Babies are Built in Winter

It’s the most wonderful time of the year.

We bet you’ve never linked that famous holiday tune to the most wonderful time of the year to conceive.

It turns out most babies are born in September which, if you do the math, means they’re conceived around Christmas. Some think that’s because the holidays lend themselves to romantic feelings; others attribute it to cold-weather snuggling. We like both theories.

This issue of Vital Times focuses on building healthy babies. If you’re not pregnant but thinking it, Pure North can help you prepare. If you’re pregnant already and want to ensure you’re as healthy as possible, we offer support.

We’re experiencing something of a baby boom ourselves in our Pure North family, with eight staff pregnancies this past year, three of whom grace the cover. Superb examples of radiant good health in pregnancy, they share some of the unexpected quirks they’ve experienced while expecting. We also tapped the knowledge of one of our naturopathic doctors to talk about optimal health in pregnancy.

Read up on the importance of vitamin D supplementation for both mom and baby, then learn about mental health issues in pregnancy. Pure North’s Courtney Culham had none of the risk factors for postpartum depression but the nurse practitioner herself went through a terrifyingly dark period following her first daughter’s birth four years ago. Today, she’s an advocate who educates people about this misunderstood and underdiagnosed problem.