Week 33: Your baby is able to open and close its eyes
As your beautiful belly continues to grow, more light is penetrating the amniotic sac. Your baby’s eyes are now able to react to light — its pupils can dilate and constrict. Your baby is also able to open and close its eyes. By the end of this week, your baby will weigh more than 2 kilos or 4 pounds.
Essential Nutrients this Week: Calcium, Choline, Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K
Food of the Week: Organic Kale
With the amount of growing, developing and breathing your baby is now doing, there’s no better time to eat kale. A nutrient-dense superfood, two cups of kale are loaded with nearly 5g of fibre, one-fifth of your daily calcium, 2mg of iron (non-heme), more than 650mg of potassium, 160mg of vitamin C, nearly 200mg of folate, more than 670mcg of vitamin A, 945mcg of vitamin K and moderate amounts of vitamins E and B6, niacin, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium. Kale is a nutritional powerhouse.
Recipes of the Week
Kale Chips
If eating kale in a salad or steamed doesn’t float your boat, try making these kale chips. They’re crisp and crunchy morsels of goodness and are a healthy pregnancy snack.
Kale and Tahini Dip
Using kale in a dip is another tasty and healthy way of benefiting from all the nutrients this superfood contains. The combination of the kale, tahini and macadamia nuts creates a creamy taste sensation you’ll want to enjoy with seed crackers, on organic rye sourdough, tossed through a salad or beside a piece of chicken or fish.
Superfood Green Soup
As far as nutrient-density goes, this superfood green soup packs a punch. It’s rich in Vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium, manganese, folate, choline, calcium, iron and zinc. And this pregnancy recipe proves that healthy can also be delicious.
Mexican Quinoa with Green Goddess Dressing
A colourful and vibrant salad that’s nutrient-dense and perfect on its own or as a side. It tastes amazing plain or dressed in the Green Goddess Dressing. Best of all, this salad can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for up to a week, making it ideal to take to work. (The dressing is a good source of vitamin K which is needed for healthy blood clotting so keep this recipe on hand as you approach labour and birth).
Pregnancy Articles
Foods To Help You Prepare For Labour — how a nutrient-dense, whole and real foods diet can affect the ease and duration of labour
The Critical Link Between Your Gut Health And Your Baby's Immunity — now is the time to start taking probiotics
How To Prevent And Ease Thrush During Pregnancy — your vaginal health impacts your baby’s future health
How To Relieve Heartburn During Pregnancy — top 10 tips for relieving heartburn while you’re pregnant
Ways To Relieve Restless Legs During Pregnancy — top tips for relieving leg cramps during pregnancy
Preparing For An Empowered And Positive Birth Experience — a positive birth experience is possible for you