876. How I’m Preparing for Birth + Postpartum Differently with Baby #2

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1:23Hello and welcome to the Almost 30 Podcast. How are we doing, everybody? It's Lindsay. I'm so happy and grateful you're here. It is just me in the studio. If you're on YouTube, what's up? You see a glazed donut girl. My sweet producer here in the room at Therese Studio in New York City said, should I get the blotchy patches for you? And I said, not today. We're just going to keep it nice and shiny. So good to have you here. This is a solo episode. I'm sorry, but not sorry that most of my content is revolving around motherhood and marriage and pregnancy and kids and all the things. It's it's something that sometimes I'm like, OK, I'm probably niching too hard on here.

2:15And also this is what is going on in my life. What is most potent for me? and I appreciate you all indulging and I know it helps a lot of people and also helping people who might not have kids yet but do eventually want to have kids just kind of get a peek into aspects of this experience. So today's episode I'm excited about. I want to just break down my second pregnancy protocol, what I'm doing differently this time around and there's a lot that I'm doing differently. There's some things I'm doing the same, but I'm going to really focus on what I am doing differently. To have done this once before is such a blessing, I think, because it lifts the anxiety around all of the newness.

3:12So I feel a bit more grounded and anchored in this experience. I feel more confident. I feel like I can do this. You know, I'm not just wondering if I could do it. I'm like, no, I can do this. And I am just thinking more thoughtfully and reflecting more on, okay, the first time I felt very blessed to have, you know, relatively easy pregnancy and quite a fast birth that was close to like my vision for what I wanted my birth to be. But there are aspects that I felt like I could have tended to more, I could have been more thoughtful about, that I could have prepared more for. And so that's kind of how I'm looking at my protocol now.

4:01Just kind of shaping it through those experiences of maybe wanting to do it a little bit differently. So I want to jump right into it. We ready to go? so I want to talk about the mindset shift first I think this is just so important so like I said you know first pregnancy I was just kind of this like like a new baby where I'm like absorbing everything I remember getting so deep in the research and the books and learning from people I loved and respected. And that was so, so helpful. But now second pregnancy, I have quite a bit of data. I have quite a bit of understanding of, you know, how labor works, what's normal in pregnancy, how to optimize my body, my health for not only my baby, but for labor, for postpartum, etc.

5:03So I am less cerebral in that sense. I'm less like in my books and in my research, though I'm definitely reviewing as I get closer. But I just feel a bit more confident and I'm having to not spread my energy over so many things to learn, which feels really, really nice. And yes, my mind will say like, oh, but like, what if you could get better at, you know, hypnobirthing or doing whatever it is. And that might be true, but I'm trying not to overcomplicate things, this pregnancy, I am more so tuning into my body. I am connecting with what is very true to me as far as my preferences go for both pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum, and getting super clear and dialed on those so that, you know, my experience can kind of hold me as I move through that, which can be very unpredictable and almost like feel like you're out of control.

6:15So that's where my energy is going. Let's go into nutrition. So eating to build a baby eating to optimize my own health throughout pregnancy, through labor, birth and postpartum, it is all connected, it is all very important. And this is what I'm about to say might be a little controversial or rub people the wrong way. But I believe that for my experience, now being pregnant for the second time, what I feed myself is incredibly important. And my intentionality around that and my thoughtfulness and my research around that, I believe has has really given me the best results as far as a healthy child, as far as a healthy birth and postpartum.

7:19And I don't say that to brag and be annoying. It's more so that I think there's a narrative that, I don't know if it's doctors or whatever, where it's like, just eat whatever, just get through pregnancy. You'll be fine. Your baby will be fine. And by the way, they might be and you might be fine. And I do think that there is major, major benefits to getting enough nutrients in your diet every single day for both you and for your baby. I have like two Bibles I kind of, or North Stars that I use in this process. Lily Nichols has a book called Real Food for Pregnancy. It's a classic. It's a great one.

8:07So if you haven't read it, add it to your list immediately. It's backed by over 930 scientific studies. And she just describes how a lot of the prenatal guidelines are like years behind, often like decades behind. And so she's really bringing us up to speed on the science and what she has seen in clinical practice. And so she's like presenting the foods that actually support fetal development, actually support your good health in the changes and transitions that you're going through. So I just want to highlight a few of the nutritional choices I'm making basically on a daily slash weekly basis that I think make quite a difference.

9:00So I like to get my choline mostly from food. I do have choline in my supplement. I'll get to supplements in a moment, but I do like to get it mostly from food and I love eggs and eggs are an incredible source of choline. So I have six eggs a day at least. So that could look like in the morning I'm having three eggs, you know, sunny side up with a little avocado, maybe on a hero bagel. I'm making sure I get my three eggs for sure in the morning. So not only is that protein, but that's choline, different vitamins and minerals that are very, very important. This is critical for fetal brain development.

