We hold an innate strength within us that gives life. 

For new mothers, mothers to-be, seasoned mothers and skeptical ladies, let us rejoice in the beauty and miracle that is childbirth. Let us tune into the strength of being a woman and collectively feel empowered to listen to our bodies, to trust and know that our bodies will know exactly what to do when it is ready to do so. We asked 10 mothers three questions to help them reflect on their own intimate birthing experiences and share with us some wisdom they have learned.

// Tuesday Bacich // 

Location | Sacramento, CA
Profession | Graphic Designer and Marketing Director
Where To Find Her | Tuesday Says (A Motherhood Journal)

What advice would you offer to new mothers that you wish you had known about caring for yourself throughout your pregnancy? 

“Be nice to yourself. Stop comparing your journey or values to other parents. You don’t need to read all the books, or FOLLOW the book rules. You will be given exactly what you can handle, and that blessing will transform your whole life in a positive manner. YOU CAN DO IT.
It’s okay to talk about the hard stuff, it’s real and we all go through it. If you are experiencing any prenatal depression, make sure you share your feelings with someone, they care. Splurge on self care. YOU ARE WORTH IT.”

// Nicki Wong // 

Location | Los Angeles, CA
Profession | Freelance Writer and Reiki Healer
Where To Find Her | Nicki Wong on Instagram

Were there any remedies (or daily rituals) that helped your body and soul find peace and balance during the prenatal process?

“I enjoyed giving myself guilt-free indulgences to nap when I needed more rest, to go to prenatal yoga and swim classes when I felt like being active. Taking walks and being in nature all helped to center and ground me in peace and beauty. Guided meditations and hypnosis for childbirth also helped me to connect with my baby and made me feel excited and relaxed about me and my baby’s upcoming birth journey.”

// Cat // 

Location | Portugal
Profession| Homesteader, Gardner & Herbalist
Where To Find Her | The Olive Trees + The Moon

Were there any remedies (or daily rituals) that helped your body and soul find peace and balance during the prenatal process?

“I was blessed with a very smooth and peaceful pregnancy (once all the throwing up was done that is). I think what helped me the most was staying very active during the whole pregnancy. Gardening, picking fruits, carrying water, walking up and down the mountain—things I did, not because I thought they would help, but because they are part of our daily life… Our unintentional daily rituals. But in addition to this, I got a lovely book on pregnancy yoga, which I did less than I would like to admit, and on the third trimester every day I harvested raspberry leaves to make an infusion, to help support the uterus in preparation for the birth.”

// Jessica Vogelsang // 

Location | Pennsylvania
Job | Mind-Body Wellness Coach
Where To Find Her | Mind Body Thrive Coach

What advice would you offer to new mothers that you wish you had known about caring for yourself throughout your pregnancy? 

“The secrets to a vibrant pregnancy are the same as the secrets to a vibrant life: move and nourish and accept. Stay as active as you can by taking walks, stretching and strengthening your body. Not only will this help you manage some of the literal growing pains, it may help you labor more smoothly. Next, eat nourishing meals. I was nauseated by the mere thought of leafy greens for the entire nine months. I compensated by loading up on other nutritionally dense foods like root vegetables, nuts and legumes. Finally, the most important thing you can do is practice acceptance.

“The secrets to a vibrant pregnancy are the same as the secrets to a vibrant life: move and nourish and accept.”

Parenthood is a profound spiritual training arena. Your patience and resilience will be tested at every turn. When challenges come, choose to see each struggle as a teaching instead of building resistance. Pregnancy is a great place to begin unfolding yourself into the present moment. Allow all things to come and go with patience. Dig deep roots. Skip the labor ‘plan’. Birth seldom goes according to plan, and that’s okay. The less attached you are to outcomes, the more peace you will experience both now and all the way through your parenting journey.”

// Geri Hirsch // 

Location | Los Angeles, CA
Profession | Full Time Blogger
Where To Find Her | Because I’m Addicted 

Did you take certain steps to prepare your body for pregnancy or was pregnancy a journey you navigated as it came? 

“Once I knew our general timeline, I made two doctors appointments. The first was a physical with my Internal Medicine doctor to make sure there weren’t any pressing health issues because you never know—and small things like a Vitamin D deficiency are linked to infertility/miscarriages and if god forbid there were any unknown bigger issues, you definitely want to deal with them before getting pregnant. The second appointment was with my OB for three things, my annual, a discussion about baby planning and a full hormone panel. You don’t have to do a hormone panel before trying to get pregnant, but the correct balance of hormones is essential for a successful pregnancy.

