Mari Llewellyn
š¤ PersonPodcast Appearances
Hi guys, welcome back to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast.
It's Mari.
I'm actually recording from home today.
I'm in my bed.
very chill, no cameras, just my laptop.
So if you hear a difference in quality, that might be why.
And that kind of intros just what I want to fill you guys in on today.
I feel like we have a lot to catch up on.
I haven't really spoken to you guys in a while.
I miss this community so much.
So I'm really excited to be here today and in a comfortable environment.
So
I'm currently 26 weeks pregnant as of today.
He is the size of a spaghetti squash, which is one of Greg's favorites.
So we were very excited about that this morning.
I honestly feel so good.
Like I have had a very pleasant pregnancy.
I feel him moving all day long now.
I definitely feel big.
Like I feel like in the last week,
He kind of had a growth spurt and so did I. So I definitely feel like I'm bumping.
It's so funny looking back on pictures of myself at the beginning when I thought I was bumping and I most definitely was not.
But you know, it's such a fun journey.
And honestly, one of the most beautiful spiritual connections I've ever felt in my life.
Like this little human is living inside me and I just feel so connected to him and loved.
just so appreciative of this experience that I'm having.
And, you know, obviously I worked so hard to get here and it took so long that I just can't believe it.
And I'm so grateful for it.
We were in Colorado in Aspen for a whole month and that was amazing.
I was hiking every single day.
The altitude was a little tough.
Like I definitely couldn't breathe.
Trying to keep up with Greg on the hikes was so hard.
But I...
had the best time, the weather was perfect, so much nature, so much outdoor time.
And I just felt very at peace there.
And it was so fun to see friends and go into town and just have like a really wholesome summer experience.
So it was lovely.
And I'm back in Austin now.
It's so hot.
It is 100 degrees.
And I've been really delving into nesting, getting the nursery set up, probably to a weird degree, like ordering my diapers, the gliders in, the crib is in, the rug is in.
So I am definitely nesting.
I'm like obsessing about everything in the house, making sure it's perfect.
I've also been doing hypnobirthing classes, pelvic floor therapy,
kind of going on deep dives with formula and breastfeeding and learning as much as i can i'm very hopeful that i can breastfeed successfully but i want to have a formula as a backup so really just absorbing so much information when it comes to my career this is i mean you guys know how it's weird like i feel like i'm only 31 years old and have just had such a
crazy career.
I've gotten to do so much.
My life has been so crazy since 2017 and I feel very grateful to have had that period of time where I was really hustling and doing everything 110% and really like putting aside my personal needs and socializing and all of that just to focus on my business.
And I probably wouldn't be able to take a step back if I hadn't done that.
And now I'm definitely in a place where, you know, obviously I'm still involved with Bloom.
I'm on the creative call every single week.
I stop by the office.
The vision's definitely still so important to me, but I'm not in the day-to-day.
And Greg is the CEO, and I'm so grateful to have a partner who loves what he does.
And...
In terms of the podcast, I actually have already recorded this episode once before.
And it was a goodbye for now episode because I thought that maybe I should just pause the show until I was done having the baby.
And reason being...
It might be difficult to explain, but the reason I do this show is because of impact.
I care about getting information out there.
I love learning.
I want to get information out there for free for people.
I feel privileged to have access to experts and information and I love sharing it with you guys and I love interviewing.
And yeah, it's a very much an impact driven show.
I don't do it to make money.
And you may notice that this episode doesn't have any ads on it.
That is a decision I've made purely because I don't really enjoy monetizing the show and that's not why I do it.
It's like difficult to make a lot of money with a podcast and that was never my goal anyway.
So I am just here to share information, chat with you guys,
And I do need the structure of the show to change a little bit.
My mindset has just changed so much in the past couple months being pregnant.
I feel like I've waited so long for this moment to be a mum.
And I just want to soak in this special time.
I want to enjoy it.
It's a sacred time.
And I feel like...
And I had some amazing guests lined up for you guys.
And I'm really sad, honestly, because I was excited to get that out there.
But at the same time, being on camera and the way I like to interview, I like to be very prepped and prepared and on.
And people flying in or driving in, it just feels like a lot of pressure.
Yeah.
for me right now.
And I also think the concept of learning live time, like for example, my acne journey, I very much, when I had people on the show, I would ask them, you know, what do you think could be causing my acne?
How can I fix it?
And I was learning with you guys.
And that can be hard sometimes,
when you get such a big influx of information every single week from different people, it's like, okay, well, what do I listen to?
Like, I was feeling that myself.
And I don't really want to feel that way while I'm pregnant.
I kind of want to have the ability to seek out information on my own, take what I resonate with,
and sort of do it in a bit more of a private manner.
And, of course, I want to come on here and share with you guys what I'm learning.
Like, my first pelvic floor therapy session was so mind-blowing for me, and I want to share what I learned, but I think I need to sort of experience this myself, take my maternity leave, have my baby, and then come back and share once I've actually applied it, if you know what I mean.
Like, I don't feel...
qualified enough to share yet because I don't know yet.
So I hope that makes sense.
To put it simply,
I'm going to continue showing up for the show when I can, recording solos, giving you guys pregnancy updates, and maybe that won't appeal to everyone.
And in 2026, I'll come back how I used to, with amazing guests for different topics.
But for now, I just want to record at home with no camera and just kind of be really real with you guys.
So...
I hope that's okay.
It may not be every single week.
It may not be the same day every week.
But I don't want to just drop the show.
I want to keep going as long as I can until I'm too pregnant to do so.
And I just love you guys so much.
I know I disappeared a couple times this year because of IVF and whatever.
And I just so appreciate the patience that you have with me and just showing up for me.
It really means a whole lot.
So...
Anyway, just to give you guys a couple updates, as I said, I have been diving deep into nesting and pelvic floor therapy and hypnobirthing.
And I think a lot of people, when I say I'm doing the hypnobirthing class, think I'm doing like an at-home unmedicated birth, which I'm not.
I think it's so cool when people choose to do that.
And I have so much respect for it.
I think with my IVF experience, my doctor just recommended that I don't go that route because of IVF.
And I'm just feeling more comfortable about doing a hospital birth.
I have certain feelings on certain medications.
I'm open to an epidural.
We'll see.
I'm still learning, but I still want to go into my birth with a great mindset, with some techniques, breathing, affirmations, that kind of thing.
I'm hoping for a vaginal birth.
So I'll keep you guys posted.
Pelvic floor therapy was so, so interesting and I've never done it before.
I truthfully didn't even really understand what the pelvic floor was, but I learned so much.
One of my favorite facts, we were going through like my current health history and she was asking about my exercise and I told her I've been weightlifting three to four times a week.
And she was like, strength training is amazing for pregnancy.
your baby will come out with more lean muscle and be stronger and healthier.
This statistic, I may get the number wrong, but I'm pretty sure she told me your baby's also 60% less likely to develop diabetes or asthma in their lifetime.
from strength training.
How insane is that?
My jaw was open.
And she also said, obviously, you'll have a better delivery and recovery, which was so exciting.
So really, really loved hearing that.
I found that to be so interesting.
And yeah, my pelvic floor is definitely a little tense, I think, from weightlifting.
So she basically described it as it's like a door on hinges when giving birth.
Mine might be like part of the way open.
We want to learn how to open it all the way to prevent tearing and things like that.
So I'm still at the beginning, but I'll definitely keep you guys posted on what I learn.
I've honestly been spending a lot of time at home, a lot of time with Greg, walking, cooking.
I haven't been as social.
You know, going out at night is a bit of a challenge for me right now.
I get really tired.
But I've been popping to the Bloom office.
We have a new Bloom office here in Austin, which is amazing.
And yeah, I'm feeling really good.
My baby shower is in September.
I have family coming, people from LA coming.
I kind of went a bit over the top with the baby shower, I'm not gonna lie.
But I've waited so long for this moment.
I was like, you know what?
We're gonna go.
We're going to full send it on the baby shower.
So I'm excited for that.
And I'm excited to kind of have this new approach with the show.
Let me know what you think.
I would so appreciate a DM from you guys.
Just let me know if you're okay with this setup, what you think of it, if you're interested in it.
I see a lot of requests for episodes coming in and...
I feel bad that I'm not doing guest episodes and things might be a bit different but I just want to show up for you guys in the way that I can right now and I'm so appreciative again of the flexibility with that and I just love you all so much and if you're not following me on Instagram and TikTok you definitely should I'm doing a lot of live updates with my pregnancy and
everything I'm learning.
So yeah, I think I'll close out the episode here.
Let me know any requests of things you'd like me to talk about.
I'll be checking my DMs.
Love you all so much and I'll see you in the next one.
Bye.
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host Mari Llewellyn.
What is up guys?
Welcome back to the show and we are talking motivation and productivity tips.
We all have had feelings of motivation before, but they don't stay very long.
Motivation is a fleeting feeling and discipline is a consistent habit that allows you to take action even when you don't feel like it.
It's all about building habits that you do regardless of whether you feel like it or not.
This will allow you to do anything in life.
When I first started my journey,
I struggled to wake up early because it was new for me.
I struggled to pass up a sweet treat because that was new for me.
I struggled to get to the gym when I was tired or it was cold.
I struggled getting in all my steps because I didn't want to.
I struggled driving back and forth from New York to Philly to get my degree.
I struggled sitting at the
But after a while, I stopped even thinking about it.
It stopped being a choice and it just started to be my lifestyle.
Things started to feel way more comfortable.
And that's how it becomes your life.
It's how it becomes who you are.
Your habits become your new identity.
What is currently holding you back?
Is it that you need to wake up earlier?
Are you not achieving enough in the day?
Do you need to create more hours in your day?
When I first started my fitness journey and I started all these new habits, at first it was so uncomfortable.
But the more I did it, the more comfortable it became.
The more I kept my own promises, the more confident I got.
What are some things you can do to set yourself up for success every single day?
I am someone who absolutely loves the calendar.
If it's not in the Google calendar, I'm not doing it.
I like to time block.
I like to see everything that's happening from workouts to socializing to meetings to podcast recordings to vacations to flights.
Every single thing is in my calendar.
What can you do to make things easy for yourself?
For me, every time I went to the gym, I needed to bring a plan.
Otherwise, I'd end up going, feeling confused, overwhelmed, and leaving early.
Go to the gym with a plan.
Maybe you struggle with nutrition.
Go to the grocery store with a meal plan and a list.
This was huge for me when I started my weight loss journey.
looking up meals that I wanted to make, making sure they were healthy, high protein, writing down all the ingredients I needed, going to the grocery store with a plan, meal prepping on Sunday nights, making sure everything's ready to go, get yourself ready and in a headspace where things are easy to check off and easy to achieve.
It's not just about checking boxes, but doing things that make you feel whole.
When I was going through my fitness journey, yes, I was definitely eating healthy, I was exercising, I was doing all the right things, but I also was mentally improving.
I was getting more and more confident every single day, finding happiness in doing hard things.
I think this is a really important piece of the puzzle and finding tools that keep you happy is so important.
Having the power to control our time, our minds and get the most out of our days is
It's really one of the most powerful tools we have.
I don't do things lightly.
Damn.
Like you're competing for something.
But that's...
Can you speak to, like, did you feel any intimidation or insecurity walking into an environment like that?
Kind of like me looking up to the IFBB pros in bodybuilding, you were around these insane athletes, like shoot for the stars, be around the best.
Damn.
Yes.
Did you go into your journey saying, I want to lose 85 pounds?
No, no.
Oh my God.
That's the type of thing that you never forget.
Totally, totally.
And I do think like the discipline you learn from an intense workout like a CrossFit.
I mean, I was super intense for a while with my workouts.
Perhaps that's what we needed at the beginning because it teaches you pure discipline.
In anything.
Yeah, period.
You guys know Greg and I love to cook at home.
We cook dinner every single night and I'm obsessed with my Caraway non-toxic products.
Seriously, when you're cooking, you wanna be so careful with the pans you're using because those materials are leaking into your food, which is something you really wanna avoid.
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I'm also obsessed with their wood cutting boards.
knowing that zero plastic is getting into my food.
That is such a problem.
They're finding plastic in so many people's bloodstreams and other places, and it's having a really harmful effect.
Plus, Caraway's products are just so gorgeous.
I love having my sage green pan out on the stove.
It's such a vibe and makes me want to cook more.
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I think one of the hardest parts about living a healthy lifestyle can be all of the planning for all of your different meals, getting those groceries, recipe planning.
And that's where Hungry Root comes in.
They make it so simple and easy to stay healthy.
And that's why I'm obsessed with Hungry Root.
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They also help you reduce food waste, avoiding impulsive grocery buys and skipping last minute restaurant takeout.
Plus, I love that they are super high quality.
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Greg and I personally are really focused on protein, so we love finding high protein snacks on Hungry Root and planning our meals to focus on protein that way.
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I think fitness taught me everything I know about work ethic.
Like it is the reason I'm able to show up at my job every day.
Yeah.
Because you just show up.
I agree.
Yeah.
I think a lot of girls are using, like, even if they don't like working out, walking's there.
Guys, Sammy walks like 10 miles a day and does calls and gets her whole day done.
I had a few internships throughout college and my memories of these internships were me shaking like a leaf, terrified my boss was going to talk to me, hiding in the bathroom, feeling like I didn't know what was going on.
Like I had zero, zero, zero confidence in myself and what I thought.
Didn't even really know what I wanted.
And then I worked at Orange Theory Fitness.
I was at the front desk getting heart rate monitors thrown at me, ducking sweaty towels, cleaning toilets.
It's funny because of course I was unsatisfied with that, but it taught me so much.
Like it was, I'm so grateful I had that little season.
I'd show up at 4 a.m.
to open up the studio.
That was mid-fitness journey.
I used to be insane.
Like I know I still have it in me, but it's funny when you're in like hitting rock bottom and feeling like I have to fix this.
Like I do not have a choice.
It's crazy what you can do, honestly.
It was the second that I realized I was not wavering on my plan.
When I kept showing up at the gym, when I kept waking up at six in the morning, when I kept eating the food, I was like, oh, I'm not quitting.
I was afraid, I think, for the first couple months that I was going to quit because I had quit everything else I'd ever done.
And then the second I realized I wasn't quitting, I was like, oh, I think I can do anything.
So for me at the time, working at Orange Theory and showing up before in the morning and sticking to that was a challenge.
I had never done anything like that before.
I would skip class in college.
I wouldn't show up to internships.
You had no accountability for yourself.
No, like I really didn't hold myself to a high standard.
Showing up at Orange Theory and cleaning the toilets was like, I am fulfilling a promise to myself.
And it was during that time.
I'm serious.
It's kind of crazy.
And sometimes I go in a gym and I smell the cleaning smell of the same cleaner I would clean the toilets with.
And I'm like, oh, my God.
Like that was kind of the crux of my work ethic.
And I was getting my degree at the time.
And I remember my Instagram began exploding while I worked there.
And the trainers at the gym coming up and being like, oh, my God, like what happened?
Like.
How did you do that?
Will you say that I trained you?
Like they wanted to be involved in it.
And I had a fear of quitting Orange Theory because I was like, no, no, no, this is my normal job.
Like this can't go anywhere.
And it took me a minute to kind of take that leap of faith.
And it's funny looking back.
I'm like, how did I push through those years of not leaving the house, not leaving my computer, just working, working, working?
I didn't have anything to lose.
I was like, let's just freaking go.
It's Orange Theory or this.
It's cleaning toilets or this.
My dad always taught me.
Right.
And now look where we are.
I've noticed just even in my comment section or online, a lot of people feel like life is happening to them, not for them.
And that victim mentality is really prevalent today.
And it's something that I went through too on my journey.
Before going through what I went through, I would look around for people to blame or situations to blame, feeling like a victim.
And I think taking responsibility and looking inward is kind of the first step on that journey for many people.
Thank you so much.
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Thank you so much.
and made a lot of money back from it, which is amazing.
I feel like when I stop using something frequently, I'm like, okay, it's probably time to sell.
And I've also bought some amazing items.
I have some Hermes sandals, a Goyard bag.
I found some really unique, fun pieces on there.
And for a discounted price, I was just in New York and I actually stopped by their location and it's always so fun to go snoop around.
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When you talk about visualizing what we want, what are the steps we need to take after the visualization?
Like how do we make it a reality?
you said you have no obligation to be who you were five seconds ago.
I love that.
And it was something, you know, reflecting on my fitness journey, I don't think I fully knew what I was doing.
Now I have more verbiage about my journey, but I had to stop believing that I was a failure and someone who was average and someone who was overweight in order to move forward.
I just spoke about this on a solo episode I did, but I almost convinced myself I was an athlete in that moment because to get myself to the gym and do hard workouts every day and eat clean, I had to tell myself I was training for something.
And I fully like took that on.
And I still, like if I wake up at five in the morning to go work out, I'm telling myself I'm an athlete.
I'm doing my training.
I feel like we have to really change the way we think about our identity.
It's true.
The gym clears out after two weeks for sure.
So at this point, did you enter a program or was it like a self-directed program?
Are you like super skinny at this point?
you were basically on the brink of death.
Like you needed this rigorous discipline plan.
And it honestly reminds me a lot of myself before I went on my weight loss journey.
I ended up losing 90 pounds.
But when I was coming, I dropped out of school.
I was binge drinking, overweight, unhealthy, never had a goal in my life.
Like I wasn't an addict, but I mean, I'm sure people listening, you know, if they're in a dark place, you need...
Totally.
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for anyone listening who's needing like maybe still forming a routine or they have goals for 2025 or they just don't even know where to begin i feel like that's such a great start what role did fitness play at the beginning of your sobriety journey like how did it help you heal
It's coming from self-love.
Keep your own promise.
I love that.
Yeah, it just goes a long way.
Hundreds.
Yeah.
100%.
100%.
I think that's such a great thing to say here for people listening who maybe want to be an entrepreneur or whatever, have these big goals.
If you can show up for yourself, sleep well, eat well, even if work's going badly or something that's out of your control is going badly, you can show up and control those things and make sure they go well.
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast.
Today's episode is a powerhouse mashup all about two major players in the world of fitness and wellness, strength training and creatine.
Whether you're just getting started or you've been lifting for years, we're diving into how these two go hand in hand and why they matter at every stage of life.
We've got some expert voices joining us, including Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, Dr. Andy Galpin, and JJ Virgin with a real world look on how strength routines and creatine use evolve over time from building lean muscle and boosting energy to supporting mood, mobility, and overall resilience.
We'll explore why strength training is one of the most effective tools for lifelong health.
And if you've ever wondered what creatine actually does or if it's just really for bodybuilders, we're here to break down the science, bust the myths,
and show you how it can support you in more than just your gym goals.
Can you give us the tea on creatine for women?
I think it's, is it the water retention weight gain concern is the big one for women?
It's in the muscle, right?
Mix it all in like a habit stack.
Yeah.
I'm just starting to use creatine again.
I used it.
So I was keto for a while.
Oh, you were.
How did you like that?
So I think it's a great tool.
Right.
It's your tools.
Yeah.
I think it's a great tool.
I did it probably for a little bit too long.
on and off for three years, to be honest.
It wasn't just for weight loss.
I also did it for my skin and I felt like it was incredibly beneficial for my skin.
But I also found when I did stool tests that I was missing some crucial bacteria.
So now I'm eating sweet potato again.
I don't respond very well to carbs.
I don't feel amazing afterwards.
Like potatoes are kind of like my sweet spot.
I don't feel great with rice.
Like I've had to kind of experiment and figure out the best thing for me.
But I liked it.
And I used creatine during that time to kind of like help with the muscle.
You know, I felt like I wasn't getting that pump at the gym.
And I remember Greg recommending creatine.
And now I'm starting to use it again after having so many people on the show.
Tell me how amazing it is.
Yes, ma'am.
Creatine is a helpful supplement.
I know you have a focus on aging optimally and focusing on muscle as we age.
A majority of my listeners are probably 25 to 30, kind of my age range.
Why is it important that we start thinking about that now at this age?
And so it's never too late to start weightlifting in your opinion.
No, if you're 26, you're fine.
Like I would love if my parents were to weightlift, but I don't even know where to begin convincing them because they just didn't grow up in that culture.
Do you have any tips on like how we can encourage our parents to weightlift?
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The way you feel when you learn how to lift weights and eat well and get strong, it's like you wouldn't trade it for anything.
Isn't that one of the leading reasons that older people end up in the hospital and die young?
Right.
So are you generally recommending people strength train?
Have you heard of muscle mommies?
This is something I love doing when men come on the show.
I have to bring up all the phrases.
Yeah, you could like name programs like the muscle mommy program.
Like Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a muscle mommy.
You know, that's a perfect example.
Yep, yep.
But it could also apply to someone who doesn't have kids.
They're just like super muscular.
I think the confusion for a lot of girls is the amount of weight that's needed.
Because I think with Pilates, they feel this, I don't know if you've ever done it, but you feel this like crazy isolated pain in one area.
So they're like, oh, it's, this is growing my muscle.
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What are some of the other benefits of having muscle mass or strength for women?
How about supplementing for women who are weightlifting?
Because I do think there's a lot of fear around, let's say, creatine or some of the more performance supplements.
I think women think creatine is going to bloat them.
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Which is crazy because I think the way people think about creatine is that it's for men.
Totally.
So why is it so beneficial for women?
So it's safe during pregnancy?
Doesn't it hydrate muscles too?
amazing it is not going to make you big and bulky okay that's the big thing is girls think it'll make them bloated that's like the number one misconception I see I actually have been taking creatine since the beginning of my fitness journey and I remember being really nervous I was like oh my god I'm gonna look bloated and watery but it's the best thing ever and I think that we're gonna start to see more women taking creatine yeah I hope so
I wasn't into fitness when I was 18.
It took me until I was 23, 24 to have a mental breakdown and get into fitness.
So it occurs naturally in foods, which is the recipe for a great supplement.
It's the most studied supplement in the supplement industry, correct?
Isn't it also great for like menopause and PCOS?
Yes.
So many things.
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host Mari Llewellyn.
Hi guys, welcome back to the show.
Today we have Samantha Christine, who is a certified nutrition coach and a personal trainer who specializes in women's health, strength training, and clean eating.
As a marathon runner herself, she coaches others in training for endurance events like 10Ks, half marathons, and full marathons.
She's also the host of the Empower podcast.
She's part of the Pursuit Network, and she shares personal stories and expert conversations about wellness, relationships, and parenting of two boys.
She came on my show today.
We had an amazing conversation about pregnancy, birth, motherhood, how she juggles it all.
She's incredible, such an inspiration.
And I'm so excited for you guys to hear this episode.
Sam, welcome to the Pursuit of Wellness.
Thank you for having me.
Honored to have you.
And you're so gorgeous.
You're so inspiring.
I love your content.
You're also a Pursuit Network host.
Yes.
So exciting.
When I was talking about the network with Michaela and we were speaking about the talent, you are just like the ideal person to me because you have so much substance.
You're a mom.
You love fitness.
You have a career.
You juggle so much.
And I really admire you.
I think you're amazing.
Thank you.
deserve it like you can tell that you work really freaking hard actually one of my friends jordan called me and she was like oh who you're recording with and i said samsy fit and she was like i she's been following you since you were like from the beginning she said so she was really excited that i'm talking to you today and um i just have a lot of questions for you honestly because i feel like you are a superwoman
And I want to hear more about your story and how you got to be so confident and multifaceted.
So let's kind of start from the beginning.
I did just listen to your motherhood episode that you did.
Loved it.
Thank you.
Loved it.
And I have a lot of questions.
And I'd just like to hear more about your story with your pregnancies, your marriage, and where you're at now.
I guess we could start with your first pregnancy.
With wanting it to be more natural, was that because you'd heard about it or read about it?
Because I kind of have...
like similar views on it because I learned a lot just from this podcast, having people tell me about Pitocin and it is quite like a societal norm to push women to give birth sooner than they maybe are ready to.
Exactly.
But then going through IVF and being on the super medical side of it, my doctor's like, please just go the medical route, like keep things safe.
But yeah,
In me, I feel this like want to have a natural experience.
That is such a good point because I, so I got a doula and she's amazing.
Yeah, she's great, but she's for sure heavily on the holistic side.
Okay.
And I, for my first birth, I want to land somewhere in the middle.
I was going to say, how do you feel about it?
I see myself doing a hospital birth for sure.