9:40The choline is critical for fetal brain development and neural tube protection. There's a lot of research that says that pregnant women aren't getting enough of the recommended amount of choline. And so I would just say, you know, check out sources of choline that you can get through food if you can, and then make sure that your prenatal also has the choline. Um, so three in the morning, I have usually two hard boiled eggs in my lunch somewhere. And then I'll have a third egg. I'll add it to my dinner, like a heart boiled egg. So I get it all in. It doesn't feel hard to me. You can get creative.

10:24Um, but the yolk is really where it's at. Yes. The white is fine. It has protein, but like the yolk is what we're, we're after. That's where the choline is. I try to have salmon twice a week. So the DHA from fatty fish is directly linked to fetal brain and eye development. And studies show children of mothers who ate more fish during pregnancy have measurably, measurably better cognitive outcomes. Wild salmon is also a great source of vitamin D, which most pregnant women are deficient in, which most people are deficient in. So I like to do it twice a week. Usually I'll get like a half a pound and have them split it in two and I'll, you know, I'll cook it at the same time and then have one for dinner and then one for lunch the next day or something like that.

11:15So that's been in my rotation and I feel like makes such a difference. I also just feel really good after I have salmon as a protein. so check in with yourself but that's something I do I've been having soft shell crab on the regular I know a little random but it's a whole food source of zinc selenium b12 and protein all critical for pregnancy so I've just gotten creative with the food choices that I'm making and what vitamins, minerals that it provides to the body. I would much rather get it from a whole food than, you know, a supplement, maybe even a synthetic supplement. The shell itself contains chitin, which has emerging research supporting gut health benefits as well.

12:07So it's yummy. It's amazing. And it's very easy to cook. So if you have access to soft shell crab, I highly recommend it. It is so yummy.

12:19One thing I've learned about skincare is that consistency matters so much more than having a bathroom full of expensive products. I used to fall for the beautiful packaging or the trendy formulas, what was happening on Instagram, only to realize a few weeks later that I couldn't realistically keep buying these things or that my routine had become way too complicated to stick with every single day. That's why I've been loving Naturium. It feels luxurious, but it's actually something you can use consistently every day. Their Glow Gooder Bundle has become one of my favorite rituals. The multi-oil body wash feels very nourishing.

12:51I use it in the shower and it leaves my skin feeling super soft, never stripped. And the body scrub, y 'all, the body scrub, I use it in the shower. I use it on my belly. I'm pregnant right now. It just leaves my skin feeling smooth and radiant. And the body oil and body butter together, it leaves my skin feeling nourished, hydrated, glowy. It's fantastic. And I also love that Naturium is clinically effective skincare for everyone, everywhere, every day. And they make skincare feel simple, elevated, and actually sustainable. So give your skin the affordable, luxurious glow up. It deserves. You deserve it.

13:22Truly go to naturium.com slash almost 30 for 10 % off your first purchase today. That's naturium.com slash almost 30 N-A-T-U-R-I-U-M.com slash almost 30. One thing that's become really important to me is keeping my wellness rituals consistent, especially during the summer when travel and schedules can get a little chaotic about to have a baby this summer even something simple like getting outside for a morning walk or having a grounded start to my day makes such a difference in how I feel so that's why I've been loving cachava travel packs you've heard me talk about cachava I love it so much I make my smoothies every morning or afternoon it makes it so easy to keep my routine with me wherever I'm headed I can literally throw a couple packets in my bag and know I have something nourishing and easy on hand.

14:16Pachava is an all-in-one nutrition shake with plant-based protein, fiber, greens, probiotics, electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. And it genuinely helps me feel energized, supported, and more balanced throughout the day. I'm excited to actually take it postpartum. I think it will really be supportive and beneficial as I'm trying to get my calories in for breastfeeding and just feel really good. I also love that it tastes delicious. So it comes in flavors like chocolate, matcha, vanilla, and coconut acai as well with no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. That's right. So take your daily ritual with you.

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15:09Okay, the third thing that I think kind of stands out for me as far as what I'm doing nutritionally is adding organ complex into my smoothies or like my yogurt bowls. Liver is the most nutrient dense food that exists. Okay, so it's the best food source of folate, B12, copper, and preformed vitamin A. I do a desiccated organ complex. I use organized. It's spelled organized, but with an S instead of a Z. I love the brand. I love their sourcing. I just love their mission. It's not sponsored, but if you can find a powdered organ complex to easily put into smoothies, I would highly recommend. I don't like cooking liver.

