September 16, 2023 • 21 mins
Don’t let the abundance of resources in the world overwhelm you!
Get access to the living resource list here: https://www.resourcedoula.com/resources/
Quick links for everything mentioned in the episode:
- Lily Nichols Real food for pregnancy: https://mydou.la/real-food-for-pregnancy
- Nine Golden Months by Heng Ou: https://mydou.la/nine-golden-months
- Expecting Better by Emily Oster: https://mydou.la/expecting-better
- The Mama Natural week by week guide to pregnancy and birth: https://mydou.la/mama-natural-guide
- Birthing Instincts https://pod.link/1552816683
- Evidence Based Birth(https://pod.link/1334808138) Also check out resources and classes at https://mydou.la/EBB
- a Squatty Potty.https://trainat.li/squattypotty It is good for pooping in all stages of life, and could even be used like a birth stool in labor.
- A stability ball: https://trainat.li/stabball
- Listen to my interviews with Anya of Anya’s Reviews here: https://www.resourcedoula.com/why-minimal-footwear-with-anya-of-anyas-reviews/ and my interview with natural podiatrist Andy Bryant here: https://www.resourcedoula.com/the-truth-about-feet-with-podiatrist-andy-bryant/
- Village Herbals(https://trainat.li/villageherbals) has supportive tea and infusion blends specifically designed for pregnancy and postpartum.
- Edens Garden for non MLM essential oils: https://trainat.li/edensgarden
- Motherlove products. https://trainat.li/motherlove (discount with this link or code: Trainernatalie15)
- Kindred Bravely https://trainat.li/kindredbravely – Get 15% off your first order with this link. Discount applied at checkout automatically, but if that doesn’t happen, use the code TRAINERNATALIE15
- Pact: https://mydou.la/pact
- Iksplor has a merino wool top with nursing access if you’re an adventure mom and want to stay warm on the trail - great for nursing in a carrier as well. https://iksplor.com/
- Mental Push Plan https://www.instagram.com/mentalpushplan/ code natalie10 for 10% off
Exercises I mentioned:
Sign up for my weekly newsletter and gain access to my most up-to-date resource list here: https://www.resourcedoula.com/resources
Start for FREE
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.
The Resource Doula Podcast Social Channels:
Instagram: @resourcedoulapodcast
Resource Doula Podcast Youtube: @resourcedoula
Want to start your own podcast? Edit easily with Descr
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Natalie (00:00):
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the abundance of
resources out there when itcomes to pregnancy, birth,
postpartum, and parenting?
Trust me, you're not alone.
In this age of informationoverload, it's easy to get lost
in the sea of options and end upnot taking action at all.
I'm Natalie, and you'relistening to the resource doula
podcast.
(00:20):
Join me on this mini seriesdesigned to help simplify this
journey.
In each episode, I'll go throughmy favorite resources for a
specific category, making iteasier than ever to find the
information you need and leavebehind what doesn't resonate
with you.
Our approach here is all aboutembracing a holistic, natural,
and non toxic lifestyle.
So let's get started today.
(00:41):
We're talking about my favoriteresources.
For pregnancy, pregnancy is sucha wildly transformative season
of life, and it can often befilled with doubts,
insecurities, and other people'sopinions.
I encourage you to do your ownresearch, stand firm in your own
decisions because you are theonly expert on your own body and
(01:02):
your body knows exactly whatit's doing.
So I encourage you to trust it,to lead you well, set boundaries
so that you can enjoy the seasonto the best of your ability.
my intention with this episodeis to not add to the noise, but
to empower you to know thatwhatever decisions you make and
whatever products you use, youknow what's best for you and for
your family and for your baby.
(01:24):
We're going to start out withbooks.
The first book I recommend isLily Nichols Real Food for
Pregnancy.
Now I mentioned this in thepreconception episode as well.
It's just that good.
Lily is the food genius of ourtime and has incredible
resources and information notonly in her book, but on her
blog as well.
(01:45):
I also recommend Nine Heng Ou,which is the sister book in that
trilogy Awakening FertilityWhich is the preconception book
nine golden months is thepregnancy book and then the
first 40 days is the postpartumbook this is the only one of the
trilogy I have not read yet, butit is next on my list.
(02:05):
And this series is reallyexcellent for Information more
from a traditional and Easternmedicine standpoint mixing in
traditional Chinese medicine aswell.
So really important read, reallygood to know kind of what other
cultures in the world are doingif you are in the U.
S.
The third book I recommend isExpecting Better by Emily Oster.
(02:28):
This book comes from aperspective of asking the
question, Why do all of theserules exist for pregnancy?
And do I actually need to followthem?
So she goes into the researchand the history of why certain
recommendations have been madeduring pregnancy.
