If you didn’t know, walnuts are among the best food sources for Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which are ESSENTIAL to the human body. But that’s not all! There’s so much more that these wonderfully strange looking nuts have to offer.
Walnuts! Get your walnuts! – The Best Walnut Butter Recipe EVER. 🤗 Read Post »
One of the most common themes among women preparing to go through fertility treatments is questioning where they are going to find the financial means to pay for it! Unfortunately, in many cases, more invasive and expensive procedures like IVF are not covered by health insurance. This can be incredibly overwhelming and stressful, especially when you don’t have the money to pay for these treatments! Stick with me, and I’ll break down for you 3 really great tips for relieving the financial burden of fertility treatments.
3 Tips for Relieving the Financial Burden of Fertility Treatments Read Post »
Is Massage Safe During Pregnancy? It’s a question I’ve heard time and time again, “Is massage safe during pregnancy”? There is so much that happens during pregnancy, both inside and on the outside of the body, and there are things that aren’t safe during pregnancy, that would normally be safe. Is massage one of those things? What about massage during the first trimester? There’s a lot of conflicting and also incorrect information out there surrounding these questions. Listen in while I break down the myths and spill the truth. 📌 Pin me for later! Show Notes: So often, people are misinformed about the safety of massage during pregnancy. Spoiler alert: It’s Safe! Are there some exceptions? Of course! There are always exceptions to every rule. High risk pregnancies are sometimes exceptions, depending on what the cause of the high risk is. However, massage is not unsafe in all high risk pregnancies. It’s extremely important to discuss this with your ob/midwife/provider. The biggest myth of all regarding massage during pregnancy, is that massage is unsafe during the first trimester of pregnancy. This is 100% untrue and causes a great deal of stress for women in the first trimester who do want to get a massage. While massage is safe during the first trimester, there is a reason for this myth. Essentially the myth comes from the reality that the vast majority of miscarriages occur in the first trimester. The concern, which led to this myth being so widespread, is that if a miscarriage occurs in the first trimester, the mom-to-be may blame the massage for the miscarriage. This makes a lot of sense considering that emotions are heightened during pregnancy, thanks to those pesky hormones! Where this becomes an even bigger problem is that she might not just blame the massage for the miscarriage but she may blame the massage therapist or worse, blame herself. So, while massage is perfectly safe in all 3 trimesters, it is imperative that if there are any risk factors at all, to discuss a potential massage with your provider to keep yourself and your unborn child as safe as possible. Read the full episode transcript here.
Is Massage Safe During Pregnancy? – The Hormonal Mama Podcast Read Post »
It’s a question I’ve heard time and time again, “Is massage safe during pregnancy”? There is so much that happens during pregnancy, both inside and on the outside of the body, and there are things that aren’t safe during pregnancy, that would normally be safe. Is massage one of those things? What about massage during the first trimester? There’s a lot of conflicting and also incorrect information out there surrounding these questions.Read along as I break down the myths and spill the truth. Hi and welcome to the hormonal mama podcast. I am your host Cara Drescher. Today on the show, I wanted to dispel the myth that you can’t get a massage during pregnancy. It’s a really common myth, and I want to break down why it’s a myth, and why it actually is safe. So, stick with me and I’ll tell you all about it. It’s a really common myth that you can’t get a massage when you’re pregnant. But the more common myth is that you can’t get a massage during your first trimester. I’ve heard this my entire career. I’ve been a massage therapist for over 18 years, and since the day I started school, I’ve heard this common story that it is unsafe in the first trimester to get a massage. “Pregnant women can’t get massage in the first trimester it is