The biggest mistake I see people make after birthing their baby is not giving their body the rest it needs. Your body just went through a crazy experience these last nine months and it’s important to give it time to heal and restore itself. I heard many different stories about recovery after birth from my mom’s of ‘I was walking up and down three floors right after birth’ to staying put and not getting out of the house for 40 days. I knew I wanted something in-between these two aspects and learned about the 5-5-5 rule.
5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed.
This gives you a solid two weeks of focused intentional rest. Framing it 5 days at a time can sometimes be really helpful for not just the mom, but for those around her who might be confused why she's resting so much. This prevents you from overworking your body or pushing yourself too hard. The #1 goal is simply to rest!
It also helps to get your priorities in order when it comes to those eager visitors. They will get to see the baby, but they don't get to make the rules (don’t get me started on this!). If you’re respecting your body and taking the time to rest, it will cause others to respect your time as well.
I wouldn't at all say that 15 days is the only postpartum time you need for rest and recovery, but I thought the concept was cool! You no doubt need more time, but it’s a great place to start.
I didn’t end up moving from my bedroom for over a week and when I did, I would walk downstairs and not go back up until the end of the night to not overdo it and let my body heal.
What did you do after birth? A long recovery or right back at it?
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Morning sickness is common among pregnant women, but I don’t think it’s talked about enough!I just read this article about it and thought it was really interesting! I didn't have too much morning sickness, but I know a lot of women do!
One possible explanation for pregnancy nausea is lack of bile. The body makes bile (which is needed to digest fats) and sex hormones out of cholesterol. If not enough cholesterol is available to handle the excess requirements of pregnancy, as most available cholesterol is focused on the production of estrogen and progesterone, this might mean that there is not enough available for the production of bile. When there is not enough bile, eating fatty foods can sometimes cause that nausea.
Now it's not that this is 100% the cause of all morning sickness for all women, but it is a possibility!
So what do you do?
Well what you can do is make sure you are consuming cholesterol. (the old me would be really confused by this sentence but believe it or not my masters held a lot of excellent knowledge about this!).
The 'problem' with cholesterol is not so much the actual cholesterol, but the oxidation of the cholesterol cells which comes from the sourcing of animal products and stress.
👉foods to avoid with cholesterol:
🍖fried foods
🍔fast food
🌭processed meats
🍰sometimes desserts
Research has linked high added sugar intake to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, mental decline, and certain cancers. Plus, these foods often lack nutrients your body needs to thrive, such as vitamins, minerals, protein, and healthy fats.
It’s important to consume foods with good cholesterol, even if though the foods above sound appetizing!
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Hey pregnant ladies, I see you over there juggling a million thoughts at once all while growing your human and getting ready for them to come Earthside. It can get overwhelming at first! You’re trying to make all the “right” decisions and do the best things for you and your baby, but Google can lead you down a spiraling path.
I actually used to think about all the crazy things I’d eat when I was pregnant because I didn’t have to worry about gaining weight or being skinny. Obviously I was going to gain weight anyway so let's live it up! While this is a nice thought, those “garbage” foods aren’t going to provide much nourishment to your or baby. Often times they leave you feeling worse! This was just an initial thought haha, I truly wanted to do what would serve my body and baby.
When I was pregnant I definitely thought a ton about the different things i was eating! Growing a baby is important work! I did a lot of research and really upped my game a bit too (gotta keep a growing baby healthy!) It’s funny how these things change over the years and through different parts of motherhood.
There are many different view points on what a pregnant woman should eat but some of the important ones are (THIS is in NO WAY an exhaustive list but keeping it short!):
✨Choline
✨Vitamin A
✨B12
✨Folate (don’t confuse with folic acid!)
✨Glycine
All of these nutrients are important for a pregnant mom and provide a lot of nourishment to baby as well! They can help in so many aspects of development including potentially preventing birth defects. When it comes to being pregnant, your body is doing so much already that it’s important to eat good foods to give your body the energy it needs. Growing a baby is a full time job!
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I want to preface this post by saying that everyone’s pregnancy is different! Our bodies all handle pregnancy in their own way. With that being said though, I loved being pregnant.
I’m not saying it wasn’t hard at times, of course there were those moments where I didn’t quite look pregnant, but definitely didn’t fit into any of my clothes anymore (apparently I liked to wear tight things) or couldn’t fly anymore because it was kind of past the ‘safe’ point.
A lot of women I had met over the years were less than thrilled with being pregnant, either they were mad they couldn’t have sushi (spoiler alert you can), or drink alcohol (this one is a little more dicey) or do all the things they used to do while not being pregnant. Some women just felt so achy and overwhelmed plus there was the feeling of just being SO BIG!
But again for me, I felt pretty damn good right up until the last few days before going into labor. I definitely attribute that to my workouts, water intake, meditations, supplements and largely, my food. (When I was writing this it autocorrected to god so let’s throw that in there too). I’m not saying it was perfect all the time (nope), but I put a lot of work into making sure I got a lot of high quality nutrient dense food.
Food has always been a huge focus for me to help with my autoimmune. I really wanted to focus on food during my pregnancy because I know how well the right foods serve my body. What we put into our body helps give us the energy we need (which we really need during pregnancy!), but knowing what food serves your body is key.
I know that a lot of women don’t always know the ins and outs of food and what can really help you and your baby. I’ve decided that I’m putting together a pregnancy guide that outlines a whole boatload of information!
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There are different thoughts around whether or not you should exercise when you're breastfeeding, but I think it’s important to have the knowledge and make an informed decision for yourself! I truly believe that every mom is different and it’s important to do what serves you and your body.
A study caught my eye this morning, it was the "Effect of energy restriction and exercise on vitamin B-6 status of women during lactation"
After birth we're often nutrient depleted, working hard at feeding our little ones often on very little sleep, not to mention the actual experience of birthing your baby!
So some say that initiating a weight loss and exercise program could put women at further risk for these nutrient deficiencies. Which if you've seen anything I've shared in the last many months, it is an important thing to pay attention to for not only yourself but for your growing baby.
This particular study focused on vitamin B6, as many lactating women were below the recommended daily allowance of 2.0mg. B6 is needed for linear growth as well as behavior development and other brain related activity. Bonus points: vitamin B-6 also helps to make antibodies (these help stave off infections and disease) AND helps with the production of serotonin and norepinephrine, the chemicals which help with nerve function and the transmission of signals within your brain.
B6 is found in:
✨ Wild Salmon: has higher concentrations of B6 (and most of the nutrients)
✨Eggs also have B6, but same thing, go for local/pasture raised eggs to have the most nutrients available.
✨Spinach is high in B-6, as well as in vitamins A and C, plus iron.
✨Sweet Potato: About 18% of the Daily Value
✨Chickpeas: 1 cup has 65% of the DV
✨Bananas: One medium-sized banana can provide up to 33% of the DV
Bottom line, taking a B vitamin supplement can be really helpful, whether you're breastfeeding or not! I take Super B from Young Living for more of the bioavailable Bs and focus on getting a variety of foods too!
