Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers, and welcome to this latest edition of Align Women where we are focusing on all things PREGNANCY. It’s a time, like many women, when I began to obsess over the nebulous yet very real threat of endocrine disruptors for general health but especially human fertility. A great way to avoid purchasing toxic items is to avoid purchasing items from China, which sadly, makes just about every stroller and car seat on the market with the exception of Italian Peg Perego. Any of the American-made, non-toxic items I’ve included here would be a wonderful gift for new moms in your life; Christmas is a special time to honor them.
PERSON
Let’s start with the pregnant woman…the things she consumes to feel good and be well through the blessed challenges of carrying a child into the world.
I personally enjoy the Pink Stork brand teas and morning sickness lozenges. Founder Amy Suzanne was given 24 hours to live during her first pregnancy by OBGYNs. She writes, “I continued to struggle for years until I discovered natural products that changed my life. I knew God had a greater purpose for my suffering, so I created Pink Stork in 2015 to help other women and give them hope.”
This next supplement might sound strangely familiar, especially within the context of motherhood: Colostrum. Colostrum is a dairy superfood produced by all mammals in the first 48-72 hours after giving birth. It is the first nutrition we receive and contains all of the essential nutrients our bodies need to thrive, protecting and strengthening the mucosal barriers of infants before their own barrier matures. Colostrum has been called “liquid gold” because it acts as an immune blueprint with unparalleled health benefits. To date, there are over 5,000 published studies documenting the benefits of colostrum and its ability to optimize health at all stages of life. Colostrum intake has been linked to fewer respiratory tract and GI infections in children and adults, including recent studies showing bovine colostrum is 3X more effective than the flu vaccine at preventing flu. ARMRA is a made-and-manufactured in America Colostrum supplement, suitable for supplementation during pregnancy, which may also help women keep their progesterone (the hormone that sustains pregnancy) levels up.
PLACE
Sadly, endocrine disruptors aren’t only in the things we consume orally, like seed oils and corn syrup. No, they lurk in unexpected places all over your house from dish soap to dryer sheets and microplastics in clothing.
NuAngel offers a major necessity for all pregnant women: pregnancy pillows, as well as organic cotton pillowcases, nursing covers, nursing pads, and cleansing cloths. Take 15% off your NuAngel’s purchase with the discount code USALOVE.
PERSONAGE
Finally, as this is the section where I typically like to recommend artists and authors that have touched my heart, I have to recommend the book The First Forty Days by Heng Ou. The first 40 days after the birth of a child offer an essential and fleeting period of rest and recovery for the new mother. Based on ethnically Chinese, American-born author Heng Ou’s own postpartum experience with zuo yuezi, a traditional Chinese set period of “confinement,” in which a woman remains at home focusing on healing and bonding with her baby, The First Forty Days revives the lost art of caring for the mother after birth. It is wisdom recovered from before their communist revolution, before bitterness and ugliness permeated and polluted their world, before every import from China held a well-earned reputation for toxicity.
Denigration of motherhood, and a disregard for the sacred postpartum period, is a part of the modern western world that falls short of greatness. Another book I must recommend, which aims to help women is Made For This, which connects this uniquely female physical experience to a unique spiritual reality, ultimately fostering a more positive attitude toward motherhood and childbirth in the reader. They also offer a plethora of online resources, content and community through their website linked above.
That’s it for now.
Best,
Helen Roy
