A couple of weeks back I shared an article on the Flo Living Facebook page about how Kim Kardashian said that pregnancy was “the worst experience” of her life. This really struck a chord with our Flo community and many of you shared your own feelings about pregnancy and the issues you’ve gone through while carrying a child. Some women said they loved being pregnant, some women said they genuinely hated it - but all agreed the outcome made the struggle worthwhile!But, does pregnancy have to be that hard? Is it supposed to be like that? You want to know and I hear that. So, I’m going to address this head on. Short answer: No, pregnancy doesn’t have to be all that bad. Long answer: I mean, let me be honest with you, if you’re a hormonally sensitive woman (say if, like me, you have PCOS) then the surge of hormones during pregnancy will likely cause you some issues. For me, I gained 50 pounds. If you’re the kind of women whose hormonal balance can be made hectic by excess estrogen or the change in SHGB (sex hormone binding globulin) then there are some symptoms of this that will be unavoidable like changes in hair and skin. However, the same strategies that I encourage women to use to help themselves get pregnant naturally are, thankfully, also the same strategies you can use to ensure a healthy, happy pregnancy. Basically, if you prep for pregnancy in the right way then you are setting yourself up for a much easier 9 months! This is what I did to help myself and the result was a really happy healthy pregnancy.There are 2 parts of your pregnancy experience that you can control completely before you get pregnant, and while you are pregnant. Taking charge in these areas will absolutely decrease the intensity and severity of any hormonal imbalance and hormone sensitivity issues you might face otherwise. These are:
- Your body’s chemical load at the start of pregnancy.
- Your deficiency in key micronutrients prior and throughout the pregnancy.
If either of these areas of your health are not optimal then pregnancy could be a struggle. All the energy and effort (and the bulk of the nourishment from your food) goes towards growing your baby. Baby becomes first priority, so if you are under-nourished you will feel worse and if your chemical load is high you will feel worse. Your liver has less time for you and your body’s supply of nutrients is going direct to baby as much as possible.
With this in mind, how then to ensure a healthy, easy pregnancy?
- Love your liver. There’s no quick fix to detox your liver and make sure everything is running smoothly. The best way to do this is with good Flo foods and regular doses of my favorite cilantro smoothie!
- Clean out the chemicals. That means eating organic to avoid pesticides, sure, but also cleaning out your cosmetics bag and your home cleaning closet. Chemicals lurk all over our homes and we need to be vigilant in getting rid of endocrine disruptors. The less your liver has to detox from dealing with, the better for you and baby.
- Nourish your body. There is one nutrient that many, even most, women are very low on and which is absolutely essential for getting pregnant and for having an easier pregnancy - that’s vitamin D3. Upping your D3 intake is a great place to start when you’re preparing yourself for a pregnancy.
- Think ahead. An easy pregnancy is better achieved with at the very least 3 months, and at the very best a whole year, of prior preparation. This is often left out of a conversation that tends to focus on what you eat during pregnancy, but it’s just as important to start eating in your Flo way ahead of time. It gives your body the head start it needs to take care of you and your baby.
Always remember, that once you have the right information about how your body really works, you can start making health choices that finally start to work for you! You can do this - the science of your body is on your side!to your FLO,AlisaGood things come in threes:
I want to hear from you!
First, do you suffer with SAD? Second, are you hoping to conceive soon? Third, how would you describe your pregnancy experience?
Are You Trying to Conceive?
If you want to do everything in your power to improve your chances of becoming a mom—then we want to help you optimize your fertility.Whether you are just starting to think about having a baby, or have already tried naturally or have been trying with IVF, our Fertile FLO Program will help improve your chances of conception.Click here to download my FREE guide, The 5 Health Foods to Avoid to Get and Stay Pregnant.