I'm not super anti-epidural, but I would love to avoid Pitocin if I can.
I just want to understand the options and like educate myself about each thing that they're using.
But she at the beginning was very much like pushing me towards one way.
And I think it is important, even if you respect the doula and their views to kind of have your own voice in it too and be able to kind of like
advocate for yourself without shame or guilt yes because i tend to be a bit more of a people pleaser and i'm like same you know what i yeah i'm like oh that sounds nice like we can do it that way but i this is the one thing where i'm like i really need to be sure of what i'm doing and i still i'm not 100 sure of what i want to do
That, yeah, that one freaks me out a little bit.
I have, but I think back then when I wasn't pregnant, I wasn't as tuned in and I need to go back and actually listen.
I've talked to so many people at this point and they all are so smart and have so much information.
I need to go back and listen.
Tell us about the home birth experience.
I want to actually understand like what happens.
That sounds awful.
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That is incredible.
And I guess like without an epidural, you really feel everything.
You do.
Like with an epidural, do you not feel any of that?
Yeah, that's pretty interesting that you tear when you can't feel anything.
I guess because you're not intuitively knowing the right moments.
That is cool.
Curious, did you receive...
I haven't really like said how I want it to be because I'm not a hundred percent sure.
I maybe I've just tuned it out at this point because I've gotten so used to it, but I feel like I haven't really.
And it's interesting because I am such a believer in nutrition and I love being healthy and I love fitness.
So when I did IVF, I think a lot of
people were like, wait, why would she have to do IVF?
She's so healthy.
Like this seems crazy.
And I had a lot of like rude questions about it maybe, or like judgment, like you shouldn't have had to have done that.
But at the end of the day, it got me where I needed to be.
That was kind of a big motivator for me because I was like, okay, someone like me who really takes care of themselves is still having this struggle.
Absolutely.
And so many people are having these issues.
Totally.
And how lucky are we that we get to do things like that now?
It's amazing.
I completely agree.
Let's talk about postpartum.
Yes.
Very curious about that because I feel like I see two ends of the spectrum online.
I see women who say like they're in their newborn bubble and it's bliss and it's heaven and they are obsessed with it and they want to go back to it.
And then I see some women say it's like the hardest thing ever.
Where did you land in that?
You held it in.
That's going to be me.
I'm a hundred percent sure.
Yeah, for sure.
I mean, I hear that's very common.
Like, how do we get the support that we need during postpartum from our husbands?
Surprise we are.
I think my doula will do them with us.
She'll like come over, hypnobirthing.
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Okay, did you do, maybe I'm going to say this wrong, perinatal massages?
Prenatal.
Prenatal.
I just don't want someone going on my vagina.
Yeah.
Oh, I didn't-
You're just stretching it out.
stretch me out like crazy.
Great.
Okay.
I guess I'll do that then.
Yeah.
Okay.
But I was just freaked out by someone else doing it.
Great.
I would be freaked out too.
A little much.
Okay.
Let's talk about like,
bounce back concept.
Did you experience that pressure or were you just like patient with yourself?
I guess as someone who's into fitness and used to seeing their body a certain way, what is that experience like?
Yeah.
And I even hear with breastfeeding, like obviously you need to be eating enough.
How quickly did you get back into working out when you had babies and how did you manage it?
Like on a very granular level, I'm trying to imagine my life after having a baby and
And obviously it takes a minute to get back into your routine.
But do you like bring the baby to the gym with you?
It takes time.
Yeah.
You got to be patient.
You do.
And now you are into fitness competition.
Can you explain the competitions you do?
Oh, it's European?
Greg and I have a hyper fixation of watching ultra marathon runners.
I know.
I'm like, where do you go to the bathroom?
Where do you poop?
No.
Have you done any kind of like races?
No, but I think I will one day.
High rocks sounds fun.
You know what I mean?
Yes.
Can you sponsor people doing it?
Bloom should sponsor.
Absolutely.
We'll sponsor you.
We should do that.
That would be so fun.
A cute little Bloom outfit.
Yes.
Okay, let's do it.
I'll get Ian.
If we do mixed doubles, he'll wear a little Bloom outfit too.
Yeah, he can wear a little Bloom outfit.
I love that you guys do it together though.
Yeah.
That's like so awesome.
Greg and I love working out together and I think it's like a big part of our relationship.
I think Greg already thinks he's like a little bodybuilder, you know?
That's so cute.
Baby weights?
Yes.
Oh my God.
I've seen baby weights.
It's a thing.
You know, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon?
Yes.
Have you met her?
I haven't.
I want to.
You would really like her.
She literally, her kids work out with her.
I love that.
Like this little girl does pushups and ropes.
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So let's talk about the blended family concept because I think that's really amazing.
And I don't know why the Kardashians pop in my head, but I've heard them talk about that a lot.
And I actually love the way they approach it.
And I feel like you have just built like a really beautiful household.
So how do you go about creating that dynamic?
grow and then you know the other parent like ian with my boys and me with reagan just yes they're not blood related but it feels that way yeah so beautiful yeah that's amazing i feel like that initial decision to leave your first marriage when you have babies must have been really challenging and i feel like a lot of people also can relate when do you like how did you know when it was the right time to choose yourself and when it was the right decision
It sounds like you made the perfect decision and everything's better for it, which is, and it's amazing to hear you talk about it openly because
Because I'm sure so many people are experiencing it, but they just don't even know how to like talk about it.
And I'm sure so many people are grateful that you are open in terms of your schedule.
I'm very interested to know, like literally how you do it.
It's all over the place.
How do you do time block?
Like how do you manage a calendar where you are working out, making time for yourself, taking care of your kids, feeding your kids, having a career, doing a podcast, doing social media?
Like how?
Yeah.
It just benefits every part of your life.
Like relationships are better when you're healthier, works better, marriage is better.
Like I really think making time for yourself.
I'm a big morning person.
Like I have to do all my things in the morning because by five, I'm like useless.
Done.
Done.
Energy, yes.
A thousand, especially now.
I've taken a big step back.
That's my life is not what it used to be like when I lived in L.A.
my calendar was full from 5am to the end of the day, meeting, meeting, meeting, meeting, meeting.
Now I try to come in here and do all my recording in one day.
Yeah.
I really time block it.
Like my bloom meeting is on a certain day.
I really like spread it out now to where I have more free time, which is really nice that I can do that.
We have a big team and
et cetera, et cetera.
I think, I don't think I could have been pregnant when I lived in LA, honestly.
No, actually, yeah.
Because it's a lot.
It's a lot.
You're obviously very into nutrition and health.
How do you, this is something I'm starting to think about with kids, right?
when they're at school or when they're at someone else's house, like how do you handle their knowledge of nutrition and like what's going in their bodies?
We try to lead by example at our house.
And they don't feel like they're missing out on anything.
No.
No, that's amazing.
Yeah.
That's a good tool.
Yeah.
I love the emphasis on protein.
So you must've been so proud.
I have at least 25 grams of protein.
that's adorable it was like you oh my gosh well sam thank you so much this was amazing i feel like there's so many good nuggets in here i'm taking notes i learned so much thank you for coming on can you share with everyone where they can follow you listen to the podcast
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host Mari Llewellyn.
Hi guys, welcome back to POW.
Today we have an amazing episode all about non-toxic living.
This is something that I have really evolved into over the past couple years.
I think having this podcast and speaking to some amazing experts has really helped me lean into that and really embrace non-toxic living where I can in a balanced way.
I think there's definitely two ends of the spectrum, like full non-toxic living where you avoid every chemical possible,
and live in the middle of nowhere.
And then there's the other spectrum where you are like ingrained in toxins every day.
And I think that there's a middle ground.
And I think by listening to the experts we have on the show today, you'll be able to decipher, okay, what can I actually do comfortably?
And for me, it's a few things.
For me, it's, you know, not having fragrant candles in the house, not having air fresheners in my car.
using clean cleaning products, eating organic foods, using red light bulbs in my bedroom.
Like, I guess I'm a little more on the far end of the spectrum, a little more non-toxic, but I think there's something we can all learn from this episode.
And it's really important because it's having a significant impact on our hormones, our endocrine system.
We're seeing it affect us.
I mean, even me, like microplastics are affecting us and heavy metals and...
It's affecting our fertility and our health in general.
So I think where we can, embracing non-toxic living can just only help us, our future children, the kids you have now, our pets, whatever it may be.
So I really think you guys will enjoy this episode.
We have some amazing guests on the show with amazing advice for products you can use for non-toxic personal care and household products, even improving air quality in the home.
That's been huge for me and Greg.
filtering water.
There's so many things you can do.
I think creating a sanctuary in your house allows you to go out into the world and be exposed to toxins, but we allow your body to reset and cleanse those toxins while you're in your own home.
So without further ado, we are going to hear from some top experts on the topic of non-toxic living.
Let's get right into it.
Wet wipes have preservatives.
So you're using a dry wipe that you spray the branch basics all purpose on and you can use that on skin.
It's insane to me that those ingredients are in kids' products.
And it makes sense, though.
Like, why would a wipe remain moist and perfect and mold-free?
It has to have that preservative.
Tell us what's in Branch Basics.
Like, how does it work?
What's the magic?
Because I know there's not a ton of stuff in there, but what is in there?
Guys, I use Brunch Basics.
I have hand soap in every bathroom, dishwashing, the tablets.
We use it as detergent.
Like I use it all over our house and it's so effective.
It doesn't smell like anything, which I really appreciate.
And it's good.
I feel good about using it.
I have two dogs.
I have a husband who's eating off of everything.
Pepping is huge.
That thing is huge.
They lick and they get everywhere.
Had no idea that I could wash my dogs with it.
No claims are being made.
Thank you, but I will be trying that.
That sounds really good.
It's great.
It's not good for us.
It's not good for them.
It's not cute.
Outside of a clean home and not using chemicals, how do you go about living your healthiest life possible?
I know we spoke about enemas.
Oh, yeah.
Can we talk about enemas?
Because you've struggled with your skin.
You've struggled with PCOS.
I know recently you struggled with Lyme and mold.
Mm-hmm.
But that's not to say that I don't have other gut things now.
So I'm dealing with that now.
And sometimes Western medicine has to come into play, and that's something that I've had to realize.
What's the bucket for?
eating the way that you do gives you freedom.
And I feel that way as well.
Like finding whole foods and eating the way I do allows me to live my life to the best of its ability.
And I feel like there is some judgment around clean eating.
And it's like, are you really enjoying yourself?
Like it gets a little tricky.
And I feel like when you've had a health issue before,
like chronic pain, like PCOS, like acne, food can be medicine.
It can be so healing.
And there's a time and a place.
Like I'm going on a trip for my birthday.
I will be having tacos.
I will be having margaritas.
Oh my gosh.
You wouldn't even know.
So you guys recently moved from Houston to the countryside.
You guys know Greg and I love to cook at home.
We cook dinner every single night and I'm obsessed with my Caraway non-toxic products.
Seriously, when you're cooking, you want to be so careful with the pans you're using because those materials are leaking into your food, which is something you really want to avoid.
There could be things like PFAs, PTFEs, lead, catamum, and other harmful chemicals, which is not in any of Caraway's products, which helps with guilt-free cooking.
I'm also obsessed with their wood cutting boards.
Knowing that zero plastic is getting into my food, that is such a problem.
They're finding plastic in so many people's bloodstreams and other places and it's having a really harmful effect.
Plus, Caraway's products are just so gorgeous.
I love having my sage green pan out on the stove.
It's such a vibe and makes me want to cook more.
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I have been really focused on my hair health lately.
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And that's why I now use a silk pillowcase by Blissy.
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Your skin and hair will thank you.
That's so inspiring to hear.
I actually just did my own genetic testing and I could see that I have a hard time detoxifying.
I don't have the MTHFR.
I don't, which is shocking.
That's amazing.
I know it's shocking, but I do have other markers that indicate that I have a hard time clearing out the cell and there's certain things I don't absorb.
So it's really nice to have that information and just know that going forward.
Genetics loads the gun.
But great to know that we can put our kids in the sauna for 15 minutes.
It's inspiring for us though to see, okay, if my child can do it, I can too.
For anyone listening who maybe wants to start their non-toxic journey and purchase Branch Basics, what would you recommend as like the starter product?
What does it look like when someone is sick from toxic air?
With mold, I have heard and I've experienced my own mold issues, but doesn't mold stay in your system for a really long time?
Did you have high levels of mold from your work being exposed to toxic environments?
Did you go on a detox protocol after that?
What are some major things, like for people sitting at home who have maybe never had an air purifier, have never noticed or thought about air quality, why do they need an air purifier?
What are some of the things that they could be noticing that they're missing?
Should we be keeping our windows and doors open as much as possible?
Is that accurate though?
Really?
Quite good.
I don't know why I never believe it.
Why is cooking creating toxins in the air?
Thank you so much.
The new normal has changed.
A normal skincare routine 20 years ago was a bar of soap, apricot scrub, now a five-step process of serums, active slugging, red light masks.
Over that time, taxis became rideshares, TVs became streaming.
Normal has changed.
And your normal annual labs are 20 basic markers, no hormones, no inflammation, no metabolic insight.
And if those limited tests come back with enrage, you're told you're fine.
Function is what happens when healthcare catches up.
The first healthcare membership gives you 160 plus biomarkers across the whole body, hormones, metabolism, inflammation, heart, liver, et cetera.
I think this is so important.
I've personally been through acne journey, fertility journey, and testing was so important for me.
And I highly recommend you guys do it too.
It really is the best investment you can make.
Welcome to the new normal in health, not the outdated version you grew up with, your baseline, your body on your terms.
Learn more and join by using my link.
The first 1000 get an $100 credit towards their membership.
Visit www.functionhealth.com slash pow or use gift code pow at sign up to own your health.
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You mentioned pets.
Why are pets creating toxins in the air?
Wait, I didn't even think about that.
I don't have cats, but I'm also not allergic to anything.
So I don't think about this kind of thing.
I was going to say, are there like organic ones?
You know what I'm picturing right now?
My little dog Arnold eating roadkill because that's like his favorite thing.
He'll like run up to a dead squirrel and just, yeah.
That's probably why I have H. pylori.
No, you're so right about that.
I didn't even think in that way.
I mean, my question was more so is the Jasper also benefiting my dogs?
You're like, you need to figure that out.
But like my question is with the grooming, I feel like they use all these crazy chemicals on the dog.
Like the dog comes back smelling like a coconut.
You know what I'm saying?
I don't like the fragrances of it.
I'm sure.
I'm not a big germaphobe.
And I think sometimes that's to my detriment.
I kind of like, oh, whatever, there's dirt here, dirt there.
But like the air purifying, I think, makes such a big difference, especially if you're someone who struggles with acne or you have other symptoms.
Could bad air quality symptoms show up differently in different people?
That's insane.
And do you think that the awareness around...
mold has gone up because I feel like, yeah, more people are getting their homes tested.
Do you feel the same with air quality awareness?
Do you think that's still lagging?
It's even more effective.
So if you know me and you've been to my house, my house is full of Jasper air purifiers.
It's my favorite air purifier.
It actually isn't just an air purifier.
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He's been on the show.
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I wanna talk about mold toxicity, because I've spoken about it a ton on this show.
I personally struggled with it for a while.
And for me, it came out as acne, which is something I still deal with, but I managed to get rid of the mold.
I also had candida, staph, heavy metals.
And as someone who's like been living a healthy lifestyle for a long time, I was shocked to find that out.
That's the thing that I reflect on, you know, because I was doing HIIT workouts every single day, no rest.
Tell us about your mold experience and how you cleansed from that.
That may have served you though at some point.
When you discovered that you had mold from these symptoms, what was your first step?
Because I know it can be a really stubborn toxin.
So that doesn't have to come from a tick.
Mold free meaning?
That's crazy that you had to give it up for five years.
I mean, is it fair to say that a majority of the coffee you're getting at a regular coffee shop is moldy?
I guess your kidneys, right?
Is there a difference between, I mean, this might be a dumb question, but like a cold brew, an Americano, in terms of the amount of mold?
Back to mold cleansing.
Did you do supplements, diet?
Give us the protocol.
Because estrogen leads to weight gain or weight retention.
It does.
Oh, my God.
Wait, are we eating this moldy beef?
I eat grass-fed.
Yeah, right.
But this is what's happening to the grain-fed.
I have to know what your diet's like.
Do you follow a carnivore diet or do you kind of like tinker it based on what's going on?
You're keto all the time?
I love that you're pointing this out because it's a comment I see over and over again, you know, about the exclusivity of health.
So I think it's important that we're transparent on that.
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host Mari Llewellyn.
Hi guys, welcome back to a solo episode with me.
I have lots to talk about with you today, kind of random, kind of all over the map.
Things I'm experiencing, things I'm feeling, upcoming plans.
I just had Fi on the show for a girl chat, which was so much fun.
Listen out for that.
It was really fun.
We talked about her dating life, her journey with Ozempic,
A medical situation she had that was so crazy and all women should know about.
But really great to catch up with her.
I am heading off to Europe this Friday, which is so exciting.
It's kind of our baby moon, which I never expected to be going to Europe pregnant.
I think I always in my head thought that it like wasn't allowed.
I don't know.
I think just from everything I went through, I was like, I probably wouldn't want to travel that far.
But I'm feeling a lot better and more confident.
And after talking to my doula and my doctor, I just feel good about it.
So we're going to the south of France and then to the Cotswolds, which is where I spent a lot of my childhood to see my granny.
And we're staying at some really gorgeous places.
And I just can't wait for the food and to spend time with Greg and just sort of like...
enjoy before we have a baby.
It's so crazy.
That'll be our last like big, big trip.
And then we leave for Colorado for a whole month.
So very exciting stuff.
I'm definitely prepping for a big travel day.
So the flight is overnight.
I think it's like nine hours, um, landing in London Heathrow and then transferring over to
niece so I'm definitely prepping a lot a lot of snacks I've heard traveling pregnant you want to have a lot of snacks even our flight to New York which is the only flight I've done pregnant
I had cheese, crackers, like I, and you just, I need to eat like every couple hours, if not more frequently.
So I definitely want to bring a lot of snacks.
If anyone has advice of what to bring, let me know.
I think like rice cakes, cheese sticks.
I want to bring something with protein if I can.
Greg always travels with a lunchbox because he's like, you know, Greg's Greg.
So I'll bring some snacks.
I'll definitely bring my Kindle.
I'm very into reading.
I'm reading the Queen of Shadows series.
I think that's what people call it.
Definitely will download some films.
I'm hoping I can sleep.
I'll definitely be bringing my Unisim, my prenatals and all my supplements and things like that.
And yeah, I'm just, you know, I might delete social for a little bit while I'm there.
I feel like, oh, remember when I deleted social for two months?
That was the craziest thing ever.
What an experiment.
I feel like I might do that again for a little bit of the trip, just to have some really present downtime.
I want to eat really good food.
I want to lay in the sun, vibe out.
South of France is like my favorite place.
And I just feel really lucky and grateful that we're going.
I actually am such a Gemini, guys.
I always, always, always change my mind and change my plans.
And that's just like how I've always been.
And I decided last minute I wanted to leave a day earlier.
And Greg agreed with me because I realized we only had two full days in Saint-Tropez.
And I was like, that's not enough.
Because you really lose like two days getting to Europe, at least from Texas.
So...
leaving Friday instead of Saturday.
And I'm excited.
It's crazy.
I feel like it's such a big trip.
I'm lucky that I got to have an ultrasound before we left.
I had it yesterday.
And I think girls who have been through IVF or infertility or loss will relate to me in the like fear
around appointments like I used to just be so terrified every time I was in the office and praying praying praying and just like really unable to even like speak because I was so nervous and I've now gotten to the point where the you know the thoughts are still there and I'm definitely like apprehensive but it's more of a exciting experience than anything and
It's like really fun to get to see him and how much he's grown and all the updates.
And I just have so much gratitude every time I leave and things are looking normal.
And, you know, even like my placenta shifted to a better position.
It was blocking my cervix before.
Now it's not.
And I had like a small blood hemorrhage before and that's like absorbed.
So that's gone.
He was doing amazing.
All his size looks good.
Like just all good news.
And I like...
The whole days off, the following days after an appointment like that, I'm just on cloud nine because I know what it's like to not get good news over and over and over again.
So such a good feeling.
And I just feel way more like just excited than I ever have.
And I'm really connected and I don't know, I'm excited to start feeling him.
I don't feel him yet.
I have an anterior placenta, which I won't feel him like right away.
but I'm definitely like trying to notice if I feel him, you know?
Just so exciting.
And I'm excited to see like my granny while I'm pregnant and all the big exciting things.
It's really like starting to feel real.
I actually saw a TikTok video this girl made about being pregnant and like the rewiring that your brain goes through pregnant.
And it was so valid what she said.
She said, and she was coming from like a religious perspective where she was like, it feels like God is like showing me things like really closely.
And it's becoming really evident to me how grateful I am for everything.
And like the things I definitely want to do and the things I don't want to do and, you know, relationships she has.
And she was like, you know, anything that was like bringing her drama or, you know,
any negativity she was just like that's not for me right now and I definitely am noticing I just feel very clear on like my boundaries what I want to be around I think because of what I went through with my journey just like two years of struggle and let down and pain like I feel like I am a very empathetic person and I lean on the side of like even when I come here to do the podcast I I
I'm like hesitant to dive too deep into like pregnancy sometimes, or am I talking about it too much?
Or I feel bad for anyone listening who's struggling because I just know what that's like.
But I've had conversations now with my therapist and with Dr. Molly and just other people of like, yes, you can have those feelings, but you also have...
worked really hard to be where you are and you deserve to be happy and to celebrate it and I feel like I'm trying to really allow myself to celebrate it because I think I had like almost like guilt about it for a while I was like like wanting to be in solidarity with like people that are still going through it and I think that that's really valid and
I still do feel very connected to people who are struggling with fertility, but at the same time, like I need to give myself space to just be happy.
And I didn't mean to get all deep there, but I've just been having that epiphany because it's something I've been talking about a lot with my therapist.
And yeah, just sort of like this epiphany I've had of,
I even feel bad like making so much pregnancy content, but I'm so excited to make it and I wanna make it and it is my life and it's just, it's a lot.
And I think I'm in a place where I'm gonna let myself do that.
And for anyone listening who is, because I know I have a large community of girls who are struggling and going through IVF, if you need to mute me or unfollow me or not listen to the show right now, please do that for yourself.
Like you can always come back when you're ready
And I am not offended.
Like I did that for myself when I needed to.
And I think anyone who needs to do that should do that.
So yeah, not in a harsh way, just in a way of like, I see you and I feel you and like take the space you need, you know?
So I didn't really mean to go down that rabbit hole, but I just, that has been on my mind lately.
Just also noticing like with that rewiring of the brain feeling, just noticing like,
not in a judgmental way just like observing and being curious about like parenting styles and choices different parents make and just hearing about like different experiences it's so funny like I don't have a ton of friends with kids I have a couple and just seeing the different ways people go about things and values and education and travel and it's just there's so much and just thinking about our life moving forward and how different it's going to be um
Greg and I like having these big conversations about like well what do we want to teach them or what do we what do we want our life to look like and just about our childhoods and things we loved and things we didn't love and whatever it's like a very interesting time and Michaela my podcast manager and co-founder actually mentioned to me that there is science behind how our brains literally change after becoming a mum it's like it grows the third most rapidly in your lifetime and
such a dramatic shift.
I mean, it's like the biggest change you'll ever go through in your life and I'm just already feeling like different, you know, being pregnant.
So I thought that was interesting.
Thank you.
The new normal has changed.
A normal skincare routine 20 years ago was a bar of soap, apricot scrub, now a five-step process of serums, active slugging, red light masks.
Over that time, taxis became rideshares, TVs became streaming.
Normal has changed.
And your normal annual labs are 20 basic markers, no hormones, no inflammation, no metabolic insight.
And if those limited tests come back with enrage, you're told you're fine.
function is what happens when healthcare catches up the first healthcare membership gives you 160 plus biomarkers across the whole body hormones metabolism inflammation heart liver etc i think this is so important i've personally been through acne journey fertility journey and testing was so important for me and i highly recommend you guys do it too it really is the best investment you can make
Welcome to the new normal in health, not the outdated version you grew up with, your baseline, your body on your terms.
Learn more and join by using my link.
The first 1000 get an $100 credit towards their membership.