absolutely unsafe.” “You’re going to cause a miscarriage.” “You’re going to do this, you’re going to do that.” “Do not touch women in the first trimester.” That’s what I’ve heard from everybody. I’ve heard it from massage therapy instructors, I’ve heard it from customers, I’ve heard it from massage therapists. I’ve heard it from anyone and everyone, and it’s simply not true. Let me break down for you why this is a myth. Is pregnancy a little complicated? Well, yeah! You don’t have to have a high risk pregnancy in order to have a complicated pregnancy. Pregnancy is difficult. If you listen to any of my episodes or read my blog, then you’ve heard me talk a bit about hormonal changes. That’s one of the big things. You have all these hormones racing through your body going up and down and up and down. It’s like a roller coaster… all the time. I think that’s the part that everybody gets. I mean, you’re pregnant and your hormones are going nuts trying to maintain this pregnancy. Trying to keep the baby healthy, trying to keep you healthy, trying to do this, trying to do that. What people don’t always think about is all the other things that happened during pregnancy. A lot of changes happen in the body, it’s not just that your body is growing another human which I mean, it is, and that’s probably the biggest thing about pregnancy and where this myth comes from. It’s hard to explain, so let me sort of back up a little bit and talk about miscarriage which is a very difficult topic. I, myself went through a miscarriage in my pregnancy with my twins. They had a triplet sibling, and I miscarried that third baby. Even though my experience was very different than many women; every woman who has experienced a miscarriage experiences it differently. So I can’t speak for everyone, but it’s very important to understand that the vast majority of miscarriages occurr during the first trimester. More than that, the vast majority of miscarriages occur for no apparent reason. There’s no clinical or medical explanation in many cases. I’d say in most cases, there’s no real explanation as to why you miscarried. This can be extremely difficult to understand and process, emotionally. I can relate on the infertility side because I went through years of infertility. A lot of women go through infertility. What a lot of people don’t really understand, is that recurring miscarriages are a type of infertility, and going through miscarriages whether it’s one or four, or 12, it is devastating at any time. And not only that, it’s devastating whether you lost the baby in the first two weeks, or at 20 weeks. Losing that pregnancy is a very big deal. I’m talking about it because this relates 100% to this myth that it’s not safe in the first trimester. Now, the reason why this myth really started was because of the concern that the vast majority of miscarriages that occur, occur in the first trimester. But taking into account what I said a before about how usually there’s no medical explanation for it. The other part of that, is that there’s not much that’s going to cause a miscarriage. So, the myth is sort of rooted in the fear that massage is going to cause the miscarriage. That was the impression I was under for the vast majority of my career, until I took a prenatal massage course in 2008. This was the very first prenatal massage course that I ever took, and it was a continuing education course. It was taught by a really well known continuing education provider in prenatal massage. One of the very first things she said was, “It’s perfectly safe to give a massage in the first trimester”. This blew my mind! I spent the first six years of my career believing that this wasn’t safe and that something that I did could potentially cause a miscarriage for someone else. So, I stuck to that rule. First trimester of pregnancy? Nope, not gonna touch you. Nope not gonna happen. When I took this course and she broke it down for us, I realized I didn’t know enough about pregnancy and I didn’t know enough about miscarriages. I’ve taken a lot of prenatal & postpartum continuing education courses in massage therapy over the years. I started teaching prenatal massage and advanced prenatal massage because I felt like so many massage therapists were being misinformed, which in turn is misinforming the public and that’s not fair. It’s not anyone’s fault, it’s just the circumstances.
