When Pregnant, Swimming is good for you; But What about Eating What’s In the Water?

25 Jan 2012

One of my favorite running replacements has been swimming.  I find that the cardio I have built up through running has transferred nicely into the swimming pool where I am easily swimming 50 plus laps (I am generously counting one way as a lap) and similar to running, I seem to tap into that “Zone” where I tune everything else out and am just alone with my thoughts.  It’s also nice not to lug around my sneakers and gym clothes as I transfer myself from my house to gym to the office via public transportation and opt instead for a much lighter bathing suit, swim cap, and goggles.  And let’s be honest; at 32 weeks pregnant in the swimming pool is really the only place anymore where I feel “light”. 

Every pregnancy website and blog I have looked at says that swimming is one of the best exercises.  It did take me some time to get over the initial hurdle; to go out and purchase a maternity tankini and psyche myself up for actually being in a bathing suit when it’s the dead of winter and pregnancy has not made me feel particularly “bikini ready”.  But every time I get into the pool, I am glad I did.  I also look at it as a “bonding” experience with my daughter who I feel more aggressively “swimming” around in my uterus, like we are swimming “together”.  And it brings back childhood memories of when I learned to swim and at age 4 won “Most Improved Swimmer” at my family’s summer beach club (see me age 4, picture above). 

While swimming and pregnancy gets a good rap, actually eating what is in the water has been viewed with more trepidation.  Raw fish like Sushi is a big no-no, and as the pregnancy gods would have it, what I have craved the most is a spicy crunchy tuna roll- a double no-no as you are also hit with the high mercury content.   After a conversation with Dr. Thomas Brenna of Cornell University, however, I am convinced that eating the right fish during pregnancy, particularly during your third trimester, is actually extremely beneficial.  I was so convinced about the benefits of fish and particularly salmon after our conversation, that I made salmon that night at home and followed it up with a salmon salad sandwitch the following day for lunch. 

Why Fish: My Baby’s Brain

Dr Brenna says “the brain is the fattyist organ in the body- the profile of fatty acids in the brain are very similar to what is found in seafood, which is actually quite different than in other meats.”  These fatty acids are otherwise known as omega 3s.  What this means is, by consuming fish meat during pregnancy, you are consuming the same fatty acids needed in brain growth.  During the third trimester of pregnancy, the babies brain is growing and developing more rapidly and Dr Brenna says this “brain growth spirt” continues at a high rate until age 2.  While it is most important during the third trimester to consume fish, Dr Brenna reminds us that fats “hang around” for a while so consuming fish earlier in your pregnancy is also beneficial. 

If you are looking for proof that eating fish helps the developing brain, Dr Brenna points out a few recent studies.  One of them, published in 2007, demonstrated that the more seafood a mom eats, the lower the risk of her offspring having low motor ability or verbal functioning.  The study done in the United Kingdom demonstrated that mothers who did not eat any seafood at all during pregnancy had children who, at age 4 and age 8, were at the highest risk for low verbal ability. 

For those who are still concerned about fish due to potential high mercury content, Dr Brenna reminds us that there are a bunch of fish options that do not have a high mercury content but do have a high omega three content.  Salmon is one of these fish as is trout, crab, shrimp, cod, tilapia as well as other fish.  

Why Fish: My Baby’s Taste Buds: Developing Healthy Eating Habits Early

By 21 weeks pregnancy, your baby begins to swallow amniotic fluid.  Your baby at this point has already developed taste buds and the amniotic fluid often tastes similar to what you have eaten.  Research has shown that babies who were exposed to certain tastes in utero were more likely to eat foods with the same taste after birth.  

One of the reasons Dr Brenna emphasizes the consumption of fish is because it is considered a “good fat”; better than many of the alternatives you could eat.  Why not get your baby used to more healthy tastes from the beginning? 

Why Fish: To help Mom’s Mood

Dr. Brenna explains that the omega three fatty acids found in fish are EPA and DHA.  The brain is very high in DHA but EPA has been associated with a reduction in depression symptoms, not just in pregnancy, but in non pregnant individuals.  Studies have shown that in both pregnant women and non-pregnant individuals an increase in EPA has shown positive effects in the reduction of depression.  Since other drugs have side effects, an increase in fish may be a better alternative to helping with depression.  

What's Next: Will fish consumption in pregnancy guidelines change?

Dr Brenna says that in 2004, the EPA came out with fish intake guidelines for pregnant women stating that they shouldnt consume more than 12 oz of fish per week, plus they identified a list of "black fish" (i.e. fish high in mercury that should be avoided).  Dr Brenna argues that these guideline were based off of a fear of mercury as well as not taking into consideration the benefits of fish consumption.  The net result was that pregnant women became so fearful of fish that they only consume, on average 3-4 oz of fish per week.  

In 2010, Dr Brenna, along with Professor Michael Crawford of London Metropolitan University, wrote a letter urging the FDA to increase it's guidelines of 12 oz of fish per week for pregnant women.  This initiative was followed up by 15 senators in 2011 who wrote a letter to President Obama, citing a study conducted by the HHS and USDA which concluded that the "benefits of consuming seafood far outweigh the risks, even for pregnant women" and that "the increase intake of omega 3s from seafood leads to "improved infant health outcomes, such as visual and cognitive development."  In addition, the letter cites a study conducted by the lead investigator of the U.S. National Institute of Health of 12,000 pregnant women which concluded that "the advice (to pregnant women) to limit seafood consumption could actually be detrimental."  

 

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