Visit www.functionhealth.com slash pow or use gift code pow at sign up to own your health.
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And then also just thinking about, okay, the birth experience, like what do I want?
And like what emotions and intentions do I have around it?
I feel like as of right now, and maybe it's because I'm far away from it, I've always been very fascinated with birth.
And I think like I've never ever watched a birth video or a vlog or anything without crying.
Like I find it to be the most magical thing
And I really try as of right now to only listen to like positive birth experiences and not to, you know, invalidate negative ones.
But I just want to have a positive approach and like feeling really good about it.
And I've always, I don't know, I'm not afraid of it as of right now.
Like I feel good about it.
And
I feel very clear on like only really wanting Greg and my doula in the room.
Like just for me, it's like a very intimate thing and I don't wanna worry about, and I am someone if there's other people there, like I worry about everyone else before myself and I don't want to have that experience.
I wanna be like very focused and tuned in.
So yeah, just thinking about that and how I wanna handle like visitors and it's just a lot, you know, it's a whole...
It's a whole thing.
Oh, also a little bit of a deviation, but there's a cool TikTok trend going around right now.
And I wanted to talk about it because I found it to be very impactful.
This has nothing to do with pregnancy or anything.
It's like the big mama trend.
Everyone's calling it.
It's like to that song.
It's like big mama, big mama.
It's become like a tall girl trend, at least on my algorithm.
And if you're tall listening, growing up, I had a lot of insecurity around being tall, like always one of the tallest in my class in elementary school, middle school, high school.
And even though I was like a very slim athletic kid, being tall as a female was
it gives you like this level of like body dysmorphia, delusional like thinking, because you're always heavier than your friends.
You're always like bigger, like these words get thrown around.
And it created like a very big insecurity for me for a long time.
And I think a lot of girls go through this.
And I didn't even realize, I felt like I was isolated in my experience.
Like I'm always so much heavier than everyone else.
Of course, because you have so much more length going on.
You know, I'm like 5'10", 5'11".
And this trend is going around of like gorgeous tall girls posting their like measurements, like their height, their weight, their shoe size, their clothing size.
Oh, that was the other thing.
My clothing size was always a lot bigger than other people's because I'm like tall.
I have a lot going on.
So I was always like a medium, sometimes a large, like always over a hundred.
You know, my weight has changed a lot over the years.
Like at my heaviest, I was like 245 pounds, but I've always been like over 150 pounds as an adult.
And like, just, you know, that's when you're around girls who are like 110, 120, you're like, am I obese?
Like what's going on?
And this trend has been so healing for me and so many other girls.
I think it's just kind of like,
sick and i actually joined in and i never usually talk about weight but this was one trend where i was like hell yeah like i'm glad tall girls are rising up and talking about this because if i saw that when i was young it would have helped me so much be like oh i'm just tall like this is normal so yeah i just wanted to say like if you don't follow me on tiktok
Go check it out.
I think it's the coolest trend ever.
And I love supporting my fellow tall girls.
So I wanted to talk about that because I thought it was very, probably my favorite trend I've ever seen.
But yeah, I asked you guys for questions as per usual and you guys delivered.
Also guys, I feel like,
In the last literal three days, my stomach grew so much.
Like it grows throughout the day, honestly, like it changes.
And when I wake up, I'm like, oh, I barely look pregnant.
And then by the end of the day, I'm like, whoa, I'm so pregnant.
And I'm sure I'm gonna look back on this and be like, no, babe, you really weren't.
But like, honestly, as someone who's been through infertility, I love looking pregnant.
Like I wanna look as pregnant as possible.
And so I love when people point it out or like,
I'm always saying to Greg like do you think people realize I'm pregnant like do you think they know or do I just look bloated like it's just like something that I've dreamed of for so long so I'm like taking as many pictures as possible and whatever just being real cheesy about it so let me know if you relate to that I know a lot of girls are like don't call me big while I'm pregnant and it's true like the word big is like not ideal but at the same time
I kind of want to be big, you know?
Also, I wanted to mention I got my extensions back.
Guys, I took them out probably two months ago and I was like, because they were really getting grown out and my hair has been growing.
Like I have all these baby hairs and my body hair grows at such a rapid pace.
It's actually insane.
And I was like, yeah, I'm just gonna have natural hair my whole pregnancy.
Like I'm not gonna get my hair done.
I was deeply depressed without my hair.
Like I need long blonde hair that I just feel that this is the real me.
And this just allows me to be the best version of myself.
And I put them back in.
And I know some people don't like to get their hair done pregnant.
Totally get it.
We didn't use bleach on my hair.
I don't know what she used, but she said it was like a very low chemical.
and I kept all the doors open we did it in my house and for me it was worth it to feel good about myself honestly like I feel so much better um yeah sorry I went on a tangent but I do wear extensions I used to have long natural hair and at a certain point living in LA I think either from PCOS or stress like it just all fell out like craziest thing I got extensions before my wedding and
And from that moment on, I have been addicted to extensions.
So they are back in my head for the next six months.
Did you stop doing Pilates?
Yeah, and I am sad about it.
So just for context, the Pilates I did was called Forma, which I started doing when I was in LA.
And it's a very intense Pilates.
Like it's,
it's not like hit but like it is oh my god it's like one of the hardest workouts I've ever done and it's a lot a lot of core like you're basically doing abs the whole time and I was like I it's just not necessary like I'm really not wanting to do like direct abs like that and twisting and I would have to modify so much so I've really just gone back to weightlifting I did hire a trainer who's actually the girl who used to teach me at former who also weightlifts and
and she's prenatal certified and I have these amazing workouts with her.
My friend Jordan, who's also pregnant with a boy, comes over and we do it together and it's really, really fun.
I've been doing it twice a week.
Can you please walk us through how you found a great doula, struggling to find one?
Everyone I have hired so far
has been a referral.
Like I didn't go on Google.
I didn't search.
Like I just talked to girls who have kids in Austin and I found my doula through a friend who used her and had an amazing experience.
I had a call with her.
We did a, like a zoom.
She was amazing.
Energy was amazing.
And I text her when I have questions.
We haven't started working together super closely yet.
Like we will closer to the time for like breathing classes and
hypnobirth and whatever and she's also a lactation expert which is really cool so i love that she's like an all-in-one queen yeah other people like um night nurses for help at the beginning i found through a referral from my neighbor on my street and she came over and we talked for like two hours and she was amazing so everything has been through referral
Will you be sharing your new pregnancy wardrobe?
There's never any good outfits out there.
It took me a minute to figure it out, but I think I'm getting closer.
I actually post about it a lot on TikTok.
Linen pants, like every day.
And I've started like putting them underneath my belly because I find if I try to like hide my stomach, that's when I feel the most self-conscious.
If I just let my stomach out, I actually feel a lot better.
Weirdly, I've always been like that though.
I've always loved a crop top, so...
Yeah, I'm like wearing like t-shirts and linen pants and love a good dress.
But yeah, I think I'm leaning towards like more like tight fitted stuff because I think it makes it more obvious.
Body suits are really great.
But yeah, follow me on TikTok.
I post about it there.
What coffee do you use at home?
I've been making matcha.
I order like organic ceremonial grade matcha online.
I did have a coffee latte today that I ordered online.
but I don't do that a lot.
Greg uses like organic mold-free beans for his coffee.
I'll find out for you guys what it is.
Will you be doing a home birth or birthing center so excited for you?
I'm not against it.
I actually don't know much about it.
But from the beginning, my IVF doctor was like, please give birth at a hospital just because, and it's not, I have not had a complicated pregnancy.
I've been very lucky.
Everything's going amazing.
But I just, after my experiences, I think I'm just too nervous actually.
And I greatly respect women who go that route.
I think I'm just, for my first baby, wanting to do...
the hospital.
But we'll see.
There's like certain things I don't want to do that I'm going to figure out with my doula, certain medications and things like that.
And I will keep you guys updated, even though I'm sure I'll get like an onslaught of opinions and feedback.
They asked me how I'm feeling.
Feeling amazing.
It's funny because I, it's so weird.
Like I literally would not know I'm
And I pee a lot and I'm like gassy, but that's kind of it.
And I'm like hungry all the time.
But genuinely, I sometimes don't even feel pregnant.
I'm like, wait, what?
There's like a human in me.
I feel great.
And then even when I went to the OBGYN yesterday, they were like, oh, you're finally out the first trimester.
Are you so happy?
And I was like, yeah, but I...
I mean, my first trimester, I was way more tired and like the nausea was maybe more prevalent, but like barely, never threw up, really felt pretty good.
And I was like, yeah, but like, I feel good.
Is that okay?
And she was like, yeah, it's okay.
Like, I almost feel bad about it, but no, I feel so lucky.
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What are five words you want to encompass your parenting style?
Whoa, great question.
And I obviously like, this is coming from someone who actually does not have a baby yet.
So like a big piece of me wants to stay so open-minded.
I don't know how I'm gonna feel.
I wanna leave...
Like I want to see how I actually feel.
You know, I don't know what I don't know.
I think actually that's probably one of my words, like open-minded and flexible.
Maybe that's two words.
Like I want to be open to like new things and ways I thought maybe I wouldn't want to do things.
Like I like those two words.
Compassionate.
and patient.
And then I would love to add, like, I think something I loved from my childhood was we traveled a lot and I was exposed to a lot of different cultures and languages.
And I think it really molded who I am as a person.
And I think I want to have that for my child.
One thing that Greg and I have always shared
really believed in is sort of like not following the rules.
Like with our business, with the way we live our life, with the way we do things, our lifestyle would probably like really overwhelm a lot of people.
The way Greg and I like take risks and we've moved a lot and we've tried a lot of different things and we kind of just do things our own way.
And I would really like to apply that to our parenting style and sort of like
Love the advice.
Love the, you know, suggestions.
But at the end of the day, like, we know what's best for us and our family.
And I would love to, like, just stay true to that, you know?
Great question.
Oh, what are you planning to do about your baby's vaccine schedule?
Controversial.
Probably won't, like, share.
super in-depth about that.
It's interesting because I would like love to have someone come on the show to talk about it and learn more.
I just ordered a book called Vax Fax that I'm reading and I'm asking tons of questions and I'm just like really trying to educate myself and learn more.
So TBD.
Ooh, cereal you're currently into, purely Elizabeth.
Still into it, guys.
Although I definitely am overdoing it.
When is the Bloom Pop coming out?
July 4th.
Guys, I mean, it's the best thing ever.
I have it every night.
The Shirley Temple is my favorite.
Oh, they're right here behind me.
Strawberry cream is amazing.
I would really, I mean, they're all good, but the Shirley Temple is just bomb.
Could you tell you were pregnant before the test?
I had a feeling.
My boobs really hurt.
They were big, but I was also like, maybe it's from the hormones.
I wasn't sure.
Basically, I was like, I'll be really surprised if I'm not pregnant.
That was kind of like my thought.
But I also was so scared to get excited because I had so much riding on it, you know?
Are you scared to carry groceries and heavier stuff?
I'm not scared.
I'm more aware of everything I pick up.
I'm not going to pick up something that's exceedingly heavy, which is funny because I'm in the gym lifting pretty heavy right now, not to an excessive amount.
I definitely milk it with Greg.
I'm like, oh, maybe you'll get that.
I'm not doing anything excessive.
At the beginning, I was scared for sure, for sure, for sure.
But now that I'm back to weightlifting and I can see that he's fine, I'm like,
Oh, okay.
I guess I can do normal things.
Will you be sharing baby boy's name?
No, not until he's born.
Because I don't want to get your opinions.
Greg and I have loved this name since we met.
And it's a different spelling than we thought we would do.
It's very short and it's very cute.
And that's all I'll say.
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How has your relationship with Greg changed after being pregnant?
These are great questions.
Greg and I have really just been in this like love bubble, I feel like.
We're just both so excited and I feel way more connected to him than I ever have.
And I also just like...
notice that I like miss him.
Like I want to be around him all the time.
I really would just prefer to always be with him, which is like a nice feeling, you know?
And yeah, we just like sharing in this amazing journey.
Like he's at every appointment and we're both just standing there like, how is this possibly happening?
Like this is insane.
How's the baby room going?
It's going.
I've ordered a crib.
I've ordered a dresser.
I wanted to order those early because Jasper, the founder of Jasper, Mike Feldstein, told me to get them ASAP and let them air out because a lot of them have chemicals on them and like formaldehyde and stuff.
So I want them to like sit like in a open window room for a while to get rid of those chemicals.
I've picked out my wallpaper.
I haven't ordered a glider yet.
His closet is slowly filling up with clothes.
I need more pajamas.
I need a rug.
But I love the room I picked.
I think it's perfect.
It's pretty close to our room.
Downstairs.
I don't want to be going up and down the stairs.
I've ordered a few cute things, honestly, guys.
And I ordered the first thing with his name on it, which was such a crazy feeling.
How have you kept your diet?
Is it gluten-free, dairy-free, or are you eating what your body craves for the baby?
I'm not gluten-free, dairy-free.
I actually have been eating a lot of dairy.
I think it's good for the fetus development.
They say to get a lot of calcium, protein.
I drink whole grass-fed organic milk.
I eat cheese.
I eat gluten right now.
I would say I've been eating pretty healthy.
Like I have a protein bar, my eggs, my... Oh, I did actually do a nutrition workout episode if you want to go listen to that.
But definitely protein forward and healthy fats.
But like I also allow myself...
to have treats here and there, things I'm really loving.
I'm obsessed with mango and fruit.
I'm definitely more lenient, but still focused on protein.
And really, I just like simple food.
That's the thing.
Like my snack here at the studio today was rice cakes with like smashed avocado and lemon and salt, smoothies, that kind of thing.
What do Lulu and Arnold eat?
They eat a brand called BJ's, which is like a very small family owned business in Austin.
And it has like organs in it and like all the animal parts and it's like fresh.
They are, I mean, those dogs are so healthy.
They love it.
And we put goat milk on it and colostrum and blueberries.
Like we're insane.
We're insane.
Our dogs eat really well.
Weirdest thing so far in pregnancy for you?
The hair growth, honestly.
Like, I have eyelashes growing out of the corners of my eyes, which I know sounds really bizarre.
My hair, like, in weird places is growing.
Like, I'll shave my armpits and the next day they're hairy.
I can't keep up with it.
It's actually insane.
Also, my smell.
It's gotten better.
Like, I was stinking.
Even if I, like, showered every day, I was just...
stinky girl and i think it's from the hormones so that was kind of weird what age do you want to be done having kids i don't know we'll see that's another thing where i'm like i don't know we're gonna have to see how i feel why do you think the culture is now so anti-women having babies
You know what's weird about that?
Like when I lived in New York or LA, I maybe noticed that more, like less people in those places talk about having babies.
Living in Austin, way more of my friends and like people around me are either pregnant or trying to have babies.
I think when you're in like a city where everyone's very career focused, like I understand that like kids may not be front of mind.
Yeah, I'm sure it has to do with like the political environment and feeling like women's rights are not being respected and things like that.
For me, it was like a switch went off.
Like I was so career focused for so long.
And then I swear I turned 29.
I'm 31 now.
And I was like, I need a baby.
Like I'm ready.
That's my purpose in life.
Like I know that it is.
And I think that happens for some people and for some people it doesn't.
And it's really okay.
You know, everyone's on a different path, a different journey.
And yeah, definitely interesting.
I would love to know other people's opinion on that.
Do you eat fresh chicken eggs every day or supplement with store-bought?
No, I only eat my chicken eggs actually.
I'm very anti-buying chicken eggs because my girls, they free range all day.
Guys, so interesting.
I forget if I told you, but we have like five hawks, like a
family of hawks living in my back property where i let the chickens free range and i was like oh my god they're gonna eat my chickens and like for days we didn't let them out and i felt so bad and i was so worried and finally i was like you know what like let's set up a scarecrow and we have all these bushes that the chickens hide in like hopefully they're okay and they've just been coexisting with these hawks like the hawks have not even tried to eat them it's amazing
I found out hawks don't even really want to eat chickens, I guess.
And I have some big ones and some small ones.
Like my favorite girl, Pickle, my queen, she disappeared the other day.
And I was like, oh my God, she got eaten by a hawk.
And I was devastated.
Like I spent hours looking for her.
She was literally just in a bush.
She ended up coming home.
And I have cameras back there, so I keep an eye on them.
But no, I eat those eggs every single day.
EMF blockers.
Guys, I actually just ordered...
an EMF blocking bodysuit from like Judea, I want to say, that I'm going to wear on the plane.
Hopefully it's comfortable.
Peeing in that's going to be annoying.
I want to like block EMFs from my belly.
So I'll let you know how it goes.
Hopefully it's cute.
where did you buy those comfy pants?
I'm pregnant and I don't know how to find clothes.
I think the pants I'm wearing in the picture are Daily Drills, which is a great one.
I honestly, guys, just order really big sizes now.
Like I, my sizes have just changed.
I ordered a skirt the other day from Reformation in a size eight and it was too tight.
And I was like, oh, okay, I guess we're a 10 now.
So yeah, I just get everything in size large.
Like I make it loose and comfy and
and put it under the belly.
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Are you drinking raw milk during pregnancy?
No, no, no, no.
I don't know about that.
I know some people love doing that.
Not me.
I'm not certain about... If anything I'm not sure about, I'm not doing, is my take.
Are you nervous about Arnold with the baby?
Fellow English Cocker Spaniel mum and human mum in November.
Honestly, yes, I am nervous.
Arnold is not aggressive.
He would never hurt anyone or anything.
I've never seen him be aggressive, but he is afraid of kids.
He does not like kids like squealing at him.
All he does is really run away.
He never like attacks.
But we had a situation where a little girl grabbed him at an airport once, like when he was sleeping on the floor and it was...
kind of traumatizing for him.
And I think that might be why.
I think after a while, he will just get accustomed to it and figure it out.
Like that's just my hope.
And there's not much more than I can do than that.
I know I've seen videos that you're not supposed to present the child to the dog and make this big introduction.
Like I know people like to do that.
It's not the dog's baby.
It's my baby.
And they just have to accept that like, this is my new priority.
You're around it.
I am nervous.
I will say I'm nervous about Arnold and Lulu.
just because they've never been around a baby before.
But I have high hopes that it will work out.
I think it might just take a bit of adjusting.
And I think for the first week or so, like I'll probably have them stay elsewhere just because it will be a lot for me.
Do you know which car seat and stroller you will buy?
Not yet.
I am interested in the Bugaboos.
The Bugaboos look really nice.
So Bugaboo, if you're listening, I'd love a stroller.
And I'll totally post you on my story and talk about you on my podcast.
Just kidding.
But Bugaboo does seem great and I would love any suggestions.
I've heard the Duna's great, the Nuna, the Duna, the Bugaboo, the whatever.
How did you decide babymoon and which week of your pregnancy to go?
Huge congrats.
That's a good question because...
I remember seeing other people go on their babymoon.
I'm like, okay, everyone seems like really pregnant on their babymoon.
And I'm not like really pregnant yet, but I also feel really good right now.
So I feel like now's a good time to go.
I always knew that if I was going to go somewhere, I wanted it to be somewhere that has a hospital and doctors.
I didn't want to go to like a remote island in Turks and Caicos, for example.
Like that freaks me out.
Honestly, when we were planning this Europe trip, I was like, this is where I would want to go on my babymoon.
Like this is what I want.
I just decided that this trip would be my baby moon, even though I'm only going to be 17, 18 weeks while I'm there because I feel good.
I have energy.
I'm like able to do it.
I'm not uncomfortable.
I'd rather just go now.
So I honestly think go on your baby moon when you feel good, like when you're ready to.
I don't think there's like a rule, you know, do it your way.
Will you pause the podcast when you're on maternity leave?
Yes.
Yes, we'll definitely be doing like some fun mashups about topics you guys love and have, you know, a bunch batched for you, but I will be taking some time away.
We will see what that looks like.
I saw someone suggest that Fi takes over while I'm gone, which would be really funny.
Names you love but aren't using.
I feel like that's actually a whole episode, right?
Like we should do a whole episode about that.
I love watching those videos.
Oh my God.
And also the crazier, the better.
Like I love hearing people's crazy names.
Did you get a new wedding ring?
I got this.
Probably a year and a half ago, bought it for myself.
Probably one of my biggest purchases, but I wear it every day.
Now that you have bigger boobs, do you prefer big or small?
I don't think I'm built for the big boob life, guys.
Like it is a lot of work for me.
I feel like they are always in the way.
I don't like wearing bras and they're a little bit tough to get ready, but like they look so gorgeous on other people.
They're getting like kind of unruly, you know?
So I think...
I'm a small boob girl, honestly.
Baby registry.
I started my baby registry.
I got a baby list.
I'm still figuring it out.
It's a lot of shit.
Like I actually can't believe how much shit you need for a baby.
And like debatably you don't need all of the shit, but like you feel like you do.
So you buy it, but like, we'll see what I end up using.
I don't know.
I'm a first time mom.
Like I'm going to buy all of it.
And also I feel weird having other people buy me stuff.
So I'm trying to figure out like what is appropriate to put on the baby list.
You know what I mean?
And I'm like researching the glass bottles and the most organic and which ones are most like a nipple and which, you know, fricking blankets and whatever.
It's so, so much stuff.
So every time I go on there, I get a bit overwhelmed to be honest, but we're figuring it out.
Okay guys, I'm gonna conclude this episode here.
Love you all so, so much.
Don't forget to subscribe, follow, leave a review.
Go get Bloom Pop at Walmart exclusively.
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host Mari Llewellyn.
Welcome back to part two of my girl chat with Fi.
We pick right where we left off in part one with Fi's vaginal cyst that landed her in the ER.
We're really feeling bad about that.
So I would highly recommend you guys listen because it's actually a very interesting situation that I want you guys to avoid.
And she gives us all the deets.
We're also answering your questions from Fee's Ozempic journey and real estate career to honest thoughts on skinny talk and body image and wellness.
If you haven't listened to part one yet, go check it out first to hear all the life updates and juicy stories.
Let's jump right in.
And that's why the other one stops.
Did you have to take, oh, you took antibiotics.
awful if you get bartholin cysts you are not alone period it's so it's embarrassing though it's like so awareness for bartholin yeah like seriously it's reminding me of when my eye almost burnt out when i got the uv flash burn and she said people say it's worse than it was yeah the worst thing i've ever been through but it's like these niche injuries that happen yeah it's so um it's such a reality check because you're like wait i was so normal before this oh
You guys know Greg and I love to cook at home.
We cook dinner every single night and I'm obsessed with my Caraway non-toxic products.
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you guys have heard me talk about clear stem so many times it is a staple in my skincare routine it's the first clinically effective skincare wellness routine formulated with zero pore clogging ingredients ever if you've dealt with breakouts like me i've had acne for over 10 years you know that typical acne products dry and damage the skin while traditional anti-aging products can clog your pores clear stem is an all-in-one approach addressing both acne and aging without compromising your holistic health
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Let's pull up some questions.
I feel like we're going to hit a lot of topics.
Do you need a coffee break or anything?
An energy drink break?
And you're drinking juicy orange?
Yeah, I like juicy orange.
Is that your new favorite?
We have some new fun flavors coming and soda comes out July 4th.
after my birthday.
Wait, let me make sure you get your PR package.
I get balloon PR.
Kind of a big deal.
What books are we reading nowadays?
Why do you look like that?
I'm not reading.
like nasty like seriously okay maybe if anyone's read it and knows nesta you know what i'm talking about that girl's nasty oh i'm reading um queen of shadows series by sarah j mass similar vibe but actually not similar it's like way less is that the mirror one there are so many yeah i actually never know the title of the book i'm reading because i read on kindle oh i just finished a book yesterday and i didn't even know i was close to the end
Now I'm on the Tower of Terror or something.
Game of Thrones.
Sorry, not Game of Thrones.
What am I talking about?
What's Fourth Wing?
I meant Fourth Wing.
Because it's about dragons.
That's different.
Different author.
Different author.
I read that too.
What's the other one that everyone, there's like three or four.
And then the queen of shadows is Sarah J. Mass again.
It's like this fantasy like genre, but they, I really like them.
I'm kind of a nerd.
Like I'm back in my reading era and I'm obsessed.
I fly through these books.
Is Fiona going to be called Auntie Fee?
Literally, the kid's going to think you're my sister, probably.
