands upon his pregnant wife. In this he is encouraged by his medical adviser, although it is the universal rule throughout nature that pregnant females will not receive the male. There are reasons to believe that coition during pregnancy is responsible for the coating of vernix caseosa (white, greasy substance on baby's skin) found on so many infants at birth and that frequent coition during pregnancy also adds to the pains of childbirth." — Dr. Shelton, Hygienic Care of Children
In modern times, most people do indeed indulge in sex while the wife is pregnant. Most people feel there is no harm in this except during the last month when the baby is almost ready to enter our world. According to Dr. William Esser, a normal woman will discourage sexual union when pregnant because her instinct is against it. He also says that the entire animal kingdom frowns upon sex during gestation, and the pregnant female will defend herself against such a travesty.
Sex during pregnancy can cause the woman's procreation organs to become congested with blood. This is dangerous to the fetus as it can cause abortion. Oftentimes the initial signs of abortion are present after sex, but because the mother is of strong constitution, she will continue to carry the baby. Other problems caused by the uterus being congested with blood are that of an apathetic child or a congenital idiot being born.
 

Preparing for Childbirth—Classes

Nowadays childbirth preparation classes are very common. They may be conducted by a group of midwives or by hospitals or clinics. These classes may teach natural and/or unnatural methods of childbirth.
One thing most of these classes have in common though is that they give parents-to-be some knowledge of the physiology of pregnancy and childbirth. Stages of fetal growth are displayed. Parents are given an understanding of what is and will be occurring within a woman's body and how to deal with these changes.
Many classes (those given by hospitals and clinics that are medically oriented) teach parents which drugs will be available to them when the woman is in labor. They teach students what to expect when entering the hospital.
Taking childbirth preparation classes can be very advantageous choice for many parents to be. However, they are unnecessary. Reading the many excellent books and magazines (especially those with illustrations) that are available in libraries and bookstores as well as talking to other parents you know who have undergone homebirths is adequate for many. Knowledge of the mechanices of pregnancy and childbirth is definitely a necessity for those (and everyone) who plans a homebirth. I've found classes conducted by unorthodox (not medically oriented) midwives to be very helpful. I met other couples who planned to have midwife-assisted homebirths and we provided moral support for each other.
 

"Complications" of Pregnancy

This section should really be called "Abnormalities of Pregnancy" as there are no complications if care is taken to produce health. However, I will call them complications as a large percentage of women do experience some of them.
"The unborn child is a parasite feeding upon the substance of the mother. If the mother's substance is physiologically, chemically, and magnetically correct according to nature's plan, the process of gestation is a comfortable and physiologically ideal experience. If there is in the pregnant woman a chemical imbalance—in other words, if the woman is toxemic—there comes sooner or later a physiological protest accompanied by an attempt toward correction of this abnormal state. Hence the reaction, the nausea and vomiting." — George S. Weger, M.D., "The Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy," Dr. Shelton 's Hygienic Review
There are many things that can go wrong during gestation if a woman is not in optimum health. Morning sickness, heartburn, constipation, vomiting, digestive difficulties, edema, eclampsia, varicose veins, breast pain, back pain, toxemia, etc., are some of the common complications. But pregnancy, being a normal physiological process, should not be accompanied by any discomfort or abnormal state.
It seems that most women when pregnant suffer from morning sickness of varying degrees (because of the many transgressions from the ideal lifestyle). For some, it is intense and lasts all day. They may vomit to the point of not keeping any food down. This is caused by a reaction to toxic saturation from eating wrong foods. It can be corrected by a short fast. Most physicians, however, prescribe drugs and other manipulations which are harmful to both mother and baby. They specialize in relieving symptoms and treating effects.
Some women who have milder cases of morning sickness (gastric uneasiness) experience slight nausea and lack appetite. These may feel relieved after eating a heavy, cooked meal while feeling nausea after eating fruit or nothing at all. These women then blame the fruit for their nausea. This is obviously not so. The heavy, cooked foods deaden or stop eliminations and fruits or fasting allow the body to start housecleaning, which frequently has unpleasant symptoms.
The reason a pregnant woman feels nauseous in the morning is because she's been fasting since the night before. This fast has allowed her body to recuperate vitality and to eliminate toxins.
"There is a rebellion in the stomach; it rejects food. The liver speeds up its excretory function. Much bile is regurgitated into the stomach and is vomited. There may even develop a psychic revulsion to food, so determined is the organism to have its way and to clean house. If we can once understand that nature is trying to provide a clean house in which to evolve the new life, we can understand the need to cooperate in the work and not to throw monkey wrenches into the vital machinery." — Dr. Shelton, Fasting Can Save Your Life
Another common "complication" of pregnancy is toxemia. Toxemia is marked by a rise in blood pressure, undue weight gain with puffiness, headaches, and visual disturbances. Albumin (a water- soluble protein) is present in the urine. Toxemia in pregnant women results in malnutrition and poisoning of the fetus leading to difficulties later in the child's life if allowed to go on. Again, a fast will remove toxemia.
Many pregnant women experience eclampsia (a complication of pregnancy characterized by seizures and coma due to hypertension) which is a form of toxemia. It usually occurs in women who gain over thirty pounds in weight during gestation. It has been observed in a study by Dr. Dieckman in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology that eclampsia is much more prevalent among people who eat high-protein, high-fat diets. Dr. Dieckman noted that during the second world war in Germany there was a decreased occurrence of eclampsia because of a reduction of consumption of meat and other such "luxury" foods as butter, refined products etc. He also found that eclampsia is very uncommon in the tropics where a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet is eaten.
Other studies have indicated that women who are overweight before becoming pregnant will most likely have a prolonged labor, possible caesarean sections, other maternal complications, premature birth of their child, and toxemia. A Hygienic diet does not cause this.
Still another study found that women who abstain from refined flours, beans, peas, grains, milk, butter, and cheese and eat only fruits and vegetables will have babies born softer and smaller than other women. This is good because labor will be less complicated—it is normal for babies' bones to consolidate after birth rather than before to ease labor and delivery. The small and soft baby will soon grow in strength after birth.
Another factor that most women consider to be a "complication" in pregnancy is if they are over the age of 30. This just is not so. If the woman has been taking care of herself prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy, and continues to do so, there will be no problems.
Another abnormality common in pregnancy is edema— retention of fluids in the tissues, in the case of pregnant women usually around the ankles. This fluid is used to hold the toxins present in the woman's bloodstream in suspension so they will do the least harm. This edema is a part of the protective functions of the organism of the pregnant women to keep the embryo from suffering with fluid retention and metabolic disturbances.
There is only one reason for any types of complications when pregnant, and that is that the "ills of pregnancy, as well as those of the nonpregnant state are each and every one, of toxic origin: and the reaction, the crisis, is nature's way of calling our mention to the matter so that we may help her and thus help ourselves." (Dr. George S. Weger, "Nausea and Vomiting of Pregnancy," Dr. Shelton's Hygienic Review.)
 

