While I have only experienced two pregnancies, they couldn't have been more different.
My first was just 4 years after a liver tumor diagnosis. I had chosen to cancel the major surgery they wanted to perform + try a natural approach. I gave up all RX + OTC meds they had me on for "this + that + the side effects of the meds," but had yet to discover effective alternatives.
The tumor had been monitored every 4-6 months, but the size remained unchanged so I was told I was "high risk" and couldn't explore my plans of having a natural, water birth.
I so wanted to have an "organic" pregnancy. I chose organic foods, stuck to whole food snacks to avoid preservatives + felt cleaner for the meds I was avoiding. I had yet to discover the many toxins that were hiding in my personal care products... like the Belly Butter I bought from Motherhood Maternity. I assumed someone had vetted its safety, but no one had. It contained endocrine disruptors + known carcinogens... and here I was rubbing it all over my baby bump!
There was also a synthetic B12 in my organic Prenatal vitamin that caused me so much intestinal inflammation + distress that I dehydrated from the colitis it lead to and my water began to leak 5 weeks early! At the time, no one dug to figure out why + I didn't feel taken seriously with my hydration concerns either. My daughter was coaxed out with methods I had never wanted to utilize, but after 35 hours of hard labor I caved. She was thankfully healthy, not even needing the NICU. Praise God!
We went home 2 days later +I slowly entered a place of disappointment, exhaustion + postpartum depression.
My 2nd pregnancy started off well, and since I had "fired" by OB-GYN during Labor (not joking), I made an appointment with local Midwives to pursue more natural care this time.
They recommended I stop at Target on my way home to pick up the exact same organic Prenatal vitamin I had used last time. Since none of us had put 2-and-2 together yet, I ignorantly began taking them. Within a few days my belly swelled to looking 6 months pregnant. Problem was, I was only 6 WEEKS pregnant and hadn't even told anyone yet! I remember thinking, "Everyone DID say you show sooner with your second, but WOW!"
Once the bathroom trips became frequent and painful, I wondered if it could be something in the new vitamin. I sat down to do some research and discovered that cyanocobalamin was likely to blame. The synthetic B12 listed right there on my vitamin bottle is KNOWN to cause digestive woes.
Made me wonder why they continue using it in prenatals, fortified foods + even BABY formula. Turns out its cheap in comparison to a methylated form of B12 and (at the time) every prenatal I looked at was using it too. Thankfully, the discernment that lead me to question the vitamin's ingredients and do that research saved me from 9 months of agony. My symptoms subsided as quickly as they had begun when I stopped the vitamin. Phew!
I was already a customer with Young Living (YL) and drinking NingXia Red (NR) everyday, an antioxidant-rich juice known for supporting the liver, eyes, immune system, digestive system... as well as placenta health! So, I decided to create my own "prenatal" protocol with extra NR + bio-available supplements from YL. What a DIFFERENCE! I had natural energy, a strong immune system + healthy digestion.
YL also made it EASY to avoid synthetic fragrance, endocrine disruptors + carcinogens in my daily routine. Oils FTW, because I was avoiding toxins AND had effective options to use for things like: heartburn, itchy stretched skin, cramps, restless sleep + even a UTI.
Turned out I was doing my body a LOT of good, because for the first time in 5 YEARS my liver scan showed the tumor had FINALLY SHRUNK!! It actually shrunk enough for the Head of Hepatology at the hospital to give me written approval for a HOME WATER BIRTH!!! My dream.
I carried full term, used Myrrh + ClaraDerm for perineum prep, began labor NATURALLY, sped labor along with Dragon Time massage oil, used nothing but OILS for pain management, encouraged the after-birth with Joy oil, controlled postpartum bleeding with Cistus + supported my emotional wellness with NR + LOTS of oils!
No tearing, no trauma, no postpartum blues and a VERY strong, healthy baby!!
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