Nurtured Mama

20/03/2023

My journey to healing as I prepare for my upcoming birth 🤍

Trigger warning: I share my experience with baby loss.

I was expecting to come out of my January holiday guns blazing, ready to start supporting mamas through their pregnancy journey. But there was so much resistance, and I couldn't understand where it was coming from - I soon found out why.

Around that time, I was hitting my third trimester, and it suddenly dawned on me that my upcoming birth was quickly approaching. This coincided with the approach of February - a big month for me personally. One year since I welcomed and unexpectedly lost my beautiful wee son Ollie at birth.

I knew I couldn't give 100%, so I pulled back, surrendered to what was showing up and focused on my healing journey.

While I was pregnant with Ollie, I was inspired to work with mamas through pregnancy, and it now it feels right to share our story.

So here is my journey to healing what was the most magical turned most heartbreaking day of my life 💙🕊

22/01/2023

27 weeks! And how I’m feeling post holidays. 

🫀Wasn’t loving the heart palpitations - reduced stress and increased iron 

💩Wasn’t loving constipation - removed holiday food triggers, increased nourishment and hydration

😫Wasn’t loving joint/hip pain and leg cramps - less inflammatory foods, more movement and more magnesium

🤍Loving early morning and sunset ocean swims

🤍Loving cold summer fruits

🤍Loving yoga and moving my body

🤍Loving dark chocolate

🤍Loving being, not constantly doing - still a ‘muscle’ in training

🤍Loving nourishing my body after a little overindulging

🤍Loving acupuncture - thank you

🤍But most of all I’m loving the opportunity to connect with you daily and the feeling of your kicks getting stronger and stronger

I feel a very a special bond growing and I just can't wait to meet you 💓

How are you feeling post holidays? 

Amy xx

23/12/2022

Christmas is literally around the corner! How did that happen?? Once again, it has crept up on me.. Anyone else?

So the festive foggy fatigue… Put your hand up if you often come away from the festive season with headaches, fatigue, feeling sluggish, brain fog and often go into an afternoon crash on Christmas day, or what we typically refer to as a food coma!? A big contributing factor is from the over consumption of refined carbohydrates, sugar and alcohol, and dehydration.

I’m not saying avoid these foods, (well if your’re pregnant, obviously the alcohol). At this time of the year, I’m all for indulging a little! But over the past few years, I’ve implemented these simple tips, which have really helped me maintain my energy and reduce the festive foggy fatigue.

This was me in the past…
🥐 LOVED a breakfast croissant with cranberry, brie and ham!
🍫 It’s Christmas, chocolate at 9am is totally allowed!
And it is.. But..

BEFORE I tuck into any sugary foods, I will be starting my day with plenty of protein, fat and fibre. This will set me up for the rest of the day, reducing the constant sweet cravings, headaches, fogginess and reduce the chance of a heavy afternoon slump.

I’ll likely start the day with a smoothie bowl, here's some ideas below on what you could create. You dont need everything just use what you have on hand and make sure you add plenty of protein and fat, not loaded with sugar.

• Frozen berries and half a banana
• Protein - collagen powder, quality vegan protein powder or full fat unflavoured cow or goats yogurt
• Chia seeds, flax seeds or h**p hearts
• Dash of cinnamon
• Coconut yogurt
• Add in some veggies! Spinach, cucumber, zucchini, or cauliflower (pre steamed then frozen, this adds very little flavour!)
• Milk of choice, start small and add more as you need to get the thick texture

My favourite toppings are strawberries, peanut butter, cocoa nibs, goji berries and coconut flakes. Get creative!

Swip across to see the 4 simple tips and remember enjoy your day, guilt free!

Amy xx

15/12/2022

Choline is Pregnancy 🥚

Are you getting enough? If you regularly consume eggs and/or liver it’s likely you are. If not, it’s a nutrient you may want to pay more attention to.

So, why is it so important? Choline is part of the B vitamin family (as is Folate - B9) and plays a similar role in preventing neural tube defects. Not only that, it’s crucial for baby’s brain development. These two major developments happen in the first and third trimesters, so this is when needs are most important to consider.

Eggs are by far the best way to get your choline intake. 2 large eggs will give you about ⅔ of your daily needs. Liver is also a great source (it needs to be grass-fed!). However, it’s best not to eat this amount of liver daily, it should be consumed in moderation.

