My Perspective as a First Time Mom:

Hi, my name is Brittney Fullenwider. I am a part of the Integrative Health Carolinas Team and am one of the creators of the new course by Dr. Temple “The Holistic Healthy Baby: Prenatal Course.”

I am currently 37 weeks pregnant with my first baby, so this course could not have come at a better time for me! We have been creating it during the entirety of my pregnancy. Whether you’re a new mom or a mom of four pregnant with your fifth, this unbelievable course will ease your anxiety and hopefully let you enjoy this special time in your life.

This course is based around offering you the best of traditional medicine mixed with holistic practices.

Prior to my pregnancy, I always had a major interest in my health and wellness. I engaged in daily exercise and ate what I thought was a well balanced diet. Then I started working for Dr. Temple at IHC, and a whole new level of this world opened up for me. I had no idea what I was missing out on! Almost immediately upon starting my job I found out I was pregnant. This, of course, was wonderful news, however, it became more difficult for me to tackle all of the new things I was learning.

After learning so much from Dr. Temple, my mind was truly blown thinking about how my health and my baby’s health were connected.

I was immediately ready to dive into everything I was learning. Unfortunately, along with this wonderful news and all of my new knowledge, came the classic first trimester nausea. I suddenly began craving all the food that I ate as a child – peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, creamy mac & cheese, chicken fingers & fries, and so much more. On top of all of these pregnancy cravings, I needed to constantly leave meetings because I was overheated and nauseous.

This course was placed into my life at a time that I felt overwhelmed and apprehensive about having a holistic, healthy baby.

I was now working in a place where everyone showed up to work with healthy lunches. They all seemed to be dairy free, gluten free, etc. There were times when this made it more difficult for me to stick to a healthy diet and times when it made it easier.  Sometimes I even found myself sneaking goldfish and chocolate muffins, but other times I used their healthy lunches to hold me accountable and challenge myself to eat that “now gross smelling” broccoli.

Before even meeting my baby, I was experiencing “mom guilt.” I was anxious to have a “seamless” pregnancy and wondering what else I could do to grow a healthy baby.

I was constantly questioning myself if I was doing the right thing. I realized quickly how important self-care and patience would be throughout this time in my life. I consistently reminded myself that pregnancy is a marathon, not a sprint. What I learned was that a little change at a time could make a huge difference. Included in my self care routine was nourishing my body, movement/exercise, prenatal yoga, rest, checking in with feelings, a clean beauty routine, and getting into a regimen that would ease my symptoms.

It was helpful to have guidance from the course to have confidence in the decisions I was making. Within the course you can find a whole section on self-care.

As I moved into my second trimester, the nausea faded away and a new energy emerged. My position at IHC includes sitting at a desk all day.  I asked the team if we could initiate a 30 minute walk in Freedom Park everyday during lunch and they happily agreed! I also quickly realized I needed to nourish my body with a lot of food throughout the day. Because of that, I met with our Director of Health and Wellness to get ideas of quick and easy, healthy snacks to bring to work.

These small implementations into my daily life made a big difference in the way I had been feeling. Within the course, you can find a section to give you nutritional ideas.

Throughout this time, the IHC team, including myself, created the Prenatal Course. I gained more knowledge than I could have imagined about pregnancy during this time. What really surprised me was that I learned so much more throughout the creation of this course than I was learning at my OB appointments. My OB visits would last only 5 minutes and the only thing I would be asked is “Do you have any concerns?.” Those appointments left me feeling unsure and overwhelmed.

What I’ve learned throughout creating this course is that you have to give your body what it needs in order to provide your baby with what it needs. Sometimes that means changing your approach and learning new things!

Interested in the Prenatal Course, click here for more information.