My Nutrition Through Pregnancy
How I have been nourishing myself & our growing baby throughout pregnancy
It has been a while since I have written a blog post but after receiving many questions as to how I am looking after myself and my beautiful growing baby boy, I thought that now would be the perfect time to share some of this information with you all (this blog is not an exhaustive list of all the things I have been doing but some of, what I consider to be, the most important).
Now, before I go on, I have to preface this blog by saying that the information I am providing is not individual nutrition advice, but rather the things that I am implementing to support myself and my baby throughout pregnancy… things that intuitively feel right to me. I always suggested working alongside a holistic medical professional. Likewise, you can also book in with me for a nutrition/ low tox living consult so that we can find strategies best suited to you and referrals to other health practitioners if needed.
So, how have I been supporting my body and baby through this incredible pregnancy? Well, it started long before conception (but that requires a whole other blog post as my pre-conception journey was a very long one).
Living a low-tox lifestyle, nourishing my body with a wholefoods (predominantly organic) diet and drinking plenty of filtered, re-mineralised water, has been part of my life for many years now. All of which has continued throughout pregnancy.
My daily routine starts when I wake with tongue scrapping, followed by a big glass of filtered water (We love Waters Co water filters) This is then followed by more filtered water, organic apple cider vinegar, Changing Habits Colloidal Minerals, Changing Habits Supreme Greens Powder & Changing Habits Fermented Probiotic Powder. Now, all of this was part of my daily routine pre-conception however I have continued this practice as it is gives me a great start to the day filled with essential micronutrients and gut loving goodness.
As we all know optimal gut health is a vital component of optimal overall health, I have also continued consuming lots of wholefoods that support, promote and maintain a good gut flora. In particular, consuming the Kultured Wellness Coconut Water Kefir and Coconut Yoghurt daily, have become an integral part of my day-to-day wellness. I love Kultured Wellness products as they are fresh, contain therapeutic amounts of good bacteria and are so easy to make at home (like ridiculously easy!). Some other things I love to include in my general diet for gut health are sauerkraut, homemade kombucha, and prebiotics like slippery elm powder, psyllium husk, green banana powder and cooked and cooled potato/rice.
Three other products that I used pre-conception that I have also continued throughout pregnancy are the daily ingestion of Changing Habits Camu Powder, Gelpro Grassfed Collagen and Superfeast Reishi Powder. Why these 3? Well, Camu powder is an incredibly rich wholefood source of vitamin C (which is essential for collagen formation, is a powerful antioxidant and throughout Covid-19 has been particularly beneficial for supporting my immune system).
As tremendous growth takes place during pregnancy, adequate protein intake is essential which is why, in addition to wholefood dietary sources of protein, I regularly consume Gelpro Collagen Powder as it is a highly bioavailable source of protein in the form of amino acids. This not only helps to support my growing body, but also my baby boy’s. As an added bonus, consuming collagen also helps with optimising gut health.
Lastly, whilst I was taking other medicinal mushroom powders pre-conception to support hormone balance and liver detoxification, the only one I have continued is Superfeast’s Reishi powder. Reishi powder has long been regarded by ancient herbalists as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ and is used to support immunity (also super important during Covid-19), relieve stress (super important during pregnancy as chronic stress is not good for us let alone developing babies), calming the mind, promoting restful sleep and strengthening the spirit.
After lots of research, the other two supplements I decided to take throughout pregnancy are the Naturobest pregnancy multivitamins and Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA. Now, I feel like I could get all the micro and macronutrients I require from my already existing morning routine and the foods that I eat, but due to my very active lifestyle and often demanding career (as a nurse), I felt that extra supplementation was right for me.
As for food, I have just been eating intuitively. I have listened to my body and eaten accordingly. I have not really had any obscure cravings but have gone through phases where I preferred fresh fruit smoothies for breakfast and then more plain foods. Predominantly, I have wanted savoury food, which is no different to pre-pregnancy for me. I have been very blessed with this pregnancy to have pretty much my normal energy levels and what I consider to be an enjoyable pregnancy. I attribute much of this to my clean, wholefood, low-tox, active lifestyle.
Regarding lifestyle, I have maintained an active level of exercise. Nothing too strenuous, just bike rides, home workouts (as the gym has been closed due to Covid-19), walks outdoors and daily stretches. I always try and do these things outside to enjoy some nourishing sunshine every day for extra vitamin D, fresh air and to be out in nature. I have implemented using positive birthing affirmations and continued my daily gratitude diary, alongside completing an online Hypnobirthing course. I have also continued the use of essential oils via topical application and diffusing/ aromatherapy – my two favourite oils for pregnancy are definitely Frankincense and Lavender.
My biggest challenge throughout pregnancy has been slowing down. As I mentioned earlier, I am a naturally active person, so I have really had to focus on trying to have some down time and ensuring I give myself the best possible chance to a good night’s sleep. This is another reason I continued to use Superfeast Reishi Powder & always wear my BlueBlockers glasses at night time.
I must end this by firstly saying, thank you for taking the time out to read this long blog and I hope that it has helped you in some way. But also, this is my first pregnancy and whilst it has been a delightful blessing, my preconception journey was challenging. I am not sure how my body will respond in future pregnancies as everybody is different, every baby is different, and every situation is different. I know that a cruisy pregnancy is not what everyone experiences despite their best efforts, but I do believe that even though we might not always see it at the time, or until a long time after, everything happens for a reason. I am super excited for my baby’s birthing day and to see how this life-changing experience will shape me and help me to grow as a person.
Lastly, if I could offer any advice for pregnancy it would be, listen to your body and follow your intuition. Take the time to focus on preconception and pregnancy health. Become as informed as possible, connect with your baby and your partner, and enjoy the experience as much as you possibly can. Our bodies and nature are truly incredible, so respect them and treat them kindly <3
Stay tuned for my birthing story. When the time is right, I will be delighted to share it with you all, whatever path it may take.
(click on any of the links throughout the blog to find out more about each of these products or send me a message)
Love Candice Bauer x
