How I Would Have Done Pregnancy Differently

My daughter turned 12 years old two weeks ago. This past weekend I held my friend’s adorable 8 month old baby girl. These two occasions bring into acute awareness for me how much I’ve learned and changed about mothering well.

I have learned so much in these 12 years that I nearly want to have another baby just to put it all into practice…however that is completely NOT the right reason to bring another life into this world, right?

Two months before I got pregnant I quit smoking after keeping this habit for 16 years. I’m glad that I had quit, however I wish that I had quit sooner and cleansed my body longer.

At the time I thought I had a decent diet, however I struggled with hypoglycemia and had no idea why. I understand now that I pummeled my body with refined carbohydrates like French baguettes, pizza (crust), white pasta and white rice which flooded my system with foods that converted easily and quickly into too much sugar. The swing between too much dietary sugar elevating my levels of insulin and then not having enough blood sugar to balance the insulin caused me on more than several occasions to “white out” which feels like a blast of bright light before nearly fainting.

The hypoglycemia became exacerbated by pregnancy and felt dangerous at times, like feeling light-headed while driving to and from work. To manage, albeit poorly, my symptoms of hypoglycemia while pregnant, I took to eating Snickers bars and drinking Coke regularly, which, of course, only made the situation worse in the long run but did help prevent fainting in the short run.

In between bouts of pregnancy nausea I would have short pockets of intense hunger and I ate greasy fast food, drive-thru cheeseburgers. My diet, except from abstaining from alcohol, became worse during pregnancy than before I got pregnant. That’s backwards!!

I wish I could do it all over again now that I know so much more about food and have cured my hypoglycemia. By the grace of God, we had a healthy baby girl who was 7 pounds 7 ounces and arrived precisely on her due date. She was a champion nurser who breast fed almost exclusively for 25 months. I believe this was not only a natural inclination on her and my parts, but also, unbeknownst to me at the time, a remedial diet to undo all the junk I ate, and subsequently fed her, during pregnancy. I had to quit nursing after 25 months because I could no longer nutritionally sustain her and myself on my poor diet. I could feel the toll it was taking on my physical and mental health because was still not eating optimally and it was not becoming a pretty situation.

However, to date, my daughter has never been sick enough to need a visit to the doctor, ever had an antibiotic, she is exceptionally tall with straight teeth and has never eaten a cheeseburger, soda or hotdog. For all this I am grateful. I could do it all so much better & smarter now, however I’m thankful my poor habits didn’t result in lesser health in my daughter. I’m still trying to improve her diet. We’ve made strides since the days of Strawberry Nesquik!!

The day she arrived, after 14 hours of active, natural labor, was the most amazing day of my life. I set aside my wants, attuned to her needs and became a true mother. My husband and I followed the principles of attachment parenting including co-sleeping for three years.

If I were my 31 year old self again on the brink of getting pregnant now, I would work with someone just like Xandra O’Neill of Womb to World Wellness. She is a preconception, fertility, and pregnancy coach who could have helped me find solutions for the challenges that plagued me before and during pregnancy.

Womb to World Wellness supports women who are thinking about starting or expanding their families to journey into pregnancy feeling healthy and empowered. The journey to motherhood begins long before conception, and Xandra helps her clients from the very beginning. Are you ready? Check out her 30 Tips to Boost Your Fertility e-book for FREE!

Also, for you or someone you know who is thinking about getting pregnant, wanting to get pregnant or is pregnant, Xandra is hosting an upcoming no-cost training call: 3 Steps to Building the Best First Home for Your Baby:: The Importance of Preparing for Your Future Baby Now on November 13, 2014 at 8 pm EST.

In this no-cost virtual class, you will:

• Discover why the growing trend of preconception care is so important for building your family’s health legacy for generations to come.
• Explore some of the most important steps you can be taking right now to prepare yourself mentally and physically for this incredible journey.
• Learn proven strategies to help you feel empowered and prepared on your path to motherhood.
• Get answers to your questions live on the call.

I wish I had had Xandra on my team 12+ years ago! Nonetheless, I count my blessings, resist regrets and continue to learn & improve for the health and benefit of my family.