Is she still taking Ozempic?
And yeah, I feel like the biggest problem I've noticed with people taking it is they take too much too frequently.
And I have heard I think Andrew Huberman spoke about it and he takes it once a month.
Like micro doses at once a month, like top dose.
health wow people are taking it at a very low dose and it's still having a good effect i wonder if like the pharmaceutical industry like wanted us to believe that you have to take it every week because it makes them more money obviously probably but maybe it's not even designed that way well it depends like he is probably not doing it for the weight loss aspect he's probably doing like i will say the inflammation that i've like yeah that there are so many other amazing i know you've had like dr t
It's crazy.
Like, it just... Not in a... Like, that happens when you take too much, I think.
But it makes you flat.
You lose your drive.
Like, it's probably almost like taking Adderall.
Well, it really helps people with addiction, apparently.
Yeah, yes.
And also...
For anyone who thinks... I've never... I didn't take it during my... I remember there was that whole video on TikTok.
People thought I took it to lose 90 pounds.
I absolutely did not.
I lost weight naturally.
But I'm very interested in it, obviously, because it's in my industry and, like, people talk about it.
And I'm also not anti it.
Maybe I would take it one day if I was struggling to lose baby weight.
Who knows?
Like I love talking about it and hearing about it and I'm not judgmental of it at all.
It is funny though when you follow someone and all of a sudden they're super skinny and you're like, wait, what happened?
Yeah, I mean.
on it like i think a lot a lot of people are on it like the more people i talk to yeah it's changing trends in the supplement industry everyone wants protein now yeah it's like lowering the amount of food people are buying and ordering like it's crazy it's like changing everything yeah i think they should give it to um people at rehab yeah it really helps with with those addictions yeah
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This is kind of a good segue.
What's y'all's honest opinion about creators like Liv Schmidt and Skinny Talk coming back?
I've heard about that.
I think I do not agree that people should be canceled for saying that they want to be to lose weight.
I think you should be able to say, yeah, I want to lose a couple pounds and feel good about myself.
I think that should be okay.
However, I think you have to be very aware that when you're posting on a large platform...
12 year olds are seeing it, 13 year olds, 15 year olds.
And I feel, and not to like, I'm not tooting my own horn, but from the beginning when I started posting about my journey and I obviously lost a lot of weight, I was very clear that I was a very unhappy, unhealthy person when I was overweight.
Like I was at my lowest point in my life and I was posting about weightlifting, muscle, getting strong, getting enough protein.
Like that was always my thing.
The forefront.
If you actually followed what I was doing, it was never about the way I looked.
It was always about the way I felt.
And I still am like, also, I never wanted to be thin.
I look at my LA stuff and I'm like, oh my God, I was at the gym at six in the morning and I was shredded.
And I was like, yeah, this is how I live my life.
And now I could, I mean, I work out.
Eating raw burgers on TikTok.
Like no carbs.
I didn't cook my burger well enough and I took a bite and I didn't even see it.
And I showed the camera and it was, that's rage bait.
Cause I didn't cook it well enough.
That was before my wedding.
but like you know people do that shit on purpose now and they call it rage bait because if you do something like that and the remember i used to do that by accident yeah and the comments would pop off i mean yeah people do they so funny bait stuff you know fee looks so slim now oh thanks guys but i feel good that's what matters yeah it's not just about how you look is she dating a baseball player a coach
Sleep is such an important part of a wellness routine and Greg and I are both obsessed with our Eight Sleep Pod and Autopilot.
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How is Fi liking being in real estate?
So happy for her.
Yeah, a lot of Bloom team members are moving to Austin.
I don't know if I said, but we bought a building on the east side and that's our new HQ for Bloom.
So they're all moving here from LA and Fia's helping them find houses.
You would have hated me this week.
I changed my whole trip.
Mari, I saw that and I was like... I know.
Poor Brooke.
I made my whole trip move up a date earlier and I was like... But to be fair, I sat on a call with her and I did it with her.
Okay, good.
Because I'm good at the European stuff.
If you're an OG pal girl, you probably listened to my- The first guest you've ever had on.
My literal first guest was liver king.
which is crazy that I interviewed.
It was right after his scandal.
It was like in LA.
I did not sleep the night before.
You were so nervous.
We got there early.
Greg did the interview with me.
I was so scared.
They made me eat raw liver and testicle and all that type.
Guys, go back in the archives of POW and listen to my episode with Liver King.
Anyway, he did just get arrested.
Yeah, apparently he got arrested here in Austin.
You really put us on the map.
Actually, everyone was really mad at me for doing that interview, I think.
Fi, thanks for coming on.
Of course.
Sorry that you've been through a lot lately.
It sounds like things are going really well.
Other than the double infected cyst.
Other than, yes.
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
Hi guys, welcome back to the podcast.
Today's episode is such a fun one with my favorite bestie and former assistant Fi.
You may know her, she's been on the show a whole bunch.
We're having a girl chat and we have some big fun life updates, including a
Fee's medical emergency don't worry she's fine it landed her in the ER but it is one that all the girls should hear this episode is raw hilarious and not one to miss I wanted to let you guys know it is a two-part episode because we had so much to talk about so stay tuned for Fee's medical emergency and let's get right into it welcome back to a girl chat episode with Fee
I'm gonna reintroduce V for anyone who's new or may not know the lure lure the lure of V the lure of V the lure of V
yeah and fee was like you if you saw me you saw fee like there was no we're connected we were connected and we also look the same so everyone thought we were siblings yes and we've just like had a lot of life experiences together at this point we don't work together anymore but we're obviously still really close friends and we have a lot to catch up on and you guys love her
Here I am married and pregnant and boring.
And Fi always has like the craziest stories.
So like she really does bring an element of like pizzazz to the show.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Like sis.
Anyway, we will talk about that.
We'll get there.
But Fi joins me on the show pretty frequently to do girl chats.
So we have a lot to catch up on.
Last time you were on the show...
I was not pregnant.
I think you were maybe about to do the transfer.
Yeah.
Or something like that.
Wasn't pregnant.
You were like casually maybe seeing someone.
Yes.
But you didn't want to say anything.
I just started dating someone, yeah.
Because you were like, it wasn't really a thing yet.
And yeah, I feel like a lot has changed.
Yeah.
I wasn't sure if you were going to say it.
Yeah, Mari hasn't met him yet.
But I know I love him.
Also like you're so much more confident now in yourself than you ever were before.
Yeah.
Not that he dictated all of that, but, like, he definitely didn't help.
Oh my God, yeah.
Remember when you went to see that film?
What film was it?
Oh yeah, it ends with us.
And you were like, you literally called me right afterwards and you were like, I'm done.
Here's why I thought that.
I think you are more of like a Southern belle than you even realize.
And I think you have more traditional values.
And I was like, we need a guy who's so polite and worships his woman and wants to have kids and is a little more traditional.
But I also always saw you with someone in sports.
You guys know Greg and I love to cook at home.
We cook dinner every single night and I'm obsessed with my Caraway non-toxic products.
Seriously, when you're cooking, you wanna be so careful with the pans you're using because those materials are leaking into your food, which is something you really wanna avoid.
There could be things like PFAs, PTFEs, lead, catamum, and other harmful chemicals, which is not in any of Caraway's products, which helps with guilt-free cooking.
I'm also obsessed with their wood cutting boards.
knowing that zero plastic is getting into my food.
That is such a problem.
They're finding plastic in so many people's bloodstreams and other places, and it's having a really harmful effect.
Plus, Caraway's products are just so gorgeous.
I love having my sage green pan out on the stove.
It's such a vibe and makes me want to cook more.
If you have been eyeing their internet-famous 12-piece cookware set, now is the perfect time to buy.
You can shop Caraway risk-free, enjoy fast, free shipping, easy returns, and a 30-day trial.
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bare minimum not bare minimum bare minimum bare minimum he opened the door bare minimum yeah you're like he said he missed me i'm like yeah bitch yeah you're like as he should yeah yeah yeah i was on your tiktok yesterday because i was trying to find our i don't know what i was doing i think i was looking up your tiktok because i wanted to do the dog thing that you did and i stumbled dude you have an old tiktok of a previous man's um doing pilates and it's
so bad yeah and eating ice cream that one all of them are bad all of them are bad well that's so cute we're so excited for you thank you are you gonna like like when are you gonna like bring him here well so this is the complicated thing it's a long distance relationship because he like if you guys know anything about baseball season it is long as hell they play like 160 games or something they play six times a week
yeah i'm excited to like actually spend cozy holidays yeah i'll be massive by then yeah you will i'll be big old juicy girl giving birth i like don't know what i'm gonna do for thanksgiving or christmas because thanksgiving i'm gonna be ginorm i haven't said my due date by the way yeah okay i'm not i don't really close it's very close to thanksgiving you're gonna be and then christmas i'll be in the like the trenches yeah
I think I'm just going to like stay put, you know?
Oh, you're not?
It just feels like a lot.
Like imagine you're like hosting and trying to entertain people and you have like a fresh baby.
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I got to see him yesterday.
I know.
I want to hear all about.
It was really good.
It's like nice getting to the point and people who have been through like IVF and stuff will get it.
But like my appointments all used to be so scary.
It was just like praying that he was still there.
Like.
heartbeat hope everything's okay and even now like i do have thoughts where i'm like i really hope he's still in there but i know that sounds crazy yeah but like i don't really have many symptoms i feel great so i'm like i pray that i'm still pregnant and then when they do so now i do over the belly
oh the i've graduated from the yeah vaginas the cooch up the cooch that's a good transition for later um um so we did over the belly and he's just in there like chilling you don't feel him yet right no he's too small and i found out i have well actually in the next week i would start feeling like little butterfly but i have an anterior placenta which means it's in the front
I found that out.
So it is harder to feel because it's like a cushion between.
It's between the baby and you.
Yeah.
But I still, you'll still feel it at some point.
Where is it usually?
Up higher?
Yes.
Yes.
Actually, remember at the beginning how my placenta was blocking my cervix?
They thought I had placenta privia, which means you'd need a C-section.
It actually already drifted because it, yeah, it drifted away.
Ideally.
Actually, he was head down yesterday, but he's always just like doing backflips and stuff.
Like he's insane.
He's insane.
Like, every time I see him, he's going crazy.
Childbirth is just, like, so insane to me.
And I could see his brain.
I could see the centricles or whatever of his brain.
I could see his whole ribcage.
His elbows and knees.
Oh, and a pee-pee.
It was like really small and cute.
It's so weird.
Don't say that.
I have like a penis in me.
Isn't that weird?
It's so weird.
I'll never get over it.
It's crazy.
It's the coolest thing ever.
Also, they said he's in the 64th percentile, which is pretty normal.
But his belly circumference is in the 75th percentile.
What?
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's so cute.
And even on the ultrasound, it's like a little round light.
It's so cute.
Oh my gosh.
It's so cute.
But yeah, I feel really relieved.
I like wanted to see him before I went to Europe because obviously.
So nice.
Months ago.
yeah but you were i'm guys i'm so bad like i'm i cannot keep a secret well i can i can keep other people's secrets but when you have exciting news to share you just want to share no yeah i went about that like literally half of the people that my little gender reveal knew already i know
I was like, oh, pretend.
Because I also, so I did a little intimate gender reveal for my friends and I knew I wanted Fi to be the one.
So I got all these cupcakes and only one of them had blue on the inside.
I actually haven't even posted about it.
I need to make a video about it.
And I knew I wanted Fi to be the one to bite the cupcake and I wanted you to be genuinely surprised and I bleeped it up.
I feel like I knew though.
You know what I mean?
so my whole life i never even came up with boy names because i was always like not because i it wasn't that i wanted a girl i actually was so open to either yeah but because greg's like a bodybuilder and most bodybuilders have girls they say like higher testosterone men have whatever the theory is yeah a lot of other bodybuilders that have had kids recently like all have little girls i was like yeah i'm for sure having a girl like it just never also like he has a sister i know i have a sister it's like a lot of yeah
A lot of female energy, so it is kind of freaking crazy.
Wow.
I can't wait.
I know.
Auntie Fee.
Auntie Fee.
I'm so excited.
A lot of people... Oh, my God, I ordered the cutest.
Actually, I'll just say it.
My most ridiculous purchase.
Greg's so mad at me.
Oh, my God.
What is it?
A Moncler teddy onesie with ears.
And it's...
stop is it just like projectile yeah but it's just like it stinks it's like it's like formula like milky smell yeah but it's honestly like still cute like she's thrown up on me numerous times and I'm like I've told you about my formula spiral right yeah I know I mean formulas are I'm sure it's controversial I've actually never really talked about it on here but I went on like a full formula spiral with Greg the other day because we were researching and I thought like oh the European ones are great and then I looked at the ingredients of the European ones and
even they are sus like it's so crazy i want to have like a formula expert on the show because like you know i don't have a baby yet and also i think women should do whatever yeah like if if you can't breastfeed like whatever what do they say fed is better i was just gonna say
yeah at the end at the end of the day like a baby needs to eat is what matters yes like formula like yes it would be nice to have one that you know has like clean ingredients and doesn't you know isn't full of crap but at the end of the day it's like zero judgment your baby to zero judgment i'm just very into this topic and i think it's very interesting so i was going on a spiral and i was talking to allison evans the founder of branch basics like i got her on the phone and i'm asking her all these questions and really all the formulas out there are kind of sus yeah
Because the FDA in America requires infant formula to have vegetable oil in it.
To like... Probably like shelf safety.
Yes.
Shelf stable.
You can't put like tallow or cream because it's not shelf stable.
But also...
I found out the reason that they do that in the US and even in Europe is because they're trying to closely mimic the average mother's diet to mimic the breast milk and the average mother's diet, they eat a lot of seed oils.
There's a brand called Serenity Kids, which is technically for toddlers.
Okay.
But...
you you can give it to an infant but the fda says you have to say it's for toddlers because they don't put seed oils in it interesting do you get what i'm saying yeah weird right yeah so anyway i was just on this spiral and i still haven't figured out i mean i'm hoping to breastfeed but also i want to have a formula to supplement with in just in case but
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As you guys know, I started my business back in 2017.
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I'm so excited for you guys to start your journey.
We should talk about your recent medical emergency.
Oh, yes.
I had to do with my vagina, so... All to do with the vagina, which is a nice segue.
Segue, yeah.
See what we did there?
The transition?
We actually kind of jumped backwards, but it's fine.
That's okay.
Girls, listen up.
Oh, yeah.
The gynos are all so booked.
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Davielle Waldner, Jen Lauren, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host Mari Llewellyn.
What is up guys?
Welcome back to another solo episode with me.
Today we're talking about my current nutrition and workouts.
I am 16 weeks pregnant, but I'm also just someone who cares about health and nutrition.
And even if you're not pregnant and you're listening, I think this will be beneficial because I'm still focused on protein and muscle and things like that.
But obviously it looks a little bit different now that I am pregnant.
I just hit the 16 week mark today.
which is so exciting.
Every time I hit a new week mark, I just am like so excited and so grateful.
The baby is the size of an avocado today.
Oh, I keep forgetting you guys know the gender now, so I can say he is the size of an avocado.
Love that.
I am in my second trimester.
I feel really good.
My energy is definitely up lately.
I used to kind of be like crashing a lot in the day and like taking naps, even though I have to say, and I feel very privileged to say this, but I really didn't struggle with any nausea, didn't throw up, like really have had a lovely pregnancy so far.
which is such a blessing.
I'm gonna knock on wood.
But yeah, I think in my second trimester, I've definitely been able to focus a lot more on getting in a good routine.
I'm working out again frequently.
I'm lifting weights.
I'm feeling strong.
I'm definitely eating a bit healthier.
I think in the first trimester, I was like,
just sort of eating whatever I wanted, not because I was struggling a lot with, well, I had some food aversions for sure, like could not eat things that were leftover.
Certain proteins grossed me out.
I would occasionally just want quesadillas and pizza and whatever.
Now I'm in my second trimester, I feel a bit more myself again, and I'm able to really get back to nutrient dense good foods, which I have been focused on the whole time, but now I just feel a bit more in a rhythm.
So let's talk about nutrition first.
And what I like to do is kind of walk you guys through a sort of typical what I eat in a day currently and fill you in on the things I'm eating because I am quite repetitive, I think.
But I'll also tell you things that I'm sprinkling in there every now and again because I am...
someone who's really obsessed with nutrition and ingredients and i know that there are certain things to incorporate in your diet that are good for the baby's development but i'll just kind of give you an idea of what i'm eating and i actually did film uh what i eat in a day recently which i haven't done in so long but i know people are interested i'm just kind of always hesitant with that stuff because people can be so intense when it comes to food which is so interesting but anyway i'm
First thing when I wake up in the morning, and this is different, I used to wait a couple hours to eat.
That is not happening nowadays.
I wake up ravenous.
And if I wait too long to eat, I will not feel great.
So the first thing I do when I wake up is eat my raw protein bar.
I'm pretty sure you guys have heard me talk about these protein bars for legitimately three years at this point.
It's spelled R-A-W-R, raw bars.
And they are a small family business.
They take a long time to arrive, but they are so good.
And I have literally been eating these things for the last three years every single day.
I only eat the dark chocolate almond butter one.
I'm on a subscription for it.
It's high in protein, great ingredients, and I love it.
So I eat one of those and that like satiates me because they're pretty high calorie.
I think they're like 390 calories or something.
And I have a bunch of water, fill my Stanley with ice.
Sometimes I'll put electrolytes in there.
Maybe I'll add a scoop of bloom colostrum and that'll be like my drink of the day.
Well, no, I fill my Stanley cup like probably three times and it's actually not a Stanley cup.
It's a hydro flask.
Sorry, Stanley.
But I like the fact that I can put the straw down on this one and I have a bunch of water.
Then that's the point where I usually walk Arnold, get my steps in.
If I feel good enough, I'll do a workout.
I'll get to the exercise part in a minute.
But if I am lifting weights, I'll probably eat a banana or a piece of toast because I can't just work out fasted the way I used to.
I need to have food in my stomach.
Then my actual breakfast, I've gone through different phases.
Like sourdough eggs and berries was my breakfast for the longest time.
It has shifted a little bit lately.
I'm doing purely Elizabeth cereal.
And I saw so many questions about this cereal that I eat every day.
I get the vanilla blueberry one, I think it is.
So freaking good.
Something about the cereal with the cold milk and the crunch is just giving me life right now.
And I put a slice of banana in there.
I have two eggs from my chickens.
two fresh eggs.
Love my girls.
They're working hard back there.
A little sprinkle of berries, usually strawberries and blueberries.
And this is the point where I take all my supplements.
So I take my prenatal, I take my fish oil.
I take, sometimes I'll take my bloom greens.
Yeah, that's pretty much it.
I actually have way simplified my supplements being pregnant.
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Then my next meal is usually lunch, unless I need a snack in between, but usually I'm okay.
So lunch, I've been hyper fixated on this green salad.
And the first trimester, I wouldn't have touched a salad, honestly.
I felt like it sounded disgusting.
Now I'm into salads again.
And I get it with feta cheese, green olives, chickpeas, and a lot of roasted chicken for the protein.
Every now and again, I'll get myself a sandwich.
And I know people say, don't eat deli meat.
I'm eating deli meat.
I get it from a good place.
I feel good about it.
Do what feels good for you.
So that is generally my lunch.
And then I'll definitely have a snack.
So here are some of the snacks that I'll have.
A protein smoothie, which I make at home with banana, strawberry.
Whole milk, organic grass-fed whole milk.
Protein, like two scoops of protein and ice.
I will have rice cakes.
I actually have those in my bag right now.
I've been eating them throughout the day.
And I'll put goat cheese or I'll smash an avocado and put that on the rice cake.
I also have been loving the organic valley string cheeses.
They're really easy.
Get them from Costco, throw them in your bag.
And fruit.
Have been obsessed with fruit my whole pregnancy.
Dinner.
Okay, dinner varies.
This is where Greg usually comes in the picture.
Maybe he wants to make something.
I usually have my own requests, but it's usually always a protein, either chicken, steak, or salmon.
I try to have salmon at least once a week.
atlantic wild caught salmon because it's really great for the baby's development i'm sure you have me mentioned but greg does order me fish eggs as well from the same company salmon eggs which is quite disgusting i try to think of it as like this bougie caviar experience but it just really isn't
And I put a scoop of those on a cracker.
I have those maybe once a week right now.
I think I'll probably amp that up when I'm in my third trimester.
And then I'll have it with either rice, potato or pasta and a side salad.
And then I'll have it with a bloom pop.
I'm obsessed.
I usually have the Shirley Temple flavor or the orange flavor.
So freaking good.
And much better macros than some of our Better For You soda competitors.
So that's usually my dinner.
Then dessert.
I have not been obsessed with sweets, weirdly enough.
I'm not like, chocolate sounds gross to me.
Would never want a cookie.
No brownie.
Like, it just doesn't sound good.
I've dabbled with Swedish candy.
But like, even that isn't really hitting the spot for me.
The only thing that really hits is mango.
Okay.
or pineapple or like cut fruit.
Like that is just what I want right now.
So that kind of sums up my whole day of food.
That's kind of where I'm at.
Obviously this varies.
I did see a lot of you ask me about caffeine.
I've only been drinking matcha and I will have maximum two a day.
I make them at home usually.
Right now I'm in the studio and I got one on the way.
But I'll generally only have two matchas a day.
I love matcha.
I love the taste of it.
I like it quite strong.
Like I don't love it super milky.
Like it has to be quite green.
I'll either make it Americano style or add some whole milk and do it iced currently because Austin is 100 degrees plus at the moment.
Coffee to me right now...
doesn't taste amazing and is making me so anxious so I just don't even bother with it like the other day I thought I wanted one and I had a sip of it and I was like no don't feel good so no coffee for me at the moment I know there's like a max amount of caffeine that you're supposed not supposed to have like not over 200 or something um I mean I just have two matches and I feel fine with that
Let's talk about workouts.
I have been back to weightlifting about four times a week at this point, which feels amazing.
I wasn't allowed to work out for a while during some of my IVF phase and at the beginning of my pregnancy, and it feels so good to be back working out.
And it's this crazy feeling of like, holy shit, I'm like doing all these strong, cool movements and I'm carrying a baby.
Like how crazy is this?
So it is a really cool feeling and I know it's beneficial for the fetus as well.
I actually don't know the science behind that.
I would love to have someone on the show to explain how that works, but they say...
It's really healthy to do for childbirth, for the health of the baby.
So I feel really good about it.
Obviously there's certain things I don't do.
Everyone's different.
I personally just don't do abs.
I just don't really feel the need to.
Some of the movements are hitting your core anyway, like squats, pushups,
push-ups like those things are going to hit your core but i'm not doing direct ab movements i don't hip thrust i just feel weird about it i had a friend who had placenta previa and she ended up bleeding excessively from hip thrusting um and i just don't want to mess with that so
I'm avoiding that.
I've also hired a trainer who is prenatal certified and she's training me about twice a week and I'm loving it.
Actually, she trained me earlier this week and I could barely walk for four days.
So that was humbling.
It's been really nice to work out with friends, have them come over to my gym.
And yeah, I just feel good about it.
I think like embracing the way my body's changing and working out for...
strength and like purpose is really cool, you know?
Cause for a long time I worked out cause I aesthetically wanted to look a certain way.
So this feels like a good shift.
I definitely get out of breath like way easier and my heart rates through the roof, but like, you know, I just take the necessary breaks in between and whatever.
So I'm also aiming for 10,000 steps a day.
Usually I hit around there, maybe a little below, maybe a little above, depends on the day really.
And I always start the day with a walk
End the day with a walk.
We're about to be in Aspen, Colorado for a month.
And I'm really excited to do some hiking.
I think it will be challenging at altitude for me.
So we're going to do some sort of like moderate, easy hikes.
The weather there is gorgeous.
I just can't wait.
So that's the plan there.
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The entrepreneurial path is never linear.
It can be as simple as a side hustle or a multimillion dollar fundraiser, but you can always trust Shopify will have your back at any stage.
I personally have really tested this out for myself.
As you guys know, I started my business back in 2017.
I sold $5 PDF workout guides and Shopify is the platform I used for my small business.
Now we run and operate Bloom on Shopify, which is obviously much larger than I could have ever imagined.
And they have helped us every step of the way.
Shopify is a powerful set of tools that helps you start and manage your business, whether online or in person.