E.20 Transcript (Is Massage Safe During Pregnancy?) Read Post »
I’ve talked a lot about skin care lately, but I think it’s time to take it back to basics, and talk about physical & mental wellbeing and how they relate to infertility, pregnancy, and the postpartum period. Before I dive in and talk all about the world of wellness and massage therapy, let me take a minute to give you a brief background on why I am an expert. I’ve been a licensed massage therapist in Pennsylvania for over 18 years. Technically, Pennsylvania didn’t have a licensing board until 2011, but I completed my massage therapy education and training in 2002. In 2008 I started studying prenatal massage and began specializing in pre & postnatal massage therapy shortly thereafter, followed by fertility massage. 6 years ago, my personal fertility journey began. After 3 very long years and 14 fertility treatments, I finally conceived triplets and gave birth to twins 7 months later. After my high risk pregnancy and unplanned c-section, I had an extremely difficult recovery and complex breastfeeding journey. Between my personal and professional experiences, I know exactly what it’s like to go through these overwhelming phases in life, but I also know how to help women going through them. Now that you know a little bit more about me, let’s talk about how wellness & specifically massage therapy can effect infertility, pregnancy, & the postpartum period. Wellness What exactly is wellness? What does it mean? Wellness is a broad term that according to The Global Wellness Institute is defined as: The active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health. Wellness professionals encompass a wide variety of fields including, but not limited to the following: massage therapy, beauty, yoga, pilates, acupuncture, physical fitness, and many many more. I can’t speak on all of these industries, but I can speak about the beauty and massage therapy industries. Today we’re going to talk about massage therapy. Massage Therapy We’ve talked a bit about wellness, and I’ve tackled skin care a number of times previously, check out any of these posts! Today, I want to focus on massage therapy, what exactly it is, how it affects physical & mental wellbeing, and why it is so important. By definition, according to Merriam Webster, massage therapy is: The manipulation of the muscles and other soft tissues of the body (as by stroking, kneading, or rubbing with one or both hands or an instrument) by a massage therapist for therapeutic purposes (as to relieve pain, promote healing, or improve physical functioning) And their definition of Massage Therapist is: A person who practices massage therapy: a trained individual who is licensed or certified to therapeutically manipulate the muscles and other soft tissues of the body using one or both hands or an instrument These definitions are pretty clear and concise and explain the general idea of massage therapy quite well. But wait! There’s more… Purpose of Massage Therapy Okay, so massage therapy is manipulating muscle tissue. That’s great, but what is the purpose? This is where it all gets interesting, and the reason I got into this industry in the first place. So let me ask you; what is the first thing you do when your neck is sore? Most of the time, the first thing you’re going to do, is rub your neck. Now, when I say rub, I’m talking very generally. You might just apply some pressure to the sore area, or you might rub with your thumb, or the palm of your hand, or you might put heat on it. What are you actually doing? YOU ARE MASSAGING YOUR NECK! Why is rubbing your neck your first instinct? Because it feels good, and sometimes even relieves the pain or discomfort. That is the whole point of massage therapy. To help relieve pain or discomfort. There are many other purposes, like helping to increase circulation, creating relaxation, and so on. The great thing about massage therapy is that it is a very broad category, that encompasses a variety of modalities. Confused? Read on! Massage Modalities What is a modality? The definition of the word, according to vocabulary.com is: The way or mode in which something exists or is done. This definition is very broad, but when we break it down into massage therapy terms, like in this article by First Institute, it begins to make more sense. Their definition, specifically relating to massage therapy is: A massage therapist would say that a modality refers to the approach that he or she might take with a client. Let me break this down a bit for you. Here is a very brief list of various massage modalities that you may have heard of: Swedish Massage Cranial Sacral Therapy Thai Massage Sports Massage Deep Tissue Massage Prenatal Massage Hot Stone Massage There are many more modalities, but this a short list to give you a better idea of what I mean when I refer to modalities. 📌 Pin me for later! Connecting the Dots How does this all relate to hormonal changes in women going through infertility, pregnancy, & postpartum? Well, I’ll break these down more in depth in the coming weeks in my next blog posts and podcast episodes, but let’s connect the dots a little bit about massage therapy and how it affects physical & mental wellbeing before diving into the deep end. Effects of Massage Therapy The effects of massage therapy on the body are vast and long lasting. Because of the domino effect of massage therapy, the results from a massage therapy session can help with more than just one problem. For example, tight muscles in the neck and back can be relieved from massage therapy, but in addition to loosening tight muscles, other effects you might experience are, increased relaxation, more positive mood, increased blood circulation, better sleep, and so on. The great thing about our bodies, is that everything really is connected. You know the classic song, “Dem Bones”? If you don’t, it’s the
