When I became pregnant with my first child a sense of panic washed over me. I am now responsible for growing another human! Pregnancy perfection became my mantra as I took a long hard look at everything I put into or onto my body. All of the junk and toxic chemicals had to go!

Next, I dove down the internet rabbit hole of information overload, only to come out even more confused. So much information to sort through, which is the correct blog post or ebook to follow? So, I started reading books recommended by my crunchy Mama friends and soon I started to get some real direction.

Now after having four amazing natural births, I want to help others navigate all of the information too. I have a close group of friends who are crunchy like me and they have been an amazing support and source of information! I wanted to put the “best of” on one page so other Mama’s and Mama’s-to-be would have resources right at their fingertips.

If you want to see one of my births, check out My All Natural Hospital Birth

*Update to this page: I suffered a loss of a 4th pregnancy and decided to share my story HERE. I want everyone who has suffered a loss to know that my heart goes out to you Mama, you are not alone in your grief. Love yourself.

Important Info

Before I dive into all of my favorite tips/tricks/finds/favorites, I want to give to give you a checklist to start with, to make things easier!

1. Follow my Real Food Pregnancy Pinterest Board

2. Check out these birth courses, that REALLY helped me to have the natural births that I dreamed of:

✿ First Course: A natural birth online course that my friend Genevieve over at Mama Natural put together. Let me tell you, she is amazing! Her birth program is amazing! Everyone needs to take her course!

• Here is what her course is all about: Over the course of eight classes (that you can watch as quickly or as slowly as you like), we walk you through the entire process of preparing for a natural childbirth. From the initial reality check of what a natural birth looks like (hint: it’s not like the movies), all the way through newborn care, breastfeeding, and placenta encapsulation (if that’s your thing).

• Pretty cool, huh? GO HERE to learn more about this amazing and very comprehensive birth course. I also interviewed Genevieve on my podcast

• She also wrote an accompanying book that is FULL of great info. I think everyone should read “The Mama Natural Week-by-Week Guide to Pregnancy and Childbirth“

✿ Second Course: Another natural birth course that focuses a lot on the preparation for birth through movement, breath, relaxation, and the whole mental game. The course was created by another crunchy nurse too! The course is called Kopa Birth.

• Here is what her course is all about: We believe that for most women and under most circumstances, natural childbirth is the safest way to have a baby. With this in mind, Kopa Birth instructors are committed to providing couples with the coping tools and communication skills they need to achieve an empowering birth experience. This includes the knowledge to make informed decisions about their birth and guidance to build a relationship of mutual trust with their doctor or midwife.
• This one really helped me set a game plan for labor! GO HERE to learn more.

✿ Third Course: this one is for strength and body mechanics for birth! I did this program throughout my 4th pregnancy and I really think it helped keep my hips and pelvis in good working order for an easy natural birth! The course is called One Strong Mama

• Here is what her course is all about: Enter your guess date (the word we use for estimated due date!) in and the program automatically gives you content relevant to where you are in the journey. In addition to the exercise videos, mamas get to learn about everything from pelvic floor and core to back pain and SPD. We also have you covered no matter what type of birth you have planned with our Beautiful Birth section.
• Keep the core strong, and your entire body functions better! GO HERE to learn more.

✿ Fourth Course: this one is also for strength, but it focuses on the core and pelvic floor. I had diastasis recti after my births bad, I mean really really BAD! I tried to correct it myself with strength training and yoga, but found out I was doing it all wrong and actually making things worse! A blogger friend of mine recommended MuTu, saying it was the only thing that worked for her. So I gave it a go!

• Here is what her course is all about: you will start to feel the difference after 4 modules and really start to see changes within 6-8 modules, provided you are following all the program guidelines mindfully and consistently. The support forum will help you stay motivated and on track.
• GO HERE to learn more. They also have a free pdf with more info HERE

Nutrition to Grow Healthy Babies

Troubleshooting

I can’t tell you how many messages and emails I have gotten from Mama’s who are having difficulty breastfeeding and are ready to give up. No, don’t give up! Troubleshoot. I have some of the most resourceful friends on the planet, and let me tell you, they seriously know how to navigate motherhood and all of it’s up’s and down’s. Here are some of their best resources.

Breastfeeding:

• Breastfeeding Gets Easier (So Stick With It!)
• How To Spot Tongue/Lip Ties & Get FREE Expert Advice
• 9 Natural Remedies for Mastitis
• How to Breastfeed Correctly (we may have been taught wrong!)

Sleep:

• Read THIS BOOK, and buy THESE SWADDLING WRAPS. You can thank me later, they are magical!
• The Secret To Hip Healthy Swaddling

• Mattresses, Sheepskins And SIDS: What Parents Need To Know

Caring for Your Newborn:

• After every bath, I slather my babies in coconut oil. It’s the best baby oil on the planet. HERE is the kind we buy
• Caring for the Uncircumcised Penis: What you NEED to know
• Is Circumcision Just a Medical Procedure
• Natural Treatments for Eczema
• Cloth Diapers: Newborn Edition
• How to Chose the Right Diapers for Your Baby

Shopping For Baby

• Safe Mama
• Thrive Market — we order tons of stuff here because the prices are very competitive and, let’s face it, heading to the store can be a total nightmare with kids. This comes right to my door with free shipping! CLICK HERE to shop their “Mom” category!
• Perfect Supplements — we get our crazy crunchy supplements here, things like fermented cod liver oil and desiccated liver. They were even nice enough to put together a “Family Basics” package for my readers. If you use coupon code: REALFOOD10 at checkout, you will get 10% off your entire order too!

Recipes for Real Food

(pregnancy, all the way up to first foods)

Foods for Mama when growing a baby

• Homemade Hollandaise Sauce in the Blender — I put this on everything when I was pregnant, to get healthy fats!
• Homemade Vanilla Pudding — I ate this when I needed a sweet treat, still full of healthy fats
• Healthy Hot Chocolate Squares — the perfect snack
• Grain Free Salmon Nuggets — contrary to popular belief, pregnant women need to eat fish! (just not pilot whale, shark, or swordfish as they are high in mercury — but seriously, who eats those?!)
• Top 5 Pregnancy Foods — I have a video in here about the superfood I eat daily, you might be surprised!
• Bone Broth — How to make the most nourishing bone broth

Real Food for busy Mama’s (if you need help with meal planning, go HERE)

• Mommy’s Chocolate Pumpkin Smoothie
• Nourishing Chocolate Shake
• Easy Lara Bar Recipe (to keep your energy up — make these in big batches!)
• Raw Lemon Coconut Protein Balls

Breastfeeding recipes (lactogenic foods)

• Homemade Quinoa Milk {Nursing Mother’s Drink}
• Lactogenic Baked Oatmeal
• How to Make a Lactogenic Smoothie
• Lactation Cookie Dough Bites

First foods (the books I listed above go into this in detail too)

• When Should My Baby Start Solids?
• Guide to Healthy Baby Food
• Twice Cooked Bone Broth
• Grain Free Teething Biscuits