Holistic Pregnancy

Supplement aisles are overwhelming, and "just take a prenatal" only gets you so far. This episode breaks down what matters when building your prenatal supplement stack, from methylated folate and choline to iron, magnesium, and the difference between a quality label and marketing noise.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why food comes first, and supplements are there to fill the gaps, not replace real food
• What to actually look for in a prenatal multivitamin, including why Needed is the brand I trust and use myself
• Choline, the most under-discussed prenatal nutrient
• Vitamin D, omega-3, iron, magnesium, and probiotics, and how to know what you actually need
• Electrolytes and hydration, including the Just Ingredients electrolytes mentioned in the episode
• How to read a label and spot red flags like proprietary blends and fillers

Brands mentioned:

• Needed (20% off with code HOLISTICPREGNANCY)
• Just Ingredients (10% off with code TAYLORSHAFFER)

And don't forget to grab the free nutrition guide!

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*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

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NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

Dr. Laura Brayton is a holistic chiropractor and functional medicine practitioner with more than 20 years of experience helping women optimize fertility, pregnancy, and maternal health through root-cause medicine and holistic lifestyle practices. She's the host of the Well-Adjusted Mama podcast and creator of the documentary Conscious Conception: An Empowered Pregnancy + Birthing Story.

In this episode, we talk about what conscious conception actually means and why it starts well before a positive pregnancy test. Dr. Brayton breaks down how the nervous system affects fertility, why stress can signal the body that it isn't safe to conceive, and how epigenetics means both partners' health, not just the mother's, shapes the pregnancy to come. She also gets into the toxin load hiding in everyday products, the gut-fertility connection, and why she has couples do a preconception cleanse together.

In this episode, we cover:

• What conscious conception means, and why it's relevant even if you're years away from trying
• How a stressed, sympathetic nervous system can work against fertility and conception
• Why 50 percent of baby's genetics and toxin exposure come from the partner, and what that means for preconception prep
• The environmental toxins worth addressing first, and where to find better product alternatives
• How gut health and food sensitivities tie into hormone balance and fertility
• Practical ways to get a reluctant partner on board with preconception changes

Connect with Dr. Brayton at https://www.drlaurabrayton.com or on Instagram at @drlaurabrayton. You can also listen to Well-Adjusted Mama!

Ready to prep for pregnancy? Check out Real Food Prenatal!

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

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*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

Third trimester comes with a lot of decisions, all at once. This episode is a full, evidence-based rundown of everything worth doing before baby arrives — GBS testing, pelvic floor prep beyond kegels, finalizing your birth preferences, choosing a pediatrician, and lining up your support team, so nothing gets missed.

In this episode:

• The 12 things to focus on this trimester, and the "why" behind each one
• Pelvic floor prep that goes beyond kegels
• The questions to ask your pediatrician and birth provider
• Building your birth preferences as a decision framework
• Setting up your support team and preparing emotionally, not just physically

Resources mentioned:

• GBS testing handout: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GBS-Handout.pdf
• The Miles Circuit: https://www.milescircuit.com/

Download the third trimester checklist!

Want more holistic postpartum prep resources? Check out Blood Bone + Broth! 

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

The 5-5-5 rule — 5 days in bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days around the bed — is one of the better postpartum recovery frameworks out there. This episode walks through what's physiologically happening in your body and mind during each phase, what's normal, and what's not.

In this episode:

• What the 5-5-5 rule is and where it comes from
• What's physically happening in each phase — bleeding, healing, hormones, feeding
• Normal vs. concerning signs at each stage
• Why protecting this time matters more than anything else

💡 Want more holistic postpartum prep resources? Check out our postpartum prep course!

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

Most hospital bag lists are overpacked with things you'll never open. This episode breaks down what's truly worth bringing and organized in helpful categories!