A Wealth of Wellness: Your Guide to Physical & Mental Wellbeing Read Post »
Believe it or not, I was once a new mom! Okay okay, I realize that technically, I’m still a new mom considering my kids are only 19 months old. However, my skin (and my body!) are very different now than they were during the postpartum period. So, in terms of skincare, I don’t fit into the new mom category anymore. New motherhood is tough. It’s tough on the body and the mind. While we’re talking about the body, let’s talk about skin too. Did you know that hormonal changes during the postpartum period can have catastrophic effects on the skin? If not, then boy are you in for a treat! Can you sense the sarcasm there? Postpartum Before we even talk about hormones and skin, let’s talk a little bit about what postpartum means. According to Merriam-Webster, the definitions of postpartum are: occurring in or being the period following childbirth— being in or used in the postpartum period Now, to complicate matters, the definition of the time frame of the postpartum period varies depending on the source. For example, About Kids Health states that “The postpartum period is commonly defined as the six weeks after childbirth.” However, according to this article in the Journal of Prenatal Medicine, the postpartum period is made of 3 distinct phases: “The initial or acute period involves the first 6–12 hours postpartum…” “The second phase is the subacute postpartum period, which lasts 2–6 weeks…” “The third phase is the delayed postpartum period, which can last up to 6 months..” Now, to make you really confused… I consider the postpartum period to be the entire year following birth! A lot of experts would probably argue that that is not accurate, and that’s okay! After experiencing my own postpartum period, I didn’t feel like myself until… well I still don’t feel quite like myself at 19 months postpartum, but it was really around 1 year that I started feeling a little bit better and more… Cara, if you will. Hormones Involved Taking into account that the postpartum period is defined so variably from source to source, let’s talk about the hormonal changes during the postpartum period; until one year post childbirth. First off, to review the hormones that are involved in (pregnancy), click here. After giving birth, a significant amount of hormonal changes take place, primarily the dramatic drop in Estrogen & Progesterone, but also the rapid increase in Prolactin, Cortisol, and Oxytocin, as demonstrated in the graphs below. Let’s break down each hormone in a little more detail, shall we? Progesterone I want to start with Progesterone because it is most prolific during pregnancy and then drops off dramatically after birth. As I described in my last post, Progesterone’s job is to maintain the uterine lining to keep it thick enough for embryo implantation. Once pregnancy occurs, progesterone continues to be produced to maintain the thickness of the uterus and support the growth of the embryo, while the placenta is growing and being established. It is produced by the ovaries prior to pregnancy, and then by the placenta during pregnancy. Estrogen Like Progesterone, Estrogen contributes to uterine lining thickness. It also helps with uterine growth, and triggering the development of the fetus’ organs. Estrogen is initially produced by the ovaries, but as pregnancy occurs, begins production within the placenta. Prolactin Unlike Progesterone and Estrogen, Prolactin is produced in the pituitary gland. The main purpose, or function, of Prolactin is to promote breast tissue growth and milk production in the breasts both during pregnancy and after birth. As you can see in the graph below, Prolactin levels are relatively low during pregnancy and then spike after birth. In the bottom graph, in more detail, you can see that Prolactin spikes and dips in coordination with breastfeeding. Each time the baby nurses, the level of Prolactin spikes immediately following, and then dips. Essentially, this spike and dip are the body producing breastmilk between nursing sessions so that it’s ready to release into the milk ducts the next time the baby latches. Cortisol Cortisol, better known as the stress hormone, is produced in the adrenal glands, though production is triggered by the pituitary gland. It slowly increases throughout pregnancy, and then surges just