Like you can't eat lunch meat oryou can't dig in the garden.
Barehanded things like that.
(02:49):
And she talks about the pros andthe cons and how to make it
educated and informed decisionfor yourself.
The fourth book I recommend isthe Mama Natural Week by Week
Guide to Pregnancy and Birth.
And this book is really anexcellent resource for someone
who's looking to do things alittle bit more naturally, a
little bit more holistically.
She gives you a, a week by week.
(03:12):
The synopsis of the common testsand things you might encounter
when you go into your provider.
The natural choice, the kind ofin between choice, and the
conventional choice, and thepros and cons of all of those.
So it's kind of almost like awhat to expect when you're
expecting version for CrunchyMoms.
next, I want to talk aboutpodcasts that I recommend.
(03:34):
There's two that I'll talk abouton this episode.
The first one is BirthingInstincts.
If you have not listened to Dr.
Stu and Midwife Blyss yet, Ifyou are questioning the
mainstream advice, then Or ifyou want to know more about
breech birth and twin birth, dr.
Stu is famous for his approachto breech vaginal birth, VBAC,
(03:55):
home VBAC, and teaching.
all of these techniques to otherbirth professionals.
I actually had him on theResource Doula podcast episode
33 if you want to check it out.
The next podcast I want to talkabout is the evidence based
birth podcast.
This is a great podcast.
They include birth stories andscience based information.
(04:16):
So if you're not familiar withevidence based birth, they have
an amazing website full.
of resources.
So if you are a parent who islike, okay, what are the pros
and cons and what are theresearch on certain topics like
delayed cord clamping orcircumcision, things like that,
you can go and they've digestdigested all of the research for
you and put it into an easy toread format.
(04:38):
So you can go in and it'spresented in a fairly unbiased
way, and they also have birthclasses, education classes
online as well.
So highly recommend evidencebased birth.
Next, I want to talk about someproducts that can make you more
comfortable during pregnancy.
Now, I'm really a minimalistwhen it comes to products, and I
(05:00):
want to recommend The ones thatreally will make a difference
for you.
So the first one is a squattypotty.
If you don't already have asquatty potty in your home, you
need one.
It's the more natural way topoop and it helps you to relax
your pelvic floor better on thetoilet.
So this can be really excellentfor pregnancy constipation.
(05:22):
It can be really great for thatfirst postpartum poop or all of
the postpartum poops that youhave when you are.
a little timid about sitting ona toilet, pushing something out
of your body.
Um, it can also be double usedas a birth stool during labor.
So excellent, excellent product.
Um, you can always use a stoolthat you find in your own home
(05:44):
as well.
Just make sure that it makesyour knees higher than your hips
and you're able to bring yourfeet wider.
So you don't want your feettogether when you're sitting on
the toilet.
The next product I wouldrecommend is a multi use product
as well.
It's a stability ball, a birthball, yoga ball.
You've probably heard it calleda lot of different things.
(06:05):
They're the same thing.
A ball that you sit on and youcan move your hips around.
You can strengthen your body.
prior to pregnancy, duringpregnancy and in postpartum.
It's an excellent tool.
It's also really, really helpfulduring labor.
There's a ton of differentpositions that you can use the
ball for and it encouragesmovement during labor, which we
(06:26):
know has improved outcomes for.
And then in postpartum, besidesexercise, you can use it to
bounce your baby so your legsand your low back don't get
tired when you're up late atnight in the middle of the
night, bouncing that cryingbaby.
The third and final product Iwant to talk about is kind of
(06:47):
more of a category.
And if I were to recommend.
And one thing for your life, foryour pregnancy, for postpartum,
I would really encourage you tomake the shift to minimal
footwear.
Now, if you've been followingalong for a while, you know, I
like to talk about this all thetime, but if you can allow your
feet to function.
As they should, as they weredesigned, then you're helping
(07:08):
the rest of your joints up thechain function as they should as
well.
So think your ankles, yourknees, your hips, your low back,
and if you wear zero drop shoes,so that means that there's no
increase in the heel, there's nolift in the heel compared to the
ball or the toe of your foot.
So it's completely flat.
Then you are helping your pelvisbe into be in a more neutral
(07:33):
position where you're untucked.
You're not tucking your tailboneunder and turning off your
glutes, which is not onlyhelpful for lower back pain.
And most of my clients reportimmediate back pain relief when
they take their shoes off andshift their pelvis back, but
it's also allowing the back ofyour pelvic floor, the posterior
pelvic floor muscles to lengthenand open and allow your pelvis
(07:57):
to move as it should, which isbeneficial for a smoother and
more efficient vaginal birth aswell.
So the shift or transition tominimal footwear is one that you
won't regret.