16:00I think it's disgusting. I've tried before. No, thank you. I'm good. So I need I need something to put in my smoothies. Okay, number four, bone broth and collagen. So I've been taking this before I got pregnant, and I really feel like it makes such a difference in my hair, skin and nails. And in addition to that, what's so important about bone broth and collagen, it has glycine, which is abundant in in collagen and connective tissue. And it is very essential, very, very essential during pregnancy. So it supports placental function, baby's connective tissue development, and helps your own joints and skin during the physical stress of pregnancy.

16:45And I really felt that. So I had like a few weeks where I wasn't taking my bone broth protein supplement, which I'll share in a moment. But I noticed that my knees were hurting, like my knee joints were hurting. Yes, I was getting more pregnant, getting a little more weight. But like, that was interesting to me. I got right back on it. And I haven't had pain in my knees since. So I'm crediting this to having enough collagen in my diet. I try to have collagen paired with vitamin C makes the absorbency. just effective. So I'll have like an orange or what have you like you can kind of get creative.

17:31Some supplements have the vitamin C and the collagen. So you could do your own research. But I love the bone broth protein from Paleo Valley. I've talked about it many times before. It's just yummy. It's like a little treat I have in the morning or at the end of the day. I love the chocolate. Okay. And I think lastly, when it comes to nourishing myself during pregnancy with food, I've been cooking a lot. And it doesn't mean it's complicated. It doesn't mean I'm doing like the most fancy recipes, because I'm not. I'm keeping it pretty simple. But what I notice and what I know, whether I'm pregnant or not, is that I don't feel as good when I'm ordering food.

18:15I don't know what oils they're using. I don't know. I don't know half of what's happening in that kitchen. And I'm not saying it's bad, but it's just for me, I like to know what's happening. I like to know what spices and oils and things. I like to know the quality of my produce and my meats. And I just take it seriously, especially during pregnancy. So cooking at home is really my default. And I make it easy for myself. Let me give you an example. Last night, I put Mav to bed. I hadn't had dinner yet, which is kind of rare, but it was a little bit of a late dinner. And I had my force of nature ancestral meatballs, which are in the freezer.

19:00I tossed those in the air fryer. And then I sauteed a little cabbage, It took me four minutes. I sauteed it in a little butter and garlic powder, salt, pepper. And then I did like a dollop of sour cream. And I think I had like a hard boiled egg or something. So I had my fiber. I had my, you know, my greens. I had my protein. And it was so easy. It literally took, I think in total, like maybe 12 minutes and very low lift. So this does not have to be like chef-tastic. You can do this. But I would challenge yourself to cook more at home. Know what is going in your body. It matters. And that's all I have to say about that.

19:48Okay, let's move on to supplements. This is a confusing space. There are so many options. and hi, hello. There are so many influencers. I am one of them, touting supplements, what works for them. No shade, but it gets confusing. It really gets confusing. So I just wanted to break down exactly what I'm taking supplement wise for pregnancy. take it or leave it. But this is really working for me. And it's something that I'm doing differently this time around. So just to kind of bring us into like a familiar context together. Most prenatals cover the basics, right? Folate, iron, some B vitamins, and they definitely matter.

20:49that matters. But a standard prenatal was not designed for the world we're living in now, like modern pregnancy, you know, against a backdrop of like mineral depleted soil, higher toxin exposure, fatty acid imbalance from processed food culture, and increased physiological stress. There's just a lot happening in 2026. so most prenatals were not formed for that reality and um we have to think about the baby being built inside cell by cell so during my first pregnancy I was kind of looking at my prenatal and it didn't quite have the levels of everything that I needed I'm not going to name it right now um but it just didn't match what I needed thankfully I think I have an awareness of what I need through food.

21:47So I was okay. But I want to just shout out the prenatal I'm taking, this is not sponsored. It's called WeNatal. I've talked about it before. But the one I really love and respect the sourcing. This is not a highly processed synthetic prenatal. and again the levels of what you need specifically for pregnancy are phenomenal in this prenatal so check it out do your own research but that's the one I'm taking and then additionally this is the rest of my stack and I was introduced to this brand body bio probably like a year ago now so I was taking this before I got pregnant this time around. And then I learned how important what I was taking was for pregnancy as well, and into postpartum and breastfeeding.

22:48So I want to share with you because I, I was just kind of blown away by what these specific compounds are doing in my body. So the first element of my stack that I've, you know, brought in this time, the body bio PC oil, you can take this either in a pill form, like a capsule, or you can just spoon it, I spoon it, I don't mind the capsules either. So the PC stands for phosphatidylcholine. So every single cell in your baby's body grows like a little membrane around it, right? And cell membranes are made primarily of phospholipids, specifically phosphatidylcholine, which this is, and this is foundational.