It's designed to make life easier for entrepreneurs from beginning to big brands by providing tools that simplify selling.
With Shopify, you can easily sell on social media, which has been a huge part of my career, manage your operations, and even collaborate with other brands.
Shopify is your all-in-one hub for managing and growing your business, whether you're
Think of Shopify as a toolkit for entrepreneurs equipped with everything you need to launch and scale your business effortlessly.
I always recommend when people are starting a business to start with Shopify.
It really makes it so easy to customize the look you want for your website, the process you want and sell easily on social media, which is where most people are shopping now.
Whether it's a side hustle or a storefront with Shopify, you can sell anywhere.
So if you're ready to build your own empire, whether it's merch, products, or the next best idea, get on Shopify.com slash Mari, M-A-R-I, and make it happen.
That's Shopify.com slash Mari.
I'm so excited for you guys to start your journey.
Okay, let's also just talk about quickly skincare and things I've been doing differently.
So I guess because I've been trying to conceive for so long, when I went to my esthetician originally, she always had me on a pregnancy safe skincare routine.
So everything I used was already pregnancy safe.
my clear stem cleanser, my face reality stuff.
I use a very light mandelic acid, my moisturizer, all of that stuff was pregnancy safe anyway.
I think what I've been doing more of is like lymphatic drainage, gua sha, because my face definitely has changed being pregnant.
Like it just feels a lot fuller.
So not that that's a bad thing, but I just want to encourage like
you know, drainage of any inflammation.
So I do that.
I ice roll.
I love my eye patches in the
I also found an amazing prenatal certified lymphatic drainage massage here in Austin.
And that was awesome because I was kind of scared to do that.
And when I got to my second trimester, I went to see her and it was so gentle, but so effective at the same time.
So just like taking time to do self-care, things like that, I think is really effective.
Oh, also paying way more attention to diet.
body stuff, like everything I'm putting on my body.
First of all, the oil on the belly thing.
I have to keep reminding myself to do it because I keep forgetting.
But I have like a Bahama Mama natural body oil, I think it is.
And I like that one.
I also ordered this like natural stretch cream stuff that I might blend the two together and see how that goes.
But I also put it on my boobs because my boobs have been really...
itchy.
And I think it's because the skin is stretching.
So I want to make sure I'm like doing that, my thigh area, whatever.
So doing that as well as like an all natural body lotion, I'm definitely paying more attention to body care than I ever did.
Also, I like being tan.
If you have been following me for a while, you remember I used to get a weekly spray tan, which was a really crazy time of my life.
And then I just started doing my own self tanner
and now I like looked up myself tanner it wasn't a hundred percent pregnancy safe so I was like shoot I have to find something else salty face is a pretty natural pregnancy safe one they say that loving tan is pregnancy safe um I don't do it as often as I used to because it freaks me out I do it when I really need to for like a big event or something
oh, deodorant, that's a big one.
So deodorant freaks me out also.
And I went a while not wearing any, but it has become apparent to me that when you're pregnant, you smell really bad, no matter how clean or how many showers you take.
I feel like I just smell like an onion.
And I don't know if it's me having an extra sense of smell or if my hormones are just making me smell, but me and my other pregnant friend are like, wow, we reek.
And like, I really do reek.
So I found or someone told me about this all natural deodorant called Buddha cream.
And it's like coconut cream in a jar.
And I like put my hand in it and spread it around in my armpits.
I actually order it on Instacart from like natural grocer or something.
And it is effective.
Like it actually does work perfectly.
Maybe by the end of the day, it's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.
And I do not want to put any weird stuff near my lymph nodes.
So that has been my solution for deodorant.
Another thing I've been trying, I need to be better because I forgot the last night and then I did it the two nights before, is this face taping concept.
So everyone's doing this face taping instead of Botox.
And I wanted to try it.
So this company called, this sounds like an ad, it's not, Sealed Wellness sent me some tape.
And I tried the forehead tape, which was good.
And then I did the smile line tape and the eye tape.
I'm a very sensitive sleeper.
If I am at all uncomfortable, I can't sleep.
The eye tape for me was too much.
I was like this, I have to take it off.
The forehead tape, I felt like,
It just like stops you from like crinkling your head when you're sleeping.
Like imagine maybe you're having like an annoying dream and you're like crinkling your head.
I felt like when I took off the tape, it did make it appear that I wasn't, like there weren't as many lines.
Who knows?
I think you have to be quite consistent with it, but I'm trying it.
So I'll keep you guys posted.
Okay, let's answer some Q&A questions.
See what you guys have to say.
Have you had any strange pregnancy cravings yet?
No.
Okay, fruit has been consistent, like mango, that type of thing.
It's more like if I hear about something or see something and I absolutely need to have it that day and I will do anything I need to to get it.
Like that's more the vibe.
Like the other day, a club sandwich.
I saw a club sandwich and I was like, I absolutely need to have a club sandwich today.
Or you know what's been happening recently that really is quite annoying?
The Europe photos everyone's posting online and how good that European pasta looks and the Italy and the France and the, that, I mean, and I can't get to it.
Yeah, that's the vibe.
Like if I see something, I need it.
What bottoms and tops are you working out in?
Are you finding you need to try different types?
Yes.
I am in a good spot now with where I'm at.
Bras are still my biggest challenge.
I'm wearing my form shorts.
One of my closest friends, Sammy Spalter, owns the company.
I wear my form shorts, size large.
I did size up because otherwise it's too tight on my stomach.
I wear like these Skims sports bras I've had for so long.
They are like the only thing that feels comfortable.
And then I wear like these soft free people, like loose crop tops.
That feels good for me.
I also love a bodysuit now from like Beyond Yoga.
Those are really comfortable.
A lot of people are asking if I'm having nausea.
I'm not.
And I feel for you.
I know it can be so rough.
Like a lot of girls are bedridden.
I have not struggled with that.
I had morning nausea, very mild in my first trimester.
Are you still gluten-free?
No, I'm not actually.
As you guys might remember, I was like dairy-free, gluten-free, all the things for my acne for a long time.
And then once we healed my H. pylori,
And acne, I stopped that because I enjoy gluten and dairy.
So I have it now, every now and again.
Are you still weighing your meals or eating intentionally?
Pregnant here too.
No, I have not weighed my meals since probably 2018.
maybe like once or twice since then, but like not for a long, long time.
I used to use MyFitnessPal and that was when I didn't understand macros and I didn't really know how to eyeball food.
Now I'm really aware of nutrition and I don't feel like I have to do that as much.
Are you prioritizing protein or focusing more on healthy fats and carbs?
Love you.
Protein is like always a must for me.
I try to have protein with every single meal.
And definitely having a lot of healthy fats right now, olive oil, olives, cheese, you know, avocado.
I think that's really important when you're pregnant.
And carbs, yeah.
I mean, I have rice, potato, pasta.
Like I'm a little bit less worried about that stuff right now.
I need to know the cereal you're eating and what kind of milk.
Purely Elizabeth vanilla blueberry.
And that was like a farm milk that I had from Austin that was like organic.
Whole milk.
Does anything trigger acne for you anymore?
I mean...
I have a couple zits.
I feel like they're hormonal, but they're like on the side of my face.
So that makes me wonder if it was like a hair product maybe, but I don't get the same level of acne as I used to have.
Like it used to be so, so bad.
So anything else I'm like just grateful for.
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It's something I've continued to do during pregnancy.
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What workouts do you typically do and for how long?
It's always weightlifting for me.
You guys know I love a weight lift.
When I work out alone, probably 40 minutes.
I'll do like circuit style training, like full body, upper body and lower body in one.
And then when I'm with the trainer, it's for a full hour and it's usually focused on either legs or upper body.
Are Bloom Greens pregnancy safe?
I am taking them, but 100% talk to your doctor and figure out if you feel comfortable with it.
But I feel good about it.
The brand of Salmon Row, the company's called Vital Choice, Alaskan Salmon and Salmon Row.
And we order both our salmon and salmon eggs from there.
Do you have any unhealthy cravings?
i mean yeah honestly not that bad but like i i do enjoy pizza and pasta like more savory stuff honestly than sweet which i'll obviously enjoy when i feel like it what app are you using to track coco bean i love that you guys are calling him coco bean what to expect is the name of the app it's really cute like it shows you the fruit size of the week and
And you get to watch a video of like what's happening.
I remember you used to eat quite blood sugar friendly.
Is that still the goal for you?
It's definitely something I think about.
And I think I am someone that's like blood sugar sensitive.
So like, like if I'm having yogurt, I'm not going to put honey on it because it doesn't make me feel great.
I like the taste of it.
And I think honey is good for you.
But if I have too much sugar.
at a meal, I won't feel good afterwards.
I've always been that way.
So I think it's just kind of how I live now.
But it's not something I think about too much, honestly.
Do you sweeten your matcha lattes?
No.
Here's the other thing.
Like, I don't love a sweet drink.
Never have.
Never will.
Like, I know everyone's obsessed with the brown, sugar, shaken, iced...
thing from starbucks and it does sound good to me but i never enjoy that type of um drink so no i never sweeten any of my drinks do you drink cold drinks again like smoothies yes i do
Before my transfer and like at the beginning, there's like a Chinese medicine rule that you don't consume anything too cold because the embryo likes it to be warm.
That was just something I followed.
But now I am eating cold things, thank God, because it's hot here.
Are you riding Red still?
If not, what's your plan with him during pregnancy?
I have chosen to not ride horses while pregnant.
It just, for me, I've had too many...
freak things happen while riding.
And I just know it's never going to be worth it for me.
And I miss it so much.
And it hurts my heart to even think about it.
Red is being ridden by this lovely girl, Kaylin, who works at the barn.
She rides him every day.
I even got him like fitted a new custom saddle.
He's loving life.
I miss him so much.
I really need to go visit him.
But honestly, I think I'm just really emotional.
But when I go and see him, it like hurts my heart that I can't ride him, which is silly.
I should just go groom him or something, but I miss it so much.
It's such a joy in my life.
What's your go-to meal when nothing sounds good?
Toast, eggs and fruit, honestly.
Like that's kind of my go-to.
Are there any foods you have...
Been told to avoid, but haven't.
I mean, I think everyone says like, don't eat deli meat, undercooked meat.
I make my meat medium rare and I've sort of switched maybe to medium now.
I still eat deli meat as long as it's from a good place because I read the studies on it and I felt like it was okay.
I don't eat sushi.
I avoid eating too much tuna or fish with like, like larger fish with metals in them.
I don't drink alcohol, unpasteurized yogurts or milk.
I don't think I've done that.
I think everyone has like different takes on things.
And, you know, I would recommend getting that book, Expecting Better by Emily Oster.
I think that's a good one to read.
Because then you can kind of make your own decision based on the facts and the statistics rather than someone just like telling you, you know?
Do you have any anxiety about losing the weight afterwards?
I don't.
I think because I've done it before on my own, I don't have anxiety about it because I just know I'm capable of it.
Does that make sense?
Like having gone through my own weight loss journey naturally, I know what to do.
So no, I don't really have anxiety about it.
Why aren't you doing any core workouts?
Isn't it good to strengthen your pelvic floor?
I definitely want to incorporate pelvic floor specific exercises, which I haven't done yet.
I need to look into that.
But I just was told by my IVF doctor that doing unnecessary amounts of core workouts wasn't necessarily a good thing.
So like, that's why I stopped going to Pilates because there's just so much core.
But anything that's like pelvic floor focus, I would definitely do.
Someone said, didn't you say farm fresh eggs trigger your acne?
I don't find that anymore.
That was only when I was struggling with H. pylori.
Did you use GLP-1 before to lose weight and will you do it again?
No.
When I lost the weight in 2017, 2018, I lost 90 pounds.
I didn't even know what GLP-1 was.
It probably would have been helpful, but I didn't know what it was.
And who knows if I'll ever take it one day.
I've had some interesting conversations about it on the show and I know so many people it has helped greatly.
So I'm not anti it, but I also know that I'm capable of doing it naturally.
What do you recommend to have for breakfast in early stages of pregnancy?
Okay, so obviously I'm not a professional.
I'm not qualified to give you guys advice.
And I also didn't struggle that much with nausea.
But when I did have some nauseous days, I loved having a protein bar to grab that was quick that I knew I loved.
I also think simple toast with butter sometimes is just the easiest with some salt on it.
Definitely put salt.
I think people are afraid of salt and that can actually help you with like electrolytes and minerals.
I was able to eat eggs.
Not everyone is, that's okay.
Maybe you do a smoothie instead and make it drinkable.
I also think like rice cakes, fruit, like just keep it really, really simple.
Guys, thank you so much for tuning into today's nutrition workout skincare update.
I hope it was useful to some of you and gave you some ideas.
I am going to start uploading more what I eat in a days during my pregnancy just to give you guys ideas.
And I would love to hear what you're enjoying right now.
Share it with me, leave a comment, leave a review.
also don't forget to subscribe i upload a new episode every monday we have some amazing guests coming on the show i know you're going to love them and i will see you guys in the next episode bye
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
Hi guys, welcome back to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast.
Today we have a guest that I am so excited about, Dr. Molly Burrits.
She is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 16 years of experience in psychotherapy, research and teaching.
She is a professor at USC, has an amazing career, and she also went through IVF herself.
She experienced pregnancy loss and secondary infertility, and her practice focuses on reproductive mental health.
I do just want to give a trigger warning.
We will be discussing topics like infertility, miscarriage, loss.
And if you're not ready to hear about those topics, I would recommend clicking out, listening to a different episode.
As you guys know, I went through my own infertility and IVF journey and connecting with Molly was really, really important and special to me.
I saw a clip of Molly speaking about how to discuss this topic with friends who were going through loss or infertility and just how eloquent she was speaking about this topic really spoke to me.
She actually helped me when I was personally going through
my hcg issues at the beginning of my pregnancy when i thought that i would lose my pregnancy so she was there for me personally and i just know how smart and empathetic she is i know this conversation will be hopefully so impactful for so many of you i really hope you guys enjoy and find some value from this and let's talk to dr molly burrits dr molly burrits welcome to the show thank you thank you so much for having me
I am over the moon to have you here.
I have been a big fan of yours.
Same.
You were at my house last night and I think I told you I'm your biggest fan because I saw this clip of yours when I was in the trenches with IVF and you were talking about...
infertility and basically how to discuss it with friends and how to basically just like handle that topic and you were so eloquent and I sent it to so many people that I know and ever since then I'm like I just love this woman she gets it obviously you're a clinical psychologist which is incredible I mean
Congrats.
You have a huge career.
But you've also been through infertility, IVF, so many things.
I know you talk about relationships and a lot of different topics.
I think today we're really going to focus on reproductive grief, loss.
So trigger warning for anyone who's maybe not ready to hear those topics.
But it is such a big part of my life and it has been on the show for the last...
Thank you so much for having me.
Really?
I had never heard the term actually, so that makes sense.
I mean, to me, it sounds like pure hell.
I can't imagine.
I'm so sorry you went through that.
And I can't imagine anything more painful, honestly.
I mean, miscarriage in general is just kind of unfathomable, the pain that people experience.
And you and I were speaking about this last night.
It seems like it's increasing in how common it is, which is crazy.
And I'm so glad we're having this conversation because I think a lot of people don't know how to help someone
their friends or family members who are experiencing this.
And for context, guys, Dr. Molly helped me during that time.
I reached out and we had a phone call and it was really, really helpful to me during that time.
And I felt like you got it, you know.
How long at this point had you been on injections?
On and off for two years.
Which is insane.
I mean, anyone who's done IVF knows it's really intense and you're just getting kind of thrown around by these hormones and they have a massive impact on your body.
Can you tell us more about that?
Because I've heard you mention that.
What did that look like?
For many people.
so valid.
And it's very anxiety provoking.
I think people I could even tell by the way people would talk to me when I was doing it that they thought that it was a sure bet.
And I was like, no, no, no, I don't know.
Oh, you're there every other day sometimes.
So you're sitting at the border for 14 hours.
And this is a much more cost-effective route.
So great to have someone in your corner like that, seriously, because it can be really hard to pick up the encouragement when you're going through so much.
Wow, that's amazing.
Oh my God, I wanna know more about that medication.
Is that now FDA approved here?
No.
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I feel so lucky and privileged that I was able to do IVF now.
It was so expensive.
And I remember going in the waiting room and I took a big step back from work during IVF, which is, again, so lucky and privileged to be able to do that.
But I would look around the room and see...
teachers and nurses I would like ask people what do you do and I was like how are they affording to come here every other just the time and the money it's yes it's insane I knew people who got um part-time jobs at Starbucks or Amazon so that they could get IVF covered through their benefits wow
It's incredible.
Yeah.
I'm going to cry.
I'm so happy for you.
The fact that you're on the other side with two kids is really encouraging for me.
And I'm sure for so many people listening.
And I'm just like in awe that you pushed that hard to get to where you are now.
Oh my gosh, that's so special that you have that.
I think I heard you on another interview say that was how you kept everyone in your life updated because when you're going through IVF or infertility, you get a lot of questions.
Such a great idea.
I wish I did that.
It all comes from a good place, the questions.
But it's overwhelming.
Yeah, it can be really overwhelming.
And if you forget to tell someone something, then they're offended.
And that becomes a whole other thing.
And you're already going through so much on your own.
I'm kind of a chronic oversharer, which is why I have the career that I have.
I love that for you.
But I know a lot of girls don't even share the transfer day.
Which I think is smart.
I did not publicly.
Because otherwise it just is an immense amount of pressure.
I can't, I can't.
Yeah, no, I didn't share that, but I had people thinking I was pregnant before I was actually pregnant.
And that was weird.
It's coming from a good place.
I'm luckily like weirdly dissociated from my comment section because I guess because I've been doing this for so long, I don't really let it sink in.
Yeah.
It was more like in real life things that would get to me.
And I think there's also like a really big, not that people who don't go through IVF should know, but there's a big lack of education around IVF to people who don't do it.
Right?
Yes.
Like the questions I would get was so also calling embryos eggs.
That was a big one.
Do you get that a lot?
Totally.
Can we please stop saying that word?
And they always think you're going to put two.
That's my biggest thing.
They're like, how many are you going to put?
Also, as if we all have 10 to work with.
You only have dozens of eggs coming in a carton.
That would be amazing.
But most of us just have like...
three, two, three, if we're lucky.
So yeah, that's a funny question.
Out of curiosity, during your losses, your struggles, did you have a resource to turn to?
Because I know now you help so many people, but back then, what did you do to deal?
Oh, those Facebook groups are amazing.
Yeah, I think it's interesting now...
thinking about going through IVF and coping mechanisms, you kind of like, I definitely followed a lot of people who were going through IVF and wanted to see that.
But I feel like social media can also be really tough when you're struggling because it feels like, is everyone in the world pregnant except me?
Yes.
Like that's a big feeling.
I'm curious your opinion, like what would you recommend to someone who's really struggling and maybe...
it feels like everyone around them is pregnant.
Let's talk about like in real life and on social media.
Yes.
Thousand percent.
A thousand percent.
Yeah.
So true.
So telling.
And now being on the other side...
And you're the pregnant one.
If I had a friend that was struggling and they said to me what you what you just said, I need to take a step back.
I'd be glad that they said that instead of just like avoiding me or dodging the topic.
Like I would rather have that direct communication.
And I would actually personal experience.
And I know my friend might be listening when I was really struggling.
It was hard.
I swear, when I had my egg retrieval experience, and it was really bad, at that time, one of Greg's best friend's wives got pregnant.
His sister got pregnant.
Our next door neighbor got pregnant.
It felt like every single person, one of my closest friends was pregnant, and I felt like I was drowning.
And one of my friends was updating me on...
a lot and i ended up sending her a message where i was like i kind of um i don't know if i said it as eloquently as you did but i set a boundary which for me is really hard i'm such a people pleaser boundaries are so hard really hard but i remember typing it out and i was like
I am so happy for you.
And normal... I said normal Mari would be asking you so many questions and would be so interested in everything you have to say.
But right now I'm kind of in the depths of what I'm going through and it's just really hard for me to hear.
I can't wait to be there with you and be excited with you.
But right now I just can't.
And she was so understanding and like called me right away and was like, oh my God, I...
And she's also gotten pregnant naturally twice now and hasn't been through this.
Right.
But she was so understanding.
And I just want to share that like personal experience with people if they're nervous because I so get that feeling.
But it is worth it to protect your own energy because otherwise you're just daily like dealing with this heaviness, you know?
Use it generously.
Please mute me if I am annoying you.
That's something now being pregnant too.
I'm like, is my content too pregnant forward?
Because I keep thinking about old me and people going through it still.
And I love the advice of muting.
Like I muted a lot of people when I was struggling and unfollow if you need to.
No one's going to be upset.
No one's even going to notice.
That's right.
Like make your algorithm what you need it to be.
Yes.
I think that's such good advice because otherwise it feels like you're drowning every day.
That's right.
Join the Facebook groups.
You know,
I think also like meeting people who have also been through it is so helpful.
I know that can be tough because not everyone's so open about it.
You and I spoke about this briefly.
There was a viral podcast clip of a very well-known podcaster discussing infertility.
Yeah.
And she basically...
suggested that the topic of infertility and miscarriage is almost too spoken about like it's being shoved down everyone's throat quote-unquote and that it's scaring younger girls and we need to be talking more about natural pregnancies and positive experiences and the IVF community was and is up in arms about it I was very upset about it myself what is your take on that like what would you say to someone who thinks that
Absolutely.
Yeah, absolutely.
I think that was so well said.
And you summed up how I feel as well.
And I think how so many women feel.
I think
yeah, a lot of us feel like we are broken and it takes a lot of work to get out of that mindset.
So we definitely don't need very impactful people on the internet kind of adding to this conversation.
And also I think when you're going through infertility, it does, positive experiences are everywhere, right?
Like I felt that way.
Everywhere.
That's all we see.
Everywhere.
And I so tried my best to celebrate everyone, but it is so hard.
So really well said.
You guys have heard me speak about Maui Nui before.
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This really is such a fantastic way to get your protein in.
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The animals that they harvest are 100% wild, free to roam and choose their own diet, but they're also destructive to the population.
They help balance the axis deer population by being the only operation to wild harvest these animals.
I love partnering with Maui Nui because I feel really good about recommending it to you guys.
Their sugar-free pepper stick packs are 10 grams of protein and just 55 calories.
Perfect snack to throw in your bag on the go.
I'm personally obsessed with snacks right now.
I have to bring them everywhere I go and I feel really good about eating this.
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The taste is also incredible.
I know at first I was nervous about eating deer, but honestly, I didn't even notice.
It's incredibly clean tasting and not gamey at all.
From their snack sticks to fresh cuts, bone broth to breakfast links, every bite is delicious.
It's delivered directly to your door.
A great snack for on the go and great to stay fueled pre or post workout.
Also recommend bringing these with you when you travel.
Great way to stay on top of your nutrition.
They are trusted and loved by Dr. Andrew Huberman, Tim Ferriss, Dr. Peter is here and Gabby Reed.
Maui Nui offers the only 100% wild harvested meat that's completely stress-free and responsibly sourced.
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slash pow.
You guys know by now my absolute favorite non-toxic cookware is caraway.
And did you know that the average American spends over $3,000 a year on dining out?
I personally think cooking at home is so fun, so intimate, and caraway makes it so easy and
and so worth the investment for you and your family.
Having gorgeous cookware on my stove has really encouraged me to cook more at home and especially being pregnant now.
I prefer staying in.
I like eating early on my own terms and making food that I'm really craving that night.
Greg and I really enjoy using our Caraway cookware.
It also gives me peace of mind knowing we are not exposing ourselves to harmful chemicals or microplastics, which is very important to us.
We use their wood cutting boards knowing there's zero plastic involved and the bakeware makes making homemade muffins and fun pancakes and things so much easier without the hassle.
They also have amazing food storage that keeps food fresh for long with less food waste.
Buying cheap pans does come with a cost.
Caraway has premium cookware made of high quality materials.
There are no PFAs, PFOAs or PTFEs, lead, cadmium and other harmful chemicals.
These things leak into our food when we're cooking and it's so important to avoid.
If you have been eyeing their internet famous 12-piece cookware set, now is the perfect time to buy.
You can shop Caraway risk-free, enjoy fast, free shipping, easy returns, and a 30-day trial.
Plus, if you visit carawayhome.com slash mari10, you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.