before and during labor and birth. According to yourhormones.info, this rise in Cortisol may help the fetal organs mature just before labour begins, and influence the timing of birth. Oxytocin Oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus and secreted by the pituitary gland. It is the primary hormone involved in childbirth. Oxytocin stimulates uterine contractions, which triggers labor. After birth, Oxytocin plays an additional role in lactation, by moving milk into the breast. During breastfeeding, Oxytocin is released, causing the milk to eject out of the breast. When the baby stops the feeding, Oxytocin production stops until the next feeding. Maguire, Jamie. Postpartum Hormones Graph. ScienceDirect Chapter 12 – Hormonal and immunological factors in postpartum psychosis, Editor(s): Jennifer L. Payne, Lauren M. Osborne, Biomarkers of Postpartum Psychiatric Disorders, Academic Press, 2020, Pages 159-179, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815508-0.00012-6. Accessed 1/4/2021. St-Jacques, René. “Hormonal changes associated to pregnancy, childbirth, and return of the menstrual cycle.” MyHumanBody.ca http://www.corpshumain.ca/en/NouvelleVie_en.php Accessed 1/2/2021 Kohl, J., Autry, A.E. and Dulac, C. (2017), The neurobiology of parenting: A neural circuit perspective. BioEssays, 39: 1-11 e201600159. https://doi.org/10.1002/bies.201600159 Accessed 1/2/2021 Skin Troubles for Mamas Oxytocin: While there’s not a ton of information out there about how Oxytocin may affect skin, some studies conclude that the presence of Oxytocin may reduce inflammation and free radicals in the skin. Another interesting study shows that that oxytocin may be effective in the prevention of skin aging. Prolactin: There isn’t much research out there to show how Prolactin affects the skin during the postpartum period, however, there are some studies that prove that there is a connection between Prolactin and Epithelial cell proliferation. Cortisol: Ah, the evil stress hormone! Cortisol levels increase dramatically after giving birth. The extreme rise in Cortisol can wreak havoc on your skin and cause acne, redness, aging, and even
Beauty after Baby, a Guide for New Mom Skin Troubles. Read Post »
Pregnancy is a complicated time in a woman’s life. First, her body is literally changing every single day. In addition, her body is growing another person inside of it, so that in itself is complicated! But, when you add in changes to the exterior of the body (the skin), it adds a whole mess of complications that can be very stressful. Hormonal skin changes during pregnancy are extremely common and are usually quite easy to treat.
Everything you Need to Know to Best Care for Your Skin During Pregnancy Read Post »
How is skin affected by infertility? Well, that’s a complicated question, with a relatively complicated answer. However, when we break it all down into chunks, it actually makes a lot of sense. Before I jump into the specifics, I want to remind you that everyone’s skin is different and every person’s skin reacts differently to changes. But what changes, you ask? Well, everything from hormonal changes to environmental changes among others. So, when I talk about disaster or delight, I’m talking about the skin’s positive or negative reactions to internal changes (ie. hormonal changes) or external changes (ie. environmental). Confused? Don’t be! I’ve got some fascinating info to share in this post, so read on. How skin is affected by infertility Infertility Before I dive into hormones and how skin is affected by infertility, let’s talk about infertility and why it would have anything to do with skin anyway! First off, what exactly is infertility? The definition of infertility, according to dictionary.com is: The persistent inability to achieve conception and produce an offspring. However, when we talk about infertility in every day terms, it’s more specific. According to the CDC: In general, infertility is defined as not being able to get pregnant (conceive) after one year (or longer) of unprotected sex. Because fertility in women is known to decline steadily with age, some providers evaluate and treat women aged 35 years or older after 6 months of unprotected sex. So, infertility is an inability to conceive, but specifically within a certain timeframe. Age is used to define it even further. Infertility & Hormones Now that I’ve given you a general understanding of infertility, let’s talk a little bit about how hormones play a role. First, there are a variety of hormone disorders that can affect fertility. PCOS (polycycstic Ovarian Syndrome) Hyperthyroidism Hypothydroidism Anovulation (ovaries don’t release eggs) Endometriosis While there are plenty of other hormone disorders that can affect fertility, these are the most common. The common factor among these disorders, is the level of the hormone in the body. Too much, or not enough of a particular hormone causes the disorder and can affect fertility. Hormones & Skin But, how is skin affected by infertility? Let’s start with breaking down the hormones involved in the disorders mentioned above. Hormone disorders