Blossom Mom: When Pregnancy Coaching Becomes Personal

"A friend is like a good bra: hard to find, comfortable, supportive, always lifts you up, makes you look better, never lets you down or leaves you hanging, and always close to your heart."

I asked one of my dearest college friends to talk about her amazing pregnancy and brilliant child, who just happens to be my goddaughter. I wasn't expecting this. Thank you so much, Kimberly Ward, for trusting me and allowing me to witness your miracle.

I thought it would be fun to surprise my friend and wellness coach with the news of my pregnancy in person. I invited her to lunch, explaining that I had a pregnant friend who I wanted to refer. I planned for the exchange to go a little bit like this: She would order wine. I would pass on the wine (which I never do) and wait for her to ask me “why?” But… I just couldn’t wait! Instead, as she was ordering our favorite sushi, which I could no longer eat, I sprang the news on her. She was in disbelief. We both squealed and cried.

You see, I had watched her from the sidelines for years helping mothers with everything from diet and yoga to breastfeeding. I’d witnessed her getting ready to give expectant mothers massages and knew that I wanted that to be me when I got ready to bring a child into this world.

I knew that I wanted her knowledge and experience to enhance my pregnancy, however, I did not realize that I would so heavily depend on the advice of the coach. I was becoming increasingly sensitive to various odors, sluggish and nauseous. One evening, I ate fish a dinner, and had the worst morning after ever. I needed help. Seeking the help of my pregnancy coach started a journey that would change my life and the life of my child forever.

I shifted my focus to my growing baby and met about the pregnancy to discuss my expectations and to share my early concerns.

First I wanted to become a vegetarian

After the incident with the fish, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the effects of meat on the pregnant body. My doctor though it was not a good idea to take meat from my diet stating that I needed the nutrients that the meat would provide. So as you can image this was the first concern I passed with my coach. She helped me to understand the nutrition facts and gave me a list of iron and protein rich, plant-based foods to review with my doctor at my next appointment. He was impressed and approved the change. I went through the duration of the pregnancy eating only fruits, vegetables, and grains and I felt wonderful. I got in the habit of juicing every morning and found my self feeling stronger and more alive than ever.

Next, I needed to figure out why I was so sensitive

I switched my household cleaning products to natural ones to avoid the sickening odors and harmful fumes. This transition was easier than I imagined. I first started cleaning with vinegar and water and found that I only needed to add a few other items to keep the house clean. My life was changing. It was becoming more simple and a lot healthier.

Then, I started to focus on our health

I meet with the pregnancy coach once a week, where we did prenatal yoga and talked about how my child was developing in the womb. And OMG! there was a so much going on in there. During yoga, I would take in deep breaths of air and she would let me know how each breath was increasing her brain development. It was fascinating to me. I found myself taking in breaths during my day and smiling a little each time knowing that was helping her brain development.

The Good News Continued

My pregnancy coach was full of knowledge. One of the best pieces of advice, and there were many was her recommendation that I use the Baby Plus Early Learning System when I reached 18 weeks. I’m sure there has been some talk here about the system. Maybe you’ve heard about it and compared it to other systems or methods. But the reality is, there is no comparison. My child is a living example of all that’s great about the Baby Plus system. She has been reading full words and sentences since she was 3 years old. I won’t go on about it now, but you can follow her journey here.

There have been a lot of pregnancies amongst my friends since then. I’ve seen some them follow in my pregnancy wellness steps and having amazing pregnancies and others who shrug off the advice and struggle through the first few years of their child’s life.

My pregnancy coach even helped with breastfeeding and postpartum fitness after my daughter was born.

Our Bight Future

It’s been six years since I first started working with a wellness coach and I am still reaping the benefits of the investment. I am now raising an independent, intelligent, well behaved, fruit & veggie loving, rock star of a child. She continues to exceed the expectations of the teachers and the coaches who pour into her life. As for my health, I have continued my regimen of juicing, smoothie-ing, plant-based nutrition, meditation, and gentle movement. The effects have been far reaching, unimaginable, and greatly appreciated.

A Note From Blossom

A pregnancy coach is a life, health, or wellness coach, who is also a birth professional such as a childbirth educator, doula, midwife, or doctor. A pregnancy coach meets with you, typically via phone or email, to answer your questions and help you have the pregnancy or birth experience you’re hoping for. She provides education, mentoring, counsel, and insight and is your go-to for all things pregnancy-related before, during, and after pregnancy. If you’re looking pregnancy tips or other prenatal advice, schedule a session with a Blossom Pregnancy Coach today!

Kimberly Ward is the CEO of Kimberly Ward Inc., which is the parent company for Kimberly & Cameron Interiors, Pink Eggshell, and Iconic Home Magazine. Kimberly was recently named one of "Five Creative Women to Watch" by Mississippi Magazine, and has been nominated to the Leadership Mississippi class of 2015. Follow her brands on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!