Other Information Pertinent to Prenatal Care

One factor a pregnant woman should keep in mind is to dress comfortably and attractively in cotton clothes that are loose—not tight. Don't wear tight clothes such as garters, girdles, tight stockings, pants, etc. Wear flat shoes as high heeled shoes will put a strain on your back. They are also dangerous as you can fall easily or get them caught on things, etc.
Women, when pregnant, should take time to take walks out in the open air and sunshine so as to provide two of the essentials for themselves and their unborn babies. This also provides a time when the mother- to-be can find solitude and think about the new being inside of her and what he or she will be like.
It is wise to avoid any lengthy traveling while pregnant. This is generally when a woman feels like "bedding down" and being stable anyway—a time to feel a sense of security in her life. Traveling by car for long distances does not allow her to stretch and use her body as it should be. Also, bumpy roads cause a great deal of discomfort to her at this time. Traveling by airplane is to be advised against especially in the later months of pregnancy. The extreme pressure and speed while flying can cause, among other things, labor to be brought on prematurely.
 

Conclusion

There is much more that could be said about prenatal care, labor, and childbirth. I could go on for many more pages about all the complications of labor and delivery that are possible if a woman does not take care of herself during pregnancy.
Even if a woman has taken proper care of herself during pregnancy, it is still not over. She has to be very cautious who she selects to help at the birth. She needs to decide whether to have a homebirth or a hospital birth. She needs to have confidence in herself, faith that all will go well, and courage to accomplish the feat of birth instead of fear.
For example, if a woman gives birth in a hospital she is at the hands of the medical personnel there—she has, in a sense, given the responsibility of her child's birth to them. Much unnecessary medical intervention such as shaving of pubic hair, giving enemas prior to delivery, giving episiotomies, strapping the woman down during labor, drugging, forceps deliveries, Caesarean sections, etc., may occur in hospitals—and those oftentimes for the convenience of the hospital staffs. All of these actions are enervating and harmful at a time when a woman needs to be at her best.
Providing the mother is in good health (normal), she will enjoy the actual childbirth experience and always remember it as a positive, enlightening experience. Giving birth in one's own home encourages this as the mother is surrounded by loving friends rather than by strangers. The baby will therefore enter a warm, loving world instead of the cold, antiseptic world of a hospital. No bright lights, masked strangers, spanks on the buttocks, chemicals in the eyes, premature cutting of he umbilical cords, etc., will occur in the home. The father can share the first days of the baby's life with him/her and the mother. The mother will be with the child and be able to nurse the baby when he/she is hungry rather than by the clock. The mother will have more opportunity to sleep and relax after the birth as there are no rigid schedules as in the hospital. Also, there will be no displaced siblings as they will share the baby's first days also.
So you see, not only does the mother need to take care of her health, she needs to make the correct decisions regarding the coming event. She needs to be aware of the importance of proper preparation to prevent undue stress at the last minutes.

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From "Lesson 55 - Prenatal Care For Better Infant And Maternal Health And Less Painful Childbirth"  of the book "Life Science Health System" by T.C.Fry, hosted at Rawfoodexplained.com