Reducing Inflammation During Pregnancy: Tips for Healthier Moms and Babies

Insights from Research and Practical Tips

Inflammation helps the body heal after illness and injury. But when our cells are underpowered and overwhelmed inflammation is considered ‘biochemical fear’ - meaning your body is sounding the alarm that there is a problem so the body keeps producing inflammatory chemicals that can harm us. Most pregnancy complications and chronic illness are associated with uncontrolled inflammation in the body - mostly due to underpowered ‘sick’ mitochondria in our cells caused by our lifestyle.

Inflammation during pregnancy can have significant impacts on both maternal health and fetal development. A recent comprehensive review has highlighted how various external factors like nutrition, lifestyle, and stress can influence fetal brain development.

Understanding these impacts is crucial for expectant moms. Fortunately, there are several practical ways to reduce inflammation during pregnancy, including proper nutrition, adequate sleep, regular exercise, red light therapy, and mindfulness practices. Here, we’ll combine insights from recent research with tips to help moms-to-be maintain a healthy pregnancy and support your baby’s brain development.

You are your baby’s environment! You are literally 3-D printing your baby from the food you eat, hormones, sunlight and adequate sleep.

The review underscores that maternal nutrition, mental health, and environmental exposures significantly affect fetal brain development. Here are some key findings:

1. Impact of External Stimuli: Maternal nutrition, anxiety, stress, air pollution and household chemicals can significantly impact fetal neurodevelopment.

2. Mom’s Nutrition: Healthy diets, particularly the Mediterranean diet, are linked to better brain outcomes for babies. Deficiencies in essential nutrients like DHA, folic acid, and iodine can impair brain development.

3. Maternal Mental Health: Stress, depression and anxiety during pregnancy can elevate your blood glucose levels, leading to increased inflammation and can also impact your baby’s brain.

4. Environmental Exposures: Air pollution, smoking/vaping during pregnancy can induce inflammation, negatively impacting fetal brain development.

5. Inflammation and Neurodevelopment: Obesity and temporary states such as infections contribute to increased inflammatory responses during pregnancy (but hey let’s start small and control what we can without adding to our stress levels).

Practical Tips for Reducing Inflammation

Understanding the importance of reducing inflammation in pregnancy, here are some practical tips to maintain a healthy pregnancy:

Nutrition

1. Eat Anti-Inflammatory Foods:

   • Fruits and Vegetables: Focus on colorful options like berries, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables.

   • Healthy Fats: Incorporate sources of omega-3 fatty acids such as fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), flaxseeds, and walnuts.

   • Whole Grains: Choose whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice over refined grains.

   • Spices: Use anti-inflammatory spices like turmeric, ginger, and garlic in your cooking.

2. Avoid Pro-Inflammatory Foods:

   • Processed Foods: Reduce/eliminate sugary snacks, fast food, and processed meats.

   • Refined Carbohydrates: Reduce/eliminate consumption of white bread, pastries, and sugary drinks.

   • Trans Fats: Avoid trans fats found in many fried and packaged foods.

Sleep

1. Prioritize Quality Sleep:

   • Consistent Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day.

   • Comfortable Environment: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Eye masks can be helpful

   • Limit Screens: Avoid screens at least two-three hours before bedtime to reduce blue light exposure or use blue light blocking glasses. Blue light increases your risk of metabolic complications such as Gestational Diabetes.

2. Bedtime Routine:

   • Wind Down: Engage in relaxing activities such as meditation, reading, hypnobirthing or taking a warm lavender bath

Exercise

1. Regular Physical Activity:

   • Moderate Exercise: Healthy pregnant women need at least 2½ hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week. These activities make you breathe faster and make your heart beat quicker. Moderate-intensity means you're active enough to sweat and get your heart rate up. A brisk walk is a good example of this. If you can't talk normally while doing an activity, you might be pushing yourself too hard. You don’t have to do all 2½ hours at once. Break it up over the week. For instance, you could exercise for 30 minutes on most or all days. If 30 minutes at once feels like too much, split it into three 10-minute sessions each day.

   • Strength Training: Incorporate light strength training exercises to maintain muscle tone.

2. Stay Active Throughout the Day:

   • Move Often: Take short breaks to stretch or walk if you have a sedentary job or lifestyle - this will help manage blood glucose levels too.

Light Therapy

1. Sessions:

   • Regular Use: Aim for regular red light therapy sessions, typically 10-20 minutes, a few times a week. Consult with a Light Specialist to determine the best schedule for you - you can download my free pregnancy red light resources here.

   • Proper Equipment: Use high-quality, safe red light therapy devices designed for home use.

   • Sunlight: If you don’t have access to red light therapy try to get some early morning sun.

   • Reduce blue light in the evening at sunset. Get outside for sunset if you can.

Mindfulness

1. Mindfulness and Hypnobirthing Practices:

   • Meditation: Practice mindfulness meditation for 10-20 minutes daily. Apps like my GentleBirth App can guide you through sessions tailored to your pregnancy. A recent study of expectant moms in the 3rd trimester demonstrated lower biomarkers of (NLR)* inflammation in women who practiced mindfulness during pregnancy compared to women who didn’t. This means the women who practiced meditation had less inflammation.

You want the best for you and your baby. By incorporating as many of these strategies into your daily routine, you can effectively reduce inflammation and support overall health and well-being during and after pregnancy. Prioritizing nutrition, sleep, exercise, and incorporating holistic practices like red light therapy and mindfulness can create a more optimal environment for your baby’s development and promote long-term health outcomes for you both. Every small step you take towards reducing inflammation can have a significant positive impact on your pregnancy, your mood and your baby’s development.

*The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a measure used in medical tests. It compares the number of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell that fights infection) to the number of lymphocytes (another type of white blood cell that helps protect against diseases). Doctors use the NLR to understand the balance of these cells in your blood, which can help indicate how your body is responding to stress, infection, or inflammation.