And I have a lot of otherresources.
On that, um, in my podcast, onmy website, on the resource list
that I will link as well.
(08:17):
Um, but my top recommendationfor you, if you're curious about
minimal footwear, is going toAnya's reviews and seeing what
she recommends.
And she has a ton of resourcesas well.
That kind of brings us into asection that I wanted to talk
about.
That's not really a resource ora product, but it's exercises.
And a lot of people wonder whatthey can do.
(08:38):
For exercise during pregnancy,I'm going to keep it really
simple.
I could go into a lot of detailson this, but that's not what
this podcast episode is about.
Being strong during pregnancycan help really eliminate lots
of pain and symptoms that arecommonly associated.
With pregnancy and considerednormal, like low back pain, achy
(09:00):
hips and achy joints, thingslike that.
If you are strong, you're notonly prepping yourself for
labor, but setting yourself upfor a better recovery, a
healthier baby, a healthierpostpartum.
so if you were to come see meand you're pregnant and I was to
guide you through an exercisesession, or if I was training
you regularly, multiple timesper week, these are the
(09:21):
exercises that I wouldincorporate.
To most all of the workouts thatI would have you do.
So first one is doing stairs.
Um, ideally with a load.
So whether you're on a stairclimber, or you're just going up
and down the stairs at yourhouse, or you're doing step ups,
then either hold weights in yourhands, or load a backpack, or
(09:44):
have a weighted vest on you.
Because this preps you forhiking, for walking with a baby.
It also really helps with yourleg strength, which is
incredibly important for amultitude of reasons.
The next thing I would have youdo is Farmer Carries or Uneven
Weight Carries.
(10:04):
So many times moms will carrytheir They carry their car seat,
carry a diaper bag, carrygroceries, carry a laundry
basket, carry a work bag, carryso many things.
There's so much gear that goesalong with being a parent.
And so if you are carryingobjects and walking with them,
moving forward, then you need tolearn how to carry them in a
(10:27):
stable and supported way.
So farmer carries, where you areholding a weight down by your
side or holding the weightracked up on your shoulder.
or even an overhead carry aswell, really recommend those.
The next exercise that isprobably maybe my most favorite
exercise is deadlifts.
So learning to hip hinge,thinking about putting your baby
(10:49):
down in a crib or picking themup.
And putting them back down onthe ground, you're dead lifting.
So, and picking anything up inyour life, it's really important
to have strong glutes andhamstrings, and that will carry
you through your postpartumrecovery and help you to feel
way, way stronger as you'regaining your strength.
The next one kind of goeswithout saying, but.
(11:10):
Squats are hugely important,especially for labor.
So if you start practicingsquats as early as you can, all
the better, the more benefitthey're going to give you lots
of different types of squats,sumo squats, narrow squats,
normal squats, deep squats.
Asymmetrical squats where youdon't have both legs and the
same position.
(11:30):
Maybe you have one out to theside a little further.
Try all different kinds ofsquats, add load, add weight to
them.
Practice them all the time.
The next exercise is kind oflike a group of exercises.
I would have you practice laborpositions.
Get on your hands and knees.
Crawl around.
Um, do a half kneeling lunge.
(11:50):
Stand up and sway.
Practice stretching yourhamstrings.
Practice releasing your glutes.
Do some side lying leg lifts soyou know what it's like to be on
your legs.
On your side with your leg up inthe air for a long time, work on
manipulating your hips practiceswith whoever's going to be your
birth partner as well, becausePractice makes perfect, right?
(12:11):
And if we are familiar with themovements that are going to help
us through labor, and we'restrong for those movements,
we're all the more likely to beable to move better during
labor, and have the strength andendurance for however long it
ends up being.
The next thing that I wouldreally recommend is doing
overhead movements as well.
(12:32):
A lot of times in life, we don'tput our arms over our head in a
daily routine.
And so, we need to...
put our arms overhead and pushthings up overhead.
Um, whether it's putting thingsup on a shelf, lifting your
baby, overhead strength is hugeand really important.
So start pushing weightsoverhead.
(12:52):
You can combine those.
One of my favorite, um, combodeal exercises, as I call them
is a squat press.
So you have weights, maybedumbbells on your shoulders.
You go into a squat, you comedown and you push all the way
back up to standing and then Doan overhead press at the top.
That one is great for your heartrate as well.
(13:12):
It's an upper body.
It's a lower body.
And if you use the core breath,you exhale with effort, then
you're using your core.
The last thing I would recommendfor an exercise routine, if you
will, during pregnancy is makingsure that you're training your
pelvic floor to be balanced.
Now during pregnancy, a lot oftimes people recommend doing a
(13:35):
ton of kegels.
