We all know that it’s best to get our nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from real food and real sunshine.

However, if we’re honest with ourselves, we could all use some help with that from time to time.

Pregnancy brings about an incredible amount of changes physiologically to your body. Increased plasma volume, red blood cells,  and a decreased level of circulating nutrient-binding proteins and micronutrients all come into play.

It’s obvious that pregnancy increases the demand for both energy and nutrients. Your baby is essentially using all the nutrients you would usually use for yourself.

If you want to avoid anemia, avoid health risks for your baby, postpartum depression, preeclampsia, and a million other things — you might want to start looking into supplementation to ensure you’re getting everything you need during this taxing time on your body.

Before pregnancy, I slacked on supplementing. I’d take fish oil if I remembered, but that was the extent of it.

However, pregnancy has caused me to look at what my body needs and do whatever is needed to get it.

What do I take on a daily basis and why? 

 Prenatal Vitamins

New Chapter Prenatal Vitamins

You should really begin taking prenatal vitamins before you’re pregnant to establish a good level of folic acid to help reduce changes of neural tube defects. Neural tube defects occur in the FIRST MONTH of pregnancy. You can see why it’s so important to start getting your folic acid in as early as possible. Unfortunately, I was not taking any form of prenatal vitamin before pregnancy and didn’t begin taking any until I was about 6 weeks along.

New Chapter prenatal vitamins are certified organic, probiotic, and whole. They are non GMO Project verified and made with organic fruits and veggies like broccoli, kale, and other sprouts. Whole-food folate baby!

I take three of these pills daily.

Fish Oil

Carlson Fish Oil

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for both the health of the mother and the baby. Omega-3s are long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that are essential nutrients for health and development. Unfortunately, these are not made by the human body and therefore must be obtained from diet or supplementation.

EPA and DHA are both important in your diet and health.  EPA supports the heart, immune system, and inflammatory response. DHA supports the brain, eyes, and central nervous system.

Why is it especially important during pregnancy?

Omega-3′s have been found to important in both visual and neurological developments of the baby. They also can reduce the risk of allergies in infants. It aids in the production of breast milk, helps prevent preterm labor, lowers the risk of preeclampsia, and helps prevent postpartum depression.

The bad news is that in each subsequent pregnancy your levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acids are depleted further and further. Keep those levels up and take some fish oils.

Vitamin D

PurePharma Vitamin D

Most people are chronically deficient in Vitamin D because we simply don’t get enough full body exposure to the sun.

I researched a lot on the risks of a vitamin D deficiency pregnancy and was surprised at the many implications it has.

Women with low levels of Vitamin D are four times more likely to have a cesarean section than those with higher levels of Vitamin D. Low levels of Vitamin D were shown to increase the risk of preeclampsia by 5 times. You are almost 3 times as likely to develop gestational diabetes with low levels of Vitamin D.

It also has some scary effects on the child. Pregnant women with low levels are more likely to have a newborn in the ICU being treated for respiratory infections. Vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with lower birth weights. Heart failure, weak bones, tumors, etc — the list goes on and on.

To avoid things like infections and preterm birth it’s essential to get 4,000 IU’s daily in the form of a supplement.

I love the PurePharma Vitamin D supplement because it’s a Vitamin D3 supplement —meaning it’s extracted from a natural source, with virgin olive oil, to aid in absorption. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and fat is needed for the body to absorb it.

Take those vitamins soon-to-be mamas. Your body and your baby will thank you.

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I am thirty weeks pregnant. THIRTY WEEKS PREGNANT. I have to repeat that to myself a few times a day for it to seem real.

It feels like yesterday that I found out I was pregnant. My emotions have run from scared and unsure to pride and preparedness.

I made it through finals and ended up with two A’s and two B’s this semester. It was the toughest semester of my schooling so far. I felt incredibly busy and often too tired to handle it all. I managed to have one emotional breakdown where I just collapsed into bed and cried—and for that I am proud.

Day by day.

I have been looking forward to the month of May for months! May is the month I plan to do all the things I’ve been putting up—getting everything ready to apply for my Oklahoma RN license, getting the nursery ready, starting to plan the wedding, baby showers, and general relaxation.

I still have an online class this month and am working about four days a week, but it still seems like such a break. Mostly mental, but still very much needed.

Let’s get to strictly pregnancy and baby talk…

Baby is looking good and right on track. I measured exactly 30 weeks at my last appointment with the midwife and the babies heartbeat was good. The midwife felt the baby might be breech, but doesn’t seem concerned. The baby still has a lot of time to change positions and it generally isn’t an issue until around 36 weeks. However, I hope baby has turned in 2 weeks for my next appointment. Otherwise, I see some Spinning Babies in my future.

We started Bradley Classes two weeks ago. Honestly, the jury is still out for me. I know a lot of the information from nursing school and the class just feels slow. Let’s hope it picks up.

• How far along: 30 weeks, 4 days
• Total weight gained: 17-20 lbs depending on the day
• Exercise for the week: Two WODs planned.
• Biggest surprise this week of pregnancy: stretch marks found underneath each breast. After 5 minutes of shock, I got over it. I’ll wear them proudly. However, let’s keep them to the boobs please. I’d rather avoid the marks on the stomach.
• Favorite part of the day: Before bed each night, Chad rubs coconut oil on my belly. We dim the lights and just use that time to relax and talk.

And now, it’s time to eat some leftovers from dinner tonight.

Check out this masterpiece that Chad made.

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