Things We’ve Read: Week of August 11th

August 17, 2014

Pregnancy News Nine Naturals Things We've Read

Global Parenting Habits That Haven’t Caught On In The U.S. (NPR): There is no one right way to be the perfect parent, but a million ways to be a good one!

My Baby Weight Made Me Feel Beautiful (Cosmopolitan): A woman shares her story of how her perception of beauty changed after her pregnancy.

Antibacterials Pose Risks to Pregnancy, Fetuses (University Herald): Continued exposure to common antibacterials such as triclosan pose health risks to pregnant women and fetuses. FDA is considering limiting the use of common antibacterial compounds.

Clamp Down (Pregnancy & Newborn): A look at what happens to a baby’s umbilical cord postbirth.

What to Eat to Replenish 5 Key Nutrients Missing from Your Diet (Food Cheat Sheet): Take a look to see which key essential nutrient you may be missing out on.

Study: Women Entering Pregnancy In Poor Health Less Likely To Breastfeed (CBS): One study shows that one-third of women entering pregnancy are in poor health and are less likely to breastfeed without a good support system.

How One Photographer Is Documenting Maternal Health in Africa (HuffPost): Maternal health is a global issue, not just in developing countries, but also in developed countries such as the U.S. as well.

Epidural Gone Wrong Leaves Mom in Constant Pain (the Stir): An epidural procedure left one mom with an inflammatory condition around her spinal cord.

Study: 9/11 Dust Cloud Likely Caused Widespread Pregnancy Complications (Time): A new working study shows that the toxic dust cloud from 9/11 increased probabilities of premature birth for expectant mothers in the area.

Our 5 Favorite Baby Shower Games

August 15, 2014

Baby showers are a wonderful way to celebrate the baby’s arrival and see some of your closest fiends and family before things get really busy. But not as fun is trying to think of baby shower activities that moms, moms-to-be, single girlfriends, dads, brothers and all the other special dudes in your life (in case you have a co-ed baby shower) can all enjoy. Since we know a little something about pregnancy and, most importantly, celebrating pregnancy here at Nine Naturals, we’ve put together our 5 favorite baby shower games. There is something for everyone!

1. Birthday Card Time Capsules
Supplies needed: Blank cards, consecutively numbered envelopes, pens
Pass out blank greeting cards along with consecutively numbered envelopes to each of your guests. Instruct each guest to write a birthday card to the baby-to-be for the age/number that is listed on the envelope. For instance, the person who receives envelope number 13 will write a birthday message for the baby’s thirteenth birthday. The cards will make special gifts for both mom and baby throughout the years to come.

2. Make Your Own Mocktails
Supplies needed: Juices, sugar, soda, water, cream, fruit assortments, cups
Have a little mixology contest with all your guests! Pull out your favorite non alcoholic juices and ingredients (i.e. pineapple juice, lime juice, coconut cream, etc.) with stirrers, shakers, and plenty of cups! Have the guests take a stab at making their own mocktails. The mom-to-be can be the judge and pick the winner.

3. Who Will the Baby Look Like?
Supplies Needed: Pictures of the parents-to-be and relatives, scissors (make sure to have enough copies for the photos and scissors for everyone!), construction paper or any paper
It’s always fun to guess who the baby will look like - mom, dad, great grand uncle Albert? Print out pictures of mom-to-be, dad-to-be, and all of their relatives. Guests cut out and mix and match the facial parts (e.g. brows, eyes, lips, nose) they think the baby will have!

4. Guess The Celebrity Baby
Supplies Needed: Pictures of celebrities and their babies, pens, paper
Is that Shiloh? North? Blue Ivy? Test your guests’ familiarity with Hollywood! Print out pictures of celebrity babies and have your guests take a shot at guessing the babies’ famous parents!

5. Advice To The Mom-To-Be (And Dad-To-Be If It’s A Co-Ed Shower)
Supplies Needed: Small blank cards, pens, envelop, scrapbook/glass jar
Have guests write down their words of wisdom on notecards and store them in pretty envelopes. You can either have guests place these in a scrapbook or glass jar for the mom-to-be.

Nine Naturals Ingredient Story: Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil

August 13, 2014

At Nine Naturals, we’re on a mission to make beauty simple, smart and safe for moms and moms-to-be. Integral to that is understanding our ingredients’ science and benefits. Today’s Nine Naturals Ingredient Story Series featuring Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil is part of on ongoing series featuring the natural, plant-based ingredients behind our high performance beauty products.

It’s an underappreciated fact that the healthy oils responsible for an avocado’s rich flavor can also be harnessed to impart some of that richness to your skin. Similar to olive oil, but containing a different profile of fatty acids, avocado oil is particularly useful in cosmetics for its moisturizing and soothing properties.

The Science & Extraction of Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is extracted from the fruit of the plant (rather than the seed), which can yield up to 35% of its weight in oil. Once the meat of the fruit has been separated from the skin and seed, it is dried and crushed into a paste. The final step in the extraction process is to separate the oil from the water by centrifugation, producing a brilliant green oil.

The green color is due to high amounts of carotenoids and chlorophyll in the purified oil. Avocado oil is also quite rich in vitamin E, particularly the alpha-tocopherol form which is preferentially absorbed by our bodies. As for the oil itself, it’s mainly comprised of moisturizing monounsaturated fats with small amounts of polyunsaturated and saturated fats rounding it out.

Avocado Oil‘s Benefits for Skin

Avocado oil has many benefits for skin health which is why it’s such a star ingredient in beauty products. The fatty acids moisturize by helping your skin retain water and have anti-inflammatory properties benefitting both dry and irritated skin that usually comes with pregnancy. Vitamin E is also present in large amounts in the oil, working to promote skin healing and regrowth and helping to minimize stretch marks. Oleic acid, the primary fatty acid in avocado oil, helps the skin to absorb the oil, which amplifies the potential benefits of all its other beneficial ingredients!

