My Favorite Pregnancy Resources

I recently had a couple people ask if I would put together a post with all my pregnancy resources that I’ve shared on instagram stories. And once I started writing out this list below, I couldn’t believe how long it was. Ever since I found out I was pregnant, I have been hungry to learn as much information as possible, especially in the health space. I decided to go to a midwife center for my birthing experience vs an OB because I felt much more comfortable there and once I shared that, I quickly found out how opinionated people are when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and motherhood. It’s an INSANE space. A hard-to-navigate space. But that’s because there an ENDLESS options…and that’s honestly the beautiful thing about it. Instead of looking for THE answer, we can learn from a range of people out there and find so many options to then implement in our own experiences. This list is long, but it’s helped me on my journey and hopefully it gives you a little insight into your own. There is not right or wrong, there is growth and more growth! I hope this helps you in some way!

Fertility Acupuncturist – I found my fertility acupuncturist when I was trying to get pregnant and coincidentally (or not) got pregnant that next week, but I’ve continued to see her throughout my pregnancy for blood flow, aches and pains, and she was a huge part of getting even just a couple hours of sleep during my 1st/2nd trimester insane insomnia. I’ll be using her up until the day I give birth and beyond. Highly recommend an acupuncturist before, during, and after pregnancy.

• Dr Cecily Yousaf at Fertile Ground

Prenatal Chiropractor – As soon as I got pregnant, I began getting sciatica and it just got worse with time. Seeing a prenatal chiropractor weekly has been a lifesaver. You’ll want to find a chiropractor that specializes in Webster technique for pregnancy. I’ve heard amazing stories from women of Webster chiropractors being able to use their techniques to get breech babies to flip. Pretty cool! I always feel so much better after my appointments and can move almost like a non-pregnant person.

• Dr Chase Stanker at Well Set

Doula – I think having a doula or a midwife at your birth is a MUST. I’ve heard from some people that there are midwives on staff at certain hospitals, which is amazing! I would highly recommend asking if that is an option and if it’s not, trying to find either a midwife or doula who will be there with you before your birth, during, and even after. They are there to advocate for you and support you in the birth you want and be there if that plan changes in any way. We hired a doula to help with the birth process to teach Brian different ways to support me, but to also be there if Brian needs to take a break and then I have someone I trust and feel very comfortable with. If you’re in Denver, I highly recommend the company below to help find a doula that fits your needs.

• Allo Tribe

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapist – I wish it was a requirement by law to see a pelvic floor PT during and after pregnancy because they are LIFE CHANGING. I began seeing one once I started getting pubic pain and when my sciatica got much worse. She does internal exams, taught me how to fully engage and release my core, dry needling, cupping, and massage. Plus she gives me homework so I can keep with feeling good once I get home. I’ll be using her throughout pregnancy then definitely afterwards to help heal my pelvic floor.

• Dr Niki Popper at Fertile Ground

Functional Medicine Doctor – Now this is a completely personal choice, but I’ve loved having my functional med doc on hand during pregnancy so I can check on anything I need throughout. Something I find very strange is that OBs don’t check your mineral panels throughout pregnancy. You’re often told what to not consume and they ask if you’re taking a prenatal, but that’s about it. I’ve had my iron checked, but that’s all. And since your placenta is taking all your nutrients for your little babe, it’s quite easy to become nutrient deficient, especially postpartum. With my FMD, she is able to order really thorough panels so I can be better equipped when it comes to the foods I decide to eat to ensure I’m getting optimal vitamins and minerals! Pretty rad!

• Dr Amy Person at Prime Health

What I Find Out About The Gestational Diabetes Testing – Something I’m really grateful for is instagram these days, mostly because it’s taught me SO much when it comes to asking questions and knowing there are different options than what are always given to a patient. Before pregnancy, I simply thought the glucola test was the only test available for gestational diabetes and I was told how horrible it was to take. For me, it felt very counterintuitive to consume 50g of sugar without consuming any other nutrition around it, especially since glucola contains corn syrup and vegetable oil. Plus 1 in 4 women will have a false positive result and have to do it again or do the 3hr test. Not a fan…so I did some digging and found different options. Every provider is different and not all providers will be open to all these options, but it’s worth asking and definitely worth knowing!