And now kegels have their place,it's really important to learn
how to do them correctly.
Ideally you see a pelvic PT ifpossible, sometime during your
pregnancy because they canreally help you.
Figure out where you're at andwhat you need to work on to have
the most excellent delivery youcan, but we need to learn how to
relax our pelvic floor.
(13:56):
It is the uterus that pushes thebaby out, not your pelvic floor.
And so if we are tightening,tightening, tightening all the
time, doing a ton of kegels, andthen the uterus is.
Contracting and pushing down andall our public floor knows how
to do is lift and squeeze thenit's going to be, you're almost
working against yourself.
And so by learning how to relaxand lengthen and let go of your
(14:20):
pelvic floor, then it's going toallow for a more efficient
pushing and moving that babydown and out as well.
If you want a lot of visuals forlabor positions, ideas for
exercises as well.
Uh, if you follow mama stay fiton Instagram, they have
incredible visuals, labor prep,they have classes as well.
(14:42):
So highly recommend.
next up, we're going to talkabout.
Herbals and oils.
So, um, I'm not a provider.
I can't recommend certain herbs,can't recommend any supplements
or things like that.
I'm just going to talk about acouple brands that I like and I
use myself and that I recommend.
Village Herbals is a greatbrand.
(15:02):
They're a local to Alaskacompany.
They have supportive tea for allstages of life, pregnancy and
postpartum.
They have infusion blendsspecifically Designed for the
unique needs of postpartumpregnancy.
They have a sits bath, thingslike that.
Highly recommended them.
Um, my husband and I both lovethe powerhouse infusion blend
(15:25):
that they have.
another herbal brand is theMother Love products.
People swear by their nipplebalm.
They have supplements.
They have salves.
They have sprays.
They have a lot of products thatare really, really high quality
and they're transparent as wellwith all of their practices.
So definitely check them out.
As far as like essential oilsgo, there's a lot of
(15:48):
information.
On them, on the internet, youcan find anything to back up
your own perspective andopinions.
Um, my go to for information onessential oils is Eden's Garden.
They're a non MLM, family owned,women operated company.
They're dedicated to qualityoils and evidence based
information.
(16:08):
And so they're, they have aspecific article that is, about
what essential oils are safe forpregnancy and why.
So I'll link to that article inthe show notes.
Another thing that people alwaysask recommendations for is
clothing.
So maternity clothes, thingsthat transition well to
postpartum and have easy nursingaccess as well.
(16:30):
Um, one of the top recommendedbrands is Kindred Bravely.
They have so many options forclothing during pregnancy,
postpartum, lots of nursingtanks and bras.
Anyone who's tried their nursingbras tends to swear by them and
love them, especially theircombo nursing pumping tank that
they have.
I do have a couple pairs oftheir joggers, and I lived in
(16:52):
them.
I use them as pajamas.
I lived in them after I had myendosurgery.
They're super soft.
So, they're a really nice, lowwaistline that's not too
squeezy, which is what I neededafter my surgery, which is what
is comfortable after.
Um, you can get 15 percent offyour first order with my code
(17:13):
trainer, Natalie 15, or use thelink in the show notes as well.
A brand that I really enjoy andI'm working on building my
sustainable wardrobe with isPact.
They offer really great qualityorganic cotton clothes that are
more affordable than ones I'veseen elsewhere.
And they're also prettytransparent with their practices
(17:33):
as well.
They do have maternity andnursing options too.
And another one I wanted tothrow in here, I have not tried
for myself, but the brandExplore, I K S P L O R.
They have a merino wool top,they do merino wool.
Base layers, but they have anursing top.
(17:55):
That's really really helpful Ifyou are an adventure mom, you
want to get back out on thetrail and you're nursing It's
really easy nursing access inthis top to also not expose your
belly or So if you're using acarrier, a baby carrier, then
you can easily nurse in that.
So I will link to that one aswell.
The final category I wanted totalk about is mental health.
(18:17):
So pregnancy is really a test ofyour mental health and then
postpartum even more so.
I recommend getting a handle onthings as early as you can and
making a plan for how you'regoing to handle labor, how
you're going to deal withpostpartum.
And we'll talk about postpartumin another episode as well, and
how to plan for it and establishyour boundaries.
(18:41):
But the mental push plan, ifyou're not familiar with them,
mental push plan is an amazingresource for kind of getting a
handle on what your strategiesare going to be.
During pregnancy for labor andfor postpartum as well.
Carolyn and Lauren are thefounders and I've had them on
the podcast actually severaltimes.
(19:02):
You might have heard them on thepush corner as well.
So episode 7 and episode 14.
I believe is where they appearon the podcast and they have a
lot of resources on theirwebsite.
Check them out.
