On the podcast this week we are talking all about prenatal nutrition with THE prenatal nutritionist on Instagram, Haley Miskowiec. We dive into the common not normal symptoms in pregnancy and how you deserve to feel healthy and well. Your body was made to do this but you might need a little bit of guidance to feel healthy and well. You have a resource here with Haley to nourish you and your baby through your pregnancy. Our bodies, lives and every part of us grows through pregnancy. During this interview with Haley we talk about fear and anxiety around eating during pregnancy, how to ditch Dr. Google, be adaptable, common not normal symptoms and weight gain and body image in pregnancy.
Heads up before we dive in…
For anyone who has struggled with eating disorders, body dysmorphia, or anyone triggered when it comes to talking about things like health, eating, weight gain, feel free to hit pause on this episode and fast forward to the next episode.
Fear & Anxiety
Anxiety around food for pregnancy. Women are sick of feeling miserable and lost with what to eat during their pregnancy. Haley receives direct messages and comments from pregnant women that are at a loss and don’t know what to do to have a healthy pregnancy. With all of the fear mongering around what not to eat in pregnancy it is leaving women in a place of avoidance and anxiety when it comes to deciding what to put on their plate.
We need to give pregnant people more direction. A great example we talk about is consuming fish. Providers tell pregnant people to avoid fish with mercury, so women avoid fish. But really eating fish in pregnancy can be very beneficial and provides essential nutrients for pregnancy.
If you are dating Dr. Google, you should just talk to Haley!
Second guessing everything and going to Dr. Google to make decisions about what we can and can not eat during pregnancy vs. seeking out personal support.
The first trimester we usually do not let other people know that we are pregnant and do not seek out care with our provider until 8-10 weeks pregnant which is the majority of the first trimester. The first trimester is a critical time to be flooding your body with proper nutrients to sustain and have a healthy pregnancy. There is so much you can do to set yourself up for success even prior to the first trimester before you are even pregnant. I didn’t even find out I was pregnant until about 5 weeks.
Haley enjoys putting together personal plans that help you adapt and surrender to what your body needs during this time. Aversion to broccoli? No problem. Black beans giving you too much gas? Haley can help support you where you are at. It is not one size fits all. Setting up an individual plan helps to support you where you are at. Maybe you are low in iron or vitamin D, rather than just supplementing you could find a whole foods approach.
“Something that serves you in your first trimester, just might not serve you in your second trimester. That is just the reality of being pregnant.”
– Haley Miskowiec
Be Adaptable
Pregnancy is a temporary period of time where your body might need different things than it normally does. It is important to be adaptable and go with the flow, but also have a sound supportive plan.
“We disconnect so much from our body… Our bodies tell us a lot if we are just given the skills to listen to what it needs.”
– Haley Miskowiec
Common not Normal
Experiencing symptoms in pregnancy? Let’s get to the root cause of why this is happening for you. This is very individual. There are general things that can help manage pregnancy symptoms. Example: If you are experiencing nausea in pregnancy you can supplement B6, drink ginger tea, etc. But our bodies are not robots and it is important to get to the root of why you are experiencing nausea. Nausea in pregnancy is common but not normal. Constipation, Nausea, Low iron, low energy, swollen ankles, GI issues, mental health symptoms, brain fog or sleepless nights are all common but not normal symptoms. We do not need to suffer through common symptoms that are not normal.
There is a normalization of complaining about pregnancy and the array of symptoms. You deserve to enjoy the pregnancy journey and feel vibrant and well. Enjoying this chapter is so empowering when you have support like Haley’s in your corner. Motherhood doesn’t equal suffering. Both, and can exist and it is important to share the good.
Weight Gain in Pregnancy
Our bodies are not robots when it comes to weight gain. Weight gain recommendations do not take in consideration your unique pregnancy and body. Your body is building a new organ, the Placenta and weight gain is essential for a thriving pregnancy. It is one piece to a massive puzzle. It is normal to see plateaus, spikes and a variety of different ways to gain healthy weight. Being focused only on numbers takes away from your joy in pregnancy. Working with a seasoned and experienced dietitian like Haley can help you navigate this with mindfulness and the empowering mindset that will support you and your baby.
Come back to your WHY when it comes to your weight gain and body image during pregnancy. For me, I like to focus on my why so I can shift my focus back onto my body and the pregnancy with my baby.
“Write down your WHY and pin it up on your mirror so you can see it every day.”
– Haley Miskowiec
About Haley, the Prenatal Nutritionist
Haley is a registered dietitian nutritionist who was born and raised in Minnesota. I help expecting mamas have a healthy, feel good pregnancy by helping them eat confidently to grow a healthy baby & feel good in their pregnancy body.
After my dietetic internship, I began my career with the Women, Infant, and Children program which is where I fell in love helping expecting mamas achieve a healthy pregnancy. After seeing hundreds of expecting mamas, I started to see a pattern that they were coming into their appointments with me confused, scared, and misinformed about how to apply what they had been told at their doctor appointment to eating to achieve a healthy pregnancy along with how they could simply change what they were eating to help them manage the symptoms they were experiencing.
As a new mama myself, I know how hard it can be. I formally spent HOURS searching support groups, instagram, and google trying to figure out how to start my pregnancy journey shortly after my husband and I discussed when we were going to start our family. I figured with the knowledge I have gained working with thousands of expecting moms preparing for this would be a breeze. Though to my surprise, my searches only led me to all kinds of conflicting and confusing information on preconception nutrition, when to stop my birth control, nutrients birth control depletes, how long it would take for us to get pregnant, etc. I began to worry that we should have started planning sooner. So, I acted and began using my research skills to compile the latest up to date information figuring out it didn’t need to be this complicated
I now simplify nutrition information to help expecting mamas understand how to eat to have a healthy baby. In addition, I help them manage morning sickness, nausea and avoid unnecessary weight gain to achieve a healthy, feel good pregnancy.