can wreak havoc on your skin, and that can cause stress, frustration, anxiety, and of course, general annoyance! The hormones from the disorders above that affect the skin the most are: Testosterone Insulin Thyroid Hormones (Thyroxine & Triiodothyronine) Estrogen Progesterone But, how do these hormones affect the skin? Well, each hormone has a different effect on the skin, but surprisingly, the effects aren’t always bad. It just depends on the person. The Hormones This is where I would normally give a skin anatomy 101 lesson. Luckily for you, I’ve already done that, so go check out this blog post to learn more about skin anatomy so you can understand my logic. Now that you’re a skin expert, let’s dive in and really find out how skin is affected by infertility! First and foremost, I want to talk about sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are located within the Dermis. They are attached to hair follicles and produce sebum. Sebum is a waxy oil made up of triglycerides, wax esters, cholesterol esters, squalene and other complex oils. Its main function is to coat, moisturize, and protect the skin from friction and excess moisture. Testosterone When Testosterone is released in excessive amounts, it triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. Too much sebum can clog the hair follicles, leaving the oily substance with nowhere to go. And what do you get when it has nowhere to go? Acne. Estrogen A decrease in Estrogen has an opposite effect to the increase in Testosterone I just talked about. Drops in Estrogen can cause thinning of the skin, wrinkles, and lack of moisture. This results in dry, flaky, and itchy skin. The decrease in Estrogen can also cause skin sensitivity. Thyroid Hormones The effect that the thyroid hormones have on the skin varies depending on whether there is too much or too little of them. Let me explain. Hypothyroidism is when the Thyroid gland is underactive, causing it to not secrete enough of the Thyroid hormones. On the other hand, Hyperthyroidism is when the Thyroid gland is overactive and causes it to create too much of the Thyroid hormones. So, an excess of the Thyroid hormones can cause skin thinning & red, swollen skin. While not enough of the Thyroid hormones can cause dry & coarse skin with a decrease in sweating. Progesterone Low Progesterone can cause acne, brittle nails and dry, cracked skin. Excess Progesterone, on the other hand, can have 2 different results. An increase in Progesterone causes the skin to swell. When the skin swells, it essentially closes off the pores. When the pores are closed sebum is prevented from escaping.. The resulting increase in sebum can have 2 very opposite effects: A nice glow to the skin Oil, oil, and more oil! Glowing skin is a nice side effect for sure, but that’s not going to be the case for everyone! The other group will experience very oily skin, and potentially… acne. *Like I said earlier: “The effects aren’t always bad. It just depends on the person. 📌 Pin me for later! Fertility Treatments & Skin When you’re dealing with a hormone disorder that could be causing infertility, then you are likely already dealing with some of these skin issues. But this is only part of how infertility affects the skin. The other part is fertility treatments. If you are doing fertility treatments or plan to, I think it’s helpful to know that some of these skin issues can be resolved. It’s also good to note that sometimes other skin issues can crop up. Either way, I feel strongly that it’s important to prepare for what could happen, so that it doesn’t surprise you. Let’s start with the different hormones that are often used in fertility treatments.
Disaster or Delight? How Skin is Affected by Infertility Read Post »
Infertility is a beast, one that many people have difficulty understanding or relating to, and that is OKAY! Infertility is a difficult subject and when someone you care about is going through it, it can be difficult to know what to say or what to do. That’s why I created this one stop shop to get the best gifts for infertility warriors, to take the guesswork out of it for you! Each gift on my list is carefully chosen to be not just a good gift, but to really be thoughtful and caring and help those dealing with infertility to feel less alone. Infertility takes a toll and getting a thoughtful gift can make a tremendous difference in their stress level. And now, may I present to you… Don’t have time to read the whole post? Click the image above for clickable links to each item in the post! Your One Stop Shop to Get the Best Gifts for Infertility Warriors *Best Gift for the Health Conscious Warrior Natural Fertility Shop – 21 Day Fertility Diet Ebook – $14.95 This 125 page ebook comes with 21 smoothie recipes, 21 juice recipes, 21 salad recipes, and 21 recipes for preparing dark leafy greens. The idea behind this 21 day challenge is to transition to a healthier lifestyle to help give fertility a boost. 