My Top 5 Crunchy Priorities in Pregnancy

Me pregnant with my first child, in 2016

I like to think of myself as Crunchy and Realistic.

I do my best to live holistically, but I don’t drive myself insane trying to keep up with the Instagram moms. Especially when I was pregnant and having babies- I only had so much energy to spend!

So to keep myself on track, I chose the priorities that were important to me and focused on those. Everything else, I let go!

Here are my Top 5 crunchy priorities in pregnancy.

1. I’ve said it once (more like 10 times) and I’ll say it again- Chiropractic care was one of the best health choices I could have made in my pregnancy. It improves posture, eases aches and pains, helps your body get into the right place to give birth, and so much more. 

2. Protecting my unborn baby from unnecessary chemicals and pollutants was a big priority for me, so using a plant based cleaner in my home was something I did from the beginning of my pregnancy. My favorite has always been the Thieves household cleaner from Young Living, which you can find here.

3. Taking a prenatal vitamin is something that most pregnant women do, often before, during and after pregnancy. But did you know that folic acid is a synthetic version of folate? According to the Mayo Clinic, “Folate (vitamin B-9) is important in a red blood cell formation and for healthy cell growth and function. The nutrient is crucial during early pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spine.” 

My midwife encouraged me to get my folate from naturally rich folate sources, such as dark leafy greens, oranges, strawberries, beans, nuts, etc.

4. This was more of a personal comfort choice, but I knew that I would have a hard time relaxing and feeling safe in my prenatal appointments if I knew someone was going to shove their hand up my vagina every visit- so I declined almost all cervical checks at my appointments with my midwife.

5. I knew that while it would be possible to receive holistic support and care from an OB, in a hospital setting, it wasn’t the ideal place for me. I needed someone in my corner who understood, agreed with and supported my decisions in my pregnancy and birth. For me, it was clear that hiring a midwife and choosing a home birth was the best way for me to have an autonomous, peaceful, natural pregnancy.

Making these a priority in my pregnancies was important to me, because of how they made me feel and how they affected my overall experience. I wanted to feel good, have a strong and healthy baby, and have an autonomous birth experience, and these choices all aided in that. 

What are your priorities for your pregnancy? What feelings and experiences are important for you as you carry another human?

My desire as a doula is to support YOU in the choices and needs you have in your birth, as well as educate you on how to achieve the pregnancy experience you want. 

I’d love to hear what is important to you in your pregnancy!