Provider Feature: Elan Nutrition Assoc.

This month I'm featuring Thea Boatswain of Elan Nutrition Associates ​to talk about nutritional needs during pregnancy and postpartum! 

I love talking about eating nutritionally rather than healthy--each word has specific connotations. Healthy is usually associated with eating less and losing weight, which is not the goal one should have when growing another human! Nutrition, on the other hand, infers sustenance and, well, nourishment--exactly what new and expecting parents need!

Read more about how Thea can help guide you on your journey to nourish yourself and your little one!

 What kind of services do you offer for prenatal and postpartum parents?

• I offer 1:1 nutrition sessions, meal planning assistance and a group coaching program for 3rd trimester + postpartum mamas to help them navigate motherhood with a little one. If you live in Virginia, DC or Maryland you may be able to use your insurance benefits to have your sessions covered 100%

Do you work with clients who adhere to dietary restrictions such as vegan, kosher, paleo, gluten free, etc?

• Yes! I have a lot of vegan clients. I also love my gluten and lactose interplant clients as well since I also suffer from NCGS and lactose interlace. I'm so thankful that there are so many products now that help us navigate these restrictions. I also have quite a few clients who observe fasting for religious reasons. So, I have an excellent background in helping people navigate their individual/unique diet needs.

How important is diet to the pregnancy and postpartum journey?

• A balanced diet can help mamas stay hydrated, may increase energy, prevent constipation, improve milk flow, decrease headaches and muscle cramps and so much more. I stress lots of fiber and protein to my clients as I've seen that these two can be lacking when people first come to see me.

How do you feel about the phrase, “eating for two”?

• I like the phrase as a starting point to understand that we need to eat more. But it can be very misleading. Actually during the first trimester you don’t have to increase your calorie intake at all. Then in the 3rd trimester your intake only has to average around + 300-500 calories so maybe the phrase should be “ eat for one, then a lil more” lol

What do you feel like gets overlooked the most in pregnant and postpartum clients’ diets?

• Water! Can I say water again? WATER! I think bc it gets pushed so much that it can kind of go in one ear and out the other but I can never stress the importance of staying hydrated. Since blood volume increases exponentially during pregnancy mamas need water to make sure their blood is able to carry nutrients to the baby. My breastfeeding mamas can sometimes see an increase in milk flow once they start drinking an appropriate amount of water. I've even seen my mamas relieve muscle cramps through proper hydration.

When clients are hungry but just cant stomach a lot of food, what should they do?

• Prioritize calorie dense foods while you can. If baby is pressing on your stomach and you can eat a full meal, then try to make a smoothie with flaxseed, protein powder and oats to get in fiber. Sipping on that over the course of an hour will make sure that you can get in an appropriate amount of calories without feeling too full. Try soups and cereals too for other meals during the day.

What’s your favorite food?

• NY style pizza. If I can’t fold it, I won’t eat it. Kidding not kidding

What’s the ideal snack food for labor?

• The ‘right answer’ is probably granola, fruit and mini PB and Js to make sure that you are well nourished. But in all honesty, whatever you think is going to comfort you and make you feel better mama, eat it. (unless its sushi or deli meat lol) so if you feel like you need some gummy worms and Cheetos mama, go for it!

If you would like some more guidance on your journey, reach out to Thea to request your appointment!