Tell me about pregnancy (a mini guide)

You're pregnant, now what?

My god, the amount of information and marketing targeting pregnant women is overwhelming at best and unbearable at worst. I’m not sure if the process was made more or less overwhelming by the experience of multiple loss. Regardless, every day held a new layer of complexity and I’m all the richer for it.

My goal was to have as low maintenance of a pregnancy as possible. Like every other avenue of life: I want what I want, but I want it in the most low-maintenance of ways. How did this translate into pregnancy? I kept it simple by eating clean foods, exercising regularly, erring away from unsolicited advice and/or most popular baby books. I listened to my doctors, did my own research, and made decisions intuitively.

Let me tell you the ways…

Listen to this: Pregnancy Taboos with Dr. Jay Goldberg

Dr. Goldberg was a giant in the world of obstetrics. Words cannot touch the true impact of education and advocacy he created through his work in women's health. Losing his friendship and doctorship halfway through our pregnancy was devastating in so many ways. I'm grateful for this podcast episode for memorializing his voice- reasonable, humorous, logical, and well-rounded. I forever miss his ability to merge solid medical advice and experience with the world as we really live it.

Sign up for this: Rent the runway

I got away with never needing traditional maternity clothing. I fit my regular clothes until close to 7 months, and wanted to still feel great when I got dressed without leaning into fast fashion and/or purchasing items that would only last a short period of time. Renewing my membership to RTR for the third trimester was fun, avoided the unsustainability of fast-fashion options, and felt practical.

Read this: Bringing up Bebe

This is the only book I read on child-rearing while pregnant. My preference is to research and read research articles, lean on historical, anecdotal, and anthropological evidence etc. But those details are boring, and for all intents and purposes, the chapters on sleeping and eating are the major arcana of this LBB of parenthood.

Take this course: Taking Cara Babies

If you want a well-adapted baby who sleeps through the night, just do it. It's worth every penny. Jude was sleeping through the night at 7 weeks thanks to the information and tips and tricks Cara shares (along with Bringing up Bebe).

Stay Active: Period.

Having a baby is a rigorous full mind and body journey and training for it as I wound a marathon has proved hugely beneficial physically and mentally. Eventually, I’ll share our birth story, but I truly believe that the amount and the quality of physical activity I maintained during pregnancy enabled me to push effectively and heal quickly without complication.

Mae Hughes Movement through Pregnancy: Dr. Mae Hughes is incredible, easy to follow and her program gently and effectively provides the correct training needed throughout the pregnancy and post-partum gauntlet. Her course gives you actionable movement tailored to each day of your pregnancy and post-partum and it is PRACTICAL and EFFECTIVE. You don't need a ton of equipment.

I also use the Sweat App and swear by in-person Lagree Fitness classes. When all else fails, WALK.

Mindfully Consume:

There’s a lot of information to sort through when it comes to pregnancy safe foods, teas, books, etc. My bottom line was eating clean, whole foods. We did a lot of cooking and when sweet tooth craving arose, we did a lot of baking to ensure I knew the content and quality of food going into my body. Broma bakery has been a staple in my baking life as her recipes are to-do-for and fairly easy to convert into gluten-free recipes, if desired.

Other brands whose products/foods I loved during pregnancy (and beyond): Sakara, Ritual, Earth Mama (especially their pregnancy-safe teas).