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13/10/2022

Got plans for a 2023 pregnancy? Now is a time to start preconception care.

You can start by:
- prioritising stress management
- cutting or reducing caffeinated beverages and cutting alcohol and ci******es
- getting your reproductive hormones tested, including thyroid hormones (blood test or a combination of blood and DUTCH)
- checking nutrient status - zinc, iron, b12, folate, vitamin D etc
- symptothermal charting to become aware of your cycle health and patterns

Need extra support? Book in a discovery call with Claudine via our website to see if she is the right person to help.

12/10/2022

Hyperpigmentation. The joys of pregnancy! Who else experienced dark spots in their skin when pregnant? 🙋🏻‍♀️

Who else does not love it though 🙅🏻‍♀️
And it is okay! Don’t feel bad if you are a mama who wants to look and feel as good as can be. I hear this a lot! I believe that mummies deserve to look after themselves too!

Anyway the last one or so months I have noticed pigmentation that I didn’t have before, around my eyes and forehead. It all came on pretty quickly. Almost like it wasn’t there one day and the next it appeared.

I have to say my skin has not been too bad during pregnancy, especially when I get sleep. No dryness (not on face anyway), haven’t noticed extra wrinkles but these spots aged me pretty quickly!

So!… I have started having extra ubiquinol (activated form of coQ10) on top of my prenatal multi. This antioxidant inhibits tyrosine enzyme which is responsible for melanin spots.

CoQ10 has been well researched for fertility and pregnancy and has been shown to reduce risk of conditions like cholestasis and preeclampsia in pregnancy and preterm births. Note: if you do decide to take coq10 please see a practitioner.

From the age of 30, your coQ10 levels start to gradually decline. This is why often women and men over the age of 30 who are trying to conceive, especially if struggling or have had miscarriages are often recommended coQ10. And in my case, at the age of 36, coQ10 would be highly beneficial for hyperpigmentation.

Other things I am doing is adding into my skin care routine the night serum which along with cQ10 has other ingredients like a natural form of vitamin A (pregnancy safe) to help with pigmentation.

I love the sun in my face! But will try to avoid that as much as possible and wear sunscreen too. And focusing even more on brightly coloured fruits and veges for that antioxidant protection. While also making sure to be consistent with taking DHA (type of omega 3) in good amounts to prevent melanin spots.

If anyone has recommendations, please do share ❤️

03/10/2022

So excited to introduce you to Claudine, a qualified naturopath, medical herbalist and first and foremost a wonderful mother to 2 teenage boys (I know, how good does she look!)

She will be taking on new clients at .nz from next week onwards while I prepare to go on maternity leave! I am grateful to be able to hand over my clinic work to her as you will be well taken care of and in good hands. We have been busy with training so that we can continue to offer consistent ways of practice and care for clients while I am gone.

Claudine’s health journey started from her frequent bouts of asthma, eczema, chest infections and gut related issues in childhood which was later diagnosed as IBS, leading her to study naturopathy.

“I also have a special interest in reproductive health which began when I fell pregnant with my first child many years ago, thanks to my Midwife at the time, who was an experienced herbalist as well. She showed me how important it was to tune into my own body, to find the confidence and trust I needed to get through the daunting child birth experience. She turned my fears into acceptance and intrigue, I was then blessed with not one, but two beautiful home births. This resulted in an everlasting appreciation of the how clever and miraculous the human body really is. I love sharing my knowledge and experiences to assist people in attaining optimal health. I particularly enjoy assisting women with general hormonal issues such as PCOS, endometriosis, PMS, irregular cycles, menopause, hormonal acne, as well as pre and post conception for couples.”

Consultation and discovery call bookings with Claudine can be made online from this Thursday.

07/09/2022

I owe it to quality supplements (a big part) for getting me through life and that includes the pregnancy phase! Please note, your requirements will be different to mine.

Here is what I currently taking:

- Prenatal by Naturobest; provides my body the essential vitamins and minerals, needed in higher amounts during pregnancy. This will cover the iodine and folic acid your doctor prescribes and more.

- Ultraclean DHA omega by bioceuticals; This has got 500mg of DHA compared to the standard fish oil which will often contain about 120mg of DHA. DHA is important for babies brain and nervous system development and reduces the risk post-natal depression.
�- MetaCholine by metagenics; an overlooked nutrient during pregnancy. Studies have shown that pregnant women who supplement with choline produce offspring who have superior cognitive function. This is because choline is a component of the cell membrane and the neurotransmitters which are messengers for our nervous system. Choline is important for developing areas of the brain involving learning, memory, and attention.
�- Iron-C by pure encapsulations. I’m always on the low end when it comes to iron, so I have taken it throughout pregnancy, every alternate day (when I remember eeeek!). Yes it is in the prenatal but iron should really be taken on it’s on for maximum absorption, especially when you are generally low in it. Adequate iron is important for foetal blood, bone, brain, eye development and reduces risk of low birth weight. However be aware that not everyone needs to take extra iron in pregnancy and excess iron can lead to poor absorption of other minerals and lead to other issues in pregnancy. You don’t want either low or high levels so do monitor your iron levels throughout pregnancy, even better yet, start before conception!