You can also get 10 percent offany of their products with the
code NATALIE10.
(19:23):
And the final thing I wanted totalk about is, it relates to
mental health, but somethingthat Pretty much every single
podcast guest I've had, everymom I've talked to for advice,
um, really echoes just the ideathat you need to embrace your
intuition and you need to listento it.
(19:44):
You have a mom gut for a reason.
It's really important that youlearn how to tune into it during
pregnancy so that you can easilyestablish how you feel.
And what you feel about certainchoices and things and when in
doubt, lean on your gut, trustyour intuition because you know
your body best and you and yourbaby are a unit.
(20:08):
And so, as you are makingdecisions throughout pregnancy,
If you're bombarded by so manyopinions, so much information,
everybody's birth story, feelfree to tap into your intuition,
set up boundaries so that youknow you're making the right
decision for yourself, for yourbaby and for your family.
(20:29):
That's it for this episode.
All of the resources I mentionedand more are part of a larger
list that's a live document,meaning I update it regularly.
You can follow the link in theshow notes or just go to
resourcedoula.
com forward slash resources.
Please remember that these areall just suggestions and not
medical advice.
Thanks so much for listening.
(20:50):
I'll catch you next time.
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the abundance of
resources out there when itcomes to pregnancy, birth,
postpartum, and parenting?
Trust me, you're not alone.
In this age of informationoverload, it's easy to get lost
in the sea of options and end upnot taking action at all.
I'm Natalie, and you'relistening to the resource doula
podcast.
(00:20):
Join me on this mini seriesdesigned to help simplify this
journey.
In each episode, I'll go throughmy favorite resources for a
specific category, making iteasier than ever to find the
information you need and leavebehind what doesn't resonate
with you.
Our approach here is all aboutembracing a holistic, natural,
and non toxic lifestyle.
So let's get started today.
(00:41):
We're talking about my favoriteresources.
For pregnancy, pregnancy is sucha wildly transformative season
of life, and it can often befilled with doubts,
insecurities, and other people'sopinions.
I encourage you to do your ownresearch, stand firm in your own
decisions because you are theonly expert on your own body and
(01:02):
your body knows exactly whatit's doing.
So I encourage you to trust it,to lead you well, set boundaries
so that you can enjoy the seasonto the best of your ability.
my intention with this episodeis to not add to the noise, but
to empower you to know thatwhatever decisions you make and
whatever products you use, youknow what's best for you and for
your family and for your baby.
(01:24):
We're going to start out withbooks.
The first book I recommend isLily Nichols Real Food for
Pregnancy.
Now I mentioned this in thepreconception episode as well.
It's just that good.
Lily is the food genius of ourtime and has incredible
resources and information notonly in her book, but on her
blog as well.
(01:45):
I also recommend Nine Heng Ou,which is the sister book in that
trilogy Awakening FertilityWhich is the preconception book
nine golden months is thepregnancy book and then the
first 40 days is the postpartumbook this is the only one of the
trilogy I have not read yet, butit is next on my list.
(02:05):
And this series is reallyexcellent for Information more
from a traditional and Easternmedicine standpoint mixing in
traditional Chinese medicine aswell.
So really important read, reallygood to know kind of what other
cultures in the world are doingif you are in the U.
S.
The third book I recommend isExpecting Better by Emily Oster.
(02:28):
This book comes from aperspective of asking the
question, Why do all of theserules exist for pregnancy?
And do I actually need to followthem?
So she goes into the researchand the history of why certain
recommendations have been madeduring pregnancy.
Like you can't eat lunch meat oryou can't dig in the garden.
Barehanded things like that.
(02:49):
And she talks about the pros andthe cons and how to make it
educated and informed decisionfor yourself.
The fourth book I recommend isthe Mama Natural Week by Week
Guide to Pregnancy and Birth.
And this book is really anexcellent resource for someone
who's looking to do things alittle bit more naturally, a
little bit more holistically.
She gives you a, a week by week.
(03:12):
The synopsis of the common testsand things you might encounter
when you go into your provider.
The natural choice, the kind ofin between choice, and the
conventional choice, and thepros and cons of all of those.
So it's kind of almost like awhat to expect when you're
expecting version for CrunchyMoms.
next, I want to talk aboutpodcasts that I recommend.
(03:34):
There's two that I'll talk abouton this episode.
The first one is BirthingInstincts.
If you have not listened to Dr.
Stu and Midwife Blyss yet, Ifyou are questioning the
mainstream advice, then Or ifyou want to know more about
breech birth and twin birth, dr.
Stu is famous for his approachto breech vaginal birth, VBAC,
(03:55):
home VBAC, and teaching.
all of these techniques to otherbirth professionals.
