During my first pregnancy, the first trimester definitely came with all the usual symptoms: morning sickness, fatigue, mood swings, and strange food cravings. The healthy foods I used to love didn't appeal to me. Instead I wanted pickles and ice cream and Rueben sandwiches and pizza and hummus cucumber wraps. And being gluten-free made some cravings more difficult to satisfy than others. Everyone's go-to food for morning sickness? Saltines and oyster crackers! So I had to figure out alternatives that worked for my food intolerances and were still something I could stomach.
Below are my favorite healthy pregnancy resources, including some of my go-to gluten-free products. I'll be sure to update this list as more products and information come my way. In the meantime, I hope it helps YOU in your hours of need!
xx
Cait
B O O K S & S I T E S
Just like most parents-to-be, I found What to Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff, Sharon Mazel a good resource to skim through as I hit different milestones in pregnancy. It's one of those books that you don't have to read from cover to cover and in fact is arguably better consumed in smaller doses as they become relevant to you. But there are a whole host of other resources out there that are more specifically focused on pregnancy-safe homeopathic remedies, organic pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Below are some of the other books and websites I've stumbled across in my own hours of need that I found very helpful:
What's a Pregnant mom to Do? Flu Vaccine in Pregnancy by Aviva Romm (blog)
Please Don't Drink the Glucola Without Reading the Label by Aviva Romm (blog)
The Complete Organic Pregnancy by Dierdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu (book)
Fit Pregnancy (site and magazine)
The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Romm and Ina May Gaskin (book)
Grow Healthy. Grow Happy. The Whole Baby Guide. by Becky Cannon (book)
The Organic Beauty (blog)
Wellness Mama (site)
Kelly Mom (site)
P R E N A T A L Y O G A
If you're on or near the Massachusetts South Shore, please come to my classes on Saturday mornings at 11am at Studio143 in Scituate. If not, I recommend looking into local yoga studios to find out where they may offer prenatal yoga classes.
In addition, YogaGlo is a great online resource with lots of prenatal classes available and more added regularly. There are even free prenatal classes on YouTube!
V I T A M I N S & H E R B S & T E A
Prenatal Vitamin:
Consider additional supplements depending on your needs (In addition to a multi, I personally take probiotics, Vitamin D, C, and Fish Oil regularly)
Herbs:
Herbal Medicines in Pregnancy Safety website article by Aviva Romm
Tea:
Per the article under "Herbs" above, it's probably best to avoid most herbs during your first trimester. Just stick to pure ginger tea, warm lemon water, or the following:
Ginger (I used Yogi or Traditional Medicinals varieties)
Earth Mama Morning Wellness
In the second and third trimester, I recommend adding these options to your tea regimen:
Pukka "Love"
Traditional Medicinals Pregnancy Tea
M O R N I N G S I C K N E S S & H E A R T B U R N S O L U T I O N S
Yehuda crackers (a good GF substitute for Saltines)
Organic almonds (they're protein and good to have as a snack—carry a bag in your purse wherever you go)
Consider having a banana and/or cereal next to your bed and eat first thing when you wake up in the morning. Or just head straight to the kitchen for some toast and nut butter or scrambled eggs.
Have lots of small meals throughout the day and drink plenty of water in between meals.
Drink a glass of 8 oz. of water with a tablespoon of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar daily to reduce heartburn.
S K I N C A R E
Around six months before I knew my husband and I wanted to start trying I made sure to switch out any skin and hair products products for organic varieties without harsh chemicals and additives. I also stopped using antiperspirant deodorant and began using organic chemical-free varieties (you definitely have to wash more frequently so be warned!)
Once pregnant I added a belly/breast lotion from MotherLove to my skin regimen to help stave off stretch marks and keep my stretching skin from itching. I have since recommended it to friends and family and everyone who uses it loves it. It's called Motherlove Belly Salve and you can find it online or in some grocery and health stores.