Before Baby Wellness

03/22/2021

Some times you just have to embrace your inner lioness, and ROAR your baby out!

03/14/2021

🚫 ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴡᴀsʜ ɪᴛ ᴏғғ! 🚫

Vernix caseosa, also known as vernix, is the waxy or cheese-like white substance found coating the skin of newborn human babies. It begins to form at about 27 weeks. It is produced by dedicated cells that play protective roles during fetal development and for a few hours after birth.

Don't wash it off!! Rub it in. It's the best lubricant for the baby's skin once the are 🌏 earthside🌎

𝔹𝕖𝕟𝕖𝕗𝕚𝕥𝕤 𝕀𝕟𝕔𝕝𝕦𝕕𝕖:🌻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✅Germ fighting superhero - one of the primary purposes of vernix is to protect the infant from unwanted pathogens, both in the womb and out ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✅Controls temperature - with its thick, waxy coating, vernix helps to insulate the baby. infants who have it immediately washed off have a significantly higher rate of heat loss⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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✅Skin cleanser and antioxidant - it offers a protective covering while going through the birth canal, allowing baby to pick up good bacteria & potentially avoid overgrowths of bad bacteria, viruses and fungi⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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What purpose does vernix serve?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
🌿In the womb:
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Prevents loss of electrolytes and fluids⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Acts as a microbial barrier from unwanted pathogens⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Provides a protective layer to facilitate skin growth⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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🌿Out of the womb:
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Decreases skin pH and helps form the protective acid mantle⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Protects from pathogens⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Moisturizes and keeps skin soft⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Contains that new baby smell to help mom and baby bond during the golden hour

📸: VIA

03/13/2021

Last weekend we enjoyed the beautiful weather outside shooting our bow...this weekend its rainy and gloomy so relaxation is on the agenda!

If its beautiful outside where you are SOAK IT UP! On gloomy days I pray for sunshine. It just makes me feel warmer on the inside and out. Sun is good for the soul!😊

We have lots to do in the house this weekend though---we want to get renovations done as soon as we can--something I should have done during my time off work but now gotta work around our schedules.

At the same time I want to put in some learning hours for my fertility health coaching so I can continue making amazing content for you.

Oh the delimas of life!😅

03/10/2021

The best way to know if toxicity and inflammation are affecting you is to test.

This part can be very overwhelming. Talk with your doctor, holistic practitioner, or fertility expert to know what test is best for you and your partner.

Basic labs, anatomical issues, and hormone panel is probably the best place to start.

If you have had any of these done and found your answers--and if you feel comfortable to share--please do so in the comments. I want to be able to connect with each of you but also to learn from you as well!

03/10/2021

03/08/2021

The sunshine makes me so happy...and its good for our overall health and wellness!

With all the snow and grey skies last month I am ready for spring!!
If you haven't been out enjoying the beautiful weather please do yourself a favor and soak in those rays! 🌞

03/05/2021

Toxicity and Inflammation can lead to miscarriage and infertility.

In 2019 I experienced an abundance of stress and inflammation. I had hives for almost an entire year. I didn't know what was going on. I learned about my health more than ever that year. I found out I have an autoimmune disease, subcutaneous lupus. This means a lot of inflammation was happening in my body causing issues.
I share this because EVERYONE is going through something. Health issues, especially in the US, are at an all time high, and it is because of the way we live.

Tackling these things will not only help you on your journey to conceiving but they will also help you be overall healthier and feel your best.

Healthy living doesn't have to be over complicated, lower your stress, move your body, get good sleep, and eat whole healthy foods. Something I have been really struggling with this past year.

Here is to getting back to basics to feeling our best!
# holisticnutrition

03/04/2021

I have been feeling off for a while, mostly since I lost my job in August 2020. It seemed unreal, like I would wake up from a dream and go back into work like nothing happened. And I let it get to me.

I was down mentally for several months. I would sit at my desk all day "working" on things. I went from about 145 to 160lbs in a matter of about a week or two. Even though at that time I was doing crossfit about 3 times a week.