I actually had him on theResource Doula podcast episode
33 if you want to check it out.
The next podcast I want to talkabout is the evidence based
birth podcast.
This is a great podcast.
They include birth stories andscience based information.
(04:16):
So if you're not familiar withevidence based birth, they have
an amazing website full.
of resources.
So if you are a parent who islike, okay, what are the pros
and cons and what are theresearch on certain topics like
delayed cord clamping orcircumcision, things like that,
you can go and they've digestdigested all of the research for
you and put it into an easy toread format.
(04:38):
So you can go in and it'spresented in a fairly unbiased
way, and they also have birthclasses, education classes
online as well.
So highly recommend evidencebased birth.
Next, I want to talk about someproducts that can make you more
comfortable during pregnancy.
Now, I'm really a minimalistwhen it comes to products, and I
(05:00):
want to recommend The ones thatreally will make a difference
for you.
So the first one is a squattypotty.
If you don't already have asquatty potty in your home, you
need one.
It's the more natural way topoop and it helps you to relax
your pelvic floor better on thetoilet.
So this can be really excellentfor pregnancy constipation.
(05:22):
It can be really great for thatfirst postpartum poop or all of
the postpartum poops that youhave when you are.
a little timid about sitting ona toilet, pushing something out
of your body.
Um, it can also be double usedas a birth stool during labor.
So excellent, excellent product.
Um, you can always use a stoolthat you find in your own home
(05:44):
as well.
Just make sure that it makesyour knees higher than your hips
and you're able to bring yourfeet wider.
So you don't want your feettogether when you're sitting on
the toilet.
The next product I wouldrecommend is a multi use product
as well.
It's a stability ball, a birthball, yoga ball.
You've probably heard it calleda lot of different things.
(06:05):
They're the same thing.
A ball that you sit on and youcan move your hips around.
You can strengthen your body.
prior to pregnancy, duringpregnancy and in postpartum.
It's an excellent tool.
It's also really, really helpfulduring labor.
There's a ton of differentpositions that you can use the
ball for and it encouragesmovement during labor, which we
(06:26):
know has improved outcomes for.
And then in postpartum, besidesexercise, you can use it to
bounce your baby so your legsand your low back don't get
tired when you're up late atnight in the middle of the
night, bouncing that cryingbaby.
The third and final product Iwant to talk about is kind of
(06:47):
more of a category.
And if I were to recommend.
And one thing for your life, foryour pregnancy, for postpartum,
I would really encourage you tomake the shift to minimal
footwear.
Now, if you've been followingalong for a while, you know, I
like to talk about this all thetime, but if you can allow your
feet to function.
As they should, as they weredesigned, then you're helping
(07:08):
the rest of your joints up thechain function as they should as
well.
So think your ankles, yourknees, your hips, your low back,
and if you wear zero drop shoes,so that means that there's no
increase in the heel, there's nolift in the heel compared to the
ball or the toe of your foot.
So it's completely flat.
Then you are helping your pelvisbe into be in a more neutral
(07:33):
position where you're untucked.
You're not tucking your tailboneunder and turning off your
glutes, which is not onlyhelpful for lower back pain.
And most of my clients reportimmediate back pain relief when
they take their shoes off andshift their pelvis back, but
it's also allowing the back ofyour pelvic floor, the posterior
pelvic floor muscles to lengthenand open and allow your pelvis
(07:57):
to move as it should, which isbeneficial for a smoother and
more efficient vaginal birth aswell.
So the shift or transition tominimal footwear is one that you
won't regret.
And I have a lot of otherresources.
On that, um, in my podcast, onmy website, on the resource list
that I will link as well.
(08:17):
Um, but my top recommendationfor you, if you're curious about
minimal footwear, is going toAnya's reviews and seeing what
she recommends.
And she has a ton of resourcesas well.
That kind of brings us into asection that I wanted to talk
about.
That's not really a resource ora product, but it's exercises.
And a lot of people wonder whatthey can do.
(08:38):
For exercise during pregnancy,I'm going to keep it really
simple.
I could go into a lot of detailson this, but that's not what
this podcast episode is about.
Being strong during pregnancycan help really eliminate lots
of pain and symptoms that arecommonly associated.
With pregnancy and considerednormal, like low back pain, achy
(09:00):
hips and achy joints, thingslike that.
If you are strong, you're notonly prepping yourself for
labor, but setting yourself upfor a better recovery, a
healthier baby, a healthierpostpartum.
so if you were to come see meand you're pregnant and I was to
guide you through an exercisesession, or if I was training
you regularly, multiple timesper week, these are the
(09:21):
exercises that I wouldincorporate.
To most all of the workouts thatI would have you do.
So first one is doing stairs.
