How do you teach about nutrition and do you spend much time on it if you aren't teaching an early pregnancy class? Do you have handouts you could share. Do you use any kind of visual aid?

Just starting out so this may or may not work but I'm doing 55 minutes in the 2nd class (of a 6 week series) on nutrition. I'm using the nutrition match game (CAPPA's cert book) but adding some other info to the cards, I'm also going to make copies of the diet diary in Penny's book (PC&theNB) to handout at the 1st class to review during this class. I just saw a handout by ACNM on nutrition that looks good too... :)

I got my info off of Dr sears site..He had great info on Nutrition I put it in my binder but will use it once I start teaching classes.

I focus a lot on nutrition because it's the foundation of a healthy pregnancy and when mom and baby can stay healthy prenatally the chances of something happening during labor & birth such as pp hemorrhage, high blood pressure, etc. are lowered.

So, in my first class we talk about ways to stay healthy and low-risk, and at the end of that class I introduce nutrition and have my moms keep a food diary for 3 consecutive days and bring back to the next class. Then in the second class I focus about 1/2 of the class on nutrition....I talk about why it's important, how it helps grow a healthy baby, the role good nutrition plays in preventing high-risk pregnancies, and what a good prenatal nutrition plan looks like. I discuss how to shop for good whole foods, how to cook and plan menus around more whole foods, how to read food labels and avoid certain things like corn syrup and transfats, and what the elements of a good nutrition looks like...80-100gm protein daily, drink to thirst, salt to taste and the other elements that should be included each day, such as dairy (or soy), proteins (meats, fish, beans, cheeses), greens, Vit. C sources, fats/oils, & grains.
Then we have fun by putting together a menu and see if there were enough of each element in the diet and if we got to at least 80gm protein. Then we discuss what changes could be made to improve the diet. It gets everyone talking and involved.
Then I have each mom look over her food diary she kept the week before and I go around the room and have each one tell one good thing about her diet on any particular day and then tell one area where she could improve.

I then give the same assignment to keep the diary for at least 3 consecutive days and try to make improvements on how and what they are eating.

Bradley classes are typically 12 weeks and each class spends a little time focusing on nutrition. Moms start to see how important it is and I've seen over the years I've taught many women change their eating habits, me included. :)

I forgot to mention that I use information from Dr. Tom Brewer's website...
http://www.blueribbonbaby.org

And I like Dr. Sears information also.
:)