DanielleH_RD’s Posts

DanielleH_RD
on 7/27/07 3:14 pm
Topic: RE: LAB WORK QUESTIONS
I hope I can make you feel a little better.  First of all, all of the "normal" ranges for labs are for normal people, not pregnant ones.  With pregnancy, you increase the total volume of your blood and other circulating fluids.  There is a dramatic increase in the amount of plasma (the watery part) of your blood, this causes a dilution of the other components - so your counts are going to drop.  Remember that your blood is the big river carrying everything you and your little one need to move in and move out - it changes quite a lot in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy when growth needs for the fetus are higher. Okay, I'll try to go down the list. Total protein and albumin.  Both are very affected by dilution.  You may want to focus on your protein intake, but the majority of the drop comes from your increased blood volume. Your WBC is normal, but higher than you would like and you have a slight increase in neutrophils - I would say your body has been fighting someting off (a little cold or allergies).  The body has a normal down-regulation of the immune system with pregnancy  - your body is technically being invaded, yet nature forces your immune system to ignore the invader (the fetus).  Therefore, you are more likely to catch little colds or have subtle allergies when pregnant that you don't otherwise worry about. Low RBC, Low hemoglobin and hematocrit - you have less blood cells in that sample of blood that they took because you have more fluid, which makes your counts look low.  Pregnancy norms are different than non-pregnant norms.  Hemoglobin refers to the iron containing, oxygen carrying component of the blood.  If your doctor is concerned, he/she may recommend you increase your intake of iron.   The fact that your Iron binding capacity is higher is good - that means that another chemical 2,3 DPG is working well and making your blood cells very likely to bind with oxygen and therefore ensure good oxygenation for all of your & your little ones cells.   Iron sats are lower because again, you have fewer cells in that sample that they took. Despite your concerns, it is still normal. I completely understand your concerns.  My little one is 11 months old and I remember all of the anxieties of pregnancy very well!  Relax.  The baby is getting what it needs - sometimes at the sake of our own bodies - but we can pull ourselves back together after they are born! Good luck!
DanielleH_RD
on 7/17/07 2:10 pm
Topic: RE: Can Bar iatric patients be vegetarians?
There is no reason why you have to get your protein from meat.  You may have to pay a little extra attention to your sources of protein and be sure you get enough.  I think a vegetarian-bariatric diet is easier if you allow milk products.  Whey protein has an excellent amino acid profile and it's also very well tolerated.  It can easily be added into other foods you are eating.  Non-fat dairy products are also a great choice provided you don't have any issue with the lactose.  Dairy based products also provide a good source of calcium, which is particularly important if you have had a procedure that causes malabsorption (RNY, DS, etc.) I would caution you to read the labels on some of the meat alternatives, such as the products from Loma Linda Foods and Worthington foods.  Some of these products are VERY high in fat, usually when they are made from nut sources.  Read the labels carefully and look for items that are less than 3 grams of fat per 100 calories (that's approximately 30% of calories from fat).  If you are very sensitive to fat, you may want to look for even lower fat items. Good luck! Danielle RD
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