3 Things I've learned during pregnancy

Pregnancy is such a beautiful time if we allow it to be; however sometimes there is so much outside noise that it can make it difficult to focus on the miracle we are creating.

I have learned so much about myself and those around me during my pregnancy, and my views toward myself and others have forever been changed.

1. I am stronger and more resilient than I ever knew. What my body has created, and how my body and mind has ‘bounced back’ after our miscarriages is simply incredible. I still can not get over the fact that baby boy started as a tiny little cluster of cells and now is an actual human…in my belly! I have so much respect for my body.

2. Everyone will have an opinion. This is something I have always knew, but became so prevalent during my pregnancy. Everyone who has been pregnant before you, or has children, thinks they are an expert on the subject and will want to impart all of their knowledge and scary stories on you. I find this so unnecessary and intrusive. Every pregnancy, just like every person, looks different and we should honor that instead of trying to make every pregnancy and everyone just like us. I still can’t understand the need for moms to share their scary pregnancy and delivery stories, how is that helpful? Are you blaming your kids for being difficult, are you beating yourself up for not having the experience you hoped for, or are you simply trying to share the sh*t out of the mom to be? The amount of scary stories I heard this pregnancy was astonishing. Although this was one of the worst parts of pregnancy, it also taught me to tune out the excess noise, opinions and stories from others. I learned that I am able to have my own beautiful experience, and I do not need to give any energy to the trauma of those who have gone before me.

3. Boundaries are everything. Whether it is physical, mental or emotional boundaries saved me during this pregnancy. For some strange reason everyone wants to touch a pregnant women’s belly, I’ve never understood this. If you are okay with this then that’s wonderful, however if you are uncomfortable with this (me!) then know that it is okay to speak up. People who have an issue with boundaries, or take boundaries personally, need to realize that it is more of a reflection on what they still need to heal than it is on you. In the same token if people are pushing you to do things you are uncomfortable with, whether it’s your Doctors or your family, speak up. It’s your body, and it will always be your choice. Becoming consumed with other people’s wishes, demands, or requests for you and your baby is not healthy. Take space where you need to, and although it may be difficult for some to understand just know that you are doing what you feel is best for you and your baby - and that’s all that matters.

I did a ton of personal growth work, healing, and deep internal work to heal generational traumas before I got pregnant in hopes of not bringing all of that to the next generation. I still have lots of work to do, but I am open and aware. I understand what I need and I am setting boundaries where they are needed. This is tough, deeply personal work but it has forever changed me and my life. I am not the same person I was before, and I can not wait to give this new, healthier version of myself to my son. So Mama’s do what you need to in order to be the best version of yourself not only for you, but for your baby too.

Photo By Jontel Chere

Letter to my baby boy...

Sharing a few snippets from a letter I wrote to my baby boy…

Baby Boy,

Thank you for choosing me to be your Mom. I have prayed for you all my life, and can not wait to meet you earth side very soon. You and I are already so connected, and I will miss having you so safe & close to me.

Being your Mom is the greatest blessing of my life, and I already feel so connected to you. I can not wait to see our connection blossom and grow. I promise to do my best to guide you, protect you, and love you. 

My only wish for you is that you find true happiness within yourself, and you share that happiness and joy with the world. The world desperately needs more joy and kindness, and I can already tell your little soul is the kindest, most gentle soul I’ve ever known.

I can not wait to meet you in a few weeks or days…we are ready when you are.

All my love,

Mom

Photo By Jontel Chere

6 Pregnancy Must Haves

As I near the end of my pregnancy {but like how am I already 9 months pregnant?!?} I thought it would be fun to share some of my favorite “must have” pregnancy items!

I have a lot of Mama’s and Mama’s-to-be to read my blog, so I hope some of these items will come in handy for you!

My Top Pregnancy Must Buys

1. This pregnancy pillow has been everythinggg the past 9 months. It helps to take pressure off my low back and my belly now that baby is almost fully grown.

2. My favorite prenatal vitamin, I talk more about this HERE

3. This lotion is clean, non-toxic and is verified by the EWG. Not only do I feel safe using this lotion during pregnancy, but it is so hydrating on my skin it’s the go-to lotion for my whole family! We will be using the unscented version of this lotion on Baby Boy.

4. Living in South Florida, shorts are a must…even in February! These jean shorts have been my favorite this pregnancy, and I swear I wear them weekly.

5. As a yoga teacher I live in leggings, they are my go-to and that hasn’t changed at all during pregnancy. I personally love the Zelle pregnancy leggings from Nordstrom and the BLANQI pregnancy leggings. They both feel so supportive on my bump without being too constricting. I also found two awesome alternatives for you under $20 if that’s more in your budget.

