I found out I was pregnant on Broncos Super Bowl 50 Championship. When I saw the word pregnant, I basically could only lay on the floor for an hour to process! haha.
It has been an amazing journey, and I am so grateful I had been following a fertility diet leading up to the pregnancy to build up my nutrient stores.
Nausea
In the beginning, everything was normal in the eating area. Around week 6, I started needing to eat everything couple of hours or I would start to feel nauseous. This was a change for me, because I was used to eating 3 big meals with usually no snacks.
Weeks 6-10 are the weeks I felt like I was not myself. Not terrible, but with no normal appetite, and at times I was not feeling well.
We went to Mexico around week 6, and in that trip the nausea came around, and my eating needed to change. There were a few days in weeks 7 or 8 where I definitely did not feel well and needed to rest.
Natural Solutions For Morning Sickness And Nausea
These are the solutions and first trimester tips I found most helpful for nausea:
- Foods like goat kefir and yogurt, plantain bread, liver (I know super weird!)
- Eating protein first thing in the morning and every couple of hours
- Coconut water
- Peppermint essential oil: I would inhale it or rub it behind my ears for relief
- Walking and fresh air
- Eating small every couple of hours with protein and healthy fat
Food
Weeks 7-10 it was hard to eat vegetables. I mostly ate my normal diet.
- Greens and veggies (what I could)
- Organic grass fed meats: Deer, beef, buffalo, lamb
- Organic poultry: Chicken, turkey
- Fruits: Apples, pears, lemon, grapefruit, berries
- Starchy veggies: Sweet potatoes, plantains, squash
- Soaked grains: Quinoa, millet
- Pasture raised eggs
- Wild-caught fish: Salmon and sardines
A few of the foods that I found myself eating often were eggs, avocado, goat’s milk kefir, sweet potato and plantain chips, avocado oil, mayo, and nut butters, coconut oil, tahini, liver, and sprouted seed crackers.
For breakfast, smoothies were harder than usual, but I found a fermented protein powder I really loved and mixed it with greens, coconut flakes, hemp seeds, berries, coconut oil, and sometimes other veggies like cucumber or zucchini and I usually had that for breakfast.
Surprisingly, I lost all cravings for chocolate and sugar!
I truly recommend the Weston A. Price “Diet for Pregnant and Nursing Woman”. It gives you a good idea of how much and what kinds of foods to eat to ensure you are getting all of the critical nutrients needed for brain, bone, and complete healthy development.
Exercise
I walked 30-60 minutes almost every day. Did my normal workouts, but not pushing myself hard. I did more lifting rather than HIIT workouts.
- Weights 2-3 times a week
- Bodyweight interval work outs 1-2 times a week
- Yoga or pilates and core work 2 days a week
- Daily stretching and hip circles!
Energy
I would get tired in the afternoons, some days worse than others. I took naps just a handful of times. It was definitely harder to have the energy to work out, but taking it slowly and just getting started helped out!
Emotionally
Those few weeks where I did not feel well or like myself were not fun. I was very frustrated and disappointed because I thought I would feel much better (mentally and physically). In those weeks, time went so slow, and it began to feel like I was going to feel this way forever. Thank goodness around 11 or 12 weeks I started feeling normal, could eat normal, and had more energy!
This time also felt surreal because I was not showing and did not even go to the midwife to hear the heartbeat until week 13! I was excited, yet everything felt like it was so far off.
Superfoods For The First Trimester
According to Dr. Weston A. Price, Functional Medicines Doctor Chris Kresser, Clinical Nutritionist Christa Orechea, and the amazing books and research they have written, below are their researched recommendations for first trimester needs:
The baby’s heart, brain, nervous system, and liver all begin to form during this time! The following nutrients are critical for this stage of development:
Folate
Closes the neural tube which is the embryo’s precursor to the central nervous system (brain and spine) Folate=healthy nervous system.
You want to get the most absorbable form of folate possible. In a supplement you want to look for folate or the activated form of folate which is called L-methylfolate (5-MTHF). A large population of women do not absorb folate well and need the activated form. The best folate-rich foods are liver, asparagus, lentils, and avocado.
Protein
The human building block for arteries, veins, skin, hair, heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and lungs are made of tissues. Which in turn are made up of proteins. Proteins=building the baby’s body. Increase your protein intake in each meal.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (EPA and DHA)
Incredibly important in forming the baby’s brain and reducing inflammation. A study done by Obstetrics and Gynecology found that mothers that did not consume any seafood when pregnant had children who were at greater risk of being in the lowest 25 percent of testing for both verbal and performance IQ. They also had more behavioral problems, lower scores on developmental tests, and communication skills. EPA and DHA=healthy, smart brain, and healthy skin for baby.
