40Weeks

29/04/2025

An unexpected silver lining… following the loss of my first pregnancy, I was left heartbroken and wanting answers.

I immersed myself in researching all things pregnancy and pregnancy nutrition and discovered a fascinating fact — there’s a direct link between what you eat and getting and staying pregnant.

By conducting what felt like PhD level research, I found that key nutrients are needed at the various stages of pregnancy in order for mum and baby to thrive. And most interestingly, that if there’s a deficiency in any of these key nutrients, pregnancy complications are more likely and baby’s growth and development may be negatively affected.

Wondering why this wasn’t common knowledge, I started to collaborate with experts in pregnancy and holistic health who confirmed these findings.

Together with nutritionists, fertility specialists, naturopaths, obstetricians, GPs, chefs and health coaches, I took the latest evidence-based research on nutrition during pregnancy and built an online program designed to support a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.

It’s called: The 40 Weeks Program.

The program supports pregnant mamas every single week of their pregnancy to feel supported, empowered and informed. Think of The 40 Weeks Program as the EXPERT you can trust and rely on and your BESTIE with you every step of the way.

If you’re ready to feel in control of your health. To give your baby the best start possible. And to thrive throughout pregnancy, comment EAT and I’ll send you a breakdown of the KEY nutrients needed during each trimester along with a bunch of delicious recipes to nourish you and your growing little one.

17/06/2024

This recipe is versatile, delicious and nutritious. And a favourite among our 40 Weeks mamas. You can make it with any combination of vegetables, with or without the pesto, and produce a nutritious and tasty pregnancy meal every time. This pie is equally delicious hot or cold.

The recipe is below or follow the link below to view it on our website.

Ingredients

Crust
1 ½ cups hazelnut meal
½ cup almond meal
(130g of meal in total, any combination will work)
¾ cup (75g) tapioca flour
1 egg
80g butter

Filling
5 organic eggs
2 tbsp almond milk
3 tbsp pesto (optional)
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 red onion, finely diced
1 cup baby spinach
2 large swiss chard leaves, chopped
1 cup roasted pumpkin
100g feta (optional)
½ cup grated cheese (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

*add 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast to the filling for additional goodness and flavour or as a substitute for the pesto or cheese

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Add the ingredients for the crust to a high speed food processor or blender and process until combined. Mould the dough into a 25cm diameter pie tin or quiche dish and cook in the oven for 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, sauté onion in a tablespoon of coconut oil until translucent.

Layer greens, pumpkin and onion into the crust. Whisk together the eggs and milk with some salt and pepper and pour into the pie crust.

Sprinkle feta and cheese evenly across the top and then bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until egg mixture has cooked completely.

Serve straight out of the oven with a green salad or allow to cool, slice and pack for a picnic lunch.

*You could also make this recipe using a combination of other vegetables. For example, sauté diced carrot, green beans and zucchini and add to the pie crust with baby spinach. Or add lightly steamed broccoli florets or cheery tomato halves to your pie. We’ve made this rainbow pie so many different ways and it’s turned out every single time.

View the recipe on our website: https://www.40weeks.com.au/pregnancy-recipes/rainbow-pie

14/06/2024

When you know you want to do for your second the same you did for your first and make sure your body has all it needs to nourish your growing little one.

So he or she can have the best possible start in life too.

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During pregnancy your baby will take from your body stores the nutrients it needs to grow and develop. This can leave you depleted in certain nutrients, causing you to feel tired or low. And may affect the availability of key nutrients for subsequent pregnancies.

To understand the ins and outs of what nutrients are key and when.

How to supplement your diet with quality prenatal vitamins.

What foods are safe to eat and what foods are best to avoid.

Plus so much more.

Save your seat for our upcoming Dream Pregnancy Masterclass.

Click to learn more: https://nourishedpregnancy.com/masterclass

13/06/2024

Nothing more beautiful than a pregnant woman. How are you feeling in your body?

11/06/2024

Jessica Alba shares this about her pregnancy journey...