This deal is exclusive for our listeners.
So visit carawayhome.com slash mari10 or use code mari10 at checkout.
Caraway non-toxic cookware made
modern.
You guys know that Greg and I are obsessed with our eight sleep.
We use it every single night.
Greg especially has his temperature dialed into a science.
He uses it to wake up.
He uses it to go to bed.
The pod is a high-tech mattress cover that you can easily add to your existing mattress to help you sleep better.
You don't need to change your mattress or bed frame to get the pod.
Think of it as a fitted sheet that can be added to any mattress.
The
The pod uses AI and machine learning to learn your sleep patterns over time and use this data to automatically adjust the temperature of your bed throughout the night according to what your body needs.
Instead of just giving you some stats, it understands them and does something about it.
There's no other product on the market that does so.
Your bed literally gets smarter over time.
Autopilot makes real-time adjustments to give you deeper, higher quality sleep.
Autopilot was designed with the scientific knowledge that temperature is the number one environmental factor impacting sleep.
Sleep is also personal.
The ideal temperature is not one size fits all.
Every person requires slightly different temperatures during the night.
Autopilot can even detect vibrations from your body during snoring and gently elevate your heat to reduce or even stop snoring.
That would be really great for my husband.
Eight Sleep recently launched their latest version of Autopilot together with a brand new app.
Control your pod at any time.
You can manually adjust the temperature and the inclination of your pod.
It gives you detailed sleep and health reports every single morning.
Autopilot adjusts overview.
You can also see what temperatures adjustments Autopilot made where you were sleeping and at what time.
And they also have smart alarms to help you with waking up.
Head over to eat sleep.com slash pow and use code pow to get $350 off pod for ultra and start experiencing the benefits of autopilot today.
You get 30 days to try it at home and return it if you don't like it, but I am confident you will keep it.
Another question I have, and a lot of my friends actually wanted me to ask you this.
Oh, okay.
Yeah, the girls chimed in.
I'm 31, and a lot of my girlfriends, and a lot of people listening, they're women, they're in the same age range as me.
It's a big topic of conversation, talking about conceiving babies.
Everyone's kind of thinking about it, or they're on their journey, or maybe they've already suffered a loss.
what is the etiquette around talking about it with your girlfriends?
Like, should it be spoken about?
Is it not appropriate?
How do you delicately talk about it?
Like, how do you know?
Yeah.
Like someone in the group's really excited because they're trying to conceive, but maybe someone else has had a loss and they don't want to hear about it.
Like, how do you balance that?
Oh, a meeting.
Yeah.
A conference of sorts.
Yeah.
Oh, I love that approach.
Right?
I'm a big, like, if I think someone's mad at me, I'm like, are you mad at me?
Let me fix it.
Yeah.
I love that approach.
I almost feel like everyone's different too.
Like, I am, again, a chronic oversharer.
And when I was going through IVF, I was super duper open about it and talked about it a lot with my friends and answered every question.
Mm-hmm.
Cause I just, I don't really mind, but I have some friends who are a lot more private with it.
So it's almost like everyone has different boundaries when it comes to that topic.
I wonder if social media adds to this too, like get competitive with who can get pregnant first.
Do you know what I mean?
I know.
It feels like it's instinctual.
And I never felt competitive with my journey.
I think because maybe I was the one of the first of my friends to like start trying.
And then I was going through, I just always felt like I was in my own zone.
But now I'm just noticing the older I get, the more girls are talking about it.
And it feels like there's this underlying current of, well, who's going to get pregnant first?
Yeah.
I can so imagine it.
Obviously, I don't know what it feels like, but I can imagine that feeling.
And it does kind of feel I've like started to, I have some mom friends and like listening to the way they talk and just seeing how things go.
Is it almost like the more kids, the better?
Like, is that sort of the, I can't even imagine the headspace I'm gonna feel like.
And I also, I'm kind of rambling a little bit, but after going through this for so long and just thinking about it for so long, I can imagine that once I have a baby, I would like to wait for,
A year plus because I just don't want to really think about it anymore.
Yes.
Yeah.
and enjoy having your baby yeah and you'll know when the time is right yeah for sure i feel like you can trust your intuition mari i think so too i feel good about it i feel like actually being pregnant i feel much more um sure of my decisions than i ever have like decisive that's wonderful it's just a good feeling i used to struggle with that yeah what would you recommend of how to help someone going through a loss like let's say we have a friend because it's really difficult to
put yourself in their shoes unless you go through it yourself.
And I haven't even been through a loss.
I obviously went through the HCG issue where they basically told me I was losing the baby, but I never did.
So how can I or other people help their friends going through miscarriage, especially if you're pregnant also?
Amazing.
Yeah.
Do something.
I love that.
I think that's great.
Okay.
I saw some questions from the community about this actually.
For someone who's going through maybe a relationship or marriage strain due to infertility.
Yeah.
Do you have any recommendations there?
Yeah, it's stressful.
True.
And it can be easy to like slip into a little bit of a resentment.
Oh, yeah.
Feeling, which feels horrible.
Like you don't want to do that.
But when you're trying to figure out what's wrong or why it's not working, the worst thing you can do is turn on each other.
That's right.
You know, but sometimes it happens because you're just so frustrated and confused.
Yeah, because you have these thoughts where you're like, I can never say that out loud.
This is like my deepest vulnerability.
But facing it head on is kind of usually the only way.
Or I'm having these thoughts and feeling like this.
Yes.
What should we do about it?
And kind of becoming a team.
Like we're going through this together.
Yes.
I like that.
Yeah, such great advice.
Yeah, no, you're right.
Greg was very involved and I'm so lucky that he was.
And even now, like Friday is my day that I hit the next week.
And every time I get to see that new fruit on my app, I run to him because we have so much fun seeing what fruit it is.
What's the fruit?
It's an avocado.
great fruit yes great fruit but it's just so sweet having these moments with him now because we've been through so much the past couple years together yeah and i just see the look on his face when i get to tell him this new fruit and it's so silly and whatever but like it is so special at the same time like i just see we're just so grateful to be where we are and we get to do it together you know
You guys know I absolutely love Clear Stem.
I've been using it for a long time now.
And I personally love it because it is the first clinically effective skincare wellness routine formulated with zero pore clogging ingredients ever.
So if you've ever dealt with breakouts like me, I had acne for 10 years.
You know that typical acne products dry and damage the skin, while traditional anti-aging products can clog your pores.
I love that ClearStem combines the two, and it's an all-in-one approach addressing both acne and aging without compromising your holistic health.
I personally love the cleanser.
I use the Gentle Cleanser.
I also love the body lotion, and I use the Lips & Cutes Balm on my lips every single day.
I love the founders.
It was founded in 2017 by two women, Danielle and Kaylee, who both struggled with debilitating acne.
And as someone who's been through acne, I tend to only trust people who have also had acne when it comes to my skin.
So I feel really good about that.
They offer a comprehensive skincare wellness system focusing on clinically effective,
topical products, and they also focus on inner wellness at the same time.
They have a revolutionary acne lab test.
You can get individualized support from a nutritional therapy practitioner to analyze your blood work, identify your underlying acne triggers, and implement personalized lifestyle-centric solutions to clear your skin from within.
Discover the ClearStem difference and experience clear, healthy skin for life.
go to clearstem.com slash pow for 20% off your first order.
That is C-L-E-A-R-S-T-E-M.com slash pow.
I recently took out my extensions and I am on a journey of growing my hair.
And while I'm pregnant, I'm definitely focusing on using good products and also using silk pillowcases.
I'm absolutely obsessed with my Blissy pillowcase.
I didn't know sooner, but satin is so bad for you and Blissy's silk is an incredible game changer.
A lot of dermatologists will tell you it's a skin care secret.
It really helps with fine lines and healthier hair.
I have seen such a difference with using my silk pillowcase.
I wake up and my hair is less frizzy, more smooth and looks the way it looked when I styled it.
I have noticed healthier hair and healthier skin.
It has anti-aging properties.
It's dermatologist tested and recommended.
Clinically proven to not clog pores.
I struggled with acne for so long.
That's the last thing I want to be doing.
It's also naturally cooling and breathable.
So no more sweaty nights.
It's also easy to care for and machine washable.
I am obsessed with my Blissy pillowcase.
I need it to be on my bed at all times.
Because you're a listener, Blissy is offering 60 nights risk-free plus an additional 30% off when you shop at blissy.com slash powpod.
That is B-L-I-S-S-Y.com slash powpod, P-O-W-P-O-D.
And use code POWPOD to get an additional 30% off.
Your skin and hair will thank you.
Okay, let's ask a couple more community questions.
Because the girls had questions and they're good.
Okay.
Can you provide insight on postpartum depression or anxiety?
Oh, wow.
It's like an unbiased opinion too.
It's not like a friend and you don't feel attacked.
I love therapy.
I think it's everything.
I do it every week.
Me too.
You do?
Oh yeah.
any advice on body image during pregnancy?
We talked about that a little bit and it is a interesting thing to go through.
Yeah.
Quite a dramatic shift.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Any advice there?
Yeah.
Yes.
I feel like I feel that way when I see the ultrasound and I'm like, oh my gosh, something's really alive inside me.
Like that makes me really register it.
I had a little bit, and I feel a lot better now actually,
But at the beginning, well, actually even just a couple of weeks ago, I had a moment I talked about on the show in a public gym where I like looked in the mirror and I felt like I was looking at me before I lost weight.
And I had this like triggering moment where I was so upset.
and it immediately brought me back to that headspace like i'm lazy i let my life slip away from me and i had to really work out of that um feeling and i'm sure people who have gone through weight loss probably could resonate now that i feel like i look a little bit more pregnant i love it like i like showing my belly and like i want to look pregnant i can't wait to have a big belly but
But at first when your body's, you kind of just look a little bit bloated at the beginning.
That was the tough part for me.
And I'm still a little bit in that.
But yeah, it's been an adjustment for sure.
And I think also when you go through infertility, you're kind of like, well, I'm not allowed to feel sad.
Or people tell that you can't feel sad.
Yes.
Yeah.
That's what we talked about last night.
Like two things can't exist at the same time.
Yes.
I can be grateful, but also freaking out.
Right.
How can I forgive myself for the abortion I had?
Yeah.
Yeah.
So well said.
And I don't see that topic spoken about very often.
So I'm glad that was asked.
How do you explain to someone that even when you're finally pregnant, it might still hurt to see others get pregnant easily?
I don't know if I actually really feel that way, but someone asked that and I thought it was relevant.
Yeah.
Yes, for sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think I felt a sting, but then it goes away.
Yeah.
Yes.
And I think I also get excited to be pregnant with other people.
Like that's kind of what I channel it into.
But I do very much understand this feeling.
Like I did grieve losing that.
I always envisioned like finding out I'm pregnant one day and oh my goodness.
And the way I was going to tell Greg, none of that happened.
Yeah.
Yeah.
There's a gray area.
Big fan of the gray area.
Dr. Molly, thank you so much for this amazing conversation.
This is seriously, I think, my favorite episode I've ever done.
It was so fabulous.
Can you please tell everyone where they can find you online, any resources, if they want to work with you, all the things?
Yeah, I can't wait.
I think that's going to be so fabulous.
Thank you so much and have a safe flight back to California.
Thank you.
Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast.
To support this show, please rate and review and share with your loved ones.
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This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Daviel Waldner, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast and I'm your host Mari Llewellyn.
Hi guys, welcome back to the Pursuit of Wellness podcast.
Today we are doing a very fun solo episode.
I am gonna reveal the gender of my baby in this episode, which is crazy.
I have known for probably like a month at this point, but haven't shared it.
And you may have seen it already on Instagram, but I'm here to talk about it.
So make sure you wait.
for later in the episode because I have a few updates and then I'll share how Greg and I found out the gender of our babies.
So I just got back from New York.
I was there, oh gosh, I think I was there for like 10 days.
It was a while.
We went to the North Fork of Long Island with both the dogs.
to see Greg's parents.
It was so fun.
We got a cute little Airbnb on the beach.
We had Lulu, we had Arnold.
They went swimming.
They went on the beach.
Austin is really, really hot this time of year, like a hundred degrees plus.
So the dogs, it's like better weather for them on the East coast.
And they just had the best time.
did this last summer she stays with her grandparents because she's almost 11 now she's getting older and she doesn't love travel so in the summer in austin it's too hot for her and we feel bad making her travel around too much because she's just such a homebody so we actually leave her with greg's parents and she also grew up going to their house so
is kind of the perfect setup for her.
She didn't love the travel there, but she was so happy once we got to Long Island and she's there now with their Black Lab Tessa having the best time.
So we were on the North Fork for a couple days.
It was good.
I definitely would say the travel took it out of me a little bit more.
I think the biggest thing for me is eating, which sounds weird, but
If I don't have some kind of snack or something to nibble on at least every couple hours, I start really not feeling good.
So when we landed, I was like, I immediately needed a snack.
And Greg got me like a string cheese from Starbucks or something.
And I just noticed I was like really, really, really tired that first day and took me a couple days to kind of get back on routine.
We then drove to New York City, which was really fun.
I feel like I've been a little bit cooped up recently.
Or like feeling kind of stir crazy in Austin just because I've been stuck here for a while now.
Just with IVF and the transfer, I wasn't really able to travel.
And then I didn't really want to travel my first trimester.
So I've been here for a while.
So it felt really good to go to New York and have an exciting time and...
see people and go for dinner and it was just different pace than I'm used to.
I took a lot of naps.
Like one thing about Arnold, he's the sweetest little boy, but he wakes up at like 5am.
So he was waking up at 5am in the hotel room.
Greg was getting up and letting me go back to sleep.
But I definitely needed naps throughout the day.
We took him to Central Park.
We met with my dad, my dad's wife, Alexandra.
We had lunch with them.
I saw my mom.
I saw a friend in New York who also went through IVF.
It was really special.
And then we drove back out to Long Island and went to Sag Harbor.
And just to be transparent, part of the reason we did Sag Harbor in the Hamptons instead of going back to the North Fork is we were considering, and this is something we've thought about for a long time, we've always thought about getting a place out on the East Coast because that's where my family is, where Greg's family is, especially with having a baby.
And with how hot Texas is, we've always considered having a property somewhere else.
It's a bit cooler.
And we were just kind of testing it out.
And we toured some houses and looked around.
And it was a cool experience.
Like it was fun to see houses.
And, you know, it's something that I could see us doing one day.
I don't think we're 100% ready yet to do that.
It's quite the schlep to get out to the East Coast.
It's like a four hour flight.
And then depending on where you land, it's a two and a half hour drive to even get out there.
It's definitely more of an oasis for people who live in New York City.
You know, it's an escape.
You're on the ocean.
It's more suburban, but it just, I don't know.
It felt like maybe a bit too similar to the suburb we live in in Austin.
So anyway, just things we're thinking about.
You guys know by now my absolute favorite non-toxic cookware is caraway.
And did you know that the average American spends over $3,000 a year on dining out?
I personally think cooking at home is so fun, so intimate, and caraway makes it so easy and so worth the investment for you and your family.
Having gorgeous cookware on my stove has really encouraged me to cook more at home and especially being pregnant now.
I prefer staying in.
I like eating early on my own terms and making food that I'm really craving that night.
Greg and I really enjoy using our Caraway cookware.
It also gives me peace of mind knowing we are not exposing ourselves to harmful chemicals or microplastics which is very important to us.
We use their wood cutting boards knowing there's zero plastic involved and the bakeware makes making homemade muffins and fun pancakes and things so much easier without the hassle.
They also have amazing food storage that keeps food fresh for long with less food waste.
Buying cheap pans does come with a cost.
Caraway has premium cookware made of high quality materials.
There are no PFAs, PFOAs or PTFEs, lead, cadmium and other harmful chemicals.
These things leak into our food when we're cooking and it's so important to avoid.
If you have been eyeing their internet-famous 12-piece cookware set, now is the perfect time to buy.
You can shop Caraway risk-free, enjoy fast, free shipping, easy returns, and a 30-day trial.
Plus, if you visit carawayhome.com slash mari10, you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.
This deal is exclusive for our listeners, so visit carawayhome.com slash mari10 or use code mari10 at checkout.
Caraway non-toxic cookware made
modern you guys know i absolutely love clear stem i've been using it for a long time now and i personally love it because it is the first clinically effective skincare wellness routine formulated with zero pore clogging ingredients ever so if you've ever dealt with breakouts like me i had acne for 10 years
You know that typical acne products dry and damage the skin, while traditional anti-aging products can clog your pores.
I love that ClearStem combines the two, and it's an all-in-one approach addressing both acne and aging without compromising your holistic health.
I personally love the cleanser.
I use the Gentle Cleanser.
I also love the body lotion, and I use the Lips & Cutes Balm on my lips every single day.
I love the founders.
It was founded in 2017 by two women, Danielle and Kaylee, who both struggled with debilitating acne.
And as someone who's been through acne, I tend to only trust people who have also had acne when it comes to my skin.
So I feel really good about that.
They offer a comprehensive skincare wellness system focusing on clinically effective topical products, and they also focus on inner wellness at the same time.
They have a revolutionary acne lab test so you can get individualized support from a nutritional therapy practitioner to analyze your blood work, identify your underlying acne triggers, and implement personalized lifestyle-centric solutions to clear your skin from within.
Discover the ClearStem difference and experience clear, healthy skin for life.
Go to clearstem.com slash pow for 20% off your first order.
That is C-L-E-A-R-S-T-E-M dot com slash pow.
I definitely wanted to talk about, you know, I'm now 15 weeks pregnant and some of the things I'm encountering.
I definitely had some interesting wake-ups at like 3 or 4 a.m., absolutely starving, like needed to eat in that moment or else I felt like I was going to die.
So I woke up at 3 a.m.
and needed a protein bar.
That was an interesting thing that happened.
And I think also just noticing the body image struggles.
Also, I just want to point out like this is coming from someone who has lost a lot of weight in the past.
I lost 90 pounds in 2017.
So I have an interesting relationship with weight gain and weight loss, you know, and I have sort of built a business around this journey I went on.
And seeing myself, like my body change so quickly has been a bit more of a challenge than I anticipated.
And it's funny because, you know, I'll see people in my comment section say, oh, but you wanted this so badly.
You worked so hard for so long.
And I think two things can be true at the same time.
I'm so grateful and I'm so happy.
Like every day, I can't believe this is happening to me.
It's my dream.
But at the same time,
When I was in New York and I'm like trying to get ready to go out for dinner and trying to make myself look cute, I like ran into a few times where I'm changing my outfit five times.
Nothing makes me feel good.
I don't know how to dress my boobs anymore.
I don't know.
You know, I'm in that awkward period where I don't really have a bump yet and I just kind of look bloated.
Like, how do I dress for that?
It's been interesting.
And I had this moment that I wanted to share on the podcast.
I wrote it down in my phone.
I have not been to a public gym in probably a year, like since moving to Austin, because we have a gym in our basement or our garage.
And I just use that, right?
Greg and I went to a public gym in Sag Harbor.
I definitely feel very comfortable at the gym.
I've been to gyms a million times.
I know where everything is.
I know how to use everything.
And I got, you know, to this place with my fitness where I felt really confident with my fitness ability and how I looked and whatever.
And I, you know, I used to be someone who was incredibly insecure about how I looked and how I showed up at the gym.
And I know what that feels like.
And I walked in and I went to the dumbbell rack and I'm in front of the mirror and
And I look in the mirror and I was just like, holy shit, that's me before I lost weight.
I immediately was back in that body where I felt like that girl at the beginning of my journey who had no idea what was going on, really insecure and sure of myself, just like...
it was the craziest feeling.
It was like being transported back to that version of myself.
And I think it's a difficult thing to explain to someone who maybe hasn't been through a drastic weight loss journey, but I felt quite triggered by it, you know?
And it took some like self-talk and no one's looking at you.
Everything's okay.
You're pregnant.
Like you're not the same version of yourself you were back then.
Your body's doing what it needs to.
Like I logically, I know that
what's happening right like intellectually I know that weight gain is a part of pregnancy it needs to happen like it's healthy it's like this weird triggering feeling of oh my god I know what this feels like it's crazy and I left the gym I got through my workout which was really proud of and afterwards I was crying to Greg and I was like it's just I felt so triggered and I want to be transparent about this on the show because I know so many women probably go through this too and
And I was like, am I still attractive to you?
Is this bad?
What's going on?
I'm only 15 weeks.
How could this be changing so quickly?
It's confusing and it is a very drastic shift, especially for someone
who like fitness is a big part of my life and a toxic way or not, like my body is a big part of my brand in a way.
So it's just been this interesting experience.
And I think it's actually a very good learning lesson for me.
And learning to have more compassion for myself and learning to have self-love is something that I've always had a hard time with.
Sorry, maybe I'm just rambling now, but being pregnant has made me very...
like a lot more introspective, I would say, and a bit more like reflective on my childhood and just noticing different parenting tactics and why things are a certain way.
And, you know, I was like reading a journal of mine from when I was like 16 or 17.
And it was so crazy reading.
It was actually a journal I kept during an internship that I did at that time.
And it was so well-written and I was so self-aware at that age.
There was like a part where I said,
I was doing an internship at a school and I was like, I really felt like I wasn't helpful enough today.
The kids were very chaotic and I didn't know how to step in and I could have been a lot more useful.
And I was like kind of hard on myself in the journal.
God, I just have so much empathy for that child because I was trying so hard and I really was trying to put my best foot forward.
I'm going so off on a tangent right now, but I guess what I'm trying to say is,
This time in my life has made me very reflective on things and myself as a child and the way that I talk to myself and my compassion.
And, you know, people tell you that the body image thing can be tough when you're pregnant, but you don't really realize it until you're in it.
And now I'm seeing photos of myself and I'm on camera again and it's a new thing.
It's a new vibe and I'm just trying to adjust.
So I wanted to be honest about that because that's kind of my thing.
I feel like I'm very transparent always with you guys and anyone listening who maybe could relate, I hope it helps.
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One thing I've been obsessed with for my skin for a very long time is red light therapy.
And my personal favorite brand is Bond Charge.
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I know it can be really hard to find time to look after your skin and keep up with the 10-step skincare routine.
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They make it so easy.
It's lightweight, portable, and contours perfectly to my face.
It really helps with uneven skin tone and texture.
I had acne for over 10 years.
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So I'm traveling again pretty soon at the end of June.
We're actually going to Europe.
We're going to, I'm obsessed with the South of France, guys.
Every single year, I feel like I go to the South of France because it's my favorite place.
I grew up going to France a lot.
My parents love France.
Turns out I love it too.
The food, the language, everything.
So we're going to go there.
for a few days.
And then we're going to go to the Cotswolds to see my granny in England, which will be really nice.
So now that I've had like a little bit of a travel experience while pregnant, I'm definitely going to bring a ton of snacks.
Like that's a definite.
I want to get an EMF blocking bodysuit, which might sound ridiculous, but if you follow V's honey, she's pregnant right now.
She's very natural, holistic.
She wears this EMF blocking bodysuit by this brand.
I think it's called like
I forget, but they're like sold out.
So I think I pre-ordered one.
I'm definitely going to wear the compression socks and make sure I get up a lot on the flight because it's a long flight.
So just some things I'm thinking about and making sure I'm hydrating and doing all those things in prep for that travel.
So any tips you have, I would love to know, guys.
You know, I recently posted that I've
gotten back into weightlifting and I'm really loving it it's making me feel very empowered and strong and you know it's not the same goals that I used to work towards it's not like oh I want a six-pack or I want my shoulders to pop it's this feeling of like
I want to have a healthy child.
I want to feel good and strong for childbirth and just maintain this muscle I have.
And it just makes me feel good.
So those are just some of my recent updates.
Now I feel like we can hop into telling you guys what gender I'm having, which feels really crazy.
Um, but I think it's a good time to tell you honestly, because I, I will just slip.
I know myself.
I'm so bad at keeping a secret.
I'm so bad at lying.
And I need to just tell you so that I can start saying the pronoun that I'd like to say, because I've had, we've had to edit it out a million times because I'm so bad.
So for context, we did IVF, as you guys know, and many people who do IVF pick their gender.
And I always knew from the
I think I wanted to have this feeling of like normalcy a little bit.
And I wanted to save something to be a surprise because obviously when you do an embryo transfer, there's not much surprise involved in that.