You want to be very careful and very picky with the fish oil you consume as most oils in the market are rancid. You want to look for a professional therapeutic grade fish oil that was processed correctly. Wild caught salmon, sardines, flax, and chia.
Celtic Or Himalayan Sea Salt
Salt is key during pregnancy because it helps create amniotic fluid for the baby and provides trace minerals for the mother. All 84 essential trace minerals your body needs are found in Celtic and Himalayan pink salt. A craving for salt is a craving for minerals.
Calcium-Magnesium-Vitamin D3 Combination
Calcium forms baby’s teeth and bones. Magnesium stimulates the hormone that allows your body to accept calcium. Magnesium is the miracle mineral. It is responsible for over 300 chemical reactions in the body. It calms the nervous system, improves sleep and digestion, and helps balance hormones. Vitamin D3 transports the calcium to the bones. It is critical for a healthy immune system, energy, and hormonal system.
- Get magnesium by soaking in an Epsom salt bath or using magnesium oil for the most absorbable and effective use. A good liquid mineral supplement can also contain good magnesium. If you take magnesium as a pill, take magnesium glycinate (most absorbable form of magnesium).
- The best sources of calcium are from sesame seeds, butter oil, leafy greens, and almonds.
- The best place to get D3 is from the sun (20 minutes a day) but take a liquid D3 K2 supplement is the next best option. Cod liver oil, egg yolks, and raw dairy are also sources of vitamin D3.
Iron
Helps muscles store oxygen, boost cellular energy, and carries oxygen from lungs throughout body.
- One of the most absorbable forms of iron is found in liver.
- Alfalfa black strap molasses are other options.
Foods To Focus On
- Liver, one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet
- Mineral and micronutrient rich leafy greens and veggies
- Eggs, especially the yolks
- Healthy fats from avocado, coconut products, coconut oil, butter, olive oil, olives
- Protein smoothies
- Sardines and salmon
- Sea salt
- Bone broth
- Raw goat dairy products if available
- Other forms of protein
Supplements
- A therapeutic professional grade fish oil – for brain development and mental stability of mother
- Butter oil – for healthy bones, skin, and organs for mom and baby
- Prenatal- either in whole foods form or professional therapeutic grade activated one (I did both)
- Minerals
- Vit D3
- Probiotic liquids and pills – to maintain health
- Vitamin C
- Green’s powers
- Magnesium – Calm magnesium drink, or liquid minerals
- Herbal tea: Red raspberry leaf every day!
- Collagen: For healthy skin, hair, and hormones!
What Is Important In Pregnancy?
Gut Health: All Health Begins There
The gut and your digestion is the foundation of your whole body’s health.
- 80% of your immune system is located in the gut. Without a healthy gut, you can’t have a healthy immune system. Without a healthy immune system, you’re open to infections, inflammation, hormone imbalances and autoimmune disease.
- More serotonin(happy brain chemical) is produced in the gut than in the brain. Many causes of depression and anxiety are a result of gut issues.
- Your gut interacts with the outside world more than any other part of your body, taking in nutrients from food and keeping out bacteria, pathogens, and undigested food.
So many of the fertility and hormonal issues today are caused by a leaky gut or intestinal permeability. This is when we have small holes in our digestive system that allow food and other unwanted toxins loose into our blood stream.
In this day and age, almost all of us have some degree of leaky gut because of the water(chlorine, fluoride, antibiotics), food(GMOs, pesticides), and environmental toxins(heavy metals, parasites) we are exposed to.
This is why, it is so important to help your gut during pregnancy and things that are damaging it.
A Healthy Microbiome
Your microbiome are the millions of bacteria that make up your body. We need to make sure we have an abundance of healthy bacteria because they control everything.
- They detoxify your body
- They protect you from bad bacteria and viruses
- They absorb the nutrients that you are eating and create vitamins
- They are your body’s defense and energy system.
- The healthier your gut, the healthier your body, skin, mood, and life.
Your baby’s immune system is determined by your microbiome – if you want a healthy baby that does not get sick often, you need a healthy microbiome.
How To Take Care Of Gut Microbiome?
- Remove inflammatory foods such as sugar, gluten, vegetable oils, conventional meat and dairy.
- Consume anti-inflammatory foods
- Avoid medications and antibiotics
- Consume probiotics and probiotic rich foods