Hello! Were you beginning to wonder if I had given up on this blog?! I don’t blame you if you did. Heck, I wondered myself at times! But the last few months of pregnancy I was not very creative, I didn’t have any ideas of what to write about….the kid might have been redirecting all the blood flow away from my brain! Plus, after a full workday and the commute, I was tired so being creative was even more of a challenge.
But finally, our little guy is finally here and is just perfect! Anghus Michael arrived on Thanksgiving at 10:17 pm, ten days past his due date. Talk about a Thanksgiving you will never forget! Anghus weighed in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 21.25” long. We had an at home waterbirth and it was everything I had envisioned it could be. Daddy was there to catch Anghus as he made is way earthside…that is special for us all! These first few weeks have been good, I think we are all adjusting pretty well…if you ignore the sleep deprivation! LOL! There have been tough moments, and tears from both mama & baby, but this is how it goes sometimes.
I wanted to share some of the items and products that I relied on during pregnancy and so far in my postnatal time. And of course, what my eating habits have been like over that last 10 months. To get this started, let’s take a look at the resources I found helpful.
I did a fair amount of reading to educate myself on what baby was doing in the womb, what changes my body would be going through and to be prepare for the natural birth that I was wanting.
For my weekly pregnancy guide I read The Mama Natural week-by-week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth by Genevieve Howland. I really enjoyed her natural approach but also that she gives you all the info on the standard tests that are run during pregnancy because it is our choice as to which tests, medications, or whatever we have done to us and our growing baby. I also referred to her website when I had question and didn’t have the book with me or if I wanted to research a topic more.
To prepare for labor, Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth is also a great resource. I enjoyed it for the birth stories and the tips on how to manage natural childbirth. She also provides information on how some of the modern interventions can change the course of birth. To be really informed on your choices during pregnancy & labor, Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper is fantastic!! I honestly feel that all women should read this book before deciding how they want to handle the birth of their child. This book also provides information on the cascade of interventions that can happen once one intervention has been giving. While I feel that it is totally up to each mama and her situation as to whether or not she choices certain things during this life phase, I feel even stronger that she should inform herself so that she can make the best choice for her & the baby. This book really is a great place to start learning no matter if you are having a hospital or home birth. There is a video with the book, I wouldn’t bother with it. The book covers it all and more.
Lastly, I read Real Food for Pregnancy by Lily Nichols. While I have a good handle of what works for me when it comes to eating, pregnancy was a bit different. I wanted to be sure I was not completely depleting my body of needed nutrients. I dealt with morning sickness that left me eating all the starchy carbs…I was having to eat some form of carb immediately upon rising each morning. I found that having a baked potato or rice with plenty of salt and butter worked great for me. They are real food and not processed, which is what I prefer. Now don’t get me wrong, I had some chips and cracker too, but I made sure to stick with brands I trusted, like Simple Mills or check the ingredient list before purchasing. The rest of the pregnancy I felt pretty well but man, was I hungry! I kept most of my meals to protein and veggies with a smallish amount of dense carbs. And I had snacks as I needed them, again trying to keep them to real food options as much as my cravings allowed. This book is great because it covers what vitamins and minerals are needed for a health pregnancy & gives you examples of foods for each. Lily also cover topics like caffeine, alcohol, if it is really necessary to void certain foods, exercise, mindful eating, gives you a meal plan and recipes. She also covers the fourth trimester. This book is another one that I think all mamas-to-be should read. Pregnancy does not give one a green light to eat crappy food all the time. It is a time to nourish yourself and your child to the best of your ability. Cravings for treats and sweets are going to happen, we can’t avoid them! I ate plenty of ice cream during the last few months of my pregnancy!! But I also made sure that I included nutrient-dense foods like liver along with my normal staples of eggs, quality meats and plenty of veggies.
Currently, I am reading The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. I wish I would have started it before Anghus arrived just to have a deeper understanding of how to navigate nursing him. Fortunately, the book is broken up into sections very well so it is easy to just read what you need in the moment and begin to apply it. Our little guy doesn’t follow a steady nursing schedule at all! Between this book and the advice from my midwife has allowed me to feel confident in my choice to follow his lead and just feed him when he is hungry, even if he goes 4+ hours on the second day of his life. I have also picked up a few tips to help get a better latch and positions to try. The book also covers sleep, weaning and more. It also has a trouble shooting chapter and some handy tear out sheets. I think I will be going back to this book often!
I also loved The Birth Hour podcast! It covered all sorts of birth experiences from a wide range of people. To me, it was nice to hear how other handled their birth and pull what I needed to from each one. Listening to all the stories taught me that every birth is different for everyone. And that our body, mind and soul will guide us through, we just have to be mindful and listen to our instinct.
Another website I frequented was What to Expect When You’re Expecting. I enjoyed their week-by-week pregnancy information as well. I would also research random questions on this site as well…it’s amazing to me how many questions come up!
That covers the main resources that I referred to. In my next post I will share the products I have and am using.