There are other food sources that contain choline, swipe across to see more, along with dairy products, nuts abd seeds. However, in much smaller doses. I recommend eating eggs most during pregnancy. If you don't eat them at all, and there isn't sufficient amounts in your prenatal multi, then a supplement should be considered.

There are many ways you can incorporate eggs into your diet other than your typical poached, fried or scrambled at breakfast. Boil them for an easy snack, add them to baking, make an omelette, a frittata or fritters, poach in a shakshuka, or with the festive season approaching, make the old school curried eggs! 😆 So many options.

Reach out if you have any questions, always here!

Amy x

27/11/2022

Vitamin D in Pregnancy 🤰

☀️As it gets warmer here in the southern hemisphere, I thought it would be a great opportunity to share why Vitamin D is so important in pregnancy. Swipe across to see the benefits for mama and baby

🌏Concerningly, more than 50% of women globally are deficient in Vitamin D! Despite this global health problem, unfortunately, in many countries, Vitamin D is not routinely tested

☀️The sun is our best source. However, most are not getting adequate exposure, and as we all know, we need to be cautious in our climate!

🐟Unfortunately, food intake alone can be challenging to maintain adequate levels. For instance, you would need to consume a large piece of salmon, three glasses of milk and six eggs to get your RDI

💊So for most supplementation is required

💉Ask your care provider or GP if they can request this test during your pregnancy. And, if they can't, you can generally self request this through your local pathologist

And, don't be fooled by “reference range”

Consider testing, especially if you:
•work an indoor job
•generally avoid the sun
•live in a colder climate
•the majority of your pregnancy is through the colder months
•naturally have darker skin - 6x more likely to be deficient
•Following a vegan diet

Vitamin D is especially important in the 3rd trimester when baby’s bone development is at its peak and interestingly, mama’s vitamin D levels = baby’s vitamin D levels at birth

Adequate levels are also vital if you plan to exclusively breastfeed as you will pass vitamin D on through breastmilk, which could leave your own stores depleted

Even if your prenatal multi contains vitamin D, this might not be enough to replenish levels if you are deficient

How to MAINTAIN your vitamins D levels:

Food sources of Vitamin D, highest to lowest:
•Salmon
•Snapper
•Mackerel
•Trout
•Sardines
•Tuna
•Milk
•Egg - Yolk
•Beef liver

You know your skin and climate better than anyone, if you think it's safe to do so, in the warmer months spend 10-15 minutes in the sun between 11am and 2pm - this needs to be full body exposure to obtain adequate amounts. Just 5 to 7 minutes on each side.

If you have any questions, reach out!

Amy x

13/11/2022

Hello! My name is Amy. I’m the face behind Nurtured Mama. Here's the “short” version intro to me and why im here..

I love all things food and how it brings people together ❤️
I love a good dose of beauty from nature. I can’t get enough of beach walks, sunrises, sunsets and our beautiful Maunga Taranaki (you should see my camera roll 🫣).
I also love to travel, which has sadly taken a back seat, and I enjoy a holistic and balanced approach to life.

Over the past few years, I have become increasingly fascinated by how our nutrition and holistic health have the ability to heal, make us thrive and feel alive! I have been on my own healing journey, which partly has led me here.

I have always been fascinated by pregnancy and how we can grow a beautiful baby from scratch in just nine months 🥰 It seriously blows my mind how nature and the human body work 🤯 And I have become deeply passionate about this topic since becoming pregnant myself last year.

I believe nurturing a mama from the early days of pregnancy is essential for many reasons. I also love that we can set up a healthy foundation for the future health of mama and her growing baby by focusing on our nutrition, among many other things!

These passions combined with the strong inspiration from my little man Ollie 💙 led me to study with and then the creation of Nurtured Mama. I have been immersing myself in these studies for the last few months and have loved deepening my knowledge of holistic health and pregnancy support. I'm in the final stages of completing my Nutrition Consultant Certification and will soon be able to support mamas holistically through this magical journey. And I cannot wait!

Until then, thank you for being here! I hope you find the information I share insightful and useful. And please feel free to reach out if you have any questions...

Amy x

28/10/2022

🤰🏻OMEGA 3s in PREGNANCY

🧠 Did you know that a baby’s brain is made up of 60% fat? Specifically the Omega 3 DHA.
Omega 3s are the critical building blocks for a baby’s brain which is why this nourishing nutrient is so vital during pregnancy. Especially in the third trimester when baby’s brain is developing at a rapid speed. Building mama’s stores will pass these benefits on through breastfeeding too!

