I haven’t posted much about my pregnancy, but I wanted to share some things I’ve learned that may help a few people out there.

Let me start by saying every day hasn’t been easy, especially at the beginning. I didn’t have horrible nausea, throwing up every two seconds, but I did feel nauseated at the thought of eating certain foods or drinks (even though I knew I needed all the nutrients I could handle, growing this tiny human).

Collagen was a LIFESAVER, because the thought of protein sounded like the worst thing possible. I put it in water, tea, almond milk, warm berries and anything else I could muster. My fatigue and nausea was super amplified whenever I lacked protein. For those of you who are pregnant, you need protein and a good amount of it. If you can’t stomach the thought of it, I would highly recommend collagen because it is high in protein and easily mixes in anything warm or cold, from water to oatmeal to berries warmed up on the stove. I ate those berries a lot!

I’d been feeling pretty good (and probably got a little cocky) and ran out of my supplements for the week- particularly those for liver/gallbladder. They have SO much to do with nausea and morning sickness, but I didn’t feel like going to the office since I’d be there on Monday for work...so I decided to wait it out a few days! Well, that Monday morning was the first time I threw up and had to cancel my patients for the day. I knew I had done it to myself by not taking those supplements.

I work with pregnant patients all the time, and I’ve come to realize that 95% of the time nausea stems from liver and gallbladder issues. Your liver and gallbladder need to be extra supported during pregnancy. After my vomiting episode on that Monday, I never ran out of my liver/gallbladder supplements again! :)

If you are feeling nausea or morning sickness, let us know- because I feel your pain and can relate. Most of the time it stems from liver and gallbladder issues (where they just need some extra TLC during this big hormonal upswing) which can make a world of a difference.

Once I got over the first trimester hump, I focused on keeping my iron levels up which were causing a lot of fatigue issues, as well as supporting my adrenals/stress glands. The stress glands get ‘stressed’ from pregnancy and your changing body, but also life’s curve balls that don’t stop coming your way just because you are pregnant. Having someone in the office who could test me (Becca) was a life saver. I could tell my adrenals were crashing when my energy, mood, and sleep schedule were off.

To be honest, my supplement needs changed monthly and made a HUGE difference each time we fine tuned them for that month. Having Becca there to tell me what supplements my body needed versus me guessing was just what I needed.

Side note- keeping the adrenal glands supported throughout pregnancy and after giving birth is SO important to help prevent postpartum depression. If the adrenals are supported, they won’t take as major of a hit after the baby is born. Supporting your adrenals should also keep your mood and energy up. I’m not saying it’s perfect but it helps SO, SO much to prevent the major crash that many women fear. I firmly believe that many women can be helped and supported during pregnancy and after by helping and giving their adrenal/stress glands some TLC and prevent PPD.

Now 34 weeks along (crazy how time is flying!!) I am still learning. Learning to enjoy the good days and rest when I need to. It’s all about balance, which I am sometimes not the best at, but learning to be better. Pregnancy has been a phenomenal and crazy journey and I can’t wait for the next chapter to begin!