Pregnancy is different for every woman - obviously, right? Different bodies, different circumstances, different race, different cities. Some women ‘glow’ with a radiant shine from growing a human, and some just glow with a glistening sweat from never ending morning sickness. Some women lift weights until they pop (not literally!), and some just lift their toddler all day. In a world and media full of critics, blogs, and marketing ploys galore it can be tricky to sift through the mediocre gimmicks and find some useful information on what to expect in your first three months - and some practical tools to help!

You hear: Working out while pregnant is unsafe.

You should hear: Working out while pregnant can be really beneficial for you and your baby, as long as it’s done safely.

Women have been lifting heavy things when pregnant since the beginning of time. However, this doesn't mean that you should start Crossfit Training in your second trimester, if your previous exercise record is more Crossing the kitchen to make a cup of tea Training. The obvious and most important point is to be discussing everything with your GP, so that the advice given is specifically tailored to you and your needs. Find some really good pregnancy specific exercise in your area - Prenatal yoga has wonderful benefits for mum and baby, and keeping healthy while incubating your little one is important. The general rule of thumb is to not be taking up anything when pregnant that you haven’t already been doing - the super fit mums who are lifting olympic weights on Instagram have been doing this for a long time pre bubs, and have most definitely been cleared by their doctor to do so! If you’re a walker, keep walking. If you’re into gym classes, keep attending as long as you feel comfortable for. And if you’re suffering from back pain, and pelvic pain, and morning sickness then listen to your body and slow right down.

You hear: You should ideally put on XX amount of weight when pregnant

You should hear: Every body is completely different - some people might put on 5kg, some 25kg.

As long as you’re regularly seeing your midwives and doctors and are not deemed to be at risk, then it shouldn’t matter how quickly you gain weight, how quickly you ‘pop’, how much weight you gain and certainly not how quickly you ‘lose’ weight afterwards. Two women of the same height can have two completely different pregnancies and it’s fundamentally important that women are given the knowledge and power to understand that it’s not just ok, but safe, and normal.

You hear: Don’t worry, morning sickness is over by the time you’re in your second trimester.

You should hear: Morning sickness varies for everybody - the majority come good by 13 weeks, so heres’ hoping sister!

While I myself suffered not much more that a few queasy mornings until 10 weeks max, I know a friend who had horrendous trouble until the moment she gave birth. For every ailment a woman has while pregnant, there is another woman suffering more, or not at all - there is no one rule! Listen to your body and your GP and don't be afraid to let them know exactly how you are feeling - they can often prescribe you medication you think you can’t have while pregnant, to help ease the pain/suffering.

You hear: Your baby should be sleeping through by 6 weeks

You should hear: Just as women, and humans in general are different, so are babies.

It is actually more uncommon for a baby to be ‘sleeping through’ the night by six weeks than not. They have spent 9 months inside your body, and now they’re being put into a cot, away from you, with their body telling them they are hungry or tired or they need a nappy change, or simply need to be near mum. One of the worst things a mum can do is compare her baby and her situation to another mums - social media is certainly at the crux of this! Listen to your baby, to your maternal health nurse, seek advice if you wish from family and friends, but the most important and crucial thing I have learnt as a mum is to go with my gut. 100%.

You hear: Breast is best!

You should hear: Fed is best!

This is so old, and so talked about, and frankly - so outdated! We KNOW fed is best. We know the boob is brilliant, but we also know the bottle is perfectly fine, safe, adequate and wonderful. Sometimes mums can’t breastfeed. Sometimes they can for a certain time. Sometimes - heaven forbid - they don’t want to. If a baby is being fed, and loved, and is thriving then who is anybody to call out a mum on that? That’s enough on that topic - it could get a little heated!

You hear: No meat! No wine! No cheese! No eggs! No fish! No chocolate!

You should hear: Chocolate is good for the soul and anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to ruin your life!

Food is a tricky topic while pregnant, and with each pregnancy I think a women probably relaxes a little more. Sure, the rules were made for a reason, but a long time ago. And they were made as a blanket rule, however western civilisation has come a long way! The reason a lot of things are discouraged is due to bacteria - and the higher risk pregnant women are at to become sick from it. Be sensible - while eating raw balinese street food should probably be scratched off the bucket list for 9 months, a good sit down (again) with a trusted doctor can help you get back to basics. Google is only your friend until you’re 3 hours down the rabbit hole and suddenly you’re being told that shredded pork on a bed of salt mixed with shards of ginger is good for you, while the sensible suzy chicken parmigiana is suddenly the devil. Common sense prevails on this
one mums.

You hear: Dandelion tea is a proven cure for conjunctivitis

You should here: Just tricking, hope you never hear that! If you do - be dubious my friend.

We believe in a few things here are Safety First - Firstly, Safety - Obviously! Secondly we believe through helping mothers cut through the marketing garbage out there, and showing you something real, honest and true. Whether through our products or blogs, we hope that you feel slightly less overwhelmed, and a little bit more empowered.