🐟 Fatty fish is the best source of Omega 3s, specifically DHA and EPA. It’s recommended that mama’s aim for 3 servings per week to get sufficient dietary intake. If not, I recommend supplementing with a good quality fish oil - QUALITY is crucial here, ensuring there are no synthetic ingredients, which can be hard to identify 👀

❤️ Swipe across to see the benefits for both mama and baby, along with the best dietary sources.

❔️Get in touch if you have any questions.

Amy xx

27/10/2022

Following on from my love of ghee, I thought I would share the reasons for my love of FATS!

I’ve been talking a lot about the benefits of balancing meals in my stories and fats play a key role in this.

But that’s not the only reason I love fats. They also play an important role in the reproductive years including fertility, pregnancy and postpartum.

It’s important to choose your fat source wisely. Here’s what I recommend to eat regularly with at least one source with each meal and which sources to find alternatives for.

Tomorrow I’ll share more on the essential fatty acid Omega 3 and why plays a crucial role in the reproductive years and especially in pregnancy.

Don't fear the FAT ❤️

Always here if you have any questions.

Amy x

20/10/2022

How to make GHEE! 💛

Golden goodness and so nutritious!

So, what is it? It’s butter but with the milk solids (lactose and casein) removed, and all you’re left with is pure fat! Fats are friends - don’t fear the fats!!

So for anyone who is DF because of sensitivity or intolerance (digestive issues), great news you might be able to tolerate ghee! For anyone who has a dairy allergy, it’s best to stay away just to be safe.

Fats are a big topic that I want to share more on. But firstly, let’s praise the Ghee. It’s my favourite oil to cook with, secondly coconut oil and tallow. All other oils don’t belong in high heat cooking. They have the ability to oxidise and cause free radicals, causing inflammation throughout the body. Sadly, inflammation is often the start of many problems and diseases throughout the body. I will mention that cold-pressed olive oil and avocado oil are also excellent choices. Still, they should be avoided with high heat cooking, as they can be damaged and also oxidise - save these for dressings! And, low heat cooking if you need. I encourage you to ditch all other industrial and seed oils - keep a lookout, I’ll be sharing more info if you don’t know about this already.

So let’s talk benefits.

💛 Ghee is packed full of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K2 essential for normal function, growth, and maintenance of tissues within the body

💛 Excellent source of butyrate, which is great for gut health, can reduce inflammation, and heal and soothe the gut lining

💛 Helps increase gastric acid, which breaks down food and also kills off harmful bacteria

💛 it’s a delicious source of FAT to add to your meals. Every meal you eat should be balanced with a source of fat

Lastly, this stuff is not only nourishing and nutrient-dense, but it’s also so DELICIOUS. I put it in everything insert; oats, mash, purees, hot cacao, baking... I find home made seems to have an almost caramel like flavour to it, YUM!

(Hint, put a little in your coffee to help avoid an energy crash later on)

It's super simple to make yourself and making it is about half the price! 🌟

What you'll need:
2-3 slabs of grassfed organic butter
A bread tin or cake tin
Oven set to 100 to 120°c
A clean jar to store it in

Method:
- Put butter into the bread or cake tin
- Pop it in the oven for 1 to 2 hours
- Once the butter has separated into 3 layers:
- Milk solids at the bottom
- Fat in the middle
- Crusty stuff at the top
- Take it out of the oven, let it cool slightly
- Scape off the top layer and discard
- Pour the top layer of fat into a clean jar
- Store in the cupboard for about 3 months or in the fridge for longer.

So, if you’ve been thinking of trying ghee, or had no clue what it was, or eating it and simply buying it - have I convinced you to get on board?

P.S. I will add that pure butter has these same benefits! But ghee has a higher smoke point hence why you can cook with it at high heat. So fear not the butter if you can tolerate dairy 🧈🐄

Amy • Nurtured Mama • Nutrition Consultant shared a post on Instagram: "GHEE GOLDEN GOODNESS So, what is it? It’s butter but with the milk solids (lactose and casein) removed, and all you’re left with is pure fat! Fats are friends - don’t fear the fats!! So for anyone who is DF because of ...

17/10/2022

I'm studying with to become a Certified Nutrition Consultant 🎉
COMING SOON!

16/10/2022

Nutrition & wellness tips for mama's