- Zinc30 by pure encapsulations; I have always needed to take zinc and being pregnant is even more of a reason I need to keep it up! Adequate levels of zinc reduce risk of impaired foetal brain development, delivery complications, post-natal hair-loss and depression, excessive tearing during birth, slow wound healing after birth, premature rupture of membranes, stretch marks, compromised immune system for mum and baby and the list goes on!!! When it come to essential nutrients zinc is involved in the most processes in the body, so do supplement if you are low!

- Calcium & magnesium by Naturobest; Compared to other minerals, calcium and magnesium are needed in higher amounts in general. Calcium and magnesium helps with uterine contractions at birth and reducing labour pain! Heck yes I am taking this. Calcium and magnesium help with supporting us through stressful times, and prevents muscle weakness and cramps throughout pregnancy.

Remember as individuals we all have different requirements so talk to a qualified practioner to see what would be best for you.

02/09/2022

With consistency comes results. As your naturopath I can only guide you and make recommendations. In the end you are the one who needs to trust in the process and do the work. This client who came to see me for skin, gut and fertility concerns did exactly that; right from the get go she felt empowered and was excited to make some changes.

Thank you to this client for letting me share her BBT cycle charts, so that you can see how a cycle can improve over three months. She was on the same treatment plan for two months until we looked at her second chart, we decided to make one little change which resulted in further and bigger improvements.

Chart one (one month of treatment):She does not ovulate in the chart (there is no sustained increase in temperature).

Chart two (two months of treatment):
This one looks better as you can see that she likely ovulated on day 14, but the temperature increase is not so high and is not sustained. The drop in temperature indicates low/fluctuating progesterone levels.

Chart three (three months of treatment):
This month she has definitely ovulated. Looking at the temperature rise, her cervical mucus pattern and when she tested positive with the ovulation kit, you can see she very likely ovulated on day 11. Her temperature maintains high after ovulation and you can see a definite biphasic chart where the temperature on left side is significantly lower than the right side.

Remember, when it comes to “fixing your hormones”, it is not an overnight quick fix. It took many months oryears for your hormones to become an issue so it shouldn’t be a surprise that it can take some consistency and time for things to rebalance.

We still have some things to work on but if you ask me, this is an example of a pretty big shift in a short time!

Need extra support with your hormones? Feel free to get in touch 🌸

With wellness,
Jacki

01/09/2022

In preparation for maternity leave:

I am taking on new clients until 29th September.

Clients who want to book an initial consultation after this date can see another wonderful naturopath who will be covering for me while I am on maternity leave (will introduce her to you very soon!).

I will be available for follow-up consults until 15th November.

Herbs and supplements will continue to be available for re-order as always.

When exactly I will be back is to be confirmed.

Jacki 🌸

30/08/2022

Along with how to put on a condom, this chart and its’ relevance is something that all women should have learnt in school!

That is why if you are a client of mine you would have seen a chart similar to this. I want you to understand what is going on in your body (or what is supposed to be); only until you understand this, you will be able to make the best, informed decision for yourself!

Remember when your hormones are in balance and is a reflection of this graph more or less, not only does this optimise fertility but your overall health. This is because oestrogen and progesterone have many many MANY functions outside of helping you fall pregnant.

Let’s simplify what is going on in this infographic! Going from bottom to top.

1) The endometrium lining is what sheds during your period. From day one you can see the end layer declines as it sheds.

2) Above the bottom chart, you will see oestrogen (red) slowly rises from day 1 (first day of your period). Once it reaches its’ peak…
3) You can see with the chart above that luteinising hormone/LH suddenly (pink) peaks

4) The rise in LH trigger ovulation, the release of the egg form the follicle (which you can see at the very top illustration). The the egg is released, that follicle becomes what is called the corpus luteum (the yellow image) which releases progesterone. WOMEN WHO DON’T EXPERIENCE THE HORMONAL PEAKS WILL NOT OVULATE AND WILL NOT PRODUCE PROGESTERONE.
Remember oestrogen and progesterone are your friends!

