Health for a Lifetime

Nutrition

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Don Mackintosh, Patti Barnes

Home

Series Code: HFAL

Program Code: HFAL000055


00:46 Hello and welcome to "Health for a Lifetime"
00:48 I'm your host Don Macintosh
00:50 and today, I'm delighted to have Patti Barnes with us.
00:52 Welcome Patti, Thank you Don
00:53 We're glad that you could make it...
00:55 And you have quite a busy life, I hear... Yes, I do
01:00 As a certified professional midwife,
01:03 you don't know what time of
01:04 the day you're going to get called, do you?
01:06 No, or what time of night!
01:09 All right, so you've delivered now over 700, what, you said?
01:14 Over 750 babies in about 15 years,
01:18 and it's a real ministry.
01:22 And that's the title of your new book...
01:23 "The Ministry of Midwifery" a manual,
01:27 and an excellent book, I've really enjoyed
01:31 what I've been able to read of it.
01:34 Today, we're going to talk about something I think
01:36 is very important... "how to have a healthy pregnancy"
01:40 Now I'm sure that this is something that
01:42 you really have a burden for, isn't it?
01:44 Yes Don, I definitely have a burden for pregnant moms to
01:48 have a healthy delivery, and not just for their baby
01:52 but so that they could feel...
01:54 not just feel good during pregnancy, but afterwards!
01:59 It's a lifestyle change for them.
02:01 Now I know your work along with a team of physicians
02:04 in a hospital in your area and different things,
02:07 and you were mentioning to me, before we started here,
02:10 that there are a lot of people that don't' have
02:15 healthy pregnancies and they don't' have prenatal care,
02:18 they don't have those kind of things,
02:19 and this is kind of your ministry to get
02:20 out there, right? Yes
02:22 I want to educate the public on the importance of
02:26 having prenatal care and the importance of
02:31 the lifestyle change and diet change,
02:33 but also to help break prejudice down in the working
02:39 relationship between patients and doctors.
02:42 There are a lot of pregnant mothers that just
02:44 choose not to go in; they don't want to see the doctors
02:48 for some one reason... whether it be finances,
02:51 or just afraid or intimidated...
02:53 and so I try to work on their level, educating them,
02:58 to help them have a healthy pregnancy,
03:01 and also bring them in to have a visit...
03:06 a couple of visits or however often the doctors say
03:09 they need to see them, and to ensure
03:13 the health of the mother and the baby.
03:16 Now in talking about a healthy pregnancy,
03:18 you have 8 principals you're
03:21 going to share with us, I believe. Yes
03:23 And they are covered in your book,
03:25 but I think we also have them here for us as well.
03:28 Let's go through those
03:31 and then maybe you can work us through that.
03:33 Okay, I entitled this the BIRTHING acronym - 8 Laws,
03:39 and we encourage them in the following...
03:54 Okay, well let's talk about those one at a time.
03:56 What about bodily exercise... what do you mean by that?
03:59 And what kind of exercise and why?
04:01 Well, we encourage all of our pregnant moms to get
04:08 a lot of exercise. What do you mean by a lot?
04:11 Start out, if they are not used to exercise,
04:15 they should start out slow; let's just say 30 minutes a day,
04:18 and build maybe to an hour a day walking...
04:21 And, toward the end of their pregnancy,
04:26 they find just have an easy time of maybe not even
04:31 going 5-8 miles a day. ... 5-8 miles a day? Yes
04:37 Most of my pregnant moms... I have a small mountain
04:40 behind my house and they'll come and walk up...
04:44 it's about 1,200 foot mountain, it's not very big,
04:48 but towards the end, they're just taking that with no sweat.
04:52 Really? So how long does it take them to do that
04:54 mountain of 5-8 miles?
04:56 Well the mountain, they'd probably take about 45 minutes
05:02 one way. One way? Okay
05:05 So walking then?
05:06 Walking is probably the best exercise for pregnant moms.
