Review: The Healthy Baby Code

Today on the blog, we have a review from Monica on Chris Kresser’s Healthy Baby Code. She had heard about this resource through a number of podcasts and was eager to incorporate Kresser’s recommendations as her and her husband prepared to grow their family. Check out her review below, complete with a look into first pregnancy and why she focused on creating a different experience her second time around.

Monica originally began her work with our team as our Assistant this past spring and summer, and now supports The Paleo View through guest scheduling, sound quality checks and show note preparation. 

She can be found on her site, From My Plate, on her Twitter feed and Instagram album

 ♥♥♥

Last spring Dan and I decided that it was time to grow our family of three to four. Hello world of “trying”.

We were fortunate with our first born to simply be surprised with the wonderful news of a baby on the way. Actively trying for a baby was a whole different game, and incredibly intimidating!

After a couple months with negative test results, Dan and I decided that it was time for some positive reinforcement.

Several times on Rob Wolf’s podcast he has referred listeners to Chris Kresser’s Healthy Baby Code when navigating the path of making and raising paleo babies. We immediately thought of this resource and were fortunate to receive a copy to review.

We received an email with our account log-in information, and had access to Core Modules, Bonus Content and Cheatsheets from our main landing page.

Before digging too deep into the content, I printed off the Food Plan from the Bonus Content page.

HealthBabyCodeReviewbyPaleoParents1

The additional materials on the bonus content page include a 2-week meal plan, audio FAQ, resources guide, deep relaxation program, mindful movements, and nine steps to perfect health.

I also printed out the Shopping Guide from the Cheatsheets page.

HealthyBabyCodeReviewbyPaleoParents2

The other materials on this page include what to eat, essential nutrients, good fats, bad fats, shopping guide, personal shopping list, snacks, travel and eating out, and living gluten free.

After reviewing the materials I felt good about where we were at. Our knowledge on the why and the how of paleo had come so far since our first pregnancy, and I felt confident that we could have a much healthier experience.

Dan and I saved the modules for our summer road trip and listened to them together during our long drive.

HealthyBabyCodeReviewbyPaleoParents3

We geeked out over the science, and enjoyed evaluating our first pregnancy together. It was a great opportunity to discuss our goals for this second pregnancy and to get on the same page about our family’s health as a whole.

So let me take a step back and explain a bit on why we needed some support on how to have a healthy pregnancy.

Before we became pregnant with our son we were living a primal lifestyle for weight-loss. On the weekends we flexed our mode, counting that time as our “20%” and enjoying products that were only promoting the inflammation we were dealing with. Our why for primal at the time was so weight-loss driven, that the bigger picture of health wasn’t something we fully understood just yet.

As first-trimester symptoms kicked in, I turned to conventional wisdom and listened to the standard advice that pregnant women are told – relax and eat what feels right. I gained twenty pounds in those first three months and felt miserable.

During the second and third trimester, I bounced back and forth between primal eating and emotional binges that included junk food galore.

I gained a little over sixty pounds throughout the pregnancy, and Dan gained right along side of me.

Lucky for us, our son’s health was not compromised and we had a quiet and healthy pregnancy. Our midwives were alarmed by my weight-gain, as gaining that much weight can lead to not only pregnancy complications, but labor and delivery complications as well.

After Wrigley was born I also struggled with postpartum depression and I fully believe that it was a result of the eating habits I had developed.

When it was time to introduce solids to Wrigley we were confused on where to begin – we wanted nothing but the best to optimize our son’s health. It was at that time that paleo for health clicked into place, we learned to look beyond the mission of losing weight, and changed our lives in significant ways.

As we worked on entering the world of pregnancy for the second time, the Healthy Baby Code was exactly what we needed to plant our feet firmly in our health beliefs. The Healthy Baby code gave us much needed reminders on the optimal diet for a mother preparing her body for pregnancy, what can happen to a developing fetus when exposed to certain scenarios, how to properly supplement, and finally (and most importantly) how to enjoy this time as a couple – i.e. the baby making business.

The modules were like a hug, pat on the back, and breath of relief all in one handy package.

After listening through the modules Dan and I focused on relaxation, sleep quality, and a nutrient dense approach to eating.

And it worked! In October we got our positive pregnancy test. We just completed our first trimester and I have gained a ‘right for me’ five pounds. I feel great, healthy and strong.

IMG_1083

The Healthy Baby Code is a great resource for moms who are looking to have a healthy pregnancy, paleo, primal, gluten-free – whatever your stance may be. No matter where a woman may be in her healthy living journey, the package that Chris Kresser has assembled will guide a couple through the process of creating the healthiest environment possible for making and growing a healthy baby.

For more details on my first trimester, check my site in the upcoming week. I will be sharing details on how everything has gone during the morning sickness and extreme exhaustion phase!

You Might Also Like

Shop with Stacy Toth for 20% on Clean Beauty use codeCLEANFORALL20 here