""When I was pregnant with my first baby, it was a little scary and overwhelming. There’s this tiny person inside of you that’s completely dependent on you. I made it my mission to do everything possible to make sure my family had a healthy and safe environment.

The food choices you make can have lasting effects on the long-term health of your children, including their brain and organ development, and even their future food preferences. Plus, how you eat during pregnancy can lay the foundation for good eating habits for life."

I love this quote from and admire her determination to give her babies the best start in life.

She's right when she says what you eat during pregnancy can lay the foundation for your children's eating habits for life. Your baby's taste preferences are influenced by what you eat while you're pregnant.

And more than that, whether or not you get enough of the right nutrients at the right time throughout the various stages of pregnancy can lay the foundation for your baby's health in the short and long term.

It's fair to say that what, when and how you eat — how you nourish yourself — throughout the entire pregnancy journey deserves your attention and focus.

And while it can feel overwhelming, it doesn't have to be difficult.

I invite you to join our free, 45 minute masterclass in which I share the ins and outs of eating well during pregnancy so that you can thrive every step of the way.

Thrive. And feel supported. And navigate with ease the foods to avoid, and the foods to eat more of.

Click the link below to save your spot for this special and informative class.

See you there xx

https://nourishedpregnancy.com/masterclass

07/06/2024

Becoming mother was a dream come true. I lost a pregnancy before I was blessed with the safe arrival of a healthy baby girl.

I know how blessed I am to be mama bear. To have enjoyed an uncomplicated pregnancy and intervention free birth.

Pregnancy can be a wondrous journey.

I know you too dream of becoming mother (either again or for the first time). And it is women like you that I support, nurture and empower through my work at 40 Weeks.

I share my story — our loss, the steps we took before we tried again; as well as how to thrive during pregnancy inside a free, 45-minute masterclass.

A class dedicated to helping you realise your baby dream.

Join me for the class today. Save your seat by following the link below:

https://nourishedpregnancy.com/masterclass-short

See you there beautiful xx

06/06/2024

You and your baby are what you eat. The nutrients in the food you eat + the pregnancy supplements you take + the stored nutrients in your body = the building blocks for your growing baby. ⁠
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During each week of pregnancy, baby develops certain bodily systems. Specific nutrients are required to ensure the proper development of these. If a key nutrient is missing these bodily systems won’t get made optimally. ⁠
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And if your diet doesn’t contain the key nutrients your baby needs to grow, baby will borrow them from your body stores. Leaving you depleted and fatigued.⁠
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The benefits of good nutrition during pregnancy are bountiful, both for your health and your baby. ⁠
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If you would like to take the guesswork out and learn more about how to improve your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby, join our free Dream Pregnancy Masterclass.

Save your spot via the link below:

https://nourishedpregnancy.com/masterclass

05/06/2024

Thank you for your kind words Bel! We loved supporting you every step of your pregnancy.

If you are craving support and belonging and empowerment as you journey towards becoming mother, I invite you to join our community.

Receive holistic guidance every single week for the duration of your pregnancy. Guidance that is based on the latest evidence-based research, trusted ancient wisdom and traditional knowledge.

Get to know me and 40 Weeks and how we can support you by joining me for a free, 45 minute masterclass.

The link to sign up is below:

