PREGNANT WOMEN URGED TO DRINK MORE MILK

[jamma]

PREGNANT WOMEN URGED TO DRINK MORE MILK
Today’s Family News
May 5, 2006

The amount of milk a woman drinks during a pregnancy can impact the size of her baby at birth.

A study reported last week in the National Post has determined that those who drank one cup of milk per day or less delivered babies who weighed about four ounces less on average compared to babies born to women who drank more milk. The study involved 2,091 expectant mothers at three Calgary hospitals.

Dr. Kristine Koski, one of the authors of the study and the director of the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at Montreal’s McGill University, said that four ounces may not seem like much, but it is comparable to smoking, which is known to lower birth weight by about five ounces.

More milk means a greater intake of vitamin D, which helps bones and other organs grow. A vitamin D deficiency can result in low concentrations of a growth hormone that affects almost every cell in the body. As well, smaller babies can have higher rates of hypertension, obesity and diabetes later in life.

“This is an important finding because increasing numbers of women are restricting milk consumption during pregnancy believing that it will lower fat intake, minimize weight gain, treat self-diagnosed lactose intolerance or prevent their children from developing allergies,” Koski told London’s Dail y Telegraph. “Although most nutrients in milk may be replaced from other foods or with supplements, vitamin D is found in few commonly consumed foods except for milk.”

The study appears in the latest issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

[Kerina]

Wow. I guess it's a good thing that I know we don't have to drink milk to be healthy. My first was 9lb 1oz. I didn't need a bigger baby!

I wonder who funded this study? Hmmm....

[imported_rachel]

I wonder who funded this study? Hmmm....

Forward it to the Notmilk man.. he could probably find out.

[e&m'sirishmum]

That is interesting, both my boys weighed over 9lbs and I drank milk like it was going out of fashion!! Actually that is how I guessed I was pregnant as I really craved it both times.
My mum also tld me that after she had her babies that she was encouraged in the hospital to drink lots of milk and esp. if you were breastfeeding.

[mamaroo]

During my 2nd and 3rd trimester I drank tons of milk for heartburn, it was one of the only things that helped. My dd was 9lbs 4 oz! It also went great with goober peanut butter and jelly I craved...but thats another topic. :D

[mommyb]

I had a hard time drinking milk when I was first prego with Isaac (I have OCD and the thought of where milk comes from made it hard for me to drink...I know I am weird! :oops: ). But I was eventually able to drink it and now I drink it all the time!

[Crissyanna]

I can't tolerate the texture of milk, or the taste. It is way too slimy for me most of the time (though, I can drink it if I have about five teaspoons of nesquick in a glass).

One other reason I can't stand it now is because when I was a child, I had to drink my glass of milk every night at dinner, no matter what. Even if I had a cold and was all stuffed up. I wished for a varience, but none was ever given. I guess part of my current dislike of the moo juice is in retaliation of my parents. I am a grown up now and can drink what I want.

I get a ton of calcium from green leafy veggies and yogurt and cheese. Much tastier and not slimy (I know, most people think yogurt is slimy, but it has a heavier texture than milk does.)

Crystal

[BlessedMommy]

I'd better avoid too much milk at all costs then. LOL. My mom barely drank any milk and I was 9 pounds, 5 1/4 ounces. I can't imagine having a ten pounder! Actually my hubby weighed over 10 1/2 pounds at birth, so big babies may be a genetic thing. I can't drink straight milk, anyway, because I'm allergic to it. Yogurt and other similar foods are less congesting for me.

~Ruth

I drank heaps of milk when I was pregnant with Abby. But this time... well, I don't know... I just don't crave it like I did last time (strawberry milk) :lol: But I do have milk on cereal and in drinks, yoghurt, cheese and icecream. So I think we'll be ok.

I have heartburn but haven't found milk to be any help for that... weird. I have to take Mylanta now.

Breanne I have mild OCD.

Maybe I should stop drinking so much milk all the time because my baby will be HUGE if this is true LOL LOL. It is one of my pet cravings, milk with iceblocks, milk with milo floating in it... we are going through so much milk right now :D

[meg]

I drank heaps of milk with my two pregnancies. With my second, a close friend was pregnant, only 2 weeks ahead of me. She'd drop her dh at work, then turn up at my house for the day with a 2 litre jug of milk tucked under her arm ..... :lol:

Both our babies were over 8lb :lol:

Aussie mum I know! I love Milo :D And icecream! And yoghurt! LOL
Abby was 8lbs 3ozs. I'm guessing this baby is going to be 9lbs something? Well I hope not but my mum reckons babies generally only get bigger so....

[mommyb]

Aussie mum I know! I love Milo :D And icecream! And yoghurt! LOL
Abby was 8lbs 3ozs. I'm guessing this baby is going to be 9lbs something? Well I hope not but my mum reckons babies generally only get bigger so....

Not always so! My aunt's first baby was bigger than her second! So there's still hope for ya!

Yeah my sister was smaller than me too. I was 7lbs 10 or 11ozs and my sister was 6lbs 11 or 12ozs I think. I don't think I can handle delivering a baby bigger than Abby was! HAHA

[JoyLynn]

I don't drink any milk and my last baby was 10 pounds. That's big enough for me. I took my prenatal vities with all of mine, though. [pregnantside]

Joy [welcomewave]

10 POUNDS.... SCREAM!!!!

All you people are scaring me with your big baby stories!! :lol:

I usually can't abide milk either, except on cerial or in my coffee - so it's definately babies orders on the milk issue there but it has to be freezing cold or not at all.

[Robynn]

I think this study is full of beans...
My first three were all between 8 lbs to 8-12.
Lyss was 10-7, and I barely drank any milk. Now I do eat cheese, but that is about it for dairy for me. The only difference was that I had quit smoking.

(Just cuz I can say so-I have never had stitches, and have no idea how to run a sitz bath) <<Shrug>> Canadian DRs are good, I guess!

[Bekah]

Hey guys I got one for you... I drank tons of milk with dd and she was only 7lb 14oz... then with ds I didn't drink as much and he was 9lb 12 oz... and both times they were two weeks early..

I am a little freaked out right now about how big my baby will be... I think I will lay off the milk just in case!!!

[BlessedMommy]

Even if this study was true, how do they know that other things don't work just as well to produce a big baby? (As if all of us at risk for big babies really want to produce one 4 oz. heavier. LOL)

I mean, they could just as easily come up with a study that says soy produces bigger babies. Actually, I hope that they don't, because I'll get afraid to drink my soy milk. :)

Bekah, with the sizes of your babies, I sure hope that you have this one at 38 weeks too. Yikes!!

LOL. I'll stick with my soy milk.

~Ruth