Our Surrogacy in Hawai'i - Part 6
Hi Friends,
We're nearly to the end of the second trimester now. In the part 3 post, I shared the products and treatments I used to prepare my body for the IVF process and getting pregnant. In part 6, I want to share with you the supplements, treatments and self-care that I’ve been using during pregnancy. Praise God, I haven’t really had any of the common ailments or issues associated with pregnancy. Just a heightened gag reflex and a tad bit of queasiness when I’m hungry (which is easily fixed with food). With my girls, pregnancies were “easy” for me and this third time has been the same.
My daily supplement routine pretty much stayed the same, except that I needed an alternative to the Lifelong Vitality vitamins (my prenatal) since I sometimes struggle to swallow lots of capsules. Garden of Life makes a gummie prenatal, so I chew those some days.
For the first two trimesters, I haven’t been taking the Phytoestrogen, Bone Nutrient or Mito2Max much (maybe 1-2 days per week on average). Again, swallowing capsules hasn’t been the easiest for me (my gag reflex is heightened in early pregnancy). I prioritize the PB Assist probiotics and the Terrazyme digestive enzymes - have still taken those pretty much everyday. I also continue to drink lemon water. The Natural Calm powder has been easy to maintain, so that’s also continued as a daily ritual. Of course I have continued on with reducing toxins and boosting immunity on a daily basis. I love smelling doTERRA’s Breathe oil everyday in the car. If there is ever a slight feeling of queasiness, that helps immensely.
I started taking Spa Tone iron water sachets around 20 weeks. My midwife in New Zealand recommended these to me when I was pregnant with our second daughter, and I remember it helping to maintain iron levels. It’s just water from an iron well in Wales. I notice my energy levels dipping if I go a couple days without a sachet. It’s easy to use - just drink the water directly or I usually add it to some diluted orange or pineapple juice.
My friend, Dr Carie Kwan of Island Family Chiropractic, specializes in pregnancy chiropractic care. She has been adjusting me since last year and I refer all of my clients to her. I had one treatment with her right before the transfer, one around 8 weeks and then I finally told her I was pregnant at 20 weeks so we started our regular prenatal appointments. I go every other week until after birth. I feel so much better after the adjustments, especially the one to my back (I carry SO MUCH tension in my shoulders).
Did you know that there are physical therapists that specialize in pelvic health?! I discovered Deborah Weber of Hawai’i Pelvic Therapy last year, and have been referring all of my clients to her ever since. I went to see her around 8 weeks and then again around 15 weeks. I wanted to make sure that I had exercises that would support the pregnancy and maintain my pelvic health. She said to come back to her if I start to experience pain. So far, so good. I’ll absolutely go get checked out after the birth as well. No peeing in my pants, thank you very much!
I’ve managed to get a prenatal massage every month since February. For these last three months of pregnancy, I plan to get massages every other week if needed. Carrie Rowell of Hamoea Healing Arts specializes in pregnancy and postpartum lomi lomi massage. I refer my pregnant clients to her too. Here is a discount voucher you can show her if you want to book in. She is based in Kane’ohe and also does mobile massage.
To prevent stretch marks, I’ve been lathering fractionated coconut oil and an Immortelle, an anti-aging skin support blend of essential oils all over my belly / legs / chest.
And for fun, I’ve been getting monthly pedicures all year as well. Soon I won’t be able to reach my toes very easily, so it’s been fun having painted toes all the time.
I DID get my very first yeast infection around 14 weeks. Holy moly - that was an intense couple of days. Did you know that progesterone shots makes you more prone to yeast infections?! I had no idea. Well, now I know. I treated it naturally with extra probiotics, a spray made with apple cider vinegar + water + 3 drops each of lavender + melaleuca + myrrh essential oils, coconut oil, and colloidal silver spray. The uncomfortable symptoms were gone in a couple days… and I know I need to limit sugar/ carbs to decrease candida bacteria growth in my body. Again, a year of detox cleansing coming my way in 2019 after this entire process.
When I teach my pregnancy, birth and beyond classes, I go over a range of issues and ailments that come up in pregnancy. If you’re pregnant and experiencing “all the things”, then please get in touch with me. There are so many natural, holistic remedies you can use to address the various pregnancy-related concerns that often do come up. And who knows, I’m only 6 months pregnant … I’m praying things don’t start coming up, but we’ll see. I’ll keep you posted!
Moving on into the third trimester. Here we go! In the next post, you can view our video journals of the journey. Read Part 7 here.
Aloha,
Jenna
