If you have had a baby (or multiple babes!) in the last 10 years, you absolutely MUST READ THIS!!!
this picture is less than a week before I had babe #7
I remember the first time I read this article (linked at the bottom!) -- my 5th baby was only a few months old. I felt HORRIBLE and totally depleted, (surprise c-section that wiped me out!!) this article really hit home and actually made me feel SO MUCH better! There was such a sense of relief just to know there was a REASON I felt so wiped out. The inflammation, exhaustion and brain fog were unbearable!
Did you know in pregnancy, the placenta serves two masters: the growing baby AND the mama? During pregnancy mama oftentimes become low in good fats, amino acids, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B9, iodine, and selenium, because she is supplying most of the nutrients for a rapidly growing babe.
The placenta does a fascinating job of tuning baby into mother, AND tuning mother into baby. This beautiful feedback that happens during pregnancy and birth is truly miraculous! At the same time the placenta is growing, the fetal hypothalamus (a hormone-producing gland in the baby’s brain) is growing. The hormones produced by the placenta are very similar to the hypothalamic hormones like oxytocin. Oxytocin is both a “love hormone”, AND causes uterine contractions during labor. So what helps birth baby, is also the same hormone that bonds baby and mom postpartum. I call this stage “babymoon” and it is because both mama and babe are blissed out on this beautiful hormone, that is created even more during breastfeeding.
When c-section happens, or if nursing isn’t an option- it can speed the domino effect of this post natal depletion.
“Part of the job of the placenta is to reprogram the mother. It’s as though she gets a “software upgrade,” with some parts of the brain being reinforced and other parts of the brain being lessened.”
THIS IS SO CRUCIAL!!! The changes in the brain are what makes the mother have the intuition and hyper vigilance that is important to meet baby’s needs. Knowing if they’re hungry, uncomfortable, too cold/too warm, or just need consoled is a mom’s superpower! Side note here- this is also why bed sharing has always been normal! Mom is hyper aware and knows if baby shifts or moves or cries and wakes up right away!)
This same superpower is obviously vital for the survival of the child but if living in an unsupportive society paired with being nutritionally deplete, it can lead to sleep problems, self doubt, insecurity, feelings of unworthiness, fatigue, exhaustion, poor concentration and memory, and emotional lability, AKA “baby brain.”
I had serious baby brain after baby #5!
Fast forward to now and every one of these symptoms is a thing of the past! I may have 7 kiddos, and nursed for 13 years so far, but I feel SO AMAZING! Pregnancies #6 &7 (and postpartum!) were TOTALLY different than #5. (Adding in that I have also had baby #8 and that pregnancy was the BEST! It was also my first pain- free delivery! I know it was in part because of the trace minerals I took during pregnancy, as well as energy work/deep healing from traumas)
▪️no “pregnancy brain” or brain fog
▪️plenty of energy
▪️amazing sleep
▪️no issues with heartburn
▪️none of your “normal” pregnancy digestive issues like constipation or hemorrhoids
▪️no swelling (I can easily wear all of my rings and shoes right up until I give birth!)
▪️back to a healthy weight/health weight gain
▪️plenty of milk for healthy and strong babies (and tandem nursing!)
▪️stable emotions throughout and after birth
▪️no headaches
▪️no skin issues! I had SERIOUS melasma/pregnancy mask in the past!
and I am SO grateful!!
This info is also why I did NOT "eat for two" or use my pregnancies as an excuse to eat junk! I did the OPPOSITE-- ate a diet full of good fat and whole foods, limiting sugar and processed foods! I took a ton of high quality supplements, (and still do since I'm nursing!!) and took my responsibility to grow this little human seriously!! I gained minimal weight and had a healthy and fat babe, and nursed a toddler at the same time!
I also make sure I am MOVING my body daily!
AND
I make sure to rest or nap when I need to!
I’m extremely proactive in my pregnancies, so if I feel like my gallbladder is sluggish (which is something I struggled with in my first pregnancies) I will address it immediately with juicing and eating beets and cucumber and adjusting my supplements. (Standard process cholacol!)
Same with making sure my digestion stays regular— I am proactive and never allow it to become an issue! Magnesium internally and externally are crucial.
Regular chiro adjustments are a MUST!
You must make sure you're getting plenty of vitamins and trace minerals like iron, B vitamins, zinc, vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium, and plenty of high-quality animal fats. (Raw milk, grass fed butter, ghee, lard- grass fed liver is a superfood!)
(Edited to add I recently found oyster capsules and wish I would have had those during pregnancy! Kayleigh over on Patreon has so much great info http://www.patreon.com/nutritionelements )
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELVES, MAMA!!! You are worth so much more to your families when you FEEL GOOD! Make yourself and your health a priority for once! Now that you have this info, you know there is a reason you haven’t felt great, and you can give yourself a break while also being proactive in working on your health.
I promise, your family will thank you!
Pregnancy and postpartum DO NOT have to be hard! And if you need some help or direction, MESSAGE ME!
After baby #5 vs after baby #6
As Serrallach explains:
“The placenta passes nearly 7 grams of fat a day to the growing baby at the end of the pregnancy term, while also tapping into the mom’s “iron, zinc, vitamin B12, vitamin B9, iodine, and selenium stores—along with omega 3 fats like DHA and specific amino acids from proteins.” On average, a mom’s brain shrinks 5 percent in the prenatal period, as it supports the growth of the baby (much of the brain is fat) and is re-engineered for parenthood. Serrallach has spent the majority of his career witnessing this syndrome, which he calls postnatal depletion, first-hand, watching as women fail—hormonally, nutritionally, and emotionally—to get back on their feet after the baby comes."