In this episode, we cover:

• What you need for labor (and what hospitals already provide)
• Creating a physiologic birth environment: lighting, sound, scent, and comfort
• Coping tools that support labor, and why a doula is worth considering
• What you need for postpartum recovery, baby, and your support person in the first day or two after birth
• Paperwork and documents to have ready
• What to leave at home (aka things you do not actually need)

📚 Download the free hospital bag checklist
💡 Check out Unshakeable Birth for holistic resources and birth prep!

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

After a summer away, I'm back and using this episode to catch you up on where I've been, what's changing about the show, and where it's headed this season!

In this episode:

• Recap of my summer (I left Instagram!)
• The shifts I'm making for the show
• NEW! Topic suggestion form 
• NEW! Guest application form
• A few sneak peeks at what's coming this season

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

Hey, welcome! We're talking about my top 3 pregnancy MUST DO's today.. but first, we've got a few announcements!

FIRST..... We're taking a little break! We'll be back in August with fresh content, new guests and plenty of education to go around! In the meantime, this is a great opportunity to binge previous episodes AND/OR join the course community and get to work! Use code PODCAST for an extra 10% off.

Holistic Doula School: If you've been feeling a pull to support mothers through pregnancy, birth and postpartum but aren't sure how or where to start.. send me an email at [email protected] or join the waitlist here.

Needed: Get high quality prenatal supplements and vitamins using code HOLISTICPREGNANCY for 20% off!

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

Today, we are talking with Liz Kohut, a certified peristeam specialist. Liz stumbled upon Vaginal Steaming following a miscarriage in 2018 after her doctor suggested a D&C and she declined. Liz knew there had to be a more natural and non-invasive option. After she saw the positive effects of regular Vaginal Steaming (also known as peri, womb or yoni steaming), she decided to take the Peristeam Facilitator course offered by The Steamy Chick Institute. Her goal is to bring more awareness to this long-standing practice throughout countries all over the world in order to help educate women through the use of Vaginal Steaming with a focus on uterine health for fertility, pregnancy, pregnancy loss, postpartum as well as navigating every stage of life - maiden, mother, crone! 

You can find Liz on Instagram @wildwood_wellness_

Shop all of my favorite supplements, electrolytes and protein powders from Just Ingredients! Use code TAYLORSHAFFER for an extra 10% off your order!

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

Folate is one of the most talked about nutrients in pregnancy, but also one of the most misunderstood. In this episode, we break down what folate actually does, why the form matters, and how it impacts methylation and your baby’s development.

I’m joined by Dr. Eric Ciappio and Lauren Eisen from Balchem, the company behind Optifolin+®. We talk through folate vs. folic acid, what MTHFR actually means, and why so many women feel confused when choosing a prenatal.

We also cover how to think about bioavailable nutrients in real life, including options like Needed, which uses methylated folate and choline in forms your body can actually use. You can check them out in the show notes and use code HOLISTICPREGNANCY for 20% off.

If you’ve ever questioned your prenatal or felt overwhelmed by conflicting information, this episode will give you a more grounded way to approach it.

As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)

Choosing where to give birth is about more than picking a location. In this episode, we walk through how hospital, birth center, and homebirth settings differ, what each one is designed for, and how to think through this decision in a way that aligns with your body, your values, and your pregnancy.

We talk about how to think about safety beyond just emergency access, how the hospital model of care influences labor and decision-making, what makes birth centers different, and how homebirth works. We also cover why your provider, preparation, and support system matter just as much as location, along with practical questions to help you decide what is the best fit for you.

Kindred Bravely: Use code NESTEDANDNOURISHED15 for a discount.

If you want deeper support as you prepare for birth, our holistic birth courses walk you through how to understand your options, navigate decisions in real time, and approach your birth feeling grounded and informed. Use code PODCAST for 10% off.

Connect with me on Instagram @holisticpregnancy.co!

Got a topic you want covered? Fill out this form
Want to be a guest? Apply here

____________________________________________________________________________

*As always, this podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice.

____________________________________________________________________________

NEXT STEPS:
>> Courses
>> Email list
>> FREE nutrition guide
>> Postpartum cookbooks

 
Please consider leaving a rating and review to share the love! :)