05:10 Gardening is very good... just by stooping and
05:16 squatting and working in the garden helps
05:24 strengthening your leg muscles.
05:26 It tones up your muscles and open your pelvic cavity,
05:30 and it gets you ready.
05:32 You see, the pregnant mom needs to be in good physical shape.
05:36 She needs to have stamina for the birth,
05:41 and be in good condition.
05:44 Are there any hormones or anything that would not be
05:47 stimulated if you didn't exercise as well?
05:50 Well, there's a hormone that is stimulated by exercise.
05:56 It's in your endorphins and your endorphin level is
05:59 brought up... I think it can be increased by 60%
06:04 if you have good exercise and endorphin acts
06:09 as natural pain killer in your body.
06:12 So, you know what the Bible talks about in Exodus 1:15-18
06:17 ...it talks about the Hebrew women having easy deliveries
06:21 quick and easy and I believe they were in good physical shape
06:25 Whereas the Egyptian moms, they didn't evidently.
06:28 Probably they had maybe a lot of maid service.
06:33 So, get out there and walk in the fresh air,
06:36 do some gardening... these types of exercises are the best. Yes
06:41 And I tell my pregnant moms, you know, they like to walk around
06:44 in shopping malls... and sure, that's getting exercise,
06:48 but it's not the same; it's not stress-free.
06:50 It's not in the open outdoors. It's not stress-free for them
06:53 as well as their husbands because if they're in the mall
06:55 there are other problems that develop. That's very true.
06:57 I mean, not with my wife, of course,
06:58 but maybe not with most of the wives watching.
07:03 What about the fathers, is it important for him to exercise?
07:06 I encourage the fathers to walk with them because
07:09 I know that if they take an interest,
07:12 that they will encourage my pregnant moms to
07:18 do this every day to be a part of their lifestyle.
07:21 And toward the end, like I said, they feel SO good
07:24 that after they have the baby, they say,
07:27 "When can I walk again?"
07:28 It just feels so good, they
07:30 don't want to change their lifestyle.
07:31 And their pre-pregnant weight, comes back to them faster.
07:39 Okay... so they won't have the problem with
07:42 keeping on the extra pounds and different things
07:44 if they have a lifestyle of that.
07:45 It tones up their uterus and their muscles,
07:49 and prepares them for the birth which is
07:51 just like running a marathon.
07:53 What about the pure air? That's the second thing
07:56 "Inhale pure air" that you had on your list.
07:58 Well, with walking, of course, we encourage it to be outside
08:02 so that they can inhale the pure air.
08:05 It's good for their circulation for the mother and the baby.
08:09 It encourages regularity and it helps indigestion.
08:19 Also, when we're talking about just practicing
08:26 deep-breathing exercises while they're outside because
08:29 when they're in labor, we encourage what we call,
08:33 controlled breathing or slow breathing,
08:38 not the fast breathing.
08:40 So they don't hyperventilate... Right
08:42 Don't have as much oxygen that goes, maybe,
08:45 to the baby or something, is that why?
08:46 Well, if they do the fast breathing to help comfort
08:53 or ease the pain of the contractions,
08:56 not only could they hyperventilate,
08:59 they can get dizzy and they don't have enough energy.
09:03 You know, they last longer with slow diaphragm breathing.
09:08 So we encourage that...
09:10 They practice that beforehand. Yes
09:13 And we also have their husbands to know how to help them
09:17 during labor with the breathing, because when they get
09:20 to a point where they just
09:22 feel like they can't do it anymore,
09:25 all they have to do just have their husbands say...
09:27 "Well just follow me and I'll help you breathe"
09:31 So how soon do you start this part of it,
09:33 teaching the breathing?
09:35 Well, anytime before labor and delivery,
09:39 but we like to probably around 7 months.
09:43 The next thing you have on your list is REST!
09:45 Why is rest important and how much?
09:48 Well, of course, we tell our mothers that every hour
09:53 before midnight is worth 2 after.