Why Nine Naturals Loves Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is packed with great active ingredients that Nine Naturals loves. Given avocado oil’s dual benefits for skin care as a moisturizer and a promoter of healing, it’s included in our Citrus + Geranium Soothing Body Wash. It’s part of a moisturizing formulation that keeps our body wash gentle enough for daily use, even on sensitive skin. Avocado oil couldn’t do it alone though, and you can learn more about all our ingredients in our Ingredient Glossary.

Well Rounded Wellness

August 11, 2014

Article & Photo courtesy of Well Rounded NY.

The 3 things you’ll want to start doing right now to prepare you for pregnancy and birth.

A great aspect to pregnancy is that no two women have the same experience. Some feel wonderful and others want to rip their hair out as their pregnancy progresses. For me, at 24 weeks, I really don’t have many complaints… and I’m usually not shy when it comes to complaining. Being a healthcare practitioner may have played a big role. But it’s not just because I started off at an advantage with nutrition and fitness expertise. I took it upon myself to really understand what my body was experiencing and nurtured its changes as best possible.

One of the best ways to take care of yourself during your pregnancy is maintain a low stress level. I loved this quote from a recent HuffPost article: “Labor is one of the most physical things you’ll ever do,” prenatal instructor Angela Gallagher told Yoga Journal. “You would not run a marathon without preparation. Why would you go into labor without preparing for it?”

For those of you who are looking to get pregnant or are currently pregnant, here’s a few tips to prepare you no matter where you are in your pregnancy.

Yoga
If you are considering getting pregnant, I’d suggest incorporating yoga into your fitness routine even for as little as 20 to 30 minutes once per week. According to a 2012 study, yoga during pregnancy has been noted to lower stress levels, decrease leg and back pain and decrease depression/anxiety-related emotions (among many others!). Depending on how advanced you are, modifications could come as you see fit. I started modifying my yoga practice at 20 weeks, but until then I was able to perform a proper Vinyasa flow format. I felt a sense of calm after each class and always found myself sleeping well on those nights. Studios like Pure Yoga offer a variety of flows as well as prenatal yoga classes.

Herbal Teas
According to Jillian Fitzgerald, an NYC-based licensed acupuncturist, herbal teas could help pregnant women manage their symptoms (i.e. morning sickness and general nausea) and stay hydrated. A 2005 study demonstrated the effectiveness of ginger in treating nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. As a bonus, some teas provide important nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and iron. Brands like Traditional Medicinals offer a variety of safe herbal combinations hand selected by an in-house herbalist to provide relief to common early trimester symptoms such as nausea, morning sickness, headaches, gas and general discomfort. My two favorites include the Organic Pregnancy Tea, a combination of raspberry and nettle leaf, and other smaller herbs such as spearmint leaf and the Organic Ginger Aid, which primarily includes ginger rhizome.

Massage
Massage therapy — even prior to pregnancy — is a drug-free way to feel good, and people don’t take advantage of it primarily due to time and budget constraints. Many spas provide discounts on massage packages and work with their clientele to ensure regular attendance. You just have to ask! In a 2008 study, massage therapy during pregnancy resulted in decreased self-reported leg pain, back pain, depression and anxiety. Bonus: partners who massaged the pregnant women reported a decrease in depression and anxiety as well. Although there aren’t many places exclusively dedicated to pregnancy, some like Edamame Spa in NYC, offer different therapies based on preference. Noelle Masini, manager of of the spa, noted that many women book a massage in their last few weeks and most wished they had visited sooner.

Pregnancy is a precious time and you deserve “me” pampering so take advantage and make your health a priority!

This article is by Anita Mirchandani courtesy of Well Rounded NY. Conceived with love by former magazine editors Jessica Pallay and Kaity Velez, Well Rounded NY aims to be the singular pregnancy resource for city-savvy moms-to-be. Through reviews, profiles, expert Q&As, local guides and more, Well Rounded curates the New York City pregnancy and helps its readers come to terms – and term! – with pregnancy in the city.

Things We’ve Read: Week of August 4th

August 10, 2014

Pregnancy News Nine Naturals Things We've Read

Man’s ‘Maternity Pics’ Go Viral (the Stir): One dad’s goofy maternity pics remind expectant mothers of the beauty of pregnancy.

5 Healthy Beauty Tips to Enjoy the Last Days of Summer (HuffPost): Here are some beauty tips for you to enjoy your summer.

Your Guide To Reading Beauty Labels (Daily Life): Navigate your way through current beauty buzzwords.

Decoding One-A-Days (Pregnancy & Newborn): Your guide to prenatal supplements.

Miscarriage Risk And Fertility Issues Increase With BPA Exposure (EmpowHer): Exercise caution as studies have shown that exposure to chemicals like BPA interrupts our bodies’ hormones.

As More Male Bass Switch Sex, A Strange Fish Story Expands (Washington Post): Endocrine-disrupting chemicals not only affect humans, but fish as well, as seen by recent large numbers of intersex fish found in US river regions.

8 Moms Reveal How They Broke The Pregnancy News To Their Kids (the Stir): These were the ways several moms broke the news to their older children.

Basic Facts Of Cord Blood Banking (HuffPost): Banking cord blood preserves stem cells, unspecialized cells that can become different tissue and organ cells in the body.

Got Morning Sickness? New Research Shows It Might Be Better For Your Baby (Today): Research indicates that women with morning sickness are less likely to have a premature birth or miscarriage.

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