At the recent Vancouver Island Baby Fair (Sept. 25 & 26, 2010 in Victoria) we were so pleased to offer a free copy of Leah Douglas’ book The Gourmet Pregnancy to the first 40 people to arrive on Sunday morning. Leah sent us this guest post:

“There are two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle. The other as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein

I wish I could have joined you all at the fantastic Vancouver Island Baby Fair – but my second baby (our new little miracle) arrived on September 10^th, so I needed to stick close to home.  I’ve been focused on a few important things (like taking care of my new baby and active toddler, obviously!), as well as making healthy, easy and delicious meals to keep my own body nourished and energized.

Nearing the end of my second pregnancy, I started reflecting on how focused I have been on eating healthy and diverse foods during pregnancy – and how easy it would be to forget to keep it up with all the positive dietary changes I’ve made.  Lots of other things to do!

But perhaps I can think of my health, my needs, myself as another miracle.  I would want nothing less for my own daughters, if they choose to become moms.  It is a simple shift in thinking, but one that can certainly help me maintain my commitment to nourishing and nurturing foods.

Maintaining a healthy diet during pregnancy is so important, and I tried to eat a wide variety of nutritious foods. Between cravings, food aversions and morning sickness, I made every effort to focus on a balanced diet of protein, fruits and vegetables, calcium-rich dairy products, whole grains and good fats (such as those found in fish, olive oil, avocado and nuts).

The recipes in this book really helped me avoid the stress of eating the “right” foods by focusing on the sensual tastes of sumptuous meals. They’ve all be screened by a medical doctor to ensure they are safe to eat during pregnancy.

For all you beautiful pregnant gals – you may be giving up a lot during these nine special months, so perhaps it’s time to add in some excitement and culinary adventure. I hope the positive and luxurious focus of The Gourmet Pregnancy will help you to feel posh, sexy and connected with your body, baby and partner.

As a bonus, many people believe that exposing baby to lots of foods and flavours in utero is a surefire way to have a child who is open to eating lots of different foods. So why not have some fun with gourmet cooking? Celebrate your pregnant body, pamper your palate and start loving up your kitchen!

Now that this special time has ended for me, I will still delight in small servings of delicious, fabulous food that are truly and genuinely satisfying. I will always take pleasure in preparing and eating fantastic and healthy meals, and in spending time with friends and family.  So I will continue to use these great recipes that my family has come to know and love.

Pregnant or not, so many of The Gourmet Pregnancy recipes are quick, simple, and use fresh, wholesome, and seasonal ingredients.  For Fall, you might want to try the French Fusion Onion Soup (p. 100), the Spiced Caramelized Cauliflower and Candied Curry Pecan Salad (p.110), or the Sautéed Sablefish with Eggplant Caviar (p. 128).  Yum!

The Gourmet Pregnancy is available at Chapters, Indigo, Coles, Borders, and Amazon.com, as well as select local retailers.  You can also check out our website at www.gourmetpregnancy.com for great sample recipes.

What is the best change you made to your diet while pregnant?  Did you keep it up after your baby was born?  Let me know on Twitter (@gourmetprgnancy) or on Facebook. Your suggestion could inspire a recipe in the next edition of The Gourmet Pregnancy, with your name beside it!

Cheers,

Leah Douglas

Every so often it’s a good thing to pause and tell our loved ones how we feel. This is all about Mike, my husband and father of our two kids and a whole bunch of reasons why I think he’s an awesome dad and husband.

It started long, long ago before we had kids, before we were married, about 15 years ago when I convinced you that we should leave our jobs and go on a road trip across Canada and the northern United States in your crappy K-car. It was on that trip, somewhere in the middle of Pennsylvania that I turned to you while you were driving and said, “I wanna have your baby some day.”

Years later, after loads of crazy adventures & experiences I realized that you were truly my rock. My mom died. Your patience and unwaivering devotion and support during my epic grieving…. I knew you were a keeper.

