by When Cassie Maye was pregnant and searched for information online about what to eat, she found herself overwhelmed by the amount of content.
“There is a lot of information available online but a lot of it can be misleading,” said Ms Maye.
“It’s really big for new parents, and especially for new mothers.”
Then she found out about a new program in Canberra that offers mothers nutritional guidance during their baby’s first 1,000 days.
“Some [online information] to be invaluable and helpful,” she said.
“[But] other things can be a bit misleading or you feel like you need a lot of different products or things to be able to start that journey.”
Mothers including Ms. Maye meet for free one-hour sessions at three critical stages of their child’s development.
The first phase looks at the second trimester of pregnancy, when expectant mothers work with nutritionists to support them and their growing fetus.
The second looks at the introduction of solids, and the third explores the transition to family food.
Feeding children shouldn’t be difficult
Leanne Elliston, a nutritionist and one of the leaders of the program, said that expectant mothers need to think about their baby’s nutrition from pregnancy.
“The food a mom eats during her pregnancy plays an incredible role in the developing fetus to ensure the baby reaches its full potential,” she said.
“The first 1,000 days are a great opportunity where we can really make a difference in children’s health and establish their long-term health trajectory.”
The Feeding Healthy Futures program is run by Nutrition Australia ACT, as part of the government’s Healthy Canberra Grants initiative.
About 70 mothers are part of five different cohorts spread across Canberra, including in Gungahlin and Woden.
Organizers plan to follow participants through each of the three phases, and collect data through surveys on how effective the interventions have been.
At the sessions, mothers are given material about the food groups and nutrients that are important for them and their baby at each stage of development, food safety advice, information about allergens, breastfeeding support, and tips on what to eat, as well as what cannot be eaten. eat.
Common myths are also dispelled, such as the idea that pregnancy means mothers need to ‘eat enough food for two’, which is not true.
“There are so many myths and misconceptions in society about food and nutrition, during pregnancy and also in the early stages of introducing solids,” said Mr Elliston.
“We want to make sure [mothers] to succeed – get the right advice from an accredited and practicing dietitian who presents evidence-based information.
“Feeding babies and toddlers shouldn’t be difficult – we’ve been doing it for thousands of years.”
Misinformation and influencers cause unnecessary stress for some parents
Ms Maye and her six-month-old daughter Maggie have just attended the second stage of the programme.
She said her social media feed during pregnancy was full of content from influencers telling her she needed specific food products for her and later baby.
“You win so many things and you really just had to go with your gut and your intuition sometimes and [the course] it really helps you build that,” Ms Maye said.
Ms Elliston said many parents and expectant parents are getting information online and through social media.
She cited a recent example where a mother was convinced online that they had to buy special ‘toddler milk’, as one instance where parents were influenced to buy “unnecessary” products.
“They are often put out online or through influencers who are not properly educated. They may not have any scientific nutrition background,” she said.
“It’s very worrying when some people take that information up and think they’re doing the right thing for their child, when they could be setting up more harm in the future.”
Ms Elliston said it is also putting unnecessary stress on parents.
“Sometimes parents can feel pressure from influencers and what they see online that they have to be a certain way about it,” she said.
The final stage of the project, when the children will be children, is due to take place later this year.
Ms Elliston said the program has already received positive feedback from parents who have said they are benefiting from the advice.
