Pregnancy

Baby’s Food Preferences Form in Utero

Science answers this question expectant moms:

 Can you help develop your baby’s food preferences while you are pregnant?

This was not an issue at my house.  I had great eaters!  For many families, though, picky eaters can be are real stresser!   Good news!  Research has shown that mama can influence their baby’s food preferences by her eating habits during pregnancy!

 

baby's food preferences
‘Foetuses exposed to garlic in the womb are more likely to prefer garlic in later life.’ Photograph: Steve Allen Travel Photography //Alamy

It may be a survival mechanism that’s come back to bite us on the bum, but human beings are born to love sweets. We love them even when we’re in the womb. Some 15 to 16 weeks after conception, foetuses will show their sugar appreciation by swallowing more amniotic fluid when it’s sweet, and less when bitter. Penchants for salt and umami tastes are also innate. Most of our food preferences, however, are learned, and a growing body of research shows that this learning also begins before birth.

The complete post can be read here and for the Science Magazine artcile, read here.

Marcie Hadley, CD(DONA), PCD(DONA), CLC, and LCCE(LAMAZE), has been serving families since 2010. She especially enjoys getting to know her families, meeting their unique needs, and sharing evidence-based care information. Marcie has worked with unmedicated, medicated, C-section, family friendly C-Section, and VBAC labors, Her postpartum experience includes working with families of first children to families of 10. She has worked with mothers who have experienced postpartum depression and illness following birth. Her goal is to empower mothers in their own mothering wisdom.

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