Then we decided to multiply. And you came to 100% of my prenatal appointments and you supported my desire to have a homebirth with midwives and you supported my wish to have a doula present. You did the research. You read the books. Knowing that while this was the birth of OUR child, this was MY body’s experience and my deep, deep desire to envelope the birthing room with positivity and trust in my ability to give birth. Thank you for helping to make that possible- twice.

Then when breastfeeding really sucked for a while there, you stayed by me, supporting me in my wish to breastfeed our baby. You knew I could do it, even when I wanted to hand you the baby and run far, far away, yelling, “Good luck with that!”

So I’d like to thank you, for putting family first, for taking night time wake-up calls from the kids (unless breastfeeding is required or there’s vomit involved- those are my jobs) for taking time off work to help me prevent post partum depression the second time around, for reading to the kids every day, for playing road hockey with our son when you’d rather be vegging on the couch after work, for being a human trampoline for hours on end with our two little monkeys and for wearing a feather boa if that is what our daughter requires of you.

You are my hero and an inspiration!

Happy Fathers Day!

Love Shirley

We are very excited to tell you about a great new book called “Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman’s Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers and Moods.

Expectant mothers are virtual magnets for unsolicited advice. Mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, sisters-in-law, new mothers, friends, and even strangers offer what seems to be an endless supply of supposedly authoritative opinions on every aspect of pregnancy: A craving for spicy food denotes a boy. Carrying the baby low denotes a girl. And, of course, everyone wants to touch her belly.

In this engaging, humorous, and very informative book, Drs. Shawn A. Tassone and Kathryn Landherr – experienced gynecologists, a husband-and-wife team of physicians, and parents of four children – explore the most common superstitions and myths surrounding pregnancy. With a scientific perspective, the authors not only entertain but provide a great deal of practical information, which will ease the fears and anxieties of expectant parents as well as clear up many confusing notions.

We will be giving away a copy of this book ‘Hands Off My Belly: The Pregnant Woman’s Survival Guide to Myths, Mothers and Moods’ to the first 50 people that come through the doors at the Vancouver Island Baby Fair on both Saturday and Sunday! 100 books in all! Doors open at 10am so be sure to join us at the Vancouver Island Baby Fair this weekend, June 5 & 6 at Beban Park Social Centre in Nanaimo!

By: Shirley Broback, Producer of the Vancouver Island Baby Fair

When you are pregnant, it can feel like it’s open season for unsolicited advice & birth stories from other parents.

In the end of my pregnancy with my daughter (see photo below) it felt like I was as wide as I was tall. I was huge! Everywhere I went there were stares. Everyone wanted to know how a short woman like me could give birth to what seemed would be a gigantic baby or made comments like “looks like you could pop any minute!”  Although these comments started when I was only six months along.

Yes, I knew I had another big baby. (My son had been 9 1/2 pounds)

When the midwife palpated my belly she knew too.

But she was pretty confident in me based on my previous “uneventful” birth experience. (Right, like giving birth can EVER be “uneventful”!)

So all we could do was wait and see. And try to surrender to the labour that awaited me.

When people see a pregnant woman, it’s tempting for some to feel the need to warn her or provide their detailed stories whether she’s interested or not. It is likely that her birth experience will be much different than yours, regardless of the “helpful” advice you provide and even the best of friends might have different fears or make different choices about their birthing options.

Decompressing and sharing our birth stories is a really healthy, natural thing to do. It’s a life-changing experience we have just been through and most women want or need to talk about it, especially in the early postpartum days.

However, I think it’s important to not flood a pregnant woman’s thoughts with our own stories in those last couple months of her pregnancy.  She is busy getting ready for her own experience, physically and emotionally. This is her journey right now.

In the last trimester of pregnancy we need to plant the seeds of confidence in women. Share your own amazing moments & perhaps some good tips- if she’s interested- but save any epic battle birth stories for later during mommy bonding coffee dates.

A friend gave me a little pin to wear that said, “Happy birth stories please. My baby is listening.”