84 delicious & healthy recipes, you can’t go wrong! The great thing about this ebook is that all of these recipes can still be used after her fertility journey and can be used by anyone who isn’t on a fertility journey. *Best Gift for the Jewelry Loving Warrior Rose Quartz & Moonstone Gemstone Necklace – $34.99 The great thing about gemstone jewelry is that not only is it beautiful, but gemstones, in a metaphysical sense, have healing properties. Rose Quartz & Moonstone both have healing properties related to infertility. Moonstone: Is said to bring reflective and calming energy by balancing emotions. These stones have an inner flow and range from white to grey, often with flashes of blue. They help promote a more regular menstrual cycle and boost female energy, which makes them perhaps the most used stone for fertility. Is said to aid in increasing overall fertility. This pale pink stone is also helpful with headaches, migraines, sexual dysfunction, depression, addictions, and weight loss. Emotionally, Rose Quartz brings forgiveness, compassion, as well as balancing one’s emotions. It helps with healing emotional wounds and traumas. Rose Quartz removes fears, resentments, and anger. Huge shout out to InJewels Healing Jewelry for her excellent breakdown of how various gemstones heal. She has a beautiful array of jewelry for healing, so check out her shop now! *Best Gift for Warriors on the IVF Path IVF Planner by Monica Bivas – $8.00 Monica Bivas is an amazing IVF coach who has been featured in The Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Dynamic Women Talk Radio, and more. As an infertility warrior herself, she brings her own experience to all of her amazing products and services. Her IVF Planner is designed for women going through IVF. It works as a planner, a journal, and an inspirational tool. I highly recommend it for any warrior going through the roller coaster ride of IVF. 📌Pin me for Later! *Best Gift for Quirky Warriors Pineapple T-Shirt – $13.96+ In the infertility community, pineapple plays a big role. Pineapple contains the enzyme, bromelain. Bromelain is a known anti-inflammatory and anti-coagulant (blood thinner). Some studies have shown that bromelain can help with implantation by increasing blood flow to the uterus. So, for many women (me included!) pineapple is a symbol of fertility. *Side note, I ate so much pineapple during my fertility journey that I actually lost my taste for it for a while! While I recommend this shirt for the quirky warriors out there, it really is for anyone who wears clothes! *Best Gift for Warriors Who Love Subscriptions Baby Dust Subscription Box – $10.99+ First off, who doesn’t love a subscription box? Let’s just talk about the super smart concept of a subscription box. Subscription boxes come in all forms. This particular subscription box is BRILLIANT and very unique. Each box comes with: Ovulation Tests Pregnancy Tests Organic Snacks Self Care Items Beauty Products I think this is quite possibly the best gift you can give a woman going through the hell that is infertility. It’s unique, practical, thoughtful, and helpful! One of the hardest things about being a friend to a woman going through infertility is the inability to relate. Even after your journey, in whatever path it leads, it can still be hard to know what to say to someone who is currently going through infertility. But getting them a gift like this, speaks volumes. So, I highly recommend this gift! *Best Gift for Artsy Warriors Inspirational Wall Art – $5+ Okay, so I realize this may seem completely out of my wheelhouse, but it’s not! So, hear me out. Before I started The Hormonal Mama, I owned a different business: Cara B. Design Studio. Cara B. Design Studio is a design business. What kind of design? That all depends! Primarily I design and make women’s wallets, handbags, and cosmetic bags. In addition, I design wall art. I have other wall art options available, but this one is my personal favorite. As an infertility warrior, it’s helpful to be reminded that times won’t always feel so dark. This quote really spoke to me, and I think it’s a lovely gift to a friend. It’s a digital download PDF that can be printed and framed. And there you have it! So there you go! 6 unique gifts for a loved one going through infertility. When I was in the thick of my infertility journey, I wished every day that the people I love could understand what I was going through. Not because they weren’t supportive, because man, were they! But simply so that they wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed by what to say to me. The
Your One Stop Shop: The Best Gifts for Infertility Warriors Read Post »