6. I like to keep my wardrobe fairly simple and neutral, and then add a jacket, jewelry or handbag to change up the look. These simple maternity tee’s have been essential during my pregnancy, and have allowed me to feel somewhat put together (ie: no belly showing) in the last few weeks.

These are a few of the items that I find myself reaching for on the daily or weekly during my pregnancy! I hope they help you sleep better, feel fabulous, and stay hydrated during your pregnancy.

Photo By Jontel Chere

these are commissionable links, and I will receive a small commission when you click and purchase from them. This post is not sponsored or affiliated with any of these companies, I only share products I actually use and love. Thank you for supporting my small business.

Why we decided to hire a doula...

Pregnancy and birth are such beautiful and deeply personal experiences.

I feel fortunate that my husband and I have been on the same page as to what we wanted our birth to look like from day one. We want to create a beautiful experience for all three of us, allowing for as much holistic and alternative treatment and coping mechanisms as possible, while still having the security and back up of Nurses and Doctors. This is why we decided to birth at a Birth Center, and hire our own Doula to support us in the experience.

We are just weeks away from meeting our little guy, and have already met with our Doula several times. We weren’t exactly sure what to expect when we hired a Doula, first time parents over here, but she has already exceeded our expectations.

Our Doula, Alli, has guided us through what to expect during labor, various holistic coping techniques, has laid out what our options are, what to expect during and post labor and what to expect once we bring our little guy home. To say it has been helpful as a first time Mom, would be an understatement.

As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, I love holistic healing, prevention, and alternative medicine and Alli has walked us through all the alternatives and options available to us. She has also taught me new breathing techniques, and has reinforced the importance of remaining open and flexible during labor. As a yogi we often think that we are very open and flexible in the mind and body, but when it comes to labor we can sometimes have difficulty tapping into those ways of being. To help balance that out she has taught my Husband all of the coping and breathing techniques as well so he will be able to guide me when my mind is elsewhere.

Alli has helped us create a birth plan that aligns with our wishes while remaining open to allopathic treatments that may be necessary. Birth is such a personal experience, and it’s important to surround yourself with a team that you not only trust but that understands your goals and preferences. I feel so blessed to have my team of Doctors and Nurses whom I trust, my Doula and my Husband who will be my biggest support.

I hope to share more about our birthing experience with our Doula, and the techniques that I found most helpful, after baby boy arrives.

If you are pregnant or hoping to become pregnant I would highly recommend checking out Blue Moon Doula Care. She works with families in person and virtually, and is an excellent resource for first time parents.

Photo By Jontel Chere

This post is in no way sponsored, these are my own opinions and thoughts that I am sharing.

A healthy approach to the glucose tolerance test

We are days away from the 3rd trimester and the 7 month mark (yay!)…but you know what that means…glucose tolerance test time.

Honestly, I was dreading this test even before I got pregnant. The ingredients and chemicals in the glucose drink they provide you are scary! I would never put those ingredients (or 50 grams of sugar) in my body pre-pregnancy…so why should I put them in now that I am pregnant? It doesn’t make any sense to me.

keep in mind that 50 grams of glucose = 12.5 teaspoons of sugar, sounds great right?!?

I am a huge fan of patient advocacy, and so at my 6 month check in I spoke with my Doctor about the Fresh Test glucose mix I found. I had to show pictures and explain that the Fresh Test is FDA registered as an equivalent product for this test. I went in with all my stats, and honestly wasn’t going to leave until she said yes (I’m the best patient haha), but to my surprise she agreed right away! It was much easier than I expected, and I was instantly relieved.

A question that comes up often is “do I have to do the glucose tolerance test” and the answer is no. All testing is up to you, although I would highly recommend working with your Doctor or a qualified medical team when making these decisions. It is your body, your choice. Personally for me my regular glucose level is well under 80 and my A1C is about 4.5, so I am not overly worried about gestational diabetes. That being said, our bodies change so much during pregnancy and even though I monitor my levels every few weeks it was important for me to do this test to be proactive for my baby and ensure he is healthy and safe. I always recommend doing your research and listening to your intuition. Once I found the Fresh Test I felt much more comfortable with the glucose tolerance test, knowing I was not inundating myself and my baby with unnecessary chemicals.

The Fresh Test only has 4 active ingredients, compared to a laundry list in the typical glucose drink. The Fresh Test also has a board of physicians who have overseen and worked on this product to make it as safe as possible for you and your baby. You can learn more about the Fresh Test HERE.

I posted my whole journey with the glucose tolerance test earlier today, and you can check it out in my Instagram stories.