I tried to stay consistent with B*W but I lost my focus and drive. I started slowly not going to the gym--mostly due to illness and having to stay away two weeks after last symptom "just in case" or others getting sick and having to again wait that two weeks. And now when I do go to workout I give it my all one day and completely drained, depleted, fatigued, and beyond sore and not able to workout more than once a week.

Something has to change. I am trying to get back to B*W--I am passionate about helping women trying to conceive get healthier and feel good before they get pregnant, as well as supporting women during birth. So I am going to try and get 3 posts up a week! Being consistent with this is the first step.

I also started a new job on Monday-March 1st!!! I will let you know how it goes. I hope this will get my mind on the right track again too--keeping me more motivated and get that drive back!
I cancelled my crossfit membership for now---I am starting from ground zero at my heaviest weight maybe ever! It is going to be a challenge but I have to listen to my body and not go "balls to the wall" for an hour of working out like crossfit HAHA

I am trying to eat better and get back on track with my health so I can be healthier for pregnancy--fingers crossed for this year! The health of our babies (and future generations) depend on the health of the parents BEFORE CONCEIVING!

02/28/2021

Struggles with fertility is one of the hardest things to go through. Learning why it is happening can shed some light and give hope.

I am sharing what I am learning in my journey to becoming a Fertility Health Coach, classes I just started taking. I want this page to be full of helpful information, motivation, and hope.

If you have any questions or just want to chat about your journey please reach out.

02/25/2021

You are not laboring alone, your baby is working SO hard to tuck, rotate and fit through your pelvis! ⁣⁣
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One of the ways your body accommodates the baby is by the baby’s head “molding” through the pelvis - which just means that the head is “soft” and the skull bones literally overlap over each other to smush through the va**na! WHAAAATTTT. YES. Your baby is already capable of amazing things!⁣⁣
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If your baby’s head comes out elongated (some would call cone🍦head, technically it’s called caput succedaneum) or you see a ridge or bump at the top of the head past the forehead, no stress! That just shows you how hard your little one worked to make their way through! It should go away after 24-48 hrs although it can take couple weeks to be perfectly round! ⁣⁣
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Worried about it “fitting”? I have 2 videos to help! First, “My doc says I have a big baby” and my most recent, “Back Labor - Posterior Position” video to talk you through what to expect and help ease your fears! Check them out! ⁣⁣
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Did you see molding on your baby’s head? Did they have an elongated cone head? ⁣⁣
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📷

02/22/2021

DELAYED CORD CLAMPING ⌛

“After baby is born we usually think of the umbilical cord as a relic – part a life support system that is no longer needed. But the reality is that the cord has one last job to do, and it’s a big one.

The cord and placenta are a sort of external circulation system: one vein carries oxygen and nutrient-rich blood from the placenta to the baby, and two arteries carry carbon dioxide rich blood and waste away from baby to the placenta for purification. When baby is born, about 1/3 of its blood is in the external part of the circulation system, but quickly makes it’s way to the baby via the umbilical cord. Unless of course, the cord is cut before the transfer is complete.

Delayed umbilical cord clamping (DCC) allows more blood to transfer from the placenta to the baby, increasing the baby’s blood volume by up to a third.

The iron in the blood increases the newborn’s iron storage, which is vital for healthy brain development.

Some new studies have found that DCC can have a positive effect on both preterm and full-term babies. These benefits include an increase in placental transfusion, a 60% increase of RBCs and a 30% increase in neonatal blood volume.

Another advantage of DCC is the decreased risk of iron deficiency anemia.
The extra blood at birth helps the baby to cope better with the transition from life in the womb, where everything is provided for them by the placenta and the mother, to the outside world. Their lungs get more blood so that the exchange of oxygen into the blood can take place smoothly.

Delayed clamping also results in an infusion of stem cells, which play an essential role in the development of the immune, respiratory, cardiovascular, and central nervous systems, among many other functions. The concentration of stem cells in fetal blood is higher than at any other time of life. ICC [immediate cord clamping] leaves nearly one-third of these critical cells in the placenta.

Stem cells may also help to repair any brain damage the baby might have suffered during a difficult birth”

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