“Small things like a Vitamin D deficiency are linked to infertility/miscarriages and if god forbid there were any unknown bigger issues, you definitely want to deal with them before getting pregnant.”

I had a hunch something was off, so I specifically requested the panel. Sure enough, my thyroid was out of whack so we took the steps to get it back in order. I’m really grateful that I had the panel before trying because it would have been physically impossible to get pregnant with my thyroid levels which would have caused an unnecessary amount of frustration.”

// Dawn Michelle // 

Location | Los Angeles, CA
Profession | Founder Azuha Skin Care & Blogger
Where To Find Her | Minimalist Beauty

Were there any remedies (or daily rituals) that helped your body and soul find peace and balance during the prenatal process?

“I used to be a professional dancer, so I stayed in my dance classes until I was 8 1/2 months pregnant. Dance has always been therapeutic for me, and it also kept me feeling good in my body while I was undergoing so many changes.”

// Tamara Houghten // 

Location | Los Angeles, CA
Profession | Owner of Shout and About Gifts & Cards Shop
Where To Find Her | Shout and About

What advice would you offer to new mothers that you wish you had known about caring for yourself throughout your pregnancy?

“The biggest piece of advice that I would offer to expecting mothers-to-be is to truly listen to your body. There were many times when I felt like there were certain things that I should be doing because it’s what I had read or heard about from well meaning friends, but then those particular things just didn’t feel right for me personally. For instance, prior to pregnancy, I always loved taking yoga classes a few times per week. 

“There were many times when I felt like there were certain things that I should be doing because it’s what I had read or heard”

Friends also expressed how wonderful prenatal yoga was for them throughout pregnancy, but when it came time for me to try, I found that I was experiencing a great deal of aches and pains. In the end, it just wasn’t for me and so I discontinued my yoga practice throughout pregnancy. At around three months postpartum, I revisited yoga & have been going at least twice weekly ever since. For some reason it just wasn’t right for me during my pregnancy, even though I know so many women who have enjoyed it.”

// Hadley Kennedy // 

Location | Hawaii
Profession | Founder of Hadley Frances Jewelry Co.
Where To Find Her | Hadley Frances on Instagram

What advice would you offer to new mothers that you wish you had known about caring for yourself throughout your pregnancy?

“Don’t push the limits on what you think you can do or even what you’re used to doing. I did this too many times (especially with moving) and at the end of the day, I would regret it because my feet hurt and I would get leg cramps. Plus it’s just not a good feeling to push your body when you know it’s working so hard to make a baby. 

Learn to enjoy healthy yummy snacks that satisfy cravings. What you’re eating is making your baby! You want him or her to have the best nutrients and your body to feel good while growing a human! Lastly believe in yourself. Build excitement during the waiting process. Believe that you have what it takes to raise and fully love your little one because it’s going to be hard at times but literally the best thing you could have ever imagined!”

// Bri Towne // 

Location | Los Angeles, CA
Profession | Prenatal Yoga Coach and Nutritionist
Where To Find Her | Life By Bri

Were there any remedies (or daily rituals) that helped your body and soul find peace and balance during the prenatal process?

“I found prenatal yoga to be such a huge help during my pregnancies. It took some time and trial and error to find a teacher and a class that was actually challenging while still being safe for baby. It helped everything from lower back pain to sciatica and I was so grateful for that experience I went on to become a prenatal yoga instructor myself! When I was pregnant with my daughter (my second child) I discovered the magic of waking before the rest of the house to enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and a few moments of silence for myself.”

// Jamie Swart // 

Location | Los Angeles, CA
Profession | Nurse & Blogger
Where To Find Her | Mellow Mondays

Did you take certain steps to prepare your body for pregnancy or was pregnancy a journey you navigated as it came? 

“When my husband and I found out we were pregnant with our first baby it came as a surprise. There wasn’t much preparation that took place beforehand. We knew that we would like to have kids someday, but it came quicker than we had anticipated or planned for. A few weeks later we had a devastating miscarriage that we were not prepared for and that’s when I began to look further into ways that I could help prepare my body, soul and mind as we hoped for our next little miracle. I began to research the importance of my mental state and the extensive role that stress and anxiety can play during pregnancy.”

Courtney Jay Higgins is the Content Strategist at The Good Trade. She is also a Yoga Instructor, vegetarian, wellness and fashion enthusiast. Originally from Colorado, her soul found California when she came to get her degree in Visual Communications at the Fashion Institute Of Design & Merchandising. She has a background in telling a story through writing, creative direction and content creation. Her online blog hosts her unique perspective on the mergence of fashion and spirituality.