Emma 'the baby-maker' Cannon, one of the country's leading complementary fertility specialists is returning to babyepxert.com to offer advice on your pregnancy well-being and post-natal care.

Emma's new book YOU and YOUR BUMP provides invaluable advice from pre-conception, through every stage of your pregnancy to labour and birth, aiming to create a confident, healthy and happy mum-to-be.

Join Emma on Monday 18th July, from 12-1pm here on our live webchats board.

Don't worry if you can't make that time, leave your question now and Emma will answer as many questions on the day as possible.

Hi Emma,
I was wondering if you could advise me on a pregnancy weight issue please?

Im only 5ft 2inches and at christmas was a healthy weight of 8stone 12ib.
I fell pregnant in January and piled on about a stone in weight in the first few months (as I did with my son in my previous pregnancy). I have terrible all day nausea and the only thing that eases it seems to be eating. Specifically I eat alot of carbohydrates (although wholemeal and wholegrain) which I normally limit in my diet as it does tend to pile weight on me normally but as this helps the sickness I can't help eating them.
Unfortunately I lost my baby in March, comfort ate alot and didn't get out and about for a good while as I felt so down- which put more weight on me, I then fell pregnant again in May and am back to my carbohydrate need again..vegetables are a no go for me at the minute. I go dizzy if I don't eat.

This has resulted in me now being 11stone 6ib at only 10 weeks pregnant and 5ft 2inches in height. This weight is so unatural to me and it makes me tired and uncomfortable. I am not just fat but appear really bloated too. I really worry that if I weigh this now how much weight I will put on as the pregnancy progresses.

Will being this weight have an impact on the pregnancy? It worries me
Thanks,
Sarah.

Welcome to today's webchat and welcome Emma Cannon who will be online from 12pm for one hour to answer your pregnancy related questions...

Hi Emma

I am now in my 3rd trimester. I have a lot of joint ache and so am finding it hard getting around. The problem is I'm getting worried about my weight also. I'm not able to exercise as before and am gaining weight around my buttocks and thighs rapidly. What can I do to try to control this?

thanks in advance

Hi Emma

Please can you tell me the benefits of acupuncture in pregnancy? Is it worth doing? How does it help? What is the process? Does it hurt? I'm thinking about it but want to find out a bit more first to see whether it is worth it?

thanks

Hi there
I am so pleased that you fell pregnant again that really is the important thing here. Hopefully you will stop craving carbs soon and your diet will resume to a healthy pace.
Acupuncture is excellent for helping with cravings and nausea; reducing the need to consume large amounts of carbs to get rid of the nausea.
You wont be able to diet as such while pregnant and it is a mistake to limit calories, I think that when your appetite resumes to its normal state you need to try and help yourself with the following steps:

Try to eat little and often
Make the food easy to diet and not too may complicated dishes
Try to eat carbohydrates seperately to proteins so eat meat with veg and salads or pasta or rice with vegetables.

Try to eat more cooked foods and if you do eat salads eat then with a soup so that your digestive system has some warmth.
In chinese medicine we say that "diet is important but digestion is everything" and in pregnancy the digestion is weakened so perhaps you can only tolerate more simple foods. In my book You and Your Bump there are lots of recipes and tips on healthy eating that are somewhat different from the normal books on the market.

I hope that helps. some people do get quite large during pregnancy, try to eat lightly and regularly rather than three big meals a day. Breast feeding afterwards will also help you lose weight

I think acupuncture is a wonderful thing to have while pregnant. In my practice in London we use it in early pregnancy; studies show that it can help with nausea but I find it really helps as a preventative treatment to help keep women well and symptom free. It is also amazingly calming and you can visably see the difference in women after the treatment.
I also use acupuncture as a pre birth treatment and studies suggest it helps shorten the second stage of labour.
It is good for any type of pain during pregnancy.

My way of using it is once a week in early pregnancy, once a month throughout and 3 treatments prior to labour

for a therapist contact

www.acupuncture.org.uk
or if in London our apt line is 07531 916121

good luck, try it you wont regret it

Hi there
again "diet is important but digestion is everything"

I would suggest that your activity is decreasing and so should your intake. Your digestion is under pressure now, so simplify the diet. Eat regular cooked meals but make them light and easy to digest, soup is perfect or food that has been cooked slowly and for a long time like stews etc. Don't eat raw food and don't over load the digestion. in Chinese medicine we recommend congees which sound horrid but are perfect for this stage of pregnancy when I really can not stress enough the importance of being kind to your digestion. My book has several recipes for nourishing soups and congees and I regularly post recipes on my news letter www.emmacannon.co.uk and if you sign up for the news letter you will receive regular recipes.
Walking is important but don't expect to be able to do a lot of exercise.
Eat simply and lightly and eat wholesome cooked foods
Good luck

Do you have any tips on getting through a labour as naturally as possible - for each stage?

Hi Emma

On sat while walking i felt a click in my pelvis and had a shooting pain on the left hand side, i could barely lift my leg but managed to hobble back to the car.

Since then the left hand side of my pelvis is really sore when i stand up, start walking and rolling. Ive done nothing all weekend and tried to rest. I feel fine till i stand up then im really shuffling.

Thankfully i see my midwife tomorrow but do you think this will wear off, should i keep moving about to ease it or should i relax as much as possible?

Dear Jane
everything is loosening off now so little niggles like this do occur more easily than in your normal state. I would suggest a visit to an osteopath www.osteopathy.org.uk .
Walking is important and you don't want something to set in now that might be hard to correct later
Good luck

Dear Miss Xan

The best advice anyone gave me is to treat each contraction as an isolated incident and not to see the pain in the larger context. If you are worrying about what is coming next instead of focusing on the job in hand. i.e the contraction you are dealing with at that moment, then you will not be focused in the moment and the pain will be all the more intense. As much as possible keep moving, avoid bright lights and ask those around you to limit the direct questions they might ask you.

Use acupressure Debra Betts does a really good leaflet on her website if you google her name and add acupressure you should find it.
I also have tips on my website

www.emmacannon.co.uk and in my book You and Your Bump

Use acupuncture to prepare it will make your contractions more efficient and your labour quicker.

Good luck - enjoy. I always say I could do another labour (but not another pregnancy)

Hi Emma...im not currently pregnant but am thinking of becoming an egg doner and wondered if you could give any advice or what you know of it etc...many thanks x

Hi Lea
that is such an amazing thing to do, good for you. There is such a shortage of embryo doners in this country and so many women are forced to go abroad to find suitable embryos to use.
I am not sure what kind of advice you are looking for, I can't really advise you on how it works but perhaps the HFEA would be your best best for that.
If you are interested in preparing yourself in terms of health then can I lead you to The baby Making bible which has a section on preparing for IVF in it with lots of tips on diet etc which would be really helpful for you. It is important to prepare yourself in terms of your mind and your body and anything you do prior to the procedure will pay dividends later. Eating a diet rich in vegetable protein for example will help with embryo production and using acupuncture during the process can also be extremely helpful.

Good luck and what an amazing person you must be x

Good luck everyone and I hope the answers where helpful

If you have any further questions you will find many helpful tips etc in my new book

You and Your Bump available on Amazon

Or you can email me on emma@emmacannon.co.uk

Or for apts at my clinic call 07531 916121

Bye for now
Emma Cannon XXX

Thanks so much to Emma Cannon for another great webchat.