Apostle M. Russell Nelson spoke about New Media and encouraged graduating students to write a blog to “contribute to a national conversation about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Expecting Benjamin in 2002.
I did five liver cleanses during my pregnancy with Ben. I KNOW it helped me during the birth. After almost dying during my fourth birth from a hemorrhage that took me down to a crit of 4.7, I had no excessive bleeding after Bens home birth and the cleanses helped tremendously in that regard. A clean and fully functioning liver is the key to a healthy pregnancy, a large healthy placenta, and a safe and satisfying home birth.
I’m going to take a blogging break during the month of September to finish my 4th book, Liver Cleansing during the Childbearing Season.
I have been working on this book off and on (mostly off) for eleven years, and feel that now is the time to finally put it together.
It will be available as an E-book on my web site: The Natural Family Company
Here some quotes from about liver health and healthy placental growth from my second book: Elijah Birth, How to turn the hearts of the Fathers
Quotes originated from The Brewer Pregnancy Hotline, Book by Gail Krebs
QUOTES:

“The liver is the master gland of metabolism and cellular nutrition. All food substances absorbed from the stomach and intestines pass directly into the liver where they are changed in various ways to provide all the cells of the body with food materials for growth, repair, and energy. Special enzymes and proteins, such as the albumin discussed previously, are continually formed and released into the bloodstream.

During pregnancy there is an increased need for proteins. Growth and development of the baby, growth of the uterus, growth of the placenta, expansion of blood volume, and storage of protein for use in later breastfeeding – all of these demand increased liver metabolism. A good diet throughout pregnancy provides the liver with the needed food substances to fulfill its round-the-clock task of meeting stepped-up nutritional demands.

A second function the liver performs at higher levels in pregnancy is neutralizing and excreting harmful poisons which originate in the lower bowel. Termed its detoxication function, it has led to the liver being termed “the watchdog of the abdomen.” All blood draining the stomach and intestinal tract goes first into the liver, where it is filtered before passing into the general circulation. The liver then excretes all toxic substances in the bile and urine.

Female hormones produced in large quantities by the placenta are also detoxified and excreted by the liver. Towards the end of pregnancy, the amount of hormones produced daily is several hundred times greater than the amount contained in a birth control pill. If the mother is malnourished, the liver may fall behind in its task of clearing these hormones and other toxins from the body. They then accumulate in the liver and body tissues and begin to impair the liver’s ability to function. The poorly nourished woman’s liver cannot meet these extreme demands for detoxification.

Furthermore, research confirms that stressed livers of poorly nourished pregnant women also have low resistance to liver infections. These liver disorders can further damage the liver’s ability to carry on its metabolic functions. A pregnant woman who develops a liver infection is at greater risk because of the extra stress pregnancy imposes on this organ. When liver damage is significant in pregnancy, it is termed severe MRLP, or HELLP Syndrome, and includes a reduced ability to synthesize blood proteins and platelets. The liver may develop fatty infiltrations and may rupture. These liver conditions are a leading cause of maternal deaths in third world nations and the developed world alike. The well-nourished mother’s liver can work at peak efficiency throughout pregnancy in detoxication, thus protecting herself and her baby from needless infection, severe MRLP/HELLP and other life-threatening disorders.”

“…..The outdated idea that the placenta can somehow extract nutrients from the mother, which are not in her circulation is a threat to sound pregnancy nutrition. In a sense, the baby is in competition with all the tissues of the mother’s body, which also require continual nourishment from her bloodstream. If the mother fails to take in all essential nutrients in large enough proportions to sustain the increased demands of pregnancy, her baby will not magically receive what it needs for optimal growth. The baby does not have top priority for nutrients. In fact, there are numerous reliable studies that show the opposite.

Aaron Lechtig and his collaborators have reported that even moderate maternal malnutrition interferes with the process of placental cell proliferation, resulting in abnormally small placentas. When the size of the placenta is reduced, the surface area available for nutrient transfer is correspondingly reduced. Many researchers now conclude that small, thin, underdeveloped placentas are associated with small, thin underdeveloped babies. Very simply, a small placenta cannot transfer as many nutrients to the growing baby as a larger one. So, the baby does not weigh as much as it should at birth, even it if is born at term.

During the last eight weeks of pregnancy, if the mother’s diet is adequate, the baby gains an ounce a day. Brain development occurs at the most rapid rate ever. The baby requires more oxygen and nutrients of all types—including proteins, vitamins, minerals, and calories—than earlier in pregnancy. If the mother is told she has gained enough weight already or that her blood pressure is elevated somewhat and put on a low-calorie, low salt diet at this crucial time, or put on drugs that diminish her appetite by making her sleepy or disoriented, the baby will be denied the nutrients needed to accomplish normal development. A restrictive diet, or drug therapy that results in a reduction in the mother’s nutrient intake, cause the mother’s blood volume to shrink, reducing the amount of blood flowing through the placenta. The baby can suffer intrauterine growth retardation from this reduction of placental blood flow. When less blood passes through the placenta, fewer nutrients pass to the baby during any given period of time.”

I plan to conduct my 40th liver and gall bladder cleanse this weekend. Cleaning out these internal organs has been one of the most intense experiences of my life, but I trust that the time invested in these efforts will give me a strong foundation of health for the rest of my life.
Much more information is available at Cure Zone.
I hope all of my readers have a great september, and remember….September is National Preparedness Month!

And if you are new to the Natural Family Blog, I am a strong Romney supporter. Labor Day kicked off the true presidential election season. Take a few minutes to check out Mitt Romneys site. I believe he is our best option for a strong, powerful leader.
Jenny Hatch