Um, ideally with a load.
So whether you're on a stairclimber, or you're just going up
and down the stairs at yourhouse, or you're doing step ups,
then either hold weights in yourhands, or load a backpack, or
(09:44):
have a weighted vest on you.
Because this preps you forhiking, for walking with a baby.
It also really helps with yourleg strength, which is
incredibly important for amultitude of reasons.
The next thing I would have youdo is Farmer Carries or Uneven
Weight Carries.
(10:04):
So many times moms will carrytheir They carry their car seat,
carry a diaper bag, carrygroceries, carry a laundry
basket, carry a work bag, carryso many things.
There's so much gear that goesalong with being a parent.
And so if you are carryingobjects and walking with them,
moving forward, then you need tolearn how to carry them in a
(10:27):
stable and supported way.
So farmer carries, where you areholding a weight down by your
side or holding the weightracked up on your shoulder.
or even an overhead carry aswell, really recommend those.
The next exercise that isprobably maybe my most favorite
exercise is deadlifts.
So learning to hip hinge,thinking about putting your baby
(10:49):
down in a crib or picking themup.
And putting them back down onthe ground, you're dead lifting.
So, and picking anything up inyour life, it's really important
to have strong glutes andhamstrings, and that will carry
you through your postpartumrecovery and help you to feel
way, way stronger as you'regaining your strength.
The next one kind of goeswithout saying, but.
(11:10):
Squats are hugely important,especially for labor.
So if you start practicingsquats as early as you can, all
the better, the more benefitthey're going to give you lots
of different types of squats,sumo squats, narrow squats,
normal squats, deep squats.
Asymmetrical squats where youdon't have both legs and the
same position.
(11:30):
Maybe you have one out to theside a little further.
Try all different kinds ofsquats, add load, add weight to
them.
Practice them all the time.
The next exercise is kind oflike a group of exercises.
I would have you practice laborpositions.
Get on your hands and knees.
Crawl around.
Um, do a half kneeling lunge.
(11:50):
Stand up and sway.
Practice stretching yourhamstrings.
Practice releasing your glutes.
Do some side lying leg lifts soyou know what it's like to be on
your legs.
On your side with your leg up inthe air for a long time, work on
manipulating your hips practiceswith whoever's going to be your
birth partner as well, becausePractice makes perfect, right?
(12:11):
And if we are familiar with themovements that are going to help
us through labor, and we'restrong for those movements,
we're all the more likely to beable to move better during
labor, and have the strength andendurance for however long it
ends up being.
The next thing that I wouldreally recommend is doing
overhead movements as well.
(12:32):
A lot of times in life, we don'tput our arms over our head in a
daily routine.
And so, we need to...
put our arms overhead and pushthings up overhead.
Um, whether it's putting thingsup on a shelf, lifting your
baby, overhead strength is hugeand really important.
So start pushing weightsoverhead.
(12:52):
You can combine those.
One of my favorite, um, combodeal exercises, as I call them
is a squat press.
So you have weights, maybedumbbells on your shoulders.
You go into a squat, you comedown and you push all the way
back up to standing and then Doan overhead press at the top.
That one is great for your heartrate as well.
(13:12):
It's an upper body.
It's a lower body.
And if you use the core breath,you exhale with effort, then
you're using your core.
The last thing I would recommendfor an exercise routine, if you
will, during pregnancy is makingsure that you're training your
pelvic floor to be balanced.
Now during pregnancy, a lot oftimes people recommend doing a
(13:35):
ton of kegels.
And now kegels have their place,it's really important to learn
how to do them correctly.
Ideally you see a pelvic PT ifpossible, sometime during your
pregnancy because they canreally help you.
Figure out where you're at andwhat you need to work on to have
the most excellent delivery youcan, but we need to learn how to
relax our pelvic floor.
(13:56):
It is the uterus that pushes thebaby out, not your pelvic floor.
And so if we are tightening,tightening, tightening all the
time, doing a ton of kegels, andthen the uterus is.
Contracting and pushing down andall our public floor knows how
to do is lift and squeeze thenit's going to be, you're almost
working against yourself.
And so by learning how to relaxand lengthen and let go of your
(14:20):
pelvic floor, then it's going toallow for a more efficient
pushing and moving that babydown and out as well.
If you want a lot of visuals forlabor positions, ideas for
exercises as well.
Uh, if you follow mama stay fiton Instagram, they have
incredible visuals, labor prep,they have classes as well.
(14:42):
So highly recommend.
next up, we're going to talkabout.
Herbals and oils.
So, um, I'm not a provider.
I can't recommend certain herbs,can't recommend any supplements
or things like that.
I'm just going to talk about acouple brands that I like and I
use myself and that I recommend.