09:55 And, do you know that as they're carrying the baby in utero,
10:01 in the uterus, that it's very important that they establish
10:04 regular hours for their baby.
10:07 Before they're born. Before they are born because
10:10 if they stay up all night, then you'll probably have a baby
10:13 that's going to stay up all night.
10:15 Do you think my baby will stay up all night?
10:16 If your wife stays up all night.
10:18 No, she doesn't, she goes to bed early. Good
10:20 So you're establishing a regular pattern already for your baby.
10:25 Now, I'd like the baby to sleep during church too...
10:27 so should she start sleeping during church?
10:29 Probably not. No
10:33 But a regular pattern..
10:35 just a regular pattern because this baby can even
10:38 sense, through the uterine wall, light and darkness.
10:43 Sounds - it can hear your voice. It can hear music.
10:49 And it's important that the baby already gets
10:54 established with a regular schedule.
10:57 Okay, what about temperance?
10:59 What does that have to do with a healthy pregnancy?
11:03 Well, of course, we encourage not over-exercising,
11:09 not to get too much sunshine or to oversleep.
11:16 But temperance also includes abstinence.
11:20 And so, I would encourage all pregnant moms not to smoke,
11:28 not to drink alcohol, drugs.
11:32 And so, we would encourage abstaining from those things.
11:35 What does alcohol, smoking, and drugs do to the pregnancy?
11:40 Well, of course, that would be considered damaging for the
11:44 newborn baby; for example, like smoking,
11:49 there's a higher risk of ADHD
11:51 which is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
11:56 and SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome.
12:02 There is a larger percent on smokers,
12:05 and they are also of smaller
12:08 gestational weight for their size.
12:12 They don't have enough of amniotic fluid or enough
12:16 whatever that they need to carry the baby or...
12:19 It can cause some damage there with smoking,
12:23 and they're smaller and their lungs would be more
12:26 underdeveloped.
12:27 I've heard some physicians and others talk about
12:30 the fact that they shouldn't really be eating chocolate,
12:32 is that right or wrong, according to you...
12:35 What's your opinion on it?
12:37 You mean the caffeine in the chocolate? Yes
12:40 Well I just find that more of my pregnant moms that
12:45 have the caffeine intake, they would have more
12:50 heart sensitivity, and if they don't sometimes their babies do.
12:55 And I could pick it up just maybe some heart murmurs.
13:00 You know, I could always tell when they
13:01 had a piece of chocolate or...
13:03 You mean a murmur, or do you mean it just speeds up
13:06 or palpitations? Heart palpitations.
13:10 So that's something else to avoid.
13:13 Anything else... temperance, someone had said once,
13:16 and let's see if you agree with this is "total abstinence from
13:20 that which is harmful but the moderate use of
13:22 that which is good"... Is that a good definition?
13:24 That's a good definition. Okay
13:27 Well, let's talk a little bit more about
13:30 this next one that you have down...
13:32 We've talked about bodily exercise.
13:34 We've talked about pure air.
13:35 We've talked about rest.
13:37 Oh, I forgot to ask you about rest... How much rest?
13:40 Oh, well, we encourage about 7 or 8 hours a night.
13:48 But, Don, toward the end of pregnancy,
13:51 you never know when they're going to go into labor,
13:55 and I could say as a midwife,
13:57 most of my calls would be at 2 o'clock in the morning. Great!
14:02 So if they had a hard day and they worked real hard,
14:09 got a lot of exercise, and then went to bed so tired,
14:13 and then got up in an hour or 2 and went into labor,
14:15 they're already starting off tired.
14:17 So I do encourage, towards the end of pregnancy,
14:20 maybe taking short naps.
14:21 Short naps, more rest as the pregnancy goes on
14:25 just to be ready. Right
14:26 Yes, well that makes excellent sense.
14:30 Well let's go to the next one that you had here.
14:33 We have bodily exercise, inhale pure air, rest, temperance,
14:37 and hydrotherapy!
