I talk a lot about preparing your body for pregnancy and why that is important, but you may find yourself in a situation where you didn’t take the time to do so and now you’re pregnant and want to focus on your health.
Honestly, most women find themselves in this space. We live our lives up until the point we get pregnant and then we start to do alllll the googling about natural birth, what to and not to eat when pregnant, and exercises specific to pregnancy.
Zero judgment- I was there with my first pregnancy and even though you didn’t get the prep in prior to, you now have the opportunity to support your growing baby (and self) as much as you possibly can over the next 9 or so months.
My Free Pregnancy Resource Guide
The best place to get the most information on books to read, things to consider and more is my new (free!) pregnancy resource guide. This covers the span of pregnancy through early childhood with different books to consider on nutrition, breastfeeding, birthing style and more. You can download the guide by clicking here!
What You Should Do Next
I have compiled a list of the top items I would begin to read, research and consider in this exciting (and scary!) time of pregnancy. Yes, you can start thinking about the nursery design, names, and your registry, but personally I would focus on the below first as they will not only benefit you but baby to have the best pregnancy possible.
Getting the Right Nutrients for Your Growing Baby:
Over the pregnancy, a mom will lose over 5 POUNDS of minerals to the baby- and if the mom was deficient in the first place this is going to leave both her and baby deficient at the end of pregnancy. My Pregnancy Guide outlines the nutrients to look for especially supplementally, but two great books to check are:
Get a Holistically-Minded Week-to-Week Tracker:
I bought all the books when first pregnant, but my holistic/practitioner mind was pretty displeased with the typical “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” books. I was so grateful to find Mama Natural’s week-by-week guide with not only helpful info on your growing baby but recipes and many other things to consider along the way!
Begin to Assemble Your Care Team:
I think this was one area I felt the most lost in when it came to pregnancy- you just go with your normal OB, right? For some that may be okay, but for me I realized I didn’t want to deliver at the hospital that she was out of…and honestly I really didn’t want to deliver at a hospital at all! Finding a midwife or a birthing center was BRAND NEW territory and I felt like a fish out of water. Some resources that helped me were:
- Asking my chiropractor for midwife and/or OB referrals (make sure your chiro is Webster certified when pregnant)
- Your Best Birth: Knowing All Your Birthing Options
- Look into hiring a Doula if you want more support during labor (different than a midwife or OB- we LOVED ours!)
- Consider working with me to assess your nutrient status and how to best feed your growing body + baby
Start Detoxifying Your Lifestyle:
Since detox in your body is not recommended during pregnancy, the next best thing you can do is reduce your daily toxic exposure through scented products, beauty care, plastics, pesticides/herbicides, and inorganic foods to reduce the overall burden on your body. A lot of these chemicals can lead to birth defects, low birth weights and other abnormalities in the baby, not to mention impacts your health as well.
Keep Up Your Activity Levels:
Similar to the above piece on detoxification, exercise is a massive way to support the body moving fluids and “detoxing” during pregnancy. It can also help reduce the swelling that many women feel and even some report it helps with morning sickness. The key here is to not start something crazy/brand-new- like if you weren’t a crossfitter before, probably don’t join when you’re newly pregnant. I would however start a prenatal yoga class if you have never done yoga, as it is lower intensity and should give more benefits than just exercise throughout your pregnancy.
Prioritize Rest:
Please, PLEASE take it from me- you will never have the time or flexibility to take naps in the upcoming years as you do now, so please listen to your body and take the damn nap. Don’t try to push through and get everything done that “needs” to be done- your body is tired for a reason…you’re growing another human! Think of it like this- if your new baby wanted to nap, would you force it to stay awake? Begin to listen to your body during pregnancy so that postpartum you will be equally as attentive to what your body needs.
Start Learning About Breastfeeding + Baby’s Health Plan:
I have many resources for both of these outlined in the Pregnancy Guide, but this is something I wish I had more knowledge on prior to childbirth. I assumed that breastfeeding was natural and normal and that I’d be able to pick it up quickly…boy was I wrong. Then, being exhausted and a new mom I didn’t have time to sit and read books on it or learn more- it was a REALLY stressful experience for me.
I’d also equally look into the care you want to give your baby when they are born. Finding a family doctor or pediatrician that falls in alignment with your views, deciding on shots or other medical interventions you want for your baby (and doing your research on them all now- don’t just trust the professionals!) is really going to benefit you later on when you’re tired and caring for a newborn.
Want More Help With Your Pregnancy?
If you’d like to take a more personalized approach to supporting this pregnancy through nutrition + lab testing to see what your body exactly needs, book a Discovery Call and we can chat! I know the fear, excitement, stress, worry, overwhelm of this experience and I vowed to help other new moms not have to feel the way I did.