Finding gifts for pregnant women can be tricky, especially if you want to get her something really meaningful and thoughtful. Pregnancy is hard, and for many women it presents difficult challenges to navigate. I’ve taken it upon myself to give you a list of where to find the best gifts for pregnant women in your life. Do you know a pregnant woman who is sore and achy all the time and she can’t reach the achy spots to massage them? I’ve got a gift for that! Is your pregnant friend on bedrest or modified bedrest and running out of shows or movies to watch? I’ve got a solution! My list is carefully curated based on my own experience with pregnancy and all the things I wish I had during my pregnancy. So, read on and find out where to find the best gifts for pregnant women! You won’t be disappointed. Don’t have time to read the whole post? Click the image above for clickable links to each item described in the post! Where to Find the Best Gifts for Pregnant Women in Your Life *Best Gift for Active Moms-To-Be Tiosebon Walking Shoes – $31.99 When I was pregnant, my feet were so sore and SO swollen, I couldn’t fit into any of my regular shoes. One of my best friends got me these shoes, (and in this purple color!) and I still wear them to this day, 18 months after giving birth! These shoes are by far one of the best gifts anyone has ever gotten me and were extremely thoughtful. They are good and stretchy (check out the mesh!) so they’re great for swollen pregnant feet. These shoes are intended as walking shoes, so they’re perfect for any mamas-to-be who love to walk. However, they are excellent shoes for any woman who needs extra foot support, even if she doesn’t do too much walking. *Best Gift for Moms-To-Be on Bedrest Hulu Subscription – $5.99-$11.99/mo A lot of pregnant women deal with the unexpected (and sometimes expected) bedrest orders from their pregnancy provider. I was one of those! I had a lot of complications early in my pregnancy and then again late in my pregnancy, both of which required modified bedrest. Now, while I wasn’t on strict bedrest, I wasn’t allowed to go and do fun exciting things, so I had to find a lot of shows and movies to binge watch! At the time, I had a Netflix subscription, which was awesome, but there are a lot of shows I wanted to watch but were only available on Hulu, which I did not have a subscription to at the time. Hulu has so many fun shows, including current and old shows! A great gift to get someone who can’t go out and do exciting and fun things, is a Hulu subscription so she can sit back, queue up the shows (or movies!) and relax. *Best Gift for sore/achy Moms-To-Be Omni Massage Roller – $12.95 As a massage therapist specializing in prenatal massage for the past 12 years, one of the most common complaints from pregnant. women that I’ve heard over the years is that she is so sore and achy and her partner can’t give her enough pressure in the areas she needs massaged the most. I’ve had this exact omni roller since I was in massage therapy school is 2001, and I still use it regularly. It is one of the best purchases I’ve ever made, and I highly recommend gifting one to a mom-to-be in your life! You hold the bottom white part and then the top, green part rolls around on your muscles, loosening up tension and tightness, so you don’t have to use your fingers! It’s an excellent massage tool. 📌Pin me for later! *Best Gift for skin conscious Moms-To-Be Skin Script Raspberry Refining Scrub – $28 Speaking of specializing in prenatal massage, I am also a licensed esthetician, and I’ve specialized in pre & postnatal skincare for the majority of my 17 year skincare career. Skin Script is a company that I’ve used in my skincare studio for the past 5 years and it is amazing. They specialize in melasma, which is a skin condition that causes dark, patchy spots on the face. Melasma is common, and often occurs in pregnancy. Melasma is often treated with chemical peels like glycolic or lactic acid. Pregnancy makes your skin much more sensitive, and chemical peels can cause damage and sensitivity when used during pregnancy. So, we recommend against these treatments during pregnancy. Skin Script makes this amazing Raspberry Refining Scrub that is 100% safe for pregnant (and lactating!) women. With antioxidants from Raspberry & Marionberry, it brightens skin discolorations and soothes irritations, making it perfect for pregnant women with melasma. *Best Gift for organized Moms-To-Be The Hormonal Mama: Moms-To-Be Planner – $25 Pregnancy can be extremely stressful and cause a lot of women to feel out of sorts. That’s where The Hormonal Mama Planner for Moms-to-Be steps in. I don’t mean to boast, but I’m so proud of this planner! This planner is great for organized mamas-to-be who may be feeling like their organizational skill are on an endless vacation. I designed this planner because I needed some guidance in my pregnancy and something to just help with the chaotic nature of pregnancy. I’ve included pregnancy journal pages, blank monthly calendars, checklists for everything from baby registry to hospital bag, blank meal plans, and more. The Moms-To-Be-Planner is a great gift for any mama-to-be who wants to feel a little less out of control, and still enjoy her pregnancy. *Best Gift for all Moms-To-Be Irene Organics Mama-To-Be Gift Set Bundle – $59.99 (10% off with coupon code below) Gift sets are wonderful, and this particular gift set from Irene Organics is excellent and tailored to pregnant women! Includes: Stretch Mark Prevention Belly Balm Stretch Mark Prevention Belly Oil Soothing Nipple Balm All Irene Organics products are handmade with 100% certified organic ingredients and are unscented. Use
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