14:40 Talk to me a little bit about that.
14:41 Okay, hydrotherapy includes external and internal.
14:45 So we talked about why it's important to
14:48 drink a lot of water... 6-8, 10 glasses. Right
14:54 Not just for the mother, but for the baby because
14:56 the amniotic fluid, but also for external use.
15:02 Not to mention just cleanliness but we use hydrotherapy in labor
15:09 for comfort measures.
15:11 We do hot towels on the back and abdomen,
15:16 or wherever the pain is... the contractions.
15:21 And/or they could labor, I'm not saying having the baby,
15:26 but they could labor in the bathtub...
15:29 And just the warm water eases the contractions
15:34 because every time we do hydrotherapy
15:37 on them while they are in labor, they always say,
15:40 "Ohh, this feels so good"
15:42 ...and it cuts the pain, they say about,
15:45 this is what they tell me, about 50%
15:50 Well that's interesting!
15:51 We've been talking to Patti Barnes
15:54 and we've been looking at how to have a healthy pregnancy.
15:57 Patti has just written a new book and she's sharing
15:59 some of the wealth of experience from the last 15 years.
16:02 When we come back, we're going to be talking
16:04 to her a little bit more about water.
16:06 I find that there are some interesting facts
16:09 about the water that's inside;
16:10 we've talked about the water that's outside.
16:11 We'll go through the rest of these 8 Laws of Health.
16:13 You might want to get a pen to jot down
16:15 some of these facts and this information or call a friend.
16:19 We hope that you join us when we come back.
16:27 Have you found yourself wishing that you could shed a few pounds
16:30 Have you been on a diet for most of your life,
16:33 but not found anything that will really keep the weight off?
16:35 If you've answered "yes" to any of these questions,
16:38 then we have a solution for you that works!
16:41 Dr. Hans Diehl and Dr. Aileen Ludington
16:44 have written a marvelous booklet called...
16:46 "Reversing Obesity Naturally"
16:49 and we'd like to send it to you FREE of charge.
16:51 Here's a medically sound approach successfully used
16:54 by thousands who are able to eat more and lose weight
16:57 permanently without feeling guilty or hungry
17:00 through lifestyle medicine.
17:02 Dr. Diehl and Dr. Ludington have been featured on 3ABN,
17:05 and in this booklet, they present a sensible approach
17:08 to eating, nutrition and lifestyle changes
17:11 that can help you prevent heart disease, diabetes,
17:13 and EVEN cancer.
17:15 Call or write today for your free copy of...
17:17 "Reversing Obesity Naturally"
17:18 and you could be on your way to a healthier, happier YOU!
17:22 It's absolutely free of charge, so call or write today.
17:28 Welcome back, we've been talking with Patti Barnes
17:32 She is a certified professional midwife,
17:34 and she has delivered quite a few babies,
17:36 and we're looking at the 8 Laws
17:39 for having a healthy pregnancy, isn't that right?
17:41 And I told you I was going to ask you a question
17:43 when we came back, and that is,
17:44 what about the water on the inside?
17:46 A little bit more about that.
17:47 We talked about water on the outside for pain relief,
17:50 and for soothing them...
17:52 What about the water on the inside?
17:53 Well, they need to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day
17:59 because it's very important that they stay well-hydrated,
18:02 not just for the mother but for the baby...
18:04 because the amniotic sac is filled with amniotic fluid,
18:10 around 1000 mL of fluid, at least not over 1200 mL of fluid
18:19 So it's got water there in the sac... Yes
18:21 And about 30% of it is replaced every 3 hours,
18:26 and it's very important that they drink enough water
18:30 ...the baby moves freely
18:33 in the amniotic fluid and is protected by the amniotic fluid,
18:37 and the umbilical cord that is attached to the baby
18:41 and the placenta is protected so that it doesn't get pinched.
18:46 If they didn't have enough fluid and the umbilical cord
18:50 could get pinched off, it would cut off the oxygen supply
18:55 to the baby or nutrition.