https://nourishedpregnancy.com/masterclass

04/06/2024

There’s so much unknown about pregnancy. So much surrender required of us woman as we journey towards becoming mother. When we are pregnant it can feel like our body is no longer ours. ⁠
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Our body changes shape. Our senses become heightened. Our taste buds can change. And we begin to transform emotionally and mentally as we prepare to embody new motherhood. ⁠
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This journey of pregnancy can feel exhilarating and overwhelming all at the same time. ⁠
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As somebody who likes to have some control over my life, surrendering to the process of pregnancy wasn’t always easy. ⁠
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The thing that gave me some sense of "being in control" was knowing WHAT, WHEN and HOW to eat during every stage of pregnancy. ⁠
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Knowing that different nutrients are needed at the various stages of pregnancy and understanding what foods to eat in order to deliver those key nutrients to my baby at the right times so it could grow and develop optimally. ⁠
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Understanding the intricacies of prenatal nutrition gave me a HUGE sense of empowerment and peace of mind that I was doing what I could to give my baby a healthy start in life. ⁠
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If you would also like to have some sense of knowing what you’re doing throughout this transformative and wondrous journey that is pregnancy, I invite you to join me for my Dream Pregnancy Masterclass. ⁠
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Get clear on how to nourish yourself so that you can thrive and feel good and still live a full life AND so that you can know you’re looking after your little one and giving it the best start possible.⁠
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The masterclass is free. ⁠
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It’s 45 minutes and you’ll walk away feeling a whole lot more empowered and supported with knowledge you can apply straight away. ⁠
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Sign up for the Masterclass via the link below: ⁠
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https://nourishedpregnancy.com/masterclass

03/06/2024

This is a great chart by

Electrolyte foods are important for labour. When your body is in labour its working as hard as running a marathon. You sweat, your exhausted, and it goes for hours. So replacing electrolytes are crucial. But you want to stay away from the commercial drinks as they are more harmful then beneficial.

Easy and convenient options for labour include:
- Bite size pieces of watermelon, frozen is really refreshing.
-Sipping coconut water or making a labour aid with a mix that includes 50% coconut water/ 50% fresh juice of choice and a big pinch of celtic sea salt.
-Adding lemon to your water
- Snacking on fruit eg watermelon or banana.

When your in the throws of labour you don’t have much of an appetite. You crave energy hits through snacks like fruit or small mouthfuls of food. So remember to eat a meal that is full of healthy fats, carbs and protein when your in early labour and still have an appetite. A high electrolyte meal would entail wild salmon, roast potatoes cooked in animal fat with a side of Avocado.

Plan ahead for your labour snacks and don’t forget partners need snacks in labour too .

To BOOK a Calmbirth course with Bec Rogers in Canberra go to: https://calmbirth.com.au/educators-profile/?edid=191

03/06/2024

Beautiful ❤️

My parents visited when you were four weeks old. Dad quietly got to work. He cleaned our oven and fridge. The smell of Dettol filled our flat and felt like love.

Mum kept the washing rolling over and made the beds. They bought organic strawberries from a local farmers' market. "This will do you good. Get those vitamins zinging" Mum said.

They could see I was delirious with no sleep so they took you after a feed and packed me off to bed. I could hear them trying to pacify you for a wee while as I zonked out.

Dad apologetically nudged me from my slumber: "Sorry doll. He's hungry again." I didn't understand why he was apologising. I had woken up smiling and refreshed. "How long was I out for? It felt like ages" I said, as if I were emerging from a coma. Dad half-laughed his reply: "About 20 minutes".

Between feeds, Mum held you and you melted into her arms. You looked more content with her than with me. But I didn't mind. I put it down to the bigger b***s but really it was some innate calmness.

I watched her little ways. She knew exactly how to hold you. How to pat you. How to talk to you. "Tell me a wee story" she'd say as you looked up wide-eyed and round-mouthed. It felt like a masterclass in mothering that I needed to see. I had felt silly talking to you up until that point.

There is nothing quite so delicate as a first-time mum. She will never forget the way people tried to help. Those who wrapped her up in love and for a moment made her feel like a baby again.

Words: Mother Truths

03/06/2024

Stack the deck in your favour and grab a seat at the next FREE Dream Pregnancy Masterclass. Jam packed with essential information every woman on her pregnancy journey should know (but isn't being told at the doctor's office).⁠
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I've been where you are, beautiful.⁠
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Confused and overwhelmed by all the conflicting and confusing advice out there. Having dedicated the best part of a decade to learning everything I can about prenatal nutrition and organic pregnancy, I'm on a mission to inform and empower women everywhere to thrive during pregnancy and to realise their baby dream. ⁠
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I invite you to join me for this upcoming Masterclass in which I share what I wish I'd known when I started planning for a family. ⁠
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Save your spot: https://nourishedpregnancy.com/masterclass-short