I just wanted to pick the healthiest top grade embryo and...
figure out what the gender was later on.
So I said to the doctor, you know, we had, I think I've said now we have three embryos on ice and two of them were the same gender and one is a different gender.
And we decided to pick the top grade of the two that were the same gender, because if it didn't work the first time, I was going to use the next one, if that makes sense.
So we did, we did know that both genders were represented.
So it could have been a girl or a boy and
You know, I did the embryo transfer and I think I waited until I was 11 weeks to find out the gender.
I think I wanted, originally I was gonna wait till 12, but I couldn't wait.
I was too excited.
And I could honestly find out at any point because it was just a matter of calling the clinic.
You know, I didn't have to do the whole testing thing.
I kind of had a feeling I knew what the baby was because based on my symptoms,
based on what my acupuncturist was telling me, based on, I did all the old wives tales and it all indicated that it was this one gender.
I'll just, I guess I'll just say like all of what I thought was indicating that it was a boy.
Because I was like, well, I'm not really that sick.
Um, my acupuncturist is saying my pulse is feeling like it's a boy.
All the old wives tales were saying it was a boy.
I felt like in my soul, I knew it was a boy.
But it was funny because my whole life, I thought that I would have a girl first.
I don't know why.
I think maybe because I grew up with a sister.
not that that means anything.
And then also that Greg's a bodybuilder and a lot of the bodybuilders have girls because they have higher testosterone.
So I always just thought I would have a girl.
So I was kind of like, I feel like it's a boy, but that would be really crazy.
Like that would be so insane.
I've never even thought of myself as like a boy mom.
So I went to the IVF clinic and it was my final checkup before I graduated from the clinic.
And they, I was like, I'd really like to know the gender.
And they were like, okay, go wait in the waiting room.
And they drew out a card for me and put it in an envelope and sealed it.
And I took the card home and I had that card sitting in my bag overnight because it was raining that day.
And I knew I wanted to do this outdoor thing.
bouquet thing with Greg to find out privately what our gender was and so we had to wait so the next morning I'm like Greg we have to do it right now I can't wait any longer so I like laid out a picnic blanket and we had the dogs out there with us Greg had the card and I turned away and I had a pink bouquet and a blue bouquet and for some reason it was so hard to find these bouquets guys like finding a blue bouquet was impossible and I filmed it which is now on my Instagram
I turned away and Greg opened the card and turned me around and handed me the blue bouquet.
It's a boy.
And I mean, I knew in my soul that it was, but I was still so shocked.
Like I was still...
I couldn't believe it.
And I knew I could tell Greg couldn't believe it.
Like he was doing, you know, you guys know his laugh.
He has the funniest like dolphin laugh, but he was like crying out of the corners of his eyes because I think we both just always thought it would be a girl.
And it was just such a crazy thought.
Oh my God, it's a little boy.
Like this is insane.
Like I'm so excited about it and I've like really embraced it and we already have this like name that we call him and I also just felt so happy for Greg because Greg doesn't have a brother and I know he's always wanted a brother and I think he has like a lot of
life lessons that he would love to teach his son like I just know Greg really well and I knew that having a boy would be really special for him and for me you know like I feel like little boys are always obsessed with their mums you know in such a cute way and
I'm just so excited about it.
And it was just adorable seeing Greg's reaction.
And I know it's very, very exciting for him.
And we were just, yeah, couldn't believe it.
Could not believe it.
So we're having a boy.
I think a lot of you, I don't know.
I saw guesses on both sides, to be honest.
I like did a little private gender reveal with my close friends.
And it's been really special to know, you know.
And now I'm like starting the nursery.
And I have like all the...
The blue thing's figured out.
So really, really cool.
Really special.
So I appreciate you guys being patient to find out.
I am now going to answer some questions from a little Q&A that I posted.
I stopped getting my nails done.
Dip and UV gel when I got pregnant.
What do you get?
I miss them.
So I actually don't do anything...
I do Russian manicures, which I only get like every six weeks because they last so long.
And they don't use acetone.
They just buff everything off.
So it doesn't have that chemicals.
They do use the UV light, which maybe I should look into that a little bit more, honestly.
But I know everyone has different opinions on the nails.
I've heard that Russian manicures are kind of the more natural, safer route.
Let me look into that and figure that out.
But I know everyone has a different approach.
So I personally feel like getting my nails done every six weeks or so and not using the acetone is okay, but I do need to do some more research.
Summer is approaching and it is the perfect time to start that side hustle you've been dreaming about.
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That is how I started my business.
When I was selling my $5 PDF workout guides, Shopify was the first place I went and we fully scaled my business from there to where it is now, which is absolutely insane.
Shopify has been there for us every step of the way.
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With how shopping works now and how prevalent social media is, Shopify is such an easy tool to link to and get your followers to go buy your products.
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Head to shopify.com slash Mari and see how easy it is to go get started.
I know many of us are focused on getting in all of our protein.
It's so important to hit every single day, especially as women.
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How do you deal with anxiety around pregnancy, friends, life, personal stuff?
I have moments, honestly, like sometimes I get these little reminders of how bad my anxiety can really be.
I definitely deal with, I have some sort of like OCD tendencies with like locking onto thoughts or like spiraling about things that are actually not happening.
Love therapy.
I do therapy every single week and I find it to be really helpful.
I really like getting off my phone.
I think reading helps me a lot.
I really want to get back into journaling, honestly.
I think I could be a lot better with my anxiety management.
I mean, this isn't a horrible method, but I'll like call people that I love and give me good advice and I'll like get their advice on it or, you know, whatever.
make sure I'm around people that I love just to kind of distract myself.
And honestly, my number one person I go to for advice is Greg.
He is just such a rock for me.
And he has like a really clear view on things.
It's tough for me.
I'm not great with my anxiety.
I have to be honest.
Have you decided on the baby's name?
So we have a name.
that Greg and I have both loved since we met like 10 years ago.
And we always said we would name our baby this.
And I recently found a spelling of the name that's actually Welsh, which is where I'm from.
My whole name is Welsh.
I'm half Welsh from the country Wales in the United Kingdom.
So I thought that was really cool.
And every time we refer to the baby, we call him this name.
So I feel like it's the name.
But I don't want to say any definites because we could change our minds, you know?
Did you ever find out the reason of why you needed IVF?
Honestly, no.
No, we didn't.
Like, I think my PCOS probably played a factor.
And who knows?
I try not to spend too much time thinking about that because ultimately we got where we needed to get.
There was really no clear answer.
And maybe we just needed to wait a little bit longer.
I personally couldn't wait anymore.
Did you struggle with endometriosis?
No, I did not.
Do you guys have any baby room theme ideas?
No theme, but I love this like thick stripy wallpaper in like blue.
It's very classic looking.
I'm so excited about the bookshelf.
I love books.
I'm looking, so I really wanna have Alison Evans back on the podcast.
She's the founder of Branch Basics and she has such great natural baby product recommendations.
I feel like that would be such a fun episode, but I'm looking at like cribs that don't have toxins in them and you guys know how I am.
So I'm looking into all that, but I have ordered a few things on Etsy for the nursery that are really cute, like little farm animal things.
So I'm excited to show you guys that.
How long do you want to wait between children?
I think it's really hard to say until I have the baby, but I will say because of my...
I've just been thinking about this now for like two and a half years.
And I definitely could use a breather, you know, of just enjoying the baby and not overthinking things.
So I feel like I'm going to want at least a year before our next.
Will you be raising your child in Austin?
Do you have family and friends to help you?
We will be.
We definitely have great neighbors.
I've also already found help in my neighborhood, which I love her so much.
She's awesome.
And we don't have family nearby.
So we're kind of setting up like a team now.
I don't want to call it a team, but like resources to help us in Austin.
And I'm excited to take this on, you know, as a new challenge for myself.
And I've waited so long for this that I definitely want to be very hands-on.
How are you feeling with the body changes, restrictions on exercise?
I feel like, yeah, I talked about the body changes earlier and with restrictions on exercise, I think as long as I can weight lift, I'm pretty happy and I'm still doing my walks, you know?
I think like not doing Pilates makes me sad, but it's not, I got used to it during IVF, so it wasn't too much of a shock.
How's everything going with your skin?
Seems to be fine.
Really doesn't seem to be freaking out too much, which is great.
Thank you for letting us in and sharing.
You are so strong and brave.
That's very sweet.
How are you doing right now with your mental health?
I feel pretty good.
I'd say it's up and down though.
Like I'm definitely hormonal.
If you listened to my episode with Olivia Adriance last week, we were talking about like irritability and sadness.
Like I definitely cry more easily and just feel things on a different level.
But in general, I feel pretty good.
Are you taking your bloom greens during pregnancy?
Yes, I am definitely still taking my greens, but everyone's different.
You know, like I would talk to your doctor, see what they recommend, but I like mixing my greens with my colostrum and having that every day.
Are you making a registry we can get you a gift from?
That's so sweet.
You guys do not have to get me a gift.
I haven't thought about that yet, honestly.
How did you deal with first trimester nausea?
I honestly did not have really bad nausea, which I feel very lucky to say.
I know so many people struggle really, really badly.
Mine was just...
First thing in the morning, I felt a little bit off and then I would eat a protein bar and be fine.
And I only really feel nauseous if I don't eat for a long period of time, but it really hasn't been that bad.
And I've kind of been able to eat everything I can.
Pregnancy pillow suggestions.
Honestly, I need those because I, I mean, actually I do have a pregnancy pillow already from when I did my egg retrieval because I couldn't lay flat.
when I had that horrible experience.
So I still have that one.
But if anyone has good recs, let me know.
I definitely am not sleeping through the night right now.
Like I wake up at least three times to pee and I'm just not, you know, it's just different.
I'm not super comfortable.
When did you start acupuncture?
I started acupuncture probably a month or two before my transfer because I knew acupuncture can really, really help with a successful transfer or with getting a pregnant.
Are you as happy as you imagine being pregnant or is it tough on you?
I would say I am as happy as I imagined.
Like it still feels like a dream, but like, yes, there's challenges that come with it that you can never really anticipate.
Did they put you on baby aspirin?
Yes, that was one of the things they had me take to ensure a successful transfer because I think it helps with inflammation.
I'm not 100% sure why.
Will you be nursing?
I would love to.
That's my goal and I hope...
hope that I'm able to based on these boobs I think perhaps I will be able to when will you expose your baby to horses and riding I mean I don't know I mean obviously not for a while when they're tiny but horses will always be a part of my life for sure so I'm sure it will be a part of theirs
Must do's for an embryo transfer.
Go check out my TikTok.
I did a whole video about it.
I definitely followed like a Chinese medicine approach, keeping my feet warm, not drinking cold things, foot baths every night, acupuncture, eating Brazil nuts and pineapple.
I did all that stuff.
Did you work out during your first trimester?
I did towards the end, but at the beginning I did not because my clinic did not want me to with IVF.
About to start IVF in July.
Any recommendations of things to buy that really helped you?
Maybe some people like to get numbing cream for the injections.
I found that it didn't really help me all that much, to be honest.
I don't think there's anything you really need to buy.
I think it's just like a mindset thing of like, you just have to be patient and kind of let go control and just be ready for the journey.
Will you be posting your baby on socials?
I think that's like a really big topic that...
is tough to think about.
I don't have a plan yet.
I don't know.
But there's definitely some like really scary news coming out about that.
And just with AI and all those things, it's really strange.
So I don't know.
I have some parents I follow who have a really nice approach to it, where they only show like the back of their head, like they don't show their face.
So we'll see.
Pregnancy nutrition advice, definitely just focusing on protein, fruit, nutrients, eggs, omegas, seafood, like cooked seafood.
But like sometimes I just want a sandwich, you know, just like having some flexibility.
Where can I buy Bloom Pop?
So if you've been following my story, I've been kind of leaking the fact that we do have a Bloom prebiotic soda, which I'm obsessed with, guys.
Like I was craving it so hard yesterday.
We have a Shirley Temple flavor that is out of this world.
The sodas come out July 4th.
They will be in Walmart exclusively, I believe.
We have amazing flavors.
Strawberry cream is also really good.
We have an orange flavor that's really good.
You guys are going to freak out.
It's so, so delicious.
My pregnancy, I've been like obsessed with the bloom sodas.
So why did you move from LA to Austin?
Business, family, LA wasn't really for us.
We love Austin so much, except when it's really hot.
That's the one time I don't love it.
Currently doing IVF.
Did you check your basal body temperature and your aura ring or you ignored it?
I kind of ignored it.
I actually stopped wearing my aura ring when I did IVF because I was like, I have too much information.
Like I'm getting labs done every day.
I don't need to see everything.
Now I'm wearing it pregnant because I like to see how much I sleep and all my steps and things, but I didn't wear it during IVF actually.
Will you have a doula?
Yes, I've already got a doula who is amazing.
I always kind of knew I wanted one, I think for my first, but maybe not my second or third or whatever we end up doing.
How did you feel getting off progesterone?
So I was put on progesterone for the beginning of my pregnancy.
Coming off of it, I had some serious emotional issues.
Like I was very depressed.
I think any big hormonal fluctuation like that can be really hard on the body.
And I found myself just being super moody.
So keep that in mind, but my progesterone naturally has stayed high.
So that's really good.
So I think that answers a lot of your questions guys.
We are having a boy.
How insane.
So let me know if your guess was right or not.
And I'm so, so excited about it.
Just a reminder, if you are not subscribed to the show, we launch episodes every single week.
You don't want to miss one.
So make sure you hit that follow, subscribe button.
Leave a review if you enjoyed.
Maybe if you didn't.
Love you guys so much.
I'll see you in the next one.
Thank you for joining us on the Pursuit of Wellness podcast.
To support this show, please rate and review and share with your loved ones.
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You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
That's so sweet.
And guys, just if you're not watching on camera, Olivia is literally about to give birth.
Like we talked about doing this episode and you were like...
yeah, unless I'm giving birth that day.
And like, literally you were like, I might be cramping.
So I can't believe you're here right now and you look amazing and congratulations.
And we're all so happy for you.
This is crazy that you're here right now.
Which is insane because you literally have heels on and you look good.
Like this is insane.
Like rest up, honey.
How much has your routine changed from before you were pregnant to now?
really allow for that it's like that masculine feminine vibe that everyone talks about and some people don't like that word but i feel like yeah i was in fight or flight for so long and this like going through ivf and pregnancy completely shifted the way that i approach my life for the first time and it's kind of nice because it really does force you to change your perspective on how you do things
Before we hop in, you have 1.6 million followers.
You have an amazing food page.
Honestly, I think your page is my favorite to follow.
It really is because you post, you make food fun.
And I feel like you focus on gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free most of the time, but the food is still so delicious and fun looking.
Where did your love of food begin?
I think that is how I found your page.
I think it was because I was struggling so badly with acne and I tried some crazy diets.
Like I've spoken about it on the podcast.
Like if you even go back and look at my podcast videos from a year ago, my acne was so, so, so bad.
And I went through phases of like full keto, only eating meat, like crazy shit, honestly.
And now I'm like, what was I doing?
Like none of it helped, but it was like this control factor of like, if only I eat like this, then maybe my skin will get better.
And it ended up being some gut bacteria that I needed to do antibiotics for, which was crazy.
So none of the diet things actually ended up helping.
But eating gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free made me feel better.
And it definitely helped with the inflammation of my skin.
So I feel like that is how I ended up on your page.
And I'm sure how so many people find your recipes.
But like when I think of your recipes, I think of the brownies, the nachos, like it is really fun and colorful, which is so cool.
And I love that because I went through a phase on my page of doing a lot of recipes, like maybe for like six months.
And that was the hardest content that I've ever had to produce.
It would take me the entire day.
I would have tripods here, tripods there, like I'm running around making sure my angles are good.
I ended up like hiring someone to help me.
And I was like, I don't think I can keep doing this.
Like what is the actual process of creating a new recipe and then shooting it?
Like does it fall apart if you use almond flour?
Exactly.
It just seems so detail oriented.
And then even the aesthetics of it, like for Bloom, when I used to like do the props for the shoots, like I used to be behind the camera and I would help have the lettuce and whatever fruits we were using.
Food styling is really, really difficult.
Yeah, they're like spraying things and putting like nail varnish on fruits.
Like there's all these tricks to make food look better.
Oh God.
Please don't drink Windex.
Do not drink Windex.
That's my worst nightmare, actually.
Drinking Windex.
No, no, no, no, no.
Oh, God.
But yeah, like that's what it takes because food looks good in real life.
But when you put it on camera, you almost need to like zhuzh it up.
I'm not either.
Like these, I see these girls with like gorgeously curated feeds.
I mean, honestly, I would think that you are because your feed is so gorgeous, but that is not the way that I lean, honestly.
It's really cute.
Where is he from originally?
Pennsylvania.
Where in Pennsylvania?
Okay.
I went to school in Philly, so I kind of know some of the areas.
Where are you from originally?
Okay, yes, I read that.
Did you grow up around horses?
Yeah, okay.
Yeah.
one thing i've been obsessed with for my skin for a very long time is red light therapy and my personal favorite brand is bond charge their mission is clear to empower individuals to live more fulfilling lives through science-backed beauty and wellness products i know it can be really hard to find time to look after your skin and keep up with the 10-step skincare routine but one thing i love
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It really helps with uneven skin tone and texture.
I had acne for over 10 years and definitely have some scarring and I've noticed such a difference with using red light therapy.
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Like, how do you even begin to think about your life postpartum?
Like, I'm sure it's really difficult to even know what to expect.
Like, how are you kind of approaching that?
Are you going to like delete social or just not go on?
It's honestly actually one of my favorite parts of everything.
I love editing, but it's, I mean, even with recipes, especially it's tough.
Well, it depends what it is.
If it's a podcast clip, my producer Darby helps.
But if it's like a vlog or something I'm making, I will edit it for sure.
Yeah.
Okay.
I want to talk about the beginning of your pregnancy.
So when did you first get pregnant?
Oh, that is cute.
And were you guys trying?
Okay.
Tell us about the moment you found out you were pregnant.
And then I want to hear about your first trimester.
It was the packaging pink.
Okay.
I think I've used every single test on the market.
I love that you know the brand name.
Oh, I know all the brands.
Oh my God, that's so special.
That's awesome to have someone to talk to.
The clear blue.
It's time for the clear blue.
It's time for the clear blue.
Because you want to see that pregnant, like the word.
Yeah.
this is insane it was kind of a full body experience as I'm sure you know it's yeah well what now yeah yeah this is crazy because you don't feel pregnant yet no you certainly don't look it you're just like the first thing for me too though like but I wasn't sure if it was hormones or not yes like I was like is it just from my IVF meds or like I didn't know but I do think that's like a telltale sign for a lot of people
And how long did you keep it secret?
Because I feel like you didn't talk about it publicly until like for a while, right?
No.
That is really interesting.
Yeah.
Because I guess, yeah, your page is very food focused.
I feel like since being pregnant, maybe it's shifted a little bit.
Yep.
Well, also because you don't know like what algorithm it's landing on.
Yes.
And if you hit...
men or some other group of people, it could just go downhill so quick.
I can always tell when one of my videos isn't going to my followers and it's going to like the For You page.
Yeah.
Because then I'm like getting comments, rogue, crazy comments.
I'm like, okay, this has gone too far.
They're almost like not meant for us to see.
Yes.
I feel like I've had a few podcast clips go viral and people have, I mean, obviously people come on this show and have strong opinions about things and talk about certain topics that are kind of controversial.
And that comment section is so scary that I just wouldn't even go there.
Yeah.
And I think that's like a healthy method, honestly.
Yeah.
I have always had a bit of beef with push-up bras.
I've never really had a successful experience until I got my Skims Ultimate Push-Up Bra.
I actually wore it for Greg's birthday party I hosted at my house and I got so many compliments on my boobs from my girlfriends.
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It looks like I got a boob job, especially now that I'm pregnant.
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Okay, so I talked about this on my last episode.
Getting unsolicited advice while pregnant is a crazy wild thing that I just didn't really anticipate.
How has that been for you?
I feel that way now.
So scary.
And I think that's the best thing you can do to protect your peace, especially like when your hormones are all over the place and you're emotional.
Like I think I looked in my request folder this morning and I had a crazy message.
Oh no.
Crazy.
Like it's always about my dogs.
Oh.
Which, yeah, they're the loves of my life.
Like...
So we have a bigger, older dog named Lulu, an angel.
We've had her for 11 years.
And she's older, and it's tough for her in the heat here.
So we always have her go to Greg's parents' house on Long Island because it's cool.
She can swim.
She grew up there.
She loves it.
And she also hates traveling, and we travel a ton in the summer.
And my small dog, Arnold, loves traveling.
He'll go anywhere.
But people think I'm abandoning Lulu.
even though she like lives the best life yeah she's obsessed with her having like the ideal summer she's having she's summering on in the hamptons like she's fine but i get these heinous dms about how i'm horrible to my dogs and i shouldn't be a mom
Oh my gosh, that's so sad.
But I laugh at it.
I'm like, this is a crazy message to send someone.
But in real life, I feel like I've been so much more emotional lately and like a little bit irritable.
At least you were honest about it.
Like, at least you were upfront.
But it is a really crazy, like, out of control feeling.
Yes.
I've noticed it come in and out.
And, like... Yeah.
It just feels... Also, it's tough with your partner because...
I don't know if you felt this way, but I feel like everything about me is changing.
Like the way I look, the way I feel, my life, the, what I think about everything in Greg's life is exactly the same.
You should be sad too.
When I was going through IVF and we actually go to the same church and I would go to those services, I would be crying like low key by myself because it just, it is really moving sometimes.
I don't think so.
What kind of workouts have you done during your pregnancy?
And then we'll talk about nutrition.
No more running.
I was going to say, I see a lot of pregnant girls still running and I'm like, how?
Because my boobs hurt too much.
It's a lot of abs.
That's what scares me.
Cause I was doing former.
Right.
And that's like so intense and it's so much abs that I'm, I don't even think I could do it right now.
Wow.
Okay.
Okay.
Just regular bikes.
You know, I've kind of been dying to go on a bike ride, actually.
Now that you say that.
Yeah.
We have bikes.
We have like the Blue Jay e-bikes.
We're going to Aspen for a month soon and I want a bike there.
So you just reminded me that I should do that.
Yeah, do it.
And that didn't affect your pelvis area too much.
I've been weight training too.
It feels really good.
It does.
Like, cause you can focus on different parts of your body without like targeting this area too much.
You feel strong, you feel empowered.
I haven't tried Evlo, I should.
It's awesome.
But I was, yeah, I was thinking of looking into some kind of
I mean, I'm self-taught, so, you know, whatever.
Yeah.
It kind of flips the narrative.
Like I feel like when I first got pregnant, I was so nervous of doing something wrong because my IVF clinic was like,
don't lift too heavy you know at first they're very conservative obviously because they want to make sure it worked but now that I'm in this sort of like normal era of being pregnant I'm just noticing how good it makes me feel and I'm not thinking about the same things anymore like previously maybe I wanted my abs to show or you know what I wanted muscle to show and now I think about being strong for childbirth I think about having a kid and being strong I've even heard science that you're
actual fetus will be stronger if you're stronger yes which is amazing like wild crazy so like the baby's kind of weightlifting too i don't know whatever but it is kind of amazing and i think it's cool that we're talking about it because it i was a little bit nervous to post that i was weightlifting because i was worried about the feedback because people are so sensitive about everything
Gotta listen to your body a hundred percent.
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Did you read Expecting Better?
No.
Well, you're about to get bread.
I've got two days.
So I was curious because it's a lot about food and it's about the statistics of, so obviously at the beginning, they're like, don't eat deli meat, don't eat sushi, whatever, all the things they say.
And this author, Emily Oster, I think her name is, breaks down the statistics of these actual foods, deli meat,
And why doctors tell us not to eat them and the actual likelihood of getting sick or whatever it is.
And that was really interesting to read because it kind of like busted a lot of the myths that I had in my head.
And it's not that I like ran and ate sushi.
I still haven't eaten sushi, even though I miss it a lot, actually.
but it helps you make your own decisions about what you're eating and what you feel safe eating.
Have you, like with your recipes and things like that, are people like, oh, you shouldn't be eating that?
Or do people say things like that?
Oh yes.
Yeah.
I love that place.
What is the reasoning behind that?
Got it.
I didn't know that.
Yeah.