• Fresh Test – this is a cleaner option than glucola
• Anything with 50g of sugar – I’ve heard of women doing 50g of sugar from jelly beans, gummy bears, grape juice, or even just a really high sugar, carb dense meal
• Monitoring blood glucose fasted & after meals – this was an option given to me when I asked if there was another option other than glucola, but I know not all women are given this option or even allowed to do it. My midwife put in a prescription for a glucose monitor, lancets, and test strips and I picked it up at my pharmacy. I had to test my blood glucose first thing when I woke up then after every meal for 1 week. I LOVED this option. Not only did it teach me so much about my body and what foods spiked my blood sugar (and in what order), but I also didn’t have to consume 50g of sugar in one sitting. It was a major win-win for me!

Books – There have been sooooo many helpful books I’ve read already so I hope some of these are helpful for you!

• Real Food for Pregnancy – must read and so helpful with navigating diet during pregnancy
• Expecting Better – great books all about statistics instead of simply anecdotal
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth – empowering birth stories
• Hynobirthing: The Mongan Method – helpful ways to prep and calm the body during birth
• The First Forty Days – ways to refortify the body after birth
• The Fourth Trimester – a guide to healing the body and spirit after birth
• Go Diaper Free – a breakdown of elimination communication and potty training from an early age
• Jaws – this book has made me really think twice about using a pacifier

Podcast Episodes & Videos – I haven’t listened to a ton of different podcasts, mostly just books, but I found all of these really interesting and helpful in different ways!

• Everything You Need To Know About Being Pregnant… on The Skinny Confidential
• Prenatal & Postpartum Nutrition on Freely Rooted
• Optimizing Your Breastfeeding Journey on Freely Rooted
• Nourishing Your Baby on Freely Rooted
• Respectful Parenting on Freely Rooted
• The Truth About Birth Control on Freely Rooted
• The Business of Birth Control
• The Business of Being Born

Helpful People on Instagram – This list is very long and overwhelming and I apologize for that. I like to follow some of the people who have the same similar views around food and nutrition just simply because that’s what has been most helpful for me with getting to know my body, and I want to take the same approach with our children. Then you’ll see a lot of more natural type accounts, feeding children accounts, pelvic floor PT and postpartum accounts, and a handful of others. I like following a range of people because some swear by sleep training while others swear by your child learning on their own. It’s nice to see some different ideas so you don’t feel like a failure when you begin to try to figure out all this on your own someday.

• Pain Free Birth (I downloaded her course)
• Fallon Dae (I downloaded her batch cooking cookbook)
• Kori Meloy (I downloaded her course)
• Noelle Kovary
• Mama Natural
• The Food Doula
• Lily Nichols
• Prenatal Nutritionist
• Always Growing Nutrition
• Feeding Littles
• Kids Eat in Color
• Solid Starts
• Big Little Feelings
• Lady Bird PT
• Karrie Locher
• Taking Cara Babies
• MamasteFit
• Live Wild Be Well
• Move Your Bump

My Favorite Baby Registry – When I needed to put together a baby registry, I had literally ZERO idea where to start. I have never had a baby…how would I know what I need?? I had a few friends send me different registries to check out, but the one below connected with me the most. I found it so helpful and put so many of these items on my list. I’ll also be sharing my own registry soon!

• Live Wild Be Well Non-Toxic Baby Registry

Postpartum Meal Prep – Now this is something I feel can’t be overlooked. People often think so much about their diet during pregnancy, but postpartum is frequently overlooked and/or filled with people handing over casseroles to the new mom without thinking about the ingredients that go into those dishes. Postpartum is all about healing from within and should be filled with foods that fuel that healing process. For me, I’m currently making dishes that are loaded with bone broth, slow cooked meats, I will be consuming liver daily, smoothies, healing teas, and more. I plan to do a full blog post about this soon, once I plan out all the recipes, but I started cooking at 25 weeks and I plan to cook 1-2 recipes per week up until birth or until I don’t have energy any longer. I personally want to know what ingredients are in my food, which is why I have chose to cook for our family instead of setting up a meal train with friends, like many new parents do. Stay tuned for a future blog post on that full breakdown!

I think that’s all I have to share today, HA! Feel free to share your own resources in the comment section below with any people, books, or whatever else that helped you on your own journey! The more we can all be equipped with knowledge, the more we will feel ready for this new or newish road ahead!