Answering Your Pregnancy Questions + HF Update

Hi friends! This episode is a little different in that I’m answering some of your questions and in that, this will be my last episode for a while! As of when this podcast is airing, I’m just a few days out from my due date with our second child and getting everything ready to meet him next week! I’ll give a little more info on what you can expect from the podcast over the summer as we transition into being a family of four. We’re excited for this new chapter for our family and while you won’t be hearing much from me over the next couple of months, I do have tons of resources and previous episodes (95 to be exact) for you to go back and listen to over the summer. I also have a new resource to share with you that I’ve been working on for a while and was finally able to finish. If you’re on my email list, you already got access to it in your inbox yesterday, but I wanted to share it here too. My new guide is called Little by Little: A Beginner’s Guide to Reducing Toxins. It’s a free download that walks you through the process of transitioning into a less-toxic lifestyle in a way that doesn’t stress you out. It starts with what I feel are the most important or highest priority products and things to transition and then moves through a list, helping you with the transition over time, rather than feeling like you have to do everything at once. I know when I first started learning about toxins and environmental exposures I felt super overwhelmed and discouraged because I just didn’t have the capacity or the budget to throw away everything and start over with less-toxic options. So I created this guide with that feeling in mind and I hope that it will take away that stress/overwhelmed element for you. It even includes an actual checklist for you that you can print out and stick on your fridge so that as you work through one area, you can see what’s next and hopefully will make the whole process feel more achievable. I’m excited to get to share that with you before I take a little time away. 

Okay, so let’s get into answering your questions about this pregnancy and what you can expect from me in the next few months! 

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I asked a while back what pregnancy-related questions you guys had and I’ve just compiled a list of some of the more common questions I’ve received over the past few months and want to talk through those now. Every pregnancy experience is different, even in the same woman, so I’m sure some of what I share you will relate with and probably some that you won’t and that’s fine too. I wanted to take just a few minutes to answer some of these questions before my mind gets super hazy with even less sleep and postpartum hormones. 🙂

How am I feeling? How has this pregnancy been in comparison to the last? 

This is probably the most common question and I so appreciate that people care to ask, but it’s always funny to answer because it changes from day to day. As of now, I’m feeling pretty uncomfortable and very ready for this little guy to be out, as I’d say most women feel at 39 weeks along. 

This pregnancy has been pretty different than my first pregnancy with our daughter. Of course, that was 6 years ago, so I don’t fully remember every detail about how I felt with her but there are some definite differences. I’ve had a whole lot more heartburn with this one than with her - especially during the first trimester and then of course, here at the end again. I honestly don’t remember having heartburn one time with my first but I’ve for sure made up for it this time. I also had some nausea in the first trimester, but not a lot. More just the heartburn. It was pretty smooth sailing during the second trimester until about 20 weeks and I started to experience severe hip pain, especially at night when trying to sleep. If you haven’t heard Remi’s birth story, I had a rough delivery with her and she was way bigger of a baby than any of us imagined. I had to do months of PT after her delivery and had been pretty good as if I had restored my core for the most part before getting pregnant this time, but as soon as my belly started growing and stretching things out, I started having a lot of pain in my back and pelvis. So, it’s been a much more challenging pregnancy physically than my first. All I can say is that I’m super thankful for my chiropractor. If you guys have listened to the last episode, you got to hear from her and all the benefits of receiving chiro care during pregnancy, but I can honestly say that I’m not sure how I would have made it through these last few months without treatment. I’m super thankful for that and outside of just typical discomforts and aches/pressure at this point, I’m feeling good. Just ready. :)

Did I experience infertility again this time? How long did it take? 

