I’ve had the pleasure of knowing this lovely lady for quite some time but more recently we’ve bonded over fertility and nutrition and babies. I was interested in connecting with her for an LFJ Mama to be post because of her background and interest in health, nutrition, mindfulness and just life in general. Niccola’s mama is a Naturopath and Homeopath herself, so having someone in her inner circle to help guide her through both her first and second pregnancy is something of a bonus! 

What is also interesting about this mama is where she is in the world. She and her husband live in Africa, splitting their time between Kenya and Rwanda where they both work for NGO’s – he works in human rights and she focuses on education (creating libraries specifically). You can imagine the challenge in getting fresh foods and supplements in some of the various towns and cities they are in. She does an amazing job of packing up what she can when she visits Canada and sourcing local goodies depending on what city she is in. Niccola is currently 38 weeks pregnant at her home in Nairobi and is preparing for her second birth by listening to The Gentle Birth Method visualizations.

I had the chance to connect with her before baby number two arrives and ask her a few questions that I thought would be interesting and valuable to share. It’s always so interesting to me to hear about how other women got themselves ready for pregnancy! Nic, thank you so much for taking the time to connect and sharing your goodness with all of us! We can’t wait to meet your new tiny person!

LFJ: How did you prepare for your first pregnancy? 
N: I had had some health issues in my early twenties that led me doing a one year detox at 24 years old. I had lost my period for over a year, and both of my ovaries were covered in cysts. I was told that I was already showing signs of peri-menopause, and that my stress levels were some of the highest seen for someone my age. My mum, being a Naturopath and understanding the consequences of these results, sat me down and said to me squarely that if I ever wanted to have healthy children (or any at all), I would have to make some serious changes. 

So without the intention of conceiving right away, I went on a thorough, supervised detox and slowly saw my health and energy levels come back. This luckily put me in a great physical space two years later when my husband and I found out we were pregnant (it was a surprise for us though). That being said, as soon as we found out we were very happy. Having my mum helping me through this stage was invaluable. As a Naturopath with an obsession behind science, she knows supplements and the science behind their manufacturing really well. She helped me pick the prenatal I used, based on her research for finding one who’s vitamins, minerals etc were food derived, not manufactured. She helped guide me through other things to take, giving me readings so I understood why they were important (fermented cod liver oil combined with high vitamin butter oil, a good, natural source of vitamin C, etc)

For reading, I really enjoyed the Gentle Birth Method ( l listened to the GBM visualizations almost every night from 4 months onwards). I also read Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions book of Baby and Child care for the decisions we made within the first few days of giving birth (no vaccines, no shots).

In terms of exercise, for both pregnancies I used the elliptical machine a lot and I swam. I did yoga every now and then but lost the discipline as the pregnancy advanced. I found yoga very helpful post pregnancy though.

LFJ: Did you have any fears about getting pregnant, fertility, infertility before finding out you were pregnant with your first?
N: Absolutely. Because of the health issues I had had in the past, I didn’t even know if I could get pregnant. I was very lucky that without trying it happened, but I did always wonder, as I had been warned that it may not be possible for me.

LFJ: Did you do anything different for your second pregnancy?
N: If anything, I did a little bit more for this pregnancy because I felt more tired. In traditional cultures, women space babies out 2.5-3 years apart, to give their bodies a chance to restore and gain their reserves back. I became pregnant with our second only 8 months after giving birth to our first, and I knew I would need to do a lot of work in terms of consuming nutrient dense foods to make up for the close spacing. 

I have been taking bee pollen, desiccated liver capsules, colostrum capsules, in addition to the supplements I normally would take during pregnancy/breast feeding (the multi, cod liver oil/high vitamin butter oil, a buffered vitamin C, an alkalizing green powder, a fermented greens powder, and magnesium). It’s a lot, but I figured if it helps even a little, it’s worth it. 

For both pregnancies I did drink quite a lot of nettle tea and raspberry leaf tea. From time to time, I also swallowed small frozen cubes of raw beef liver – that was probably the most unappealing of all the things (definitely made me gag) – but so good for energy levels, iron levels, and building up a strong placenta. 

I’ve also consumed more fermented foods during this pregnancy to really strengthen the colonies of good bacteria in my body (kombucha, kefir, kimchi, etc). Passing through the birth canal and picking up all the good bacteria there is the first inoculation a baby gets. This along with a mothers colostrum becomes their immune system, so you would want it to be as strong and healthy as possible, especially living in Africa where disease and sickness is more widespread (e.g. an infant with weak immune system getting malaria can be fatal).

LFJ: Do you have a favourite fertility food or supplement/vitamin/mineral/recipe?
N: Fermented cod liver oil with high vitamin butter oil would be one. I find it disgusting, even though I take it every night, but it really made a difference for me (balancing body systems, but also skin, hair, etc). Caviar on buttered toast is another favourite of mine.

LFJ: What do you do to slow down and take time for yourself?
N: Definitely reading a book. I love to read and always have a book going. Sitting quietly with my son and witnessing him in play is also incredibly soothing.

LFJ: Did you have any favourite books that you read before or during pregnancy?
N: Bringing up Bebe and Bebe by the Day were favorites of both me and my husband. We really liked the laid back, French approach to child rearing and it definitely worked for us (getting your baby to sleep through the night early on, getting them to eat a wide variety of foods, etc). Immediately after giving birth, The Happiest Baby on the Block was recommended to us, and we followed those tips like a religion (the 4 S’s). Swaddling for us was a lifesaver. The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth was also really helpful for me – it gave me the confidence and courage to insist on no intervention (though I did have to be induced at 42 weeks).

LFJ: Do you have a favourite or helpful mantra?
N: ‘This too shall pass’ was definitely one that popped into my head several times while in labor.

LFJ: What is your favourite memory about being a new mum to Thayer when he was first born?
N: While in labor, my husband and I didn’t have that many moments of connection because I completely retreated within myself. I wasn’t expecting to be like that in labor, but that was how I handled the pain. After giving birth, I was so tired and out of it (it was over 32 hours), but I distinctly remember being really disappointed, to the point of feeling guilty, that I didn’t experience the adrenalin, endorphin rush I had read so much about. When they handed Thayer to me immediately after being born (we were still in the tub), I was in awe of him, but all I could think about was how much pain I was still in. This was the early morning hours, and I was taken back to the hospital room so they could manage the heavy bleeding, and then they put us all to bed.

Before they had even finished stitching me up, my husband, as the nurse noted, had ‘passed out like a drunk on the floor’ – quite literally on the cold tile floor, without even a blanket.   But I do remember so clearly waking up the next morning, and seeing my husband gazing over our baby, completely lost in bliss and happiness. It was one of the most special moments I have witnessed.

LFJ: Do you have any advice you would give to ladies who are starting to think about getting pregnant?
N: Your body is like a house – clean it up. Make sure it is in pristine condition before you conceive. It is so important to give your babies the best start in life, and with all the environmental toxins in our surroundings now that weren’t there when our parents were pregnant with us, we need to make an effort.
Besides that, have faith, take it easy on yourself, love your body, and make sure you and your partner have a loving, strong relationship because the rest is a roller coaster.

If you’re interesting in following Niccola’s travels and adventures with two babies, you should check out her blog here!