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Protein does more than build muscle mass. Protein is necessary to structure, function, and regulate virtually all tissues in your body. You can imagine that you need protein for yourself and your growing baby during pregnancy. While there is a Recommended Daily Allowance for protein during pregnancy, some research shows the RDA is underestimated and varies based on the stage of pregnancy. Suppleme...

Many studies demonstrate the benefits of yoga during pregnancy, from reducing time in labor to improving newborn outcomes. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that modified yoga is one of the safest exercises for pregnant women. ACOG also cautions against specific poses and hot yoga. As with examining any activity, there is nuance to determining what activities are safe....

Research has firmly established strength and resistance training benefits for your physical and mental health. Lifting weights may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about strength training. This can also include using resistance bands, kettlebells, and body-weight exercises like pushups, pull-ups, or squats. Even activities like plyometrics and yoga can be considered strength tra...

Cardio is any workout in which you elevate your heart rate. Many exercises fall under the umbrella of cardio. This includes walking, hiking, running, biking, rowing or elliptical machines, dancing, playing sports, or HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Activities like jumping jacks, burpees, and jumping rope are also cardio workouts. There is a large body of evidence to support cardiovascular...

Regular exercise during pregnancy can decrease your risk of complications like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean birth and promote a healthy weight gain. Working out can also ease common pregnancy symptoms like constipation and back pain. In addition, living an active lifestyle will improve your physical and mental health in the short and long term. This episode is an overview of ex...

Your body will go through a more significant transformation during pregnancy than in any other period of your life. Although building and growing a human is an amazing feat, not everyone is thrilled about the involved physical changes. There is evidence that women commonly experience body dissatisfaction during and after pregnancy. This can range from having negative thoughts to struggling with bo...

Your doctor or midwife will monitor your weight as a metric of your health during pregnancy. Excessive weight gain or not gaining enough weight during pregnancy is associated with newborns' low and high birth weights, preterm delivery, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean birth, and postpartum hemorrhage. Your risk for these complications is lower if you gain a healthy amount of weight dur...

The growing body of research on sleep demonstrates the absolute necessity of sleep for every biological function. Your body goes through significant changes during pregnancy and while recovering from birth and breastfeeding. One of the best interventions for your health, recovery and the health of your baby is to get good sleep. Unfortunately, these life stages also come with challenges to your sl...

The growing body of research on sleep demonstrates the absolute necessity of sleep for every biological function. This includes learning, memory, brain function, mental health, appetite regulation, immune system function, metabolic function, the health of your gut microbiome, even your cardiovascular health. It is well established in the scientific literature that sleep is a critical component for...

This article examines your care team during your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Your primary care provider is the cornerstone of your prenatal care and birth experience. In addition to your doctor or midwife, many other types of practitioners can play a role in your care. This article will help you understand each professional's role in your care, differentiate between different professional ce...

Staying hydrated is crucial to help your overall health. Water makes up around 60% of your total body weight, and every cell in your body needs water to function. Staying hydrated helps you regulate body temperature, aids in digestion, transporting nutrients and oxygen to cells, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste. These processes are also crucial during pregnancy for your baby, and you hav...

Taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin is one of the easiest things you can do to ensure you have all of the vitamins and nutrients you and your baby need during pregnancy. You have an increased need for specific nutrients during pregnancy, and it is challenging to meet these requirements with your diet alone. There are many choices when it comes to selecting a prenatal vitamin. How do you know wh...

Many people refer to the postpartum period as the fourth trimester. The first three months after your baby is born will be the most significant adjustment period. In reality, recovering from birth takes longer for many new parents. You are healing and navigating how to take care of yourself and a tiny human. This is a big transition from pregnancy and an even bigger transition from pre-pregnancy....

Our focus is on our health, baby, and planning for birth during pregnancy. We often overlook what happens after birth and what we will experience postpartum. Your body needs time to recover after nine months of pregnancy, giving birth, and establishing breastfeeding. Many things happen after you have your baby that no one talks to you about ahead of time. Let's normalize talking about the regular...

Your pregnancy journey starts with a positive pregnancy test. That is the first of many tests offered throughout your prenatal care. Some tests diagnose conditions you may have during pregnancy, and others look for genetic abnormalities in your baby. Results from some tests may even impact your birth. Tests are valuable tools, but they can also create anxiety and stress during your pregnancy. This...

Vitamin D is sometimes referred to as a hormone because the activated forms are hormones. You utilize this essential vitamin in nearly all parts of your body. Vitamin D is crucial for absorbing other nutrients like calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphate, and zinc. Vitamin D also regulates immune function, cell growth, neuromuscular function and affects thousands of genes. Your baby relies on you to s...

This episode aims to get you to rethink taking care of yourself, especially after you have a baby. As parents, we put our children first. In many ways, this is our job, but we also need to take care of ourselves. Your identity as a parent does not mean that you should lose yourself as an individual. The healthier you are physically and mentally, the better parent you will be. Start making yourself...

We all deal with some level of stress daily. Pregnancy can be a time of additional stress as you are experiencing many physical changes and preparing for birth and a new baby. In a sense, everything you expose yourself to during pregnancy also can affect your baby, and stress is not an exception. Stress during pregnancy can affect your baby in many ways. Physiological changes can impact your devel...

Consumption of the placenta by a mother after birth has been taboo, but it has been gaining popularity in recent years. The thought of eating your placenta might gross you out at first, but once you hear about some of the fantastic benefits women claim it has, you might be willing to consider it. This is not another pregnancy podcast solely focused on all of the wonderful things placenta encapsula...

You will have many opportunities to opt-in or out of interventions in your pregnancy, birth, or with your newborn. In a perfect world, every procedure comes along with informed consent, and you have all of the information you need to make an informed decision confidently. In the real world, constraints like limited time available for appointments make proper informed consent a challenge. One of th...

A rebozo is a long rectangular shawl that originated in Mexico. Like many non-western traditions, the art of rebozo is more than a tool. The use of a rebozo has grown in the midwife and doula communities because of the teachings from traditional Mexican midwives. This is a practice that has been passed through generations of midwives and birth workers over centuries. In addition to the cultural an...

The placenta is an organ with a highly specialized purpose, and that is to support the normal growth and development of your baby. Before the widespread use of ultrasounds, few expecting mothers knew what position their placenta was in or if it was considered "normal." When you have your anatomy scan ultrasound, usually between weeks 18-22, the ultrasound technician will examine your placenta. The...

In the United States, the average cost of vaginal birth is over $9,000, and the average price for a cesarean section is almost $13,000. There are tools and strategies you can use to save money on your medical bills. Insurance can help cover the cost of prenatal care and birth. Tax-advantaged accounts like a flexible spending account or a health savings account can save you money on the expenses yo...

A fever is part of your body's immune response as a natural defense to infection. The risks and benefits of fever during pregnancy are different than those of someone who is not pregnant. Running a fever during your pregnancy can be scary. Studies have linked maternal fevers to complications like autism, neural tube defects, oral clefts, and congenital heart defects. The best way to alleviate any...

The severity and spread of COVID-19 drove demand to create vaccines and get them to the public in record time. In the United States, the FDA has approved three vaccines; two of them are still under an emergency use authorization. We know from real-world data that pregnancy can increase your risks for severe illness from COVID-19. Despite pregnancy increasing COVID-19 risks, clinical trials did not...