I can’t rave enough about how amazing it has been to have a strong support network of providers on my care team throughout my motherhood journey. I have been been seeing most of my care team for a LONG TIME, since TTC. They have grown with me through each phase of my journey – through trying to conceive, IVF, pregnancy, trying to flip our breech baby, birth prep, and next, postpartum recovery.
To be honest, having this team in place has taken a lot of weight off of my shoulders for doing endless amounts of research on my own. I have been able to ask specific questions about my own body and experience, and have an arsenal of trusted professional to ask for suggestions and recommendations. It has felt very empowering. There are a million things to think about during pregnancy, and it can get overwhelming very quickly. I feel calm knowing I have the resources to help me navigate most anything I am going through, or someone that can refer me to someone else if need-be.
It takes a village.
This was one of my main inspirations for founding Om Mama Co. We need a village. We aren’t meant to do this alone. There are professionals that can help us feel better – from the inside out. And, everything is connected! I was honestly shocked when I started learning more about the pelvic floor through founding Om Mama and realizing how much it can impact your quality of life – forever.
I give a lot of credit to my care team for my ability to keep shooting until the final weeks of my pregnancy. If you’ve done a session with me, you know it can be pretty physical work! I am so grateful to have had the support to keep my body feeling as good as it can.
Recognizing Privilege
I want to acknowledge, though, that unfortunately most of this exceptional care is not covered by our insurance (although some bigger companies have some amazing benefits), and has been paid for out of pocket. I know that this is a huge privilege to be able to prioritize not only the time it takes to have all of these appointments, but also the finances to pay for them. I want to continue to advocate for this level of care and hope that one day many of these services will become standard for pregnant and birthing people.
My Care Team
These are just a few of the people that have supported me on my motherhood journey, and modalities that you may consider during your own pregnancy. Each has impacted my health and wellbeing in different ways, and I am so grateful for the care and knowledge they have shared with me!
Chiropractor: Shea of Tree of Life – Chiropractic care has been an amazing addition to both mine and Kevin’s health over the last couple of years. The balancing of the pelvis and alignment of the nervous system are key components for conception and pregnancy. Not to mention, it just feels GOOD to have your back + other joints not aching all the time! (Kevin has found it especially helpful since taking up a Covid hobby of mountain biking). Shea is also Webster trained and was able to provide extra expertise as we attempted to flip Fitz. Babies can also greatly benefit from chiropractic care, and we look forward to taking Fitz for an adjustment earth side!
Acupuncture: Dana of Esva Healing – Acupuncture has been a very meditative and healing process for me. Whether it was during TTC or beyond, Dana has helped me feel calm and centered. Acupuncture is also recommended in spinning baby efforts, and I was happy to have Dana on our team. Dana also does some cupping during sessions which has been a relief for my achy upper back muscles!
Pelvic Floor PT: Nicole of Solfuel Wellness + Allison of Body Motion PT – I wish I could shout the importance of pelvic floor physical therapy from the rooftops!! I saw Allison before getting pregnant, and she provided excellent care and information on not only TTC, but also working to alleviate some of my long standing hip pain/mobility. Nicole has been a total rockstar during my pregnancy and helped make sure my body was in alignment and ready to carry this baby (and the extra weight that has come with it). Nicole has also been so helpful in birth prep – both in learning how to push, and now with early c-section recovery support. I really appreciate her vision for re-building my strength after baby, too, and I look forward to continuing to work with her!
Massage: Meghan Devonport – Massage is not only relaxing, but damn near essential during pregnancy! Each month brings new aches and pains, and having a trained prenatal massage therapist in your arsenal is amazing. I especially appreciate the emphasis on my low back, calves and feet, which have been particularly tight during pregnancy.
Doula + Birth Photographer Julia Kinnunen – There are many statistics around the benefits of doula support during birth. Neither Kevin nor I have been at an actual birth, so part of our inclination for having a doula would be to help navigate the process, advocate for our preferences, and help support Kevin so that he can support me. Julia was actually the first person I ever talked to about Om Mama, and I was inspired by how she was weaving birth photography with doula work. She is a dear friend and I am so grateful that she will be able to be with us, and provide support, even with our scheduled c-section! Doula support goes a long way in helping people have a better birth experience.
Fitness: Kat of Pronatal Support – I took virtual prenatal classes with Kat during the month of August (28-32wks pregnant). It was around this time that my capacity for exercise was starting to shift, I was getting some new aches and pains (hello pelvic pain!) and I found a lot of relief in trusting Kat to answer my questions, provide modifications, and still give me a good workout. Kat is also a childbirth educator and doula and I was honestly amazed at her wealth of knowledge!
Therapy: I have been seeing my therapist since before we started trying to get pregnant. Probably going on close to 3 years, now! I had hit a feeling where I knew I wanted to be in a better headspace before TTC, to feel more whole and understand myself better. I can’t recommend therapy for *everyone* enough. I have navigated literally everything with her over the last few years. Sitting with and processing emotions, both current and past, is invaluable. Kevin and I are both thankful to have therapists that we are currently seeing to help us through this transition to parenthood. Both of our therapists were personal referrals, but Psychology Today is a good place to start if you’re looking for someone.
Spiritual: Jess McKeown – Jess is a medium that specializes in connecting with baby spirits. I had a session with her before we started at our first fertility clinic, in our earlier days of trying to conceive. In our session, Jess encouraged me to let go of some stress and anxiety that may be blocking our conception which was healing in its own way. The fact that she could connect with our spirit baby, gave me a lot of hope that I didn’t realize I was needing. And hey, whether you’re into this sort of thing or not, it is pretty cool that she said our baby boy would arrive in October 🙂
I also wanted to give a shout out to Stephanie Hunter Dines, a Reiki master, that I saw a few times throughout TTC + pregnancy. My most recent session during pregnancy was a beautiful way to feel calm, centered and connected to our baby!
Again, I know not everyone may be able to see *all* of these amazing providers, but I do encourage you to seek help and advocate for what you need, not only during pregnancy, but in life!
HUGE shout out to my incredibly talented friend, Betty, for taking these gorgeous photos of us up at Mount Baker! Betty specializes in adventure elopements, and does an amazing job at capturing couples amidst the beauty of the PNW. I met Betty through the wedding industry many years ago, and I am so grateful to have her and her family in my life! You can see their second baby boy’s newborn session on my blog here! Thank you, Betty!
You can read more about my other pregnancy resources + recommendations on the blog here! Questions? I’m always happy to share my experience – please don’t hesitate to reach out! 🙂
