With the 4th Child I have changed a few things. I have become much more health conscious not just fitness minded. With my first child I was 22 and mostly just trying to survive life. By my second child I had become a certified personal trainer and I figured if I stayed fit and active throughout the pregnancy that’s all that would matter. With my 3rd Child during that pregnancy we moved into our old (105 year old) house and started into one of the hottest summers on record, and it was hot! I was miserable. So I ate cold everything, funny though cold tends to be sweet! I did not dare workout for fear how overly hot I would get. He was a late September baby and the first day it cooled of was the day after he was born and I was in the hospital. Talk about cruel!
So with another summer pregnancy I knew I had to plan better. Thank God this year has been much cooler than the last pregnancy. And at August 3rd I am surviving! I would not have said that so quickly in the summer of 2012. I still eat ice like its going out of style. However the need to feed on cold sweets is not there! So I feel like sharing some of what has helped me in this pregnancy.
#1 Red Maca
Maca is an amazing food item, that many use as a supplement. Pregnant women of Peru have relied on it for 1000’s of years for healthy pregnancies! Helps regulate hormones. I have personally found it helps with energy during those sluggish pregnancy times, and it also helps me to not crave crazy unhealthy foods. Most cravings are our bodies seeking nutrition, red maca is packed with nutrition. This is the stuff I use. Red maca was also a huge key in helping me to naturally heal my Hypothyroidism, read about that here.
#2 Kombucha
Kombucha is fermented tea and like many fermented food items has a whole whopping ton of digestion and gut health benefits. It can be bought, which would get expensive. Also the store-bought stuff has been pasteurized and many of the benefits have been killed off. The good news is that it can be made fairly easily. with a few ingredients and you can keep yourself in kombucha for pennies a day! I drink kombucha daily with this pregnancy. We do a second ferment which flavors and carbonates the drink. So if ever I have a craving for a carbonated pop I drink this and its fulfills the craving. I have found that it also is a great help with energy lows. It keeps your gut healthy and moving smoothly. It also is a great detoxer which helps when your liver and kidneys are running at higher than normal rates!
#3 Yoga
I love fitness, but during pregnancy I hit a wall. My normal routines do not work as well anymore. Walking lunges start hurting my hips. And ab work becomes difficult at best. When I hit these points I start turning to yoga. Helps the joints. Helps prepare the body for birth. Helps keep blood flowing. Helps with energy. Helps to reduce feet swelling! This is my absolute favorite video to start or end the day with.
#4 Dr Bach Remedies
I personally am a fast paced strong-willed type. I don’t usually rest well, my mind doesn’t stop, I think about all I feel I need to do. I will mentally think tasks all the way through. So I have found Dr Bach Oak remedy very helpful at being able to rest at night. There are tons of great ones that may help with all sorts of issues that arise in pregnancy or not.
#5 Pure Belly Wrap
I have had multiple c-sections, so with that comes adhesion. Adhesion can be painful as the belly grows. I have found that a small amount of pressure helps ease the pain. Also a belly wrap helps with general support. I have tried a few, however this one is great. It is not bulky, the material feels great and does not make your skin itchy. Also looks like an extra layer of shirt. For when Maternity shirts start becoming to short, for those of us who get huge belly’s. I got mine here.
Some of these items have helped me to have a much more natural and healthy pregnancy. I have been able to avoid OTC pain medications and sleep aids. I have been able to have decent energy without caffeine. I have learned it’s not only  the exercise I do with my body but how I treat it and what I put into it during pregnancy that makes all the difference.
What are things that help you to have a natural pregnancy?
Beth is a mother of 6 living on a handful of acres in an old farmhouse in central Kansas. Beth has a background in the military and health and fitness however her passions come from her homestead life. Beth is an enthusiastic homeschooling mom, avid organic gardener, chicken & goat wrangler, who is obsessed with herbs and natural remedies and maintaining an all-around Do-It-Yourself lifestyle. Beth loves to share all she has learned about and sustainable living. While striving for a healthy, natural life, family-centered life.