I’ve shared a lot about our infertility journey before our first pregnancy and having endometriosis/multiple surgeries, etc. but I guess I haven’t shared a whole lot about how things were this time around. Secondary infertility is less talked about and I think sometimes harder to define/diagnose because there are so many factors at play. So to answer the question, I would say yes - we did experience secondary infertility but it was quite different than the first time around. I did have to have another excision surgery for endometriosis, but it had been about 6 years since my last one and thankfully there were minimal lesions found and not near the amount of adhesions or scar tissue that was found before. We didn’t do any conventional fertility treatments this time around - just tried on our own. Right before I got pregnant, I was going to go in to have my tubes flushed, as this was one of the things that my fertility doc suggested since he said it wasn’t fully opened after surgery, but I got a positive test before doing that. From what I can tell, it seems like maybe because of that tube situation, I was likely having a successful release of an egg during ovulation every other month, so that likely contributed to the time it took us to conceive this time around. All in all, it was probably two-ish years of trying. As I said, it was very different this time around because we had a toddler, at the time who took a long time to sleep through the night and wean. Plus I had surgery in the middle of all of that, so I didn’t keep track of the time quite as rigidly as I did the first time around. Also, from an emotional perspective, I just knew what I was willing to put myself through, and not this time around. As I said, we didn’t do any treatments (outside of surgery and acupuncture) and I didn’t obsessively track things like I did the first time. I would do ovulation tests for a few months and be really on top of things and then when I felt myself burning out, we’d take some time off from being as intentional about it. So because of that, it’s hard to define “how long it took” but it did take some time and there were really hard moments along the way. Especially when Remi would ask for a sibling or why she didn’t have one. But as we’ve learned time and time again, the Lord was faithful during all of it and brought peace to just rest in Him when we needed it and strength to try again when we needed it. I heard someone say one time that God gives you the strength and grace that you need for today - not for tomorrow, or next week, or next year - but for today, so don’t waste your time worrying about something that may happen down the road that you haven’t been given grace for yet. It’s sufficient for today - so rest in that and know that whatever comes in the future, His grace will be sufficient for that day too. I can say that I didn’t perfectly model that this time around but many days were easier because I’ve learned that God will give me what I need and that I can trust Him with our family.  

What prenatal vitamins am I taking? 

This entire pregnancy and even for probably about a year before I got pregnant, I’ve been taking Needed’s prenatal vitamins. First, I was taking their multi-capsules, which is their full-strength supplement, and then during the first and second trimesters, I just took their essentials, which is a paired-down option that is only a couple of capsules because that’s about all I could handle. Then once I finished those, I’ve gone back to their full-strength version for the third tri and added in their probiotic, as well. I’ve also tried to take an omega-3 supplement throughout my pregnancy, but haven’t been super consistent with that. If you’re looking for a prenatal supplement - I highly recommend Needed. I interviewed one of their founders earlier in the year. You can go back and learn more about why their products are different than the industry standard but I’ve really appreciated working with them and just truly believe that they have one of the best options available for perinatal health - preconception - postpartum. You can save 20% off any order with them by using the code HEALTHFORWARD.

What are some of my favorite pregnancy support products, supplements, etc?

I just put together a guide sharing some of my favorite products and things that I’ve used during this pregnancy and what I feel has helped me feel as good as I could. I’ll share that below, but I’ll mention just a few things here as well:

• Genexa Antacids - I told yall about the heartburn. These things have saved me on multiple occasions, especially during the middle of the night. I love that they have the same active ingredient as TUMS but without all of the other flavoring, colorings, and other junk that you get with that. 

• Electrolytes are another big one that I feel has made a big difference. I especially noticed the difference early on when I was dealing with some nausea and just sheer exhaustion, I would feel so much better when I would incorporate minerals and electrolytes. I started using the Pickleball brand several months ago because they are one of the brands highest in potassium, and I feel like it makes a huge difference. I will also sometimes use coconut water or aloe leaf in my drinks as well, but I love the pickleball packets, it has a lot of minerals that I need already put together and I don’t have to measure, etc. I also plan to keep incorporating this throughout postpartum and breastfeeding to keep myself hydrated. 

• I’ve already talked about how much I’ve relied on chiropractic treatment - so that’s been a big one but also taking magnesium soaks/baths. You guys listen, I don’t know how any woman makes it through pregnancy without a bathtub. I know some of you aren’t bath people, but I just cannot understand. That is the only place where I feel comfortable these days and truly cannot imagine life without it 😀The magnesium also helps with relaxing my muscles as I’ve dealt with some Restless Leg Syndrome this last trimester and helping me get better sleep. Not to mention, it’s just good support for my body and especially for my liver as everything is working extra hard these days. 

