Something I get asked about in terms of pregnancy (well besides food that is) is the all too famous stretch marks!
So I wanted to share some of my pregnancy secrets for your growing belly!
Your skin is literally being stretched by growing a human (which is pretty amazing if you think about it!) BUT can we do anything for those marks that sometimes show up and don’t always make you feel the most confident version of you? Absolutely!!!
First, let me say, YES there is something to be said about wearing them with pride, but also we can do so much to support the health of our skin along the way! It's not only important to support your skin for stretch marks, but with a rapidly growing belly and stretching skin can come lots and lots of itching too.
Every night I would apply what I call the happy belly blend. This is my super simple balm-like recipe that consists of Lavender, Frankincense and Cypress essential oils mixed with coconut oil. It is so soothing for the itching and it’s also very moisturizing which may help with the appearance of any stretch marks.
Here is what you will need:
A glass jar with lid for storage
Coconut oil
Young Living Essential oils (Lavender, Frankincense, and Cypress)
Start by melting down the coconut oil and then give it some time to cool a bit (not until completely hardened, you still want it soft for mixing).
Then go in and add about 10 drops of each essential oil and stir just until it's well incorporated.
To be fair I just threw random amounts in towards the end of pregnancy.
I am extremely picky about what goes on my body and essential oils have little regulation. Young Living oils tick all the boxes for me when it comes to the best of the best in the industry, so only Young Living essential oils for me.
During my last few months of pregnancy someone said to me that I could get stretch marks after birth, which I thought well maybe that is possible?
But also, maybe not!
Luckily for me (as usual, disclaimer here that everyone’s body is different!) that did not happen!
I'm in the process of creating a guide all around nutrition and support for pregnant women to share all my secrets and best kept tips to help you during your journey, join the waitlist here to be the first to know when it's available!
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! 🫶
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!
Way back when we spent a lot more time 'on the land' or integrated with the Earth we knew the cycle of the days, whether that was related to how we were planting our food or when we might start a migration pattern. These days we're often a lot less aware of the cycles, other than - it's fall time, what cute sweaters and boots can I wear?! (to be fair, I miss the Fall season living in Florida and absolutely still lean into and enjoy wearing cute fall outfits when I go North 😄) but there's also a deeper layer to it.
The Fall equinox can mean different things to different people, it's generally looked at as when the days become shorter than the nights and on the equinox (literally meaning equal night in latin) the day and the night are roughly the same.
It's also a season when many people begin to take time for self-reflection, as it's the season of harvest we can look around at what we might have gained over the last months and what we might be shedding, as we also see the trees shed their leaves (well in the North, not so much in Florida 😜).
This time of year is also the Jewish New Year, which is a time for closing out the year and rebirthing into the next.
To me each day is a way to shed a layer surrounding yourself and what it means to be a mother vs a maiden. Watching my baby grow (literally each day he looks a little different!), hearing his new sounds, watching him try new things, makes me pause and relish in the moments, the same way sitting among the trees and watching their leaves fall once did.
What does fall mean to you?🍂