18:58 So if they're going to get up during this program
18:59 and get something, it's best to go get a glass of water...
19:02 Go get a glass of water and come back, right? Yes
19:04 And drink that!
19:06 Well, the next thing you have on your list here,
19:07 on the 8 Laws is sunshine.
19:09 What is the benefit of sunshine?
19:11 What can we learn about that?
19:12 Well sunshine destroys harmful bacteria,
19:17 and strengthens your immune, builds white blood cells,
19:20 strengthens your immune, and just basically
19:24 being out in the sunshine if you can every day
19:27 is very good for the mother and the baby.
19:30 Can you get too much sun?
19:31 You can, yes, you have to be temperate in all things.
19:34 You can get too much sun.
19:36 And how do you know when you're getting too much?
19:38 Well, you wouldn't want to get a sunburn.
19:44 But just being out, like I said...
19:47 you know, when you're going for a walk,
19:50 they start out 30 minutes a day and they might build to an hour,
19:53 but it doesn't have to be... sure, it should be outdoors,
19:59 but it doesn't have to be right in the sun.
20:02 It could be under the trees or shade.
20:05 I noticed something in your pamphlet,
20:08 which I think is also from your book, by Dr. Bradley
20:11 about sunlight, that really interested me as well.
20:15 Something about the birthing process itself in sunlight.
20:18 Yes, they say that there is increased evidence that
20:25 sunlight reduces... or INCREASES the flexibility, I'm sorry,
20:34 ...increases the flexibility of tissue so that
20:37 you would have less tearing during delivery.
20:40 So being out there for whatever reason, in the sun,
20:43 does a lot of real positive things... Right
20:46 Sun lamp just as good?
20:48 No, I feel like the natural is best.
20:52 Well, let's talk about the next one on your list,
20:57 and I know you want to talk about this a bit,
20:59 and that's NUTRITION.
21:02 Yes, nutrition is a very important part of pregnancy
21:07 because in order to have a healthy baby,
21:13 we need to be very careful about what we eat,
21:16 and there's a really good statement
21:19 out of "Adventist Home" that says the following...
22:02 And this is "Adventist Home," page 257
22:05 All right, that's a mom who had 4 children and
22:09 gave a lot of wise counsel as well. Yes
22:11 Well you know, that's such a common thing though...
22:14 I hear it all the time, "Well, she's pregnant"
22:17 So she can have this or have that,
22:19 and the counsel there given and what you're recommending as well
22:22 is... no that's not really wise. Right
22:25 You shouldn't trust your cravings,
22:28 but just go by sound sense,
22:31 and it's important that we get a good variety,
22:37 and a healthful diet and we wouldn't be so concerned...
22:42 Now you were talking to me a little bit earlier,
22:44 and you said that the people that come to you know that.
22:46 They know that's your feeling, so you don't get
22:47 people that want to be unhealthful.
22:50 They're the ones that are saying...
22:51 "Hey, tell me what I need to eat and what I need to do. "
22:54 I think you have a list of some of those foods
22:56 that you recommend to your moms. Yes, I do.
23:00 We emphasize a lot of dark leafy green vegetables
23:06 because as we go through some of these food sources,
23:09 we can see that it's listed in about all of
23:12 the vitamins and minerals that we need...
23:14 For example, calcium and folic acid and iodine and iron.
23:23 Leafy greens are very important.
23:25 Of course there's a list of other foods involved here,
23:28 and I know that this has good vegan food sources,
23:33 not that I'm recommending all my mothers to be vegan,
23:36 it's just that a lot of them that I work with already are.
23:38 So there are a lot of things... that didn't look like a
23:41 list of deprivation at all.
23:42 I mean under each one, you had ALL KINDS of different
23:45 things they could eat. Yes!
23:46 There is a whole bunch of nutritious foods...
23:49 Do you find that you educate your moms
23:51 on how to cook and different things while
23:53 they're pregnant. Do you do that? Yes!