The Fresh Test was very sweet but didn’t actually taste bad, it had a very subtle and mild flavor to it. The toughest part for me was waiting for the blood draw. The 50 grams of glucose gave me a huge spike in my blood sugar, causing me to be jittery and overall just uncomfortable. I’m sure baby boy was feeling it too. Interesting insight - insulin does not cross the placenta but glucose does!

After the test (so one hour after drinking the glucose drink) I felt exhausted, super run down, and ready for a nap. It was my body signaling that the spike in glucose was dropping and I was about to crash.

My biggest tips after the glucose tolerance test are:

• drink your greens - they will help to balance your blood sugar levels

• have a snack ready to go in your car as soon as your blood work is complete

• the snack should include: fiber & protein

• avoid sugar for the rest of the day

Sugar is a drug, and once you give the body some…okay more like 50 grams… your body will continue to crave more and more sugar. So if you had a sugary treat post glucose tolerance test, your blood glucose levels would spike back up, only to drop again a little while later. Sugar is not only a drug in our bodies, it actually creates more acidity in our system - essentially creating a more desirable place for disease and illness to thrive, awesome. That’s why I always recommend a high fiber and high protein snack after the glucose tolerance test. Protein and fiber will help your body eliminate this extra glucose, regulate your blood sugar levels, and curb any sugar cravings you may get.

Here are a few ideas of high protein and high fiber snacks:

Mary’s Crackers and guacamole

Veggies and hummus

Dried Apricots and almonds

RX Bar

Protein shake with chia seeds

Along with a snack I would recommend drinking plenty of water to flush out your system, 100 oz would be my goal. Lastly, if you have time sneak in a quick power nap after you eat to help reset the body!

Take aways… don’t be afraid to advocate for yourself, this is your body and your baby. Have a healthy snack on hand to eat right after your test, so your can begin to balance your blood sugar levels and avoid a sugar hangover.

This post is in no way sponsored by Fresh Test, these are simply my own thoughts and opinions as a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Mama-to-be.

How to choose the right prenatal vitamin

Choosing the right prenatal vitamin can be overwhelming! With so many options, how do you know which one is best for you and your baby?

My first recommendation would be to meet with your Doctor or Naturopathic Physician and get a full blood panel done, this will show you were you are deficient, or borderline, and this will tell you where you really need to focus.

I would also recommend not only checking your folate, but checking to see if you carry the MTHFR gene. The MTHFR gene, also called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, is responsible for processing amino acids and is very involved in the creation, absorption and utilization of Vitamin B9 (folate). Folate is essential for your baby’s development, so if you do carry the MTHFR gene don’t panic, your Doctor will most likely put you on a prescription folate, like Metanx which conatins L-methylfolate, methylcobalamin and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate. This would be something you would need to take in addition to your prenatal vitamin.

When selecting your prenatal vitamin I would highly recommend researching the company first, unfortunately not all supplement companies are created equal. Since supplements are still not regulated by the FDA the percentage of vitamins and minerals actually in the supplement can vary. I do extensive research on all supplement companies I personally take, give to my family and recommend to my clients. As always I encourage you do to your own research and see what you feel comfortable with.

My favorite brand of prenatal vitamins is Pure Encapsulations. I actually take a few of their products, and really trust this brand. I have been taking this prenatal since before I was actually pregnant to prepare my body.

I would recommend starting your prenatal vitamin about 6 months before you actually plan on conceiving. This is also a good time to get your blood work done, and ensure that you are aware of all underlying conditions.

I have talked about this many times, but I was very sick from week 10-16 and could not take this prenatal vitamin, so I had to make a switch to a gummy vitamin. In truth, gummy vitamins are not my favorite especially as a Certified Nutritionist but I was desperate to get some vitamins in my system. During these 6 weeks I took the Olly Prenatal Vitamin, and actually liked it quite a bit. These type of vitamins are much easier on the stomach and do not tend to cause as much nausea.

A few other brands worth checking out would be Thorne and Garden of Life.

A few things to look at when selecting your prenatal vitamin:

• serving size - how many pills will you need to take daily?

• how large are the pills? Are the reasonable for first trimester?

• avoid herbs in your prenatal (many will cause uterine contractions and miscarriage)

• read the nutrition label and compare it to your blood work - will this work for you specifically?

Your prenatal should include folic acid and iron, in addition to a few other important vitamins: Vitamin A, B-Vitamins, Vitamin-C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Zinc, Calcium and Iodine. The dose of each of these vitamins and minerals will vary depending on your specific needs.

Remember that the Standard American Diet does not obtain enough of these vitamins from diet alone, which is why a supplement is essential.