The journey through pregnancy into parenthood is a beautifully powerful one. Pregnancy is the initiation into motherhood, a physical, emotional, and spiritual journey into birthing life. Supporting your body so it can support and nourish your baby in its first moments and months of life is essential.

For anyone looking to find a natural and delicious superfood to provide a ton of nutritional support, cacao is the perfect accompaniment on this new adventure. Cacao is packed with tons of essential vitamins and nutrients such as zinc, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, antioxidants and flavonoids, all which are beneficial to pregnant mothers and their growing babies.

Cacao is becoming all the more popular as an incredible source of essential vitamins, minerals, compounds, and antioxidants. Perfect for pregnancy and a time when health and wellness is of the utmost priority.

Cacao has recently become more common in mindful, spiritual or alternative spaces, and it's amazing that more people now are being introduced to this superfood which has been honored by ancient cultures over time for its incredible medicinal and spiritual properties. I found it important here when discussing its application during pregnancy to address the incredible benefits from a scientific backed perspective so that this knowledge can be consumed by a wider variety of people.

Choosing Your Cacao

It’s important to note that not all cacao is created equal. The quality of the cacao you choose to consume is of the highest importance, especially during such a potent time for an expecting mother and a forming, growing baby. It can be tempting to reach for chocolate and hope that the benefits apply, however this is truly a situation where you may want to be picky. If you are looking to get the most from your cacao, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and even cocoa won’t come close to the potential nutritional composition of a high quality cacao. Please note that the difference between cocoa and cacao is vast, and you won’t get nearly as many benefits from cocoa. Even many brands of cacao won’t contain nearly as high a degree of benefits and healing properties as the quality stuff.

Some essential aspects to choosing cacao are picking one that’s low in caffeine and one that has been minimally processed and therefore hasn’t been stripped of its inherent natural benefits. As too much caffeine can be harmful for expecting mothers, choosing a high quality cacao that contains naturally low amounts of caffeine is important.

Any cacao that’s by a major brand and therefore been processed in a large factory has almost definitely been exposed to high temperatures. This is done on a large scale to ensure no bacteria survives in the cacao with minimal efforts exerted, however the process also roasts the cacao to such a degree that the beneficial properties are impacted. Remember that when using cacao for its incredible medicinal healing properties, it's best to go with only the highest quality choices.

For some, getting pregnant can be a whole journey in itself. Whether you’re planning to conceive naturally or through a fertility treatment, cacao is a wonderful treat to assist you.

If you haven’t yet begun the process of becoming pregnant, it’s beneficial but not at all necessary to start consuming cacao as soon as possible to allow your body to adapt.

As the temporary home for your developing baby, the health and conditions of your body are absolutely vital. It’s common for pregnant mothers to take vitamins to ensure the wellness of their baby, completing their diet with any vitamins or nutrients that they may be missing. High quality cacao is an incredible source of antioxidants, copper, calcium, manganese, zinc, magnesium, potassium, iron, and healthy compounds.

Cacao is one of the highest sources of magnesium. The magnesium and fiber in good quality cacao help to manage constipation which often accompanies the early stages of pregnancy, while magnesium and B vitamins can aid in settling morning sickness.

Antioxidants, abundant in cacao, are essential for optimizing the health of both the mother and baby during pregnancy. If there aren’t enough vitamins and nutrients present in the body, the mother and growing baby are competing for resources. Studies show a lack of antioxidants during pregnancy is associated with restricted growth of the fetus, pre-eclampsia, and even increased risk of diseases for the baby later in adulthood. Preeclampsia, a dangerous condition for women of severely high blood pressure, manifests later in the pregnancy and can be life threatening. One study found that supplementing women with any antioxidants during pregnancy compared with control or placebo was associated with a 39% reduction in the risk of pre-eclampsia. Copper, zinc and manganese with their antioxidant properties have proven to be essential in thwarting these unwanted disorders, and are all naturally found in cacao.

Zinc, which plays an important role in the immune system, is naturally found in cacao in high doses. During pregnancy, the mother’s immune system undergoes changes so that it can balance protecting both the mother and the fetus. Researchers also found that the immune system of a pregnant mother can have long and short term impact on the brain function of the baby. Cacao, a rich source of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and active compounds beneficial to the body, has been shown to boost the immune system. Cacao is the world’s best source of magnesium. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a central role in the body, regulating body temperature, regulating stress responses, and supporting restful sleep. Pregnant women need sufficient magnesium levels for a safer and more comfortable pregnancy. Deficiency in magnesium during pregnancy may increase the risk of chronic hypertension and premature labor.

Flavonoids are good for the heart, which plays an important role in a healthy pregnancy. Heart health is an essential aspect of having a pregnancy without complications. Because one of the major bodily changes undergone during pregnancy is that the heart increases the amount of pumps each minute to increase the amount of blood in the body, cardiac health is essential. Poor cardiovascular health during pregnancy has been associated with negative long term neurocognitive effects for the child. There are many studies that look at the beneficial effects of cocoa or dark chocolate on heart health and reducing cardiovascular disease. Knowing cacao is the more pure essential ingredient comprising the dark chocolate, the even greater impacts of pure cacao on heart health seem inevitable.

Giving birth is a sacred moment. Emotionally, mentally, and physically, birthing new life into the world is a precious experience that requires your full energy.

The book Chocolate in Mesoamerica describes the use of cacao among Mesoamerican cultures for a variety of medical needs. They detail how the San Blas Indians of Panama used the pulp in the Cacao pods to support in baby delivery, while the Seringuerios of Acre in Brazil used the bark of the Chocolate Tree for women who have just given birth. Still, in many places such as Guatemala, midwives commonly use cacao as a medicine to assist women in labor.

Cacao contains high doeses of magnesium, which helps to relax the nervous system. This reduces stress and anxiety during labor and can lead to a more peaceful and calm birthing experience.

The theobromine and other bioactive compounds which produce a sense of love and connection, can aid in the birthing process as they help the mother feel more empowered, connected, and in control during labor.

The anti-inflamatory flavinods help to soothe and ease pains during labor and add to a smooth birthing process.

Cacao is the perfect facilitator, supporting the precious connection between you and your newborn. Drinking cacao boots the production of oxytocin, the love hormone. This helps for emotional connection, as well as to stimulate breastfeeding.

Stimulating the production of hormones that help you to relax, connect, and love, cacao is a beautiful addition to your support team during this time.

For some, connecting with their new baby involves breastfeeding. Breastfeeding, which has many incredible benefits for the mother and the newborn, has been shown by lots of research to help protect against illness, disease, allergies and unfavorable medical conditions. Breast milk is rich in nutrients and provides excellent natural nutrition all made by the miracles of the human body. Ensuring you’re eating mindfully and getting all the essential vitamins and minerals to pass along to your growing little baby is important while you are providing them with their important nutritional content.

Craving chocolate while breastfeeding isn’t uncommon for nursing mothers, however chocolate contains high amounts of sugar and caffeine, both which can pass through the breastmilk and have adverse side effects on the baby. The caffeine can cause your baby to be jittery, colicky, or unsettled. Cacao also helps to curb sugar cravings while giving a slow steady energy boost. The healthy fat from cacao helps to provide you with what you need while feeding your little one.

Additionally, for breastfeeding mothers who have nipple vasospasm, they may find that intaking caffeine makes it worse. Cacao is the perfect alternative, providing a warm comforting and nutritious drink while also containing vitamins and minerals essential to the health of the new baby.

There’s even a study showing the effectiveness of cacao butter for soothing the mother’s nipples.