23:55 Well, we have a cookbook we give them to help guide them
23:59 to nutritious food and...
24:02 Is that part of your book that you've been working on now,
24:04 do you have the cooking tips
24:05 in there and different things as well?
24:06 No, this is basically just a manual and information
24:09 on how to obtain a healthy diet.
24:12 So you mentioned green leafy vegetables...
24:15 Now you know when I was in nurses' training
24:17 and I had to take my exam for that, any nutrition question
24:21 on there, when I didn't know the answer and there was the option
24:23 of green leafy vegetables, I would pick it,
24:25 and it would always be right.
24:27 Green leafy vegetables! That's right!
24:30 So always green leafy vegetables is that a good recommendation?
24:36 Yes it is, because it has a lot of vitamins and minerals
24:39 that our body needs. Very healthy for you!
24:43 Excellent! Anything else about nutrition we need to know?
24:46 Just that you need to make sure
24:49 that they get 3 meals a day for the baby.
24:53 A lot of women ask me if fasting is okay,
24:56 but I feel like that if you eat a healthy diet,
25:02 that you don't need to be SO concerned about
25:05 your weight gain.
25:07 So there's really no need to fast.
25:09 No need to fast... Eat regular meals.
25:11 Let's say that they're real nauseous...
25:12 I mean, usually the first part of pregnancy
25:14 or different things, what do you do for that?
25:16 Well, you would just recommend to them
25:21 not to be so concerned about eating enough at first
25:27 just as long as they eat nutritious, you know,
25:30 some more of a bland on a blander diet that they can
25:34 hold in and sipping a peppermint tea will help.
25:39 When they wake up in the morning maybe taking some
25:42 ginger root capsules will help control the nausea.
25:47 So that works for a lot of your moms, ginger root and peppermint
25:52 Excellent, now what about when they're very, very pregnant,
25:55 and it doesn't seem like there is enough room there,
25:56 the stomach is all compressed. What do they do?
25:58 Do they have any problems with that ever?
25:59 Yes, sometimes they will complain of indigestion problems
26:05 when they are full-term because the uterus is actually
26:09 pushing up against the stomach.
26:11 And so, we encourage a high fiber diet too,
26:16 so that it won't contribute to constipation.
26:22 And drinking a lot of water to help with indigestion... BUT
26:26 NOT to drink with their meals
26:29 because then that would help their stomach.
26:32 I see, so they don't fill it up with everything else, I see.
26:36 You know you call this a ministry for yourself,
26:40 and you know, of course, it reminds you of God's Word. Right
26:42 Do you share God's Word with people as you are in their homes
26:45 as you are ministering to them?
26:46 Yes, we always pray with all of our clients.
26:51 They have concerns and we try
26:55 to encourage them in God's Word.
26:57 How do you do that?
26:58 What are some favorite texts or maybe a favorite text
27:01 that you like to share with pregnant moms.
27:03 Well, "God has not given us the spirit of fear,
27:07 but power, love and a SOUND mind. "
27:10 I find that Christians have the most peaceable births
27:14 that I've ever seen.
27:15 That's a great promise!
27:17 A sound mind... you want that not only for yourself,
27:20 but for your baby as well, right? Um hm
27:22 We've been talking with Patti Barnes.
27:25 She's a certified professional midwife;
27:27 delivered hundreds of babies, has a great peace in
27:30 helping others and has a great peace in the Lord,
27:33 a real calming effect today as my wife and I are expecting
27:37 a baby, just talking with her,
27:38 and that's really girded on God's Word.
27:41 Remember that those 8 Laws of Health can really help you
27:44 as you remember them.
27:45 They are in her new book.
27:46 We hope that what you've learned today will give you
27:50 peace in your own walk with the Lord and as you
27:53 think of brining this new baby into the world,
27:55 we hope that you have health and they have health
27:58 that lasts for a lifetime!


Home

Revised 2014-12-17