5) If you go down to the second chart you can see that progesterone (black) starts to rise! And both oestrogen and progesterone levels should remain high until the drop at the end which triggers your period to arrive. And the cycle starts again

6) You will notice that the top chart (basal body temperature) shows an increase in temperature when ovulation occurs. This is because progesterone is produces post-ovulation which then increases thyroid hormone which regulates body temperature! How clever and intricate is our body! If you do not ovulate you will not see a temperature rise! Often women who have issues with progesterone will have thyroid issues too.

27/08/2022

New moon musings 🌑

20/08/2022

Is it peri-menopause or is it hypothyroidism?��This is a theme I am seeing in clinic recently. Women can often be confused with what is actually going on with their hormones around the age that peri-menopause hits. This can be anywhere between your late 30s - late 40s. Peri-menopause is a phase that women go through before menopause (when you have not had a period for 1 year) and this stage can range between 2-10 years!��When women start to notice changes around this age, like weight gain, insomnia, fatigue, hair loss, low sex-drive, mood changes, menstrual irregularities and so on (fun times!), the conclusion that they come to is “Oh I must be reaching menopause.” For some women this can really be the case, while for many it may actually be hypothyroidism or a situation where it is both.

Hypothyroidism and peri-menopause look very much the same and what makes it even more confusing is that women will often start developing hypothyroidism during their 40s and often would not get diagnosed until post-menopause. �
What a ride! Any questions? Comment below.�Or if you are suspect you are going through peri-menopause and/or hypothyroidism then feel free to book in a discovery call to see if I am the right person to support you.��With wellness,�Jacki

13/08/2022

Something that I feel like should be more standard care here in NZ for pregnant women is seeing a pelvic health physiotherapist, especially when you are planning on giving vaginal birth. For me it was a no brainer since I have always had an inkling that some support in strengthening my muscles down there would be needed, due to having a weak bladder and peeing my pants and having to wear nappies till I was 6 years old! I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to push during labour eeeek 😶��I have been seeing lovely Caitlyn from for some pelvic floor support and she has given me some exercises and checking on my progress. I indeed did have a bit of weakness in the pelvic region. After assessment I was assured that during labour I should be okay but the chances of weak bladder control and leakage during late pregnancy and post-birth would be high. And actually for the first time ever I peed my un**es a bit the other day when I sneezed! That was such an unfamiliar and surprising incident! Uh oh imagine if I wasn’t doing the exercises. ��After a month of doing the exercises (even though I was doing half of what had been recommended I do) my contractions are now MUCH stronger than before and I can actually consciously control my muscles down there. Before, it was like using a foreign part of my body and I had to concentrate 150% to even slightly contract my muscles and it was so uncomfortable doing it!��Seeing a pelvic floor physio and doing the prescribed exercises gives me more confidence in the birthing process, knowing that I am reducing the risk of damage after birth and supporting a more speedy recovery. ��What were the things that you did to prepare? What kind of practitioners did you go see and found helpful, supportive and lift your confidence? I would love to know!

12/08/2022

Nesting is real! We moved homes just over a week ago, in preparation for babies arrival. The moving process was done over a few weekends so it hasn’t been extra stress for us. Although I did catch some kind of virus last week and had a nasty head cold! Tested negative for covid so was glad it was not that! Unless the viral load was low :/ but anyhow I recovered in a couple of days. Having access to immunity herbs and nutrients meant that I recovered pretty quickly! Thank goodness there are herbs that you can take during pregnancy for your immunity which are totally safe! I took, garlic, echinacea, extra vitamin C, extra vitamin D, zinc (which I was already taking) and a commonly used Chinese herbal drink called “ban lan gen” which is another herb that has no embryotoxicity and is pregnancy safe.   So yes, the move and the virus attack slowed me down a little and hence why pregnancy journal entry has been a bit quiet too! On a very happy note, we have settled into our new home, a space where I feel like it will be safe, warm and comfortable for baby and mummy who is going to be a sleepy zombie. This new baby friendly environment has definitely brought a sense of readiness for babies arrival, BUT I am still happily enjoying the pregnancy so don’t come too quick! I am not sure if, it is the pregnancy/nesting effect but I have never felt so organised. For example my clothes have never been so orderly and simplified! I have decluttered my bathroom products even more and have gone super minimalist. Maybe this is preparation for sparing energy for new born mummying? Anyone else notice subtle changes in themselves before babies arrival?

How am I in the final weeks of trimester 2 already?! 😶

10/08/2022

There is really not much I love more than supporting women in becoming mummies 🥲

Thank you Gina for trusting in our process together and having me as a part of your pregnancy journey 💕

Balanced With Jacki

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