23:46This is so important. PC also delivers choline, which we need. I've talked about a lot. It's one of the most important nutrients for the fetal brain. And so you're getting it there as well. It also supports your liver function during pregnancy, which is under more demand than usual. So this is a powerhouse supplement that I am, I literally gave this to my pregnant friend yesterday. I had an extra bottle. I was like, please take this. I'm going to order more. This is so, so important to be taking during pregnancy. So the PC oil is number one. The next item in my stack, in addition to my prenatal, is the Resolvin from Body Bio.

24:32It's a DHA. So your baby's brain is 60 % fat. and DHA is the primary structural fat in the brain and eye tissue. So we're just talking like building a baby here and making sure we get what we need to do that. This is where Resolving comes in. It's BodyBio's DHA source, and it also supports a healthy inflammatory response. So anything that could cause inflammation, the DHA is coming in and supporting you to just process that and make sure that you're not living in inflammation. That can be very detrimental. So I like to take this supplement, even though I'm having salmon twice a week, this really covers my base bases as far as DHA.

25:23So that is my preferred source. So the PC oil, the Resolvin, which is their DHA, and then the Balance oil. So lots of oils here. So essential fatty acids support hormone signaling and fetal developments. Most of us are coming into pregnancy with a fatty acid imbalance from years of like processed food. You know, diet can be funky sometimes. So the balance oil helps correct that ratio. And this is one of those things that doesn't have like a dramatic noticeable effect. but the research on fatty acid balance in pregnancy is very solid. Um, so you can look that up, go to body bios website. I think they have information on that, but, um, I feel like this one is like one of those that I'm like, I don't see the effects, but I'm sure I will, you know, trust that I experience it with my sweet, hopefully very healthy, um, babe and also postpartum body, you know, postpartum health.

26:37So that one's a really important one. Okay, last two products that are like finishing out my stack that I didn't do first time around first time around, I was doing electrolytes via element, which I still love. I do love element. Um, but I'm being even more intentional about my hydration. so I don't know if you know this if you haven't been pregnant yet pregnancy increases your blood volume tremendously by up to 50 you know if I go upside down going to a downward dog I mean the amount of blood to my face in 0.5 seconds like I cannot breathe and my veins are going to pop through my forehead but you need electrolytes to support that expansion to maintain energy and prevent the kind of like fatigue and cramping that a lot of pregnant women just think is normal.

27:33You know, Charlie horses all the time, different cramping. No, this is not normal. Um, but we have to really be intentional about our hydration. So the E light electrolytes, E L Y T E keeps me hydrated, like no joke. So I just add this to plain water. Um, and it's so easy. It's like, it doesn't really taste like anything. It's just an easy add. I have it out on my counter. So I do it every single day.

28:06Okay, and the next item in my stack is trace minerals. So they're remineralized. It's like a little dropper. I just put this also in my water. This one is very underrated. You're like trace minerals, who cares? Modern agriculture has stripped our soil. So we are mineral depleted. You know, we are not getting it from our fruits and vegetables at all. So we need to supplement. So remineralize provides like 70 or more macro and micro minerals that your body needs. It's incredible. Literally, I just do like two droppers full of my water, you cannot taste it. And it supports cellular communication, enzyme function, and all the background processes that keep pregnancy running really, really smoothly.

29:03So I am a believer, I love it. I actually put it in my water as well. It's phenomenal. Okay, last two pieces of my stack, especially in this third trimester, magnesium and calcium. So baby's pulling from my calcium stores, we're building bones, we're doing all the things, you know, I want to make sure that like my calcium levels are okay postpartum. So I pair that with magnesium, there is just a balancing of these minerals in the body. So if you have too much calcium, not enough magnesium, it's not good. if you have too much magnesium, not enough calcium. So check out like just guidelines around that.

29:49But I have magnesium every night. I like the we natal magnesium. I also love the Peori magnesium.

29:58Yeah, they're both phenomenal. I take it before bed. And I will pair it with one capsule of my calcium, which I think I get from Thorne. But again, do your own research, do what's best for you. None of these are like, I've done my own research and this is what I've chosen. So that is my stack y 'all. That is what I am taking every single day to review. I am taking my we natal prenatal. I am then just really supported with my body bio stack. This is like the pregnancy essentials, the PC oil, the balance oil, the, uh, resolvin, the, um, e light and the trace minerals that I love so much. And then I take magnesium and calcium.

30:45It's phenomenal. I'm trying to think what we have codes for. I think we have codes for Peori still. So try almost already a Peori body bio, body bio, you can use the code Lindsay and you will get a discount. I asked them because I was like, I'm going to be a believer. So if you want to give my my girls out there discount. So you can use the code Lindsay. Okay, next, I want to talk about body work. Body work. This is one of the biggest ones I'm doing differently this time around. I definitely worked out during my pregnancy. The first time I felt like that was very beneficial in my birth and postpartum recovery.