How And Why I am a Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Coach
If you are new here and wondering how I got into the world of health coaching, and specifically the niche of pregnancy and postpartum, and think you will enjoy this post! I’ll get into my story, my own health journey, and why I do what I do. Let’s dive right in!
My Background
I grew up in a family where we ate at home most of the time, had pretty decent sleep schedules, and played outside all the time. Our lifestyle wasn’t perfect, but from a health standpoint it was better than most.
And yet, as I got into my mid-teens, I started to experience a whole lot of stress from various factors, and also became a very disciplined, go-getter girl. I would get up really early, work hard all day (on school work and other things), and push my body super hard with exercise.
I also began to buy into the lie that I had to be skinny. And the lie that in order to be skinny, I had to eat less. So, by the time I was 17 or so, I was exercising probably way too much, eating not enough and then getting so hungry I would binge on unhealthy food, and not getting near enough sleep.
On top of that, I was under a tremendous amount of mental and emotional stress. It all piled up on me and I started experiencing fatigue daily. And headaches… also daily. I didn’t know that this wasn’t normal - I just thought I was a “low energy” person and wished I were more like my sister, who was a "high energy" person.
By bedtime I was always exhausted, but would rarely let myself sleep in. My diet at this point was way low in anything fresh, way low in protein, and way high in sugar and carbohydrates (despite the fact that I would try to avoid desserts, until my willpower ran out and I’d overeat them!).
Finding Answers
Around this time, I started to really get interested in herbs and natural healing, so I embarked on a study of herbal healing. One thing led to another, and I found myself learning midwifery with a local midwife and a group of other teenagers that she was teaching.
I had always wanted to be a midwife, and I loved being mentored by one! Helping out at prenatal checkups, births, and postpartum checkups became a real joy and thrill to me!
Then, my brother started seeing a chiropractor for some back problems he was having, and started to share what he was learning with me. This opened a whole new world to me: the truth that our bodies were designed to work well, and that we should feel good rather than bad on a regular basis!
I read all the books that my brother got from his chiropractor. I started to eat differently - more real food, more healthy fat, more protein, and much less sugar. I started to feel better. I also started to run out of willpower and slept a lot more - a very, very good thing, even though I didn’t realize it yet!
Then I moved out of my parents’ house and got a job. Being able to buy all my own groceries was a game changer. I was eating healthier than ever before in my life, and I loved it! I wasn’t obsessing over my weight like I had been, and yet I lost some inches. I started seeing the chiropractor myself and, for the first time in years, my headaches went away!
Wanting to Help Others
By this time, learning about health and wellness was pretty much a side job for me. I still planned to be a midwife eventually, but my interests had gone now far beyond that, to understanding so much more about all the aspects of health.
Fast forward a few years, and I had my own business cleaning houses (making my own cleaners because I knew now that most cleaners are highly toxic) and got married to an awesome guy who loved to exercise and also was interested in healthy eating!
Once I was married, I scaled back even more on the crazy hard work, not enough food, and super early mornings - and I got even healthier! And I lost more weight, without intentionally trying.
The biggest factor I was now facing with my health was some stress over work. I loved the people whose houses I cleaned, but I did not feel fulfilled. I knew there was something much bigger and more impactful that I could do - and I started to really believe God meant for me to use all the knowledge He had led me to, to help others who were struggling. I talked it over a lot with my husband, and he really encouraged me to explore my options and find something that would fulfill this calling.
...To Becoming a Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Coach
Less than a year later, I was studying to get a certification in health coaching. I absolutely lit up whenever I could help others with their health (still do!), and I knew it was a great way for me to be able to do that on a regular basis.
Meanwhile, I was pregnant and studying pregnancy and postpartum and labor and birth and everything else related… and learned so, so much!
I also was anemic and very sick most of my pregnancy, which led to more learning and discoveries about what health really is and is not.
In six months I had my health and life coaching certs, and then a few months later I had a beautiful baby. Postpartum taught me even more.
Now, here I am today, still learning all the time but with a huge passion to share everything I now know about health - specifically pregnancy and postpartum health - with every woman I can!
Every step along the way, from figuring out the answers to my own health struggles, to learning about herbs and natural remedies, to gaining a lot of midwifery knowledge, to learning so much through my own pregnancy and postpartum seasons - has brought me to where I am now and given me so much that I can share with others!
I am so thankful to be able to use the gifts and knowledge that I have to help women just like you! I believe that you can experience a healthy and joyful pregnancy and postpartum. You just need the tools that will equip you to do so!
Leave a comment if you can relate to any of this, or if you'd be interested in my sharing in-depth about my pregnancy and postpartum seasons in future posts!