Mama Wisdom explores the beautiful and diverse experiences of motherhood.
Each month, we feature a new mama who shares her personal journey through pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.
In our first edition, Nichola Spain shares how she prepared her body for her second pregnancy, offering tips on navigating nausea, preparing for her home birth, and using supplements to support her milk supply due to a breast disorder and subsequent reduction. She also highlights how hiring a prenatal coach helped her achieve a strong and empowered pregnancy.
We hope you enjoy this read as much as we did 🤎
1. What steps did you take to nurture and prepare your body for your second pregnancy?
Nourishing myself and my family with amazing nutrient dense foods is a huge value of mine. When it came to preparing my body for pregnancy I was really conscious to ensure I was honing even more into this to support my body to not only fall pregnant but to have a successful full term pregnancy. I am adverse to anything synthetic so using natural, whole foods and supplements to support my body was key. I looked to natural sources of essential vitamins and nutrients like Maia's liver capsules. I have a history throughout my two pregnancies of being extremely iron deficient so I would double dose my liver supplements, knowing my body will only take what it needs and excrete the rest. I was also very aware of my cycle and this allowed us to fall pregnant knowing exactly when I was ovulating. Getting in touch with your rhythm and cycle is such a beautiful and liberating experience for a woman.
2. How did you manage morning sickness or other common pregnancy symptoms (fatigue, exhaustion)?
This was my second pregnancy and it was wildly different from my first. I felt with my first I could have remained pregnant for eons, however this time around I struggled a lot more with extended nausea until around 26 weeks and mentally it was more challenging for me too. I thankfully didn't have any food aversions this time, but focused on healthy carbohydrates and fatty foods to help with my nausea. I also was very on top of eating regularly and as soon as I woke in the morning. I tried to rest as much as I could and relied on my partner to help with our toddler. I also did acupuncture and used THC free CBD oil and full spectrum CBD balm, which has been proven to help relieve nausea as well.
This was my second pregnancy and it was wildly different from my first. I felt with my first I could have remained pregnant for eons, however this time around I struggled a lot more with extended nausea until around 26 weeks and mentally it was more challenging for me too. I thankfully didn't have any food aversions this time, but focused on healthy carbohydrates and fatty foods to help with my nausea. I also was very on top of eating regularly and as soon as I woke in the morning. I tried to rest as much as I could and relied on my partner to help with our toddler. I also did acupuncture and used THC free CBD oil and full spectrum CBD balm, which has been proven to help relieve nausea as well.
3. Did you have any special self-care routines or rituals that helped you feel more comfortable and supported during pregnancy?
My biggest self-care ritual was engaging a prenatal coach, Jo Lavin, to create a strength program for me to do three times per week at the gym. Markedly different from my first, I did lots of yoga and yin type activities, but this time I really wanted to feel strong, empowered and create balance in my body through working on my imbalances. I began my program in my second trimester when I had the energy to train and absolutely loved this period of my pregnancy. I also did regular massage with an Anatomy Trains trained therapist who is also a CHEK practitioner.
4. Can you share any resources (books, websites, podcasts) that deeply resonated with you and provided valuable guidance in preparing for your home birth? Your home birth photos are incredible!
I really enjoyed reading Rhea Dempsey's books on home birth, Down To Earth Birth Book by Jenny Blyth as well as Well Adjusted Babies (hard to find but an amazing read). I actually started off in the MGP program this pregnancy after having a hospital transfer with my first birth and decided at 30 weeks I could not continue within the system and engaged my private midwives again. It was a very interesting experience and having gone through a home birth program the first time, the hospital felt impersonal and transactional. I craved the support of women who had deep and rich experiences with birth and had an incredible and intense home birth second time around. I am so glad I listened to my intuition and changed lanes. All of the books I read emulated this.
5. Did you follow any specific dietary practices or supplements postpartum?
Most of the supplementation and dietary practices I have engaged postpartum have been to help with my breastfeeding journey. I experience low supply due to a breast disorder and subsequent reduction and so I have used a lot of herbs and supplements like goats rue, moringa and black seed oil to help with my supply. Wholesome healthy foods, eating regularly and lots and lots of water have also been big on my list.
6. As a mother, why is it important to be in optimal health, and what does being healthy mean to you?
As a mother, it is so important to be in optimal health to be the best mother I can be to my children. Children learn by watching, if they can see you living and cultivating a healthy life they will do the same. I practice what I preach, I never feed my children anything I wouldn't eat myself. I never take the easy way out and always focus on fueling my family with foods that will help them thrive. Being healthy for me goes beyond just food, however it is key, it extends to being healthy in my mind and spirit too as well as healthy in my relationship with my partner. Health in all of these areas are what allows me to be the best mother and person I can be.
Nichola and her partner Jordan are incredibly passionate about living a holistic life. They share so much of their own personal journey's online in such an honest and raw way - it's truly inspiring. You can follow along with more of Nichola's motherhood journey here @spanish_chameleon