The last time we visited, my grandmother shared her birth stories with me and it was fascinating to see what has evolved in our family.  Her mother and sisters all gave birth at home.  My grandmother was the youngest, and all three of her children were born in a hospital.  My mother gave birth to me in a hospital.  I spent most of my labor at home and then welcomed Chloe into the world at The Birth Center.  I wonder what the future will look like in our family.

There is more that binds us than story, and some of what I’ve learned in recent months I am eager to share.

What I now know actually empowers me to help determine the health and well being not only of myself and Chloe, but of her children, and yes, even her grandchildren.

How amazing is that?!

Did you know that if you’re pregnant with a baby girl, her eggs are formed during the fifth month of pregnancy?

That means, among many other things, that your health, your choices and the environment that you’re exposed to during pregnancy not only affect your baby but have the potential to affect her babies as well.

It goes beyond that, because many of the chemicals that we’re exposed to these days have been found to actually change our DNA, meaning that the impact can be felt for many generations to come.

The first thing that I found fascinating about this is that the egg that I came from was actually created in my grandmother’s womb.  That connects me to her on an entirely different level than any story ever could.

The second thing made me pause.  I know that I tried to clean up my eating and lifestyle habits before I got pregnant, and I know I wasn’t where I hoped to be by the time I was pregnant with Chloe.  What will that mean for her health?  For the health of her children?

I came to realize something, and this is the message I want to share with you today.

I could drive myself crazy with guilt about what I had and hadn’t done, worry about what would happen in the future, and overwhelm about how to make a million changes that I hadn’t yet made.

That would serve no one for a few reasons, not the least of which is that stress itself is a toxin, so I’d be adding to my toxic environment by worrying too much about it!

What I decided to do instead was to learn as much as I can, to make choices that feel right for my family, and to teach with love as I share these findings with other mamas and mamas-to-be.

It’s not about feeling this sense of all or nothing.

It’s not about living life in fear.

It’s about living life from a place of joy and love, and doing what you can to set yourself and your family up for health and wellness, now and for generations to come.

When my grandmother was pregnant with my mother, most of the chemicals that we’ve been exposed to in our lifetime didn’t even exist.  It’s a whole new world out there and I’m here to support and guide you through it, whether you are still thinking of conceiving, pregnant, or are already a mama.

Are you ready to release the worry and find the joy? Click here to get the conversation started.

Peace, Love, and Wellness,