Village Herbals is a greatbrand.
(15:02):
They're a local to Alaskacompany.
They have supportive tea for allstages of life, pregnancy and
postpartum.
They have infusion blendsspecifically Designed for the
unique needs of postpartumpregnancy.
They have a sits bath, thingslike that.
Highly recommended them.
Um, my husband and I both lovethe powerhouse infusion blend
(15:25):
that they have.
another herbal brand is theMother Love products.
People swear by their nipplebalm.
They have supplements.
They have salves.
They have sprays.
They have a lot of products thatare really, really high quality
and they're transparent as wellwith all of their practices.
So definitely check them out.
As far as like essential oilsgo, there's a lot of
(15:48):
information.
On them, on the internet, youcan find anything to back up
your own perspective andopinions.
Um, my go to for information onessential oils is Eden's Garden.
They're a non MLM, family owned,women operated company.
They're dedicated to qualityoils and evidence based
information.
(16:08):
And so they're, they have aspecific article that is, about
what essential oils are safe forpregnancy and why.
So I'll link to that article inthe show notes.
Another thing that people alwaysask recommendations for is
clothing.
So maternity clothes, thingsthat transition well to
postpartum and have easy nursingaccess as well.
(16:30):
Um, one of the top recommendedbrands is Kindred Bravely.
They have so many options forclothing during pregnancy,
postpartum, lots of nursingtanks and bras.
Anyone who's tried their nursingbras tends to swear by them and
love them, especially theircombo nursing pumping tank that
they have.
I do have a couple pairs oftheir joggers, and I lived in
(16:52):
them.
I use them as pajamas.
I lived in them after I had myendosurgery.
They're super soft.
So, they're a really nice, lowwaistline that's not too
squeezy, which is what I neededafter my surgery, which is what
is comfortable after.
Um, you can get 15 percent offyour first order with my code
(17:13):
trainer, Natalie 15, or use thelink in the show notes as well.
A brand that I really enjoy andI'm working on building my
sustainable wardrobe with isPact.
They offer really great qualityorganic cotton clothes that are
more affordable than ones I'veseen elsewhere.
And they're also prettytransparent with their practices
(17:33):
as well.
They do have maternity andnursing options too.
And another one I wanted tothrow in here, I have not tried
for myself, but the brandExplore, I K S P L O R.
They have a merino wool top,they do merino wool.
Base layers, but they have anursing top.
(17:55):
That's really really helpful Ifyou are an adventure mom, you
want to get back out on thetrail and you're nursing It's
really easy nursing access inthis top to also not expose your
belly or So if you're using acarrier, a baby carrier, then
you can easily nurse in that.
So I will link to that one aswell.
The final category I wanted totalk about is mental health.
(18:17):
So pregnancy is really a test ofyour mental health and then
postpartum even more so.
I recommend getting a handle onthings as early as you can and
making a plan for how you'regoing to handle labor, how
you're going to deal withpostpartum.
And we'll talk about postpartumin another episode as well, and
how to plan for it and establishyour boundaries.
(18:41):
But the mental push plan, ifyou're not familiar with them,
mental push plan is an amazingresource for kind of getting a
handle on what your strategiesare going to be.
During pregnancy for labor andfor postpartum as well.
Carolyn and Lauren are thefounders and I've had them on
the podcast actually severaltimes.
(19:02):
You might have heard them on thepush corner as well.
So episode 7 and episode 14.
I believe is where they appearon the podcast and they have a
lot of resources on theirwebsite.
Check them out.
You can also get 10 percent offany of their products with the
code NATALIE10.
(19:23):
And the final thing I wanted totalk about is, it relates to
mental health, but somethingthat Pretty much every single
podcast guest I've had, everymom I've talked to for advice,
um, really echoes just the ideathat you need to embrace your
intuition and you need to listento it.
(19:44):
You have a mom gut for a reason.
It's really important that youlearn how to tune into it during
pregnancy so that you can easilyestablish how you feel.
And what you feel about certainchoices and things and when in
doubt, lean on your gut, trustyour intuition because you know
your body best and you and yourbaby are a unit.
(20:08):
And so, as you are makingdecisions throughout pregnancy,
If you're bombarded by so manyopinions, so much information,
everybody's birth story, feelfree to tap into your intuition,
set up boundaries so that youknow you're making the right
decision for yourself, for yourbaby and for your family.
(20:29):
That's it for this episode.
All of the resources I mentionedand more are part of a larger
list that's a live document,meaning I update it regularly.
You can follow the link in theshow notes or just go to
resourcedoula.
com forward slash resources.
Please remember that these areall just suggestions and not
medical advice.
Thanks so much for listening.
(20:50):
I'll catch you next time.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.