Trying For Another Blog, Part 2
Once we decided to try, it was ON. Operation: Make a Power-Baby.
It’s a joke, but that’s been my motto. I’ve decided to really commit to healthy nutrition this time around. What does that mean? First off, I stopped drinking alchohol and taking my marijuana gummies. Not that I was crazy with either of them. But it was a routine. Actually, initially I didn’t kick it- I thought I could wait until I became pregnant, until I found out that what we consume affects our baby for up to three months prior to conception! And, did you know that fetal alcohol syndrome can take place in the early weeks of pregnancy (you have to drink a lot for it to have an effect), often before a woman even knows she’s pregnant?! Yikes! So I cut it all out. Amazing how now that I had my mission, it didn't feel challenging.
I have established some great resources about all things birth-related over the last few years, and now was my time to put them to use on myself! I immediately dove into the bible of pregnancy nutrition: Real Food for Pregnancy, by Lily Nichols. I also took information from the founder and owner of Birthfit, Lindsey Matthews-Cantu.
I will keep this simple and list the initial purchases and changes I made to my diet for preconception.
Supplements:
Thorne Prenatal Vitamins
Bubs Collagen Protein Powder
Ancestral Supplements Beef Organs
Drinks:
Trader Joe’s Sparkling Apple Cider Vinegar
Strauss’ Cream Top Whole Milk- at Whole Foods
Organic Half & Half for my coffee
Whole Fat Kefir
Foods:
Grass-Fed Beef
Bone-In Grass-fed Meats
Pasture Raised Eggs
Beef Liver
Bones to Make Bone Broth
Beef Jerky
Wild Caught Salmon
Canned Sardines
Veggies
Fruits
Whole Fat Organic Yogurts
Whole Fat Organic Cheese
Fermented Foods: Whole Foods has a variety of jarred kinds
Meals I’m adding:
Daily Breakfast Shake: Kale or Spinach, Frozen Strawberries, Banana, 2 Raw Eggs, Whole Milk, Kefir or Yogurt, Scoop of Collagen Protein
Lily Nichols’ Liver Meatloaf- it was a delicious way to incorporate liver without really knowing it. My kids even liked it, and the recipe made twice what we needed so I froze the rest.
Lily Nichols’ Salmon Cakes- so much salmon and so much veggies. Everyone loved these!
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Exercise/Movement
I’ve been adding most of the exercises that I teach my clients into my own routine: hip strengthening, pelvic floor strengthening, abdominal strengthening. Specifically, in both of my pregnancies I dealt with Pubic Symphysis Dysfunction, which is the separation of the pubic bones, so I’ve been focusing on exercises to strengthen that area.
If you’d like to know more about exercises, take a look at my Instagram or Facebook posts titled: “Common Pregnancy and Postpartum Dysfunctions.” I’ve done a whole series of videos of the exact exercises that I’ve been practicing to prepare my deep core for pregnancy.
