Pregnancy and Childbirth

Your gut is a glorious feeding ground for bacteria, good and bad. Good bacteria help maintain beneficial intestinal flora, aid with digestion, and promote a healthy immune system. You are building a literal bacterial community with everything you put in your body, which will shape your baby’s bacterial world. If your diet is not rich in foods high in probiotics, take a probiotic supplement. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt at all either way. Research has shown that regular use of pr

Vitamin D and Pregnancy: Why it Matters Not only does vitamin D support your baby's growth and bone development, but it also regulates placental function, blood sugar, and insulin levels, leading to improved glycemic control and significantly lowering the risk of gestational diabetes. Multiple studies also show that vitamin D intake substantially reduces the risk of developing preeclampsia and having a preterm birth. This alone makes adding vitamin D to your daily regimen ess

Vitamin K plays a few important roles during pregnancy. It supports bone health, aids in blood clotting, and helps ensure both you and your baby have a healthy microbiome, but vitamin K1 and vitamin K2 have slightly different roles in the body. Vitamin K1 Vitamin K1   (phylloquinone) tells your body to stop bleeding, which is crucial during childbirth. This vitamin also plays a vital role in bone health, wound healing, and is the type given to babies after birth, either oral

You may already have heard that you need to look for a prenatal vitamin with folate, or is it folic acid? The two terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference. While both are different forms of vitamin B9, folate is the naturally occurring form found in some foods. Folic Acid is the synthetic form of folate. Converting Folate When you consume either folate or folic acid, it undergoes changes in the digestive system, converting it into an active form of vit

First, let’s get this straight. Calcium needs a lot of help. It is not a loner. Calcium is an important nutrient in pregnancy, but you need vitamin K2 and vitamin D to promote the absorption of calcium. By striking the right balance, K2 and vitamin D could offset some of the health problems associated with taking calcium by itself, such as poor heart health. That doesn’t mean you should be anti-calcium. It just takes a little finesse to get the formula right. Calcium Conundr

Omega-3 fatty acids are important nutrients that we need to get from our food. If you're a fish lover, that's great news! However, many women don't get enough Omega-3s because fish isn't a big part of the typical American diet. So, if you're looking to boost your Omega-3 intake, consider adding more fish to your meals or taking a fish oil or vegetarian supplemental source. There is something for everyone! Omega-3, which can only be obtained from diet, is essential for your ba

Making decisions about what prenatal vitamin, which probiotic, and what kind of iron supplement to take can be challenging. The number of options are overwhelming. There are several great vitamins out there, and research indicates that supplements are beneficial to you and your baby. The vitamins I have chosen are all-time favorites among many midwives and mothers. Each one has its highlights, so take a look at the ingredients and affordability. Also, talk to your provider or

There is so much to consider when it comes to nutrition and supplements during pregnancy, especially when it comes to keeping your iron levels up. Iron is crucial for making hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body and to your baby via your blood plasma, the largest component of your blood. When you don’t get enough iron through diet or supplements, your body makes fewer and smaller red blood cells. Less hemoglobin and fewer red bl

Magnesium supplementation  has been shown  to have many benefits in pregnancy, including a lower rate of preterm birth, a lower rate of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), decreased rate of pre-eclampsia, as well as other positive outcomes.  What else can Magnesium help with? There are a few indicators that you might be lacking in this important mineral. Common complaints of pregnancy such as morning sickness, leg cramps, and insomnia have been attributed to a combination

My midwifery practice always had shelves filled with pregnancy books. They were on loan, and I selected the very best out there on natural pregnancy, holistic prenatal care, and birth preparation. However, there are NO books that bring a woman through the entire pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period with a midwife that centers on visit-by-visit […]

When laboring and giving birth at home or a birth center, you don’t have to worry about putting on a hospital gown. You can wear anything, including loose-fitting shorts, a nightgown, robe, pajamas, sweat pants, a sarong and sports bra, or a birthing wrap. Being naked is an option, too. It’s up to you. If your […]

I am an all American birth ball junkie. It might be the midwife genes, but I must admit – I have seen some great use out of these helpful pregnancy and birth tools. In my practice, I ask every woman to buy a birth ball early in their pregnancy. You won’t regret it, unless, of […]