I definitely didn’t know a lot about breastfeeding before giving birth, other than my boobs will feed the munchkin.
In reality there are so many different things to learn and experience!
I was talking to someone and they were like, oh wait that’s not true?! So I thought here’s a few common breastfeeding myths and the real deal!
✨ Breastfeeding helps you lose weight
✨ Breastfeeding doesn’t help baby after 6 months
✨ What you eat as a breastfeeding mom doesn’t really matter for your milk
Let’s debunk these!
👉Losing weight isn’t a direct result from nursing your baby and each mom is different. Although you do burn around 500 calories by breastfeeding, you’re also eating more to produce that milk. There’s also the aspect of your body holding onto that weight to make sure you can feed your little one!
👉Your milk changes during your breastfeeding journey, but it’s still an important part of your baby’s diet and nutritional needs, even after 6 months! When you consume caffeine and alcohol (for example) that can end up (in small amounts) in your breast milk. There are also important vitamins and minerals that can be absorbed from your breast milk (like vitamin A, iron and others!) that come from your food.
👉What you eat can alter your milk! Traces of the food that you consume do get into your breastmilk so it’s important to be mindful of what you eat and if it causes any digestive or other issues for your baby (check out my previous post about dairy!)
Did any of these surprise you!?
You can grab my free guide to learn more about breastfeeding and tips for nursing moms here!
B vitamins are an important part of pregnancy because B12 specifically is required for a process called methylation, which is involved in gene expression, cell differentiation, and organ formation. You’ve likely heard of these in different ways, depending upon what you’re dealing with. Each one does a lot of different things and are important for our body systems to operate in homeostasis (think balance).
Without enough B12, the risk of miscarriage, neural tube defects and preterm delivery go up.
Depending upon what you eat there’s nothing to worry about, but if you’re diet leaves something to be desired you can definitely clean it up and get that B12 you need!
Vitamin B12 is primarily found in animal-based foods, such as meat, fish, dairy products, and eggs. Pregnant women who follow vegetarian or vegan diets may be at risk of B12 deficiency and should consult with a healthcare provider about appropriate supplementation or dietary strategies to ensure they meet their B12 needs.
During pregnancy, it is generally recommended that women consume an adequate amount of vitamin B12 through their diet or supplements as prescribed by a healthcare provider to support the health and development of both the mother and the baby (always consult with your care team first!).
Here are some of the key functions of vitamin B12 during pregnancy:
- Red Blood Cell Formation: B12 helps prevent anemia by ensuring an adequate supply of healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
- Neurological Development: important for the proper development of the baby's nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord.
- DNA Synthesis: essential for the rapid growth and development of the fetus.
- Energy Metabolism: helps convert food into energy, which is especially important during pregnancy when the body's energy needs increase.
- Folate Metabolism: adequate B12 levels are necessary to support the function of folate in reducing pregnancy related risks.
- Immune System Support: helps maintain a healthy immune system, which is important for both the mother and the developing fetus.
I'm in the process of creating a guide all around nutrition and support for pregnant women to help you during your journey! Join the waitlist here and be the first to know when it launches!
Nutrition is such a hot topic when you are expecting, there is so much information out there about vitamin needs during pregnancy that it can be overwhelming!
Let’s break down some of the vitamins that are important for pregnant mamas.
One of the B vitamins that is really important for pregnancy (and let's be real a ton of other ones do too) is Folate or Vitamin B9.
This vitamin helps prevent birth defects and healthy cell division.
HOWEVER.... do not confuse this with folic acid, the synthetic form of folate that is present in many prenatal vitamins.
Many people have what’s known as the MTHFR gene variation (that we talked about earlier this month) which means that up to 60% of the population is unable to use the synthetic form of folate.
During pregnancy, it is generally recommended that women consume an adequate amount of Folate through their diet or supplements to support the health and development of both the mother and baby. Folate needs can vary among individuals, so it's important for pregnant women to discuss their specific dietary and nutritional requirements with their healthcare team to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
It's worth noting that folate is primarily found in foods, such as beef liver, lentils, asparagus, eggs, and raw spinach.
I'm in the process of creating a guide all around nutrition and support for pregnant women to help you during your journey so comment below if you want to be added to the list! 🫶
I don't think there's anything more perfect on a chilly day than a warm cup of yummy cider! In honor of Halloween, I had to showcase this fun "potion" from the Young Living blog!
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts fresh apple cider
- 1 orange, unpeeled and cut into slices
- 3 drops Lemon Vitality essential oil
- 1 drop Cinnamon Bark Vitality essential oil (start with a toothpick swirl, it's strong!)
- 1 drop Clove Vitality essential oil (start with a toothpick swirl, it's strong!)
- 1 drop Nutmeg Vitality essential oil (start with a toothpick swirl, it's strong!)
Directions:
- Combine apple cider, orange slices, and essential oils in a large pot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or more.
- Discard orange slices.
- Serve warm.
There are so many things I thought I'd need for after birth that really ended up not mattering very much at all, and then there have been some things that have been absolute game changers.
I could go on and on about this but thought I’d share just a few that I have found so helpful!
First of all, get yourself a good set of hair clips, and thank me later. Yup, that’s a thing, and it's pretty critical believe it or not. When it comes to bed-sharing or a handsy infant, having something to hold your hair up (without the constant slipping down and the need to redo) is really important!
I have A LOT of hair and I have continually struggled to find clips that hold it up well, but not anymore! These ones from @mykitsch are amazing and hold alllllll my hair.
Second is this sweatshirt My friend @katieospina shared in her Instagram stories. I knew right away I had to have it! With the AC on, I am someone who always needs to be covered with long sleeves to keep warm, especially at night.
I thought throughout my breastfeeding journey I was going to be confined to sweatshirts with an open chest and then I’d be freezing, but nope! This sweatshirt came to my rescue!
I’m not saying it’s the best, most perfectly organic material, but I needed it and have been so thankful for this soft, warm top making it so convenient to feed my little munchkin.
While creating my registry I had every plan to not put my munchkin in a lot of confined baby chairs or bouncy things etc. but I thought I’d get at least one in case we needed it from time to time. On someone else’s registry, I found this one and decided to put it on my registry as well.
I am so so so beyond glad I did because the times I can count where has come in handy, wow!!!! I mostly wear my baby, but while I’m cooking or sometimes while we’re out to eat this little chair has been an absolute game-changer!
I created a guide for Breastfeeding moms to support you along your journey to educate you and remove the overwhelm and the 2AM google search! It's packed with recipes, links to my favorite products (like these) and more to encourage and support you. Grab it here!