How long am I taking off? What will work look like when I’m back? 

Well, the short answer is - at least the summer. This will be the last podcast episode and I won’t be producing any regular content or working with clients at all this summer. I’m sure I’ll be on social here and there and sharing some things there, especially after the haze of the first few weeks wears off, but I won’t be “working” per se. I’m not exactly sure when the podcast will be back when regular content will start to flow again or exactly what it will look like. As of now, I’m thinking likely in the beginning of September but I’m not holding myself to that. I’ve never had two kids before and honestly just don't know what life will look like being home with them and trying to run a business. So, we’ll just see. 

The good news is that all of my previous episodes will stay right here and you have 95 episodes worth of my voice to go back and listen to if you start missing me ;) 

My Foundations of Health course - Move Forward, Feel Better will also still be available, so if you’re looking for some health coaching between now and when I’m back, that is a great resource for you that you can access at any time.

Well, that answers all the questions that I have and pretty much wraps things up for today. Everything is linked in today’s show notes and always over in my Instagram bio as well. I’ll miss sharing with you guys this summer but I’m sure you’ll be hearing from me again soon! As always keep moving forward, go love your people well, and I’ll talk to you next time! 

Pregnancy Faves

Amazon Black Romper // Genexa Antacids // LTGL Magnesium Soak (HF10 to save 10%) // Primally Pure Baby Balm (yourhealthforward10 to save 10%) // Needed Prenatal Vitamins (healthforward to save 20%) // Reduce Insulated Tumber // Pickleball Electrolyte Powder // Amazon Maternity Leggings // Amazon Pregnancy Pillow

The Benefits of Nervous System-Based Chiropractic Care with Dr. Rebecca Young, DC

In today's episode, Dr. Rebecca Young, DC of Freedom Chiropractic is sharing the benefits of nervous system-based chiropractic care. She also shares how regular chiropractic care can have numerous health benefits for both prenatal and postnatal women as well as for children of all ages.

LISTEN HERE: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE

QUESTIONS ANSWERED IN THIS EPISODE…

What is chiropractic care? Specifically, what is nervous system-focused chiropractic care and how may it differ from other chiropractic care that people may be more familiar with?

Who needs chiropractic care? Is it only for those with injury and back pain or are there other reasons to seek treatment?

What are some of the benefits of chiro treatment for women - specifically for hormone health, fertility, and pregnancy? 

What are some of the benefits of treatment for children? 

What could someone new to chiropractic care expect on their first visit? Can you describe what an adjustment feels like?

Where can people learn more about chiropractic in general and for those who are local, Freedom Chiro? 

Resources mentioned in this episode: To learn more about nervous system-based chiropractic care - pxdocs.com; to learn more about prenatal and pediatric chiropractic care - icpa4kids.com

To find out more about Freedom Chiropractic and Dr. Becca - Freedom Knox website; Freedom Chiro Instagram

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The Importance of Optimal Perinatal Nutrition with Julie Sawaya, Co-Founder of Needed

In today's episode, Julie Sawaya, co-founder of perinatal nutrition company - Needed, is sharing the importance of optimal nutritional support for all stages of a woman’s life, but especially before, during, and after pregnancy.

LISTEN HERE: APPLE PODCASTS | SPOTIFY | GOOGLE

Questions answered in this episode…

Tell us about how you got into the vitamin and supplementation field and why you helped start Needed.

One of my favorite things about Needed is that so much research and input from clinicians went into formulating all of the products. Why is this so important? 

What subset of the population can really benefit from taking prenatal vitamins and supportive supplements? Is it only for those who are currently pregnant?

How can supplementing with optimal nutrients help support fertility and those trying to conceive or maybe struggling with conception?

Needed recently launched a men’s line of products. Tell us a little more about why that is important and so unique. 

Other than the research aspect, what are some things that set Needed apart from over-the-counter prenatal or prescription prenatal?

Where can people learn more about Needed? 

Needed is a nutrition company that I personally use and trust, as well as recommend to a lot of my clients. If you would like to try Needed for yourself, you can use code HEALTHFORWARD to save 20% on a one-time purchase or HEALTHFORWARD100 to save $100 on the first three months of the Complete Plan Bundle

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