And is there certain things you can eat to increase milk supply?
I'm sure.
I've heard of lactation cookies.
They sell them at like Erewhon and whatever.
Great.
And I'm like, make it a cookie.
Exactly.
That is a really cool series though.
I love that idea.
Like having food prepped and ready.
Because they say the best thing you could give a new mom is food that's ready to go.
She was the best possible person for you to reach out to for that, by the way.
I feel that.
Because she's so thorough and she loves cooking and she like gives the best feedback, I feel like.
I was following along on the journey and seeing all the recipes she was making.
So excited for your cookbook.
Wait, when does the cookbook come out?
I've heard, we talked about that a little bit because I've always wanted to write a book and I was kind of like asking you some questions.
That's so interesting.
Yeah.
So not even next, you have to get through all of next year.
Yeah.
That's going to be a journey for you.
And with pregnancy nutrition, was there anything that you were hyper fixated on throughout at the beginning?
Cravings?
Your body probably wanted the nutrients.
That's funny because I'm like kind of turned off by salads right now.
Citrus is a big one for me.
Oh my gosh.
Lemon, anything.
Obsessed.
I'm obsessed with orange juice too actually.
And I never used to drink it.
Yeah.
You know what's funny about orange juice?
I feel like it had really bad PR for a while and everyone's like, oh my God, it's full of sugar.
Why are we drinking it?
And now it's having a resurgence.
Yes.
Because people are mixing like creatine with their orange juice and it's like considered ancestral now.
Orange Juice got a new PR team and it's going great.
We hopped on the bandwagon.
We did.
Also, apple juice sounds really good to me right now.
Yeah, just like something tart is really, really good.
so that you would mix it in the ground beef okay my husband's dying for me to do the liver thing and i used to swallow a chunk of frozen liver every day impressive disgust no disgusting so disgusting and i can still picture the taste of it and i just i don't know how to go about it
Yeah.
That helps.
Okay.
Just thinking about it, you know?
I really get upset when Greg does disgusting things.
Cause I'm like, you're really grossing me out and making my life really hard.
Like it's seriously disgusting.
He was eating sardines last night, just out of a tin.
And I was like, please like do something different with the sardines.
Like he was just eating them whole with the head, you know?
Well, they're so good for you.
How were you eating the sardines?
Wait, what's the brand?
Okay, I think I know what you mean.
I just ordered a ton of boneless, whatever, sardines from Europe or something.
And I'm supposed to be eating those.
Your body must have been like, I need a sardine.
The sardines, they have such good omegas.
In them, they're apparently amazing.
Have you seen the videos of little babies in their high chairs just downing sardines?
No, I'm inspired though.
I want to give my baby sardines.
I mean, someone's going to give me shit for this.
I don't care.
At some point, when the baby can eat solids, I want to put...
It's so interesting.
Have you heard of Dr. Rhonda Patrick?
Okay.
Obsessed with her.
I think she is a two-year-old, maybe a three-year-old now.
And she's the one who inspired me to eat fish eggs.
I've been eating fish eggs.
That's right.
When I can, when I can.
Some days I'm like, it's not the day.
I can't.
Yeah.
But I think she feeds her child really well.
I would love to like see that menu.
And I'm sure you're going.
I mean, I can't wait to see what you feed your child.
Olivia, thank you so much for coming on the show.
This was such a pleasure.
I'm so glad I caught you before you gave birth and her water didn't break on the show.
I was laying in bed last night.
I was like, oh my God, what if Olivia gives birth on the show?
So honored to have you here.
Can you tell everyone where they can find you online?
Where can they get the eBooks, all the things, Substack?
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Davielle Waldner, Jen Lauren, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
As you can tell by the title, I am pregnant.
Oh my God, can't believe I'm saying that out loud.
I also have not recorded the show in over two months.
I have basically been a hermit for two months.
I have barely left my house and I've been in such a bubble.
And there's so much that has happened
But I have so much to share with you guys.
If you follow me on Instagram, I finally announced that I was pregnant once I hit the 12-week mark with my pregnancy.
And I was really nervous to do so because...
I felt like I was in this bubble where, I don't know, like I love, love, love my community so much.
Like, especially on this podcast, I feel like you guys have seen me through it all.
And I feel very connected with you guys.
And especially with my fertility journey and my IVF journey, I just felt...
It's such a special experience, you know?
But when you put things out on social media, you never know where they're going to land.
You're opening yourself up for feedback.
And I kind of was just enjoying being in my bubble, but I was also so excited to share.
I also think, you know, when you go through infertility for two... I went through it for two years.
Some people go through it for longer.
When you experience loss, et cetera, et cetera, it's almost hard to believe that it's real.
have to remind myself constantly, like, you really are pregnant.
And I think sometimes I feel like I'm living in a dream because I've just waited so long for it that it's hard to grasp, you know?
I literally got an ultrasound done yesterday to make sure little one was still in there.
And I don't know, I know that sounds crazy and I'm getting too in-depth too quickly here, but I just, you know, it's just...
Crazy to even talk about it, honestly, for me.
And I know I left you guys on such a cliffhanger.
Like the last time I recorded, I was about to do my transfer.
That headspace, I was so worried about it not working.
And I was in such a like, I didn't want to jinx anything.
I was so scared to even talk about it.
And I knew that the second I did my transfer, I would delete social media because I was like, whether or not it works or not.
I need to experience that privately.
And it's honestly the first time in my career that I didn't share and that I stopped working pretty much for two months.
And I'm honestly very grateful that I did that and very happy that I did that because I think content regarding this topic is very important.
I know there's a lot of discourse about that online right now.
And as someone who personally went through infertility,
I think it's so valuable to share your experience, especially when you are a healthy person with a good mindset.
I always try to stay as positive as possible.
Sometimes for unexplained reasons, you just can't get pregnant and it's not your fault.
It's not because you're not manifesting it, quote unquote.
If you know what I'm talking about, you know what I'm talking about.
I think that content is so valuable.
And I'm really happy that I shared my experience.
I just think people who haven't gone through it don't understand the pain.
Like people who have an experience in fertility or loss will never understand that deepness of the pain that you feel.
And seeing other people experience it is...
really helpful because I think we are surrounded, I mean, day-to-day life by people who get pregnant easily or celebrities getting, whatever, it's everywhere.
Obviously now I'm pregnant and I want to tell you guys the full story of what happened because it wasn't just...
I think in my head, I had this vision that once I was pregnant, everything would be amazing.
And it is like, I am the happiest I've ever been, but there was some bumps in the road for sure.
And some anxieties I was not anticipating.
And I wanna fill you guys in on that because I think it's important and tell you the full story.
I also want to acknowledge since I left the podcast,
I launched a podcast network, which is crazy, with my business partner, Michaela Phillips, who's incredible.
As you can see on the screen next to me, we have some incredible talent who joined the network.
We have Sam Christine, who's Sam C. Fit.
We have Louisa Nicole, who is a neuroscientist, insane, with the Neuro Experience podcast.
And we have Rhi and Slim for the Healthy Hoes podcast.
And I'm just so excited to be a part of a network that's doing things differently.
I've been in networks before where...
You know, I think it looks a certain way front facing and publicly it's like kind of glamorous and like people really, I don't know, look up to these certain networks or, you know, whatever.
As talent and as someone who also runs a business, I never found a place where I felt fully supported.
So we're really, really excited to be doing that.
And we'll put more information in the description box below of where you can listen to the shows.
If you know someone who'd want to join the network, we'll put all that info down below.
Let's talk about my pregnancy story, my embryo transfer.
And it was a very magical day for me.
I was like, this is the day that I get pregnant.
And the way embryo transfers work is you're basically pregnant until proven otherwise, which is kind of sad.
But it's like a 50-50 chance of the embryo sticking, honestly.
And I did this whole protocol leading up to the transfer.
If you follow me on TikTok, you know I was doing acupuncture twice a week.
Like I really was making it my whole mission for this transfer to work.
But I also, you know, I tend to be a bit of a like...
I have kind of an obsessive personality.
And yeah, I was just very anxious for it to work because I've been in this journey for so long.
And honestly, I was lucky that I got enough embryos to where I could do the transfer right away.
And I didn't have to do another round of IVF.
I don't know how I could have because my egg retrieval experience was...
And so many people have positive experiences, by the way, I want to say like anyone doing an egg retrieval, I don't want you to be afraid because of my experience, but I just had such a, such a, such a bad reaction to the egg retrieval.
But anyway, the day of transfer, Greg came back there with me.
I had to drink a gallon of water and hold it because it makes it easier for them.
They were like, how is your bladder holding this much water?
Like they measured it and they had to give me this bucket with like measurements of how much water to release.
And I would go and pee in it because I drank too much water.
I got my bladder to the right point.
they brought me out a photo of the embryo, which is the craziest experience.
It's like this cell and the cell, they like de-thawed it that morning and it was starting to hatch.
And keep in mind, I don't know the gender, didn't pick the gender.
I know the gender now, which is going to kill you guys, I know.
And I was just, I started crying immediately when I saw this picture of this embryo.
I was like, oh my God, that could be my baby.
And they wheeled me back into the surgery room, which is the same room I did my egg retrieval in.
All these nurses and people are running around.
But I had Greg next to me holding my hand.
And basically they tell you to stay as still as possible.
And I watched the whole thing on a screen.
I literally like had my mouth was open the whole time.
And I watch him implant the embryo in my uterus.
And Greg's watching and he's just like, oh my God, this is insane.
I was like, wow, this is the craziest day of my life.
And then afterwards we, I think they made me lay there for a little bit.
And then I got dressed and there's sort of a tradition in the IVF world that you go get French fries after you do your transfer.
I am not putting canola oil in my body.
So I went to NADC Burger here in Austin, which is not a damn chance burger.
So we went and got burgers and fries made in tallow and it was incredible.
And then I went home and took it easy.
Like I laid on the couch, I went on some walks.
And then from there, you have a two week waiting window to find out if you are pregnant.
this would be the hardest window of my life to get through because I am someone that like, I'm a control freak.
But something about IVF like changed me
not to sound cringy or like embarrassing or whatever.
I just felt like IVF was such a patience game, which I didn't anticipate.
Did they make it through genetic testing?
Like you have to wait to get your period to do the transfer.
And there's so many things that can happen to delay.
Like they could have delayed my transfer.
that it was confirmed and if they'd cancelled my transfer I seriously don't even want to know how upset I would have been because I was so set on this transfer happening so at this point I had a two-week wait window and in this window I
a lot of girls start taking at-home pregnancy tests on like day five.
And I told myself I'm not at-home testing because there's a lot of cases where people get false negatives.
And I mean, getting a negative would have crushed me.
I mean, I've been getting negative pregnancy tests for two years and I just, I'm honestly terrified of pregnancy tests at this point because they crushed me so many times.
And I didn't want to get a false positive either.
And I just had so many people tell me it wasn't worth doing.
I didn't even have them in the house.
I basically was just going based on my symptoms.
And I could definitely feel in my body that I was pregnant.
And I didn't really want to fully attach to it.
But I could feel certain things like...
this like pulling sensation in my uterus.
Like every time I would get out of bed or roll over, I would have this like pulling in my uterus.
I can't describe it, like a pinching almost.
And then I also noticed my boobs really hurt.
I hosted Greg's birthday at our house during this two-week window.
And everyone was like, your boobs are huge.
But I thought maybe it's from the hormones.
At this point, I'm still doing injections every night.
I was like, maybe it's all the hormones they have me on.
But I could just feel... I really thought that I was.
If they tell me I'm not, I'll be really surprised.
But it's this crazy feeling of like gearing yourself up for either the best day of your life or the worst day of your life.
And I know that's kind of dramatic and I'm lucky I had other embryos just in case, but like going through that again, I mean, two weeks feels like a lifetime, right?
If you're going to invest in anything, I recommend investing in good solid cookware.
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I've done lots of episodes about this.
I also think the fact that Americans on average spend $3,000 a year on dining out can easily be fixed by cooking fun meals at home.
I have been a little bit of a hermit the past couple months and we've been cooking a ton.
Lots of fun food like pastas and steaks and yummy food.
And I love using my Caraway cookware.
It's like my favorite cookware in our kitchen.
And I just think cooking at home is more intimate and fun.
Obviously, eating out every now and again is great, but I really think cooking needs to come back and needs to be trendy again because it really is the best.
And you can control the oils you're using, the sauces you're using, and make sure you're really getting the best ingredients.
My personal favorite product from Caraway right now is the wood cutting boards.
Not a lot of people realize when you're cutting on plastic cutting boards, you're getting microplastics in your food, which just gives me anxiety.
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I recently took out my extensions and I am on a journey of growing my hair.
And while I'm pregnant, I'm definitely focusing on using good products and also using silk pillowcases.
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Then comes the day of my pregnancy test.
They call you later that day and they tell you whether you're positive or negative.
got my blood test, and then literally sat by the phone the entire day waiting for that call.
I was like, baby, you need to come home from work early because I want you to be there when we get the call.
I need you to pick me up off the ground because I will not be okay.
And if it's positive, I want you there too.
After this episode, I'm recording a Q&A with Greg so you guys can hear from his perspective and we can answer a bunch of your questions.
But I saw a lot of people being like, how did you tell Greg?
I didn't really get the experience of like surprising Greg because he literally watched them impregnate me.
But I remember I was like losing my mind at the house and we decided to go on a walk.
And we take the dogs and we're walking around the neighborhood and I'm waiting for this call.
And I know the exact yard we were walking past when I got this call.
And I'm so dramatic, guys, with these phone calls.
Like they are, I mean, getting calls about your embryos or your kids or it's just like terrifying.
And it was a Monday and she goes, congratulations, you're positive.
And I literally fell on the floor and I was crying and going, oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God.
freaking out but greg always just laughs when he's excited like he just has this dolphin laugh that he does and right when i got that call a blue jay landed and this is you know a little spiritual but a blue jay landed right in a tree above us and greg was like oh my god a blue jay like that must mean something we're just freaking out together and
the nurse on the phone was like, are you okay?
And she's like, okay, you need to come back in two days for an HCG test.
And I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever.
I literally just had my hand over my mouth and we're walking up the street and I'm like, I knew it.
And I wasn't a hundred percent sure of like, if I would tell people at that point, because I'd been told like, you kind of want to wait until
a couple days to be sure, but I was so excited.
We like immediately called Greg's parents, called my mom, called my dad.
I told a bunch of my friends, like I really was just so excited.
And also everyone in my life knew I was doing an embryo transfer.
I mean, I literally told the whole internet.
So I didn't really, like everyone wanted to know and I didn't want to just like leave everyone hanging.
All of that hard work, all of the tears and the pain and the sadness.
Like it just felt like, wow, it's happening for me and for Greg.
And this is when things took a little bit of a turn.
So I found out I was positive on Monday.
I go back Wednesday and they test my HCG.
Your HCG is supposed to rise faster
And it's supposed to double every two days.
So that's really the telling sign of a healthy pregnancy at the beginning.
And HCG is a big thing in the IVF world.
I did remove myself from social media because I knew if I saw...
certain numbers or people's experiences.
Like I would end up inevitably comparing my experience, my numbers to theirs.
But I did end up on these threads on the internet about what HCG levels people had, how quickly they doubled, whatever.
But I didn't really think about it that hard.
I was like, I'm positive, I'm pregnant.
And I just feel like a lot of my IVF experience was just me being terrified constantly.
Like this awful feeling of like... I can't explain it.
And it's hard to shake that, right?
in the tone of her voice that something's wrong.
My stomach's saying something like, fuck, like, what is she about to say?
And she starts her sentence with, unfortunately...
I think it went from a 98 to a 119.
Like I literally still remember the numbers, but that's how scarred I am from this experience.
And she goes, the doctor's really concerned.
You need to come back on Friday and we need to test again.
I was at the acupuncturist and I had to tell Greg and Greg's, you know, Greg is like always...
strong front facing but I knew he was also panicking and I texted my IVF doctor and I said please can I talk to you you know the nurse said you can feel free to reach out to him and I did and I was like please can we talk he was like I'll call you after I'm done for the day and I'm waiting for that call and
Like, and also I'd just like to say, I love my IVF clinic.
I had such an amazing experience with them.
I'm so grateful to them and nothing they did was wrong.
Like they just have a very conservative approach, which makes sense.
And he doesn't sugarcoat things and he's very honest and very like, he's a smart guy, but
And he goes, look, I've seen this happen once before in my clinic and it worked out only once.
He's like, you have about a 1% chance of this baby being viable and this being a viable pregnancy.
And he basically is telling us the next steps of the second transfer because this didn't work.
And I'm like, obviously just heartbroken.
And I think it's important that I share that because it gives context as to why I've been more anxious in my pregnancy than I anticipated being.
But anyway, this phone call was like really, really heart-wrenching.
To be given what you've wanted for two years and then have it taken away and basically told like you're going to miscarry is...
I mean, it's basically like experiencing the loss without, you know what I mean?
Like being told you're going to experience it.
And I've had friends who have miscarried and watching them go through it.
I mean, it is a human experience that feels wrong.
I'm just numb for two days waiting for my next blood test.
Just praying that somehow this 1% chance we have might work out.
I go in on Friday, I do the test and I'm kind of like, I'm mentally preparing myself for the worst because what else are you supposed to do?
Like I've been through such heartbreak with this already.
I mean, this is my worst nightmare coming to life, honestly.
I get a call and I'm refreshing my email waiting for the LabCorp results all day.
And I get the results before I get the call.
As I told you guys, it was a 98, a 119.
And by the way, Greg and I are just stuck on chat GPT at this point, like trying to figure out if this might work.
And we calculate the number it needed to be.
Okay, it needed to be like a 240 for this to make sense, for this to work out.
So it didn't just double, it increased by a lot.
And I'm like, that's really interesting.
And I'm like, babe, it like more than doubled.
And we're both like, we have some hope, but we're still waiting on that call.
I get the call, waiting for these phone calls, guys.
I mean, I've never experienced mental torture like it.
And they go, okay, things might be turning up, but they also might not be.
We need to wait through the weekend and have you come back Monday and test again.
And I'm like, how am I going to get through this weekend?
Like genuinely, how am I going to survive?
I remember I did like a pottery class with my friends and I was just like a zombie.
I like had no joy and everyone was like,
And I remember literally saying like, yeah, maybe not.
I just didn't know what else to say because how do you explain like, yeah, I'm pregnant, but like I might not be.
It's just, it's the weirdest feeling.
Summer is approaching and hot tip, it is the perfect time to start that side hustle you have been dreaming about.
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That was such a useful tool for me starting my business.
I was so new and so young and Shopify made it so easy to get my PDF guides up on a website and start selling.
And it really is what fueled us into starting Bloom.
Shopify is a powerful set of tools that helps you start and manage your business, whether online or in person.
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With Shopify, you can easily sell on social media, which is what we did, manage your operations and even collaborate with other brands.
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We started at such a young, scrappy point, and now Bloom is obviously what Bloom is, and we've done all of it with Shopify.
It's a side hustle summer and it has never been easier to get started than with Shopify.
So check it out at shopify.com slash Mari, M-A-R-I.
If you're ready to build your own empire, whether it's merch, products, or the next best idea, get on shopify.com slash Mari and make it happen.
You guys know that Greg and I are obsessed with our eight sleep.
Greg especially has his temperature dialed into a science.
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That would be really great for my husband.
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You get 30 days to try it at home and return it if you don't like it, but I am confident you will keep it.
So I get through the weekend and I'm a mess.
Like Greg, obviously, you know, I have a friend who's been through loss and she was there for me and just, I was a disaster.
Monday comes around, I go and do the blood test.
My number has now tripled, more than doubled.
And at this point, the doctor says, okay, we need you to come in for an ultrasound because things are looking up.
So at this point, I'm like, it might be working.
I'm so like torn here because I'm like, oh my God, it's working.
As I said before, my doctor is like very to the point.
I would rather him do that than make me feel hopeful, you know?
And he goes, okay, let's see this ultrasound.
I'm really hoping... You know, at this point, I'm six weeks pregnant, probably.
Because when they put the embryo in you, you're technically already four weeks pregnant because the embryo has developed outside of the body, which is crazy.
So he's like, I'm hoping to see maybe a heartbeat.
He's like, this could be an ectopic pregnancy.
That would explain the low HCG, which obviously would not be viable.
He's kind of warning me that it could be the worst.
I'm like laying on the table waiting for him to come in and do the ultrasound and my heart is pounding.
Like I seriously thought I was going to throw up.
He does the ultrasound and I'm just like, I can barely look at the screen.
I'm like, please, please, please, please, please.
This is the first ultrasound we've done.
There's a SPAC on the screen and there's a heartbeat.
Like you see the flicker of the heartbeat and it's a pretty strong one.
And he's like, oh, things look pretty good.
He was like, I need to see something about the yolk developing more or no, the sack or I don't know.
We're a couple days behind of where we should be.
I mean, in that moment, I was ecstatic.
But then I was also like, shit, I have to get through another week and wait for my next ultrasound and I'm going to be terrified.
So for a couple weeks there, I was really in just pure fear.
Like I actually couldn't think about anything else except this baby and these ultrasounds.
We don't listen to the heartbeat yet because he didn't want to like use a tool that had heat basically to hear it.
He was like, let's wait another week.
I think a couple, you know, at the IVF clinic, you do scans every week.
I know in normal pregnancies, you do scans every four weeks, roughly.
At the IVF clinic, you're in there every single week, which for me, loved it.
Each scan was getting better and better.
And I'm still holding my breath every time.
I wasn't, just to be honest, I wasn't really able to enjoy being pregnant until very recently because I was so afraid.
Yeah, then we finally get to the point where my doctor said, I think things are looking good.
Like we are going to graduate you from the clinic next week.
And I just like couldn't even believe that he was telling me that.
And I was also so emotional about graduating because I was like,
I just was like living at this clinic.
Like I was there multiple times a week and had been through so much with these people.
And I just couldn't believe our baby pulled through.
I'm not definite on this, but I just want to say a major thing that I did when I got that scary news was
went to my acupuncturist, my queen, she's amazing.
And I have been following like Chinese medicine practices throughout my pregnancy.
You know, I didn't swim my entire first trimester because I didn't want to have any like coldness happening near my womb.
She's very big on warmth, keeping the feet warm, drinking room temperature water and drinks, no smoothies, no ice cream, which is really hard in Texas summer.
And she gave me herbs to support growth.
I mean, when I went to see her, I was like panicking and she really stepped in and she was like, we don't give up yet.
And she really helped me just have a good mindset about it.
She gave me these herbs, disgusting herbs, like disgusting.
And she was like, you're going to have a hard time taking these.
I would pour the herbs, like packets, like eight packets of herbs in my mouth and chug them twice a day.
Actually, three times a day at one point.
But I seriously think that's a huge reason I was able to pull through and the baby was able to pull through.
She said, really stuck with me, she said, you know, I think the fact that you have PCOS, sometimes it slows down the blood flow and maybe that's why the HCG was slow to start.
I don't know if this is a very niche thing or if other people have been through this.
A friend of mine reached out and said she had, she has four kids and she said she had low HCG with every single baby.
And she had them stop testing her HCG because she was like, I just had faith and it worked out every time.
So if you've been through this, you're going through this, maybe this is helpful.
Graduated the IVF clinic, which was a crazy experience.
I'm like a normal pregnant person now.
The baby has now overtaken its growth.
So like my due date was pushed earlier.
Every time I see the little one, they're jumping back, flipping like it's crazy.
It is honestly the craziest experience.
Like I got to see the baby yesterday and the baby was trying to suck its thumb and like,
opening its mouth it was just bizarre like the feet are kicking the arms are waving there's elbows there's fingers like you can see a nose it is crazy like i actually can't even put in words how bizarre it is to see and i think
just after everything I've been through, every time I do an ultrasound, my mouth is, like my jaw is on the floor.
I'm like, how is there a little person in me?
Like it is bizarre in the most amazing way.
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you guys know by now i am obsessed with red light therapy i think it's so beneficial not just for aesthetics like scarring and acne but i've even been using it like on my body for egg quality and inflammation such an amazing tool and i personally love bond charge bond charges mission is clear to empower individuals to live a more fulfilling life through science-backed beauty and wellness products
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and you are on your way to clearer firmer and more radiant skin it's a go-to skincare device for me to feel refreshed confident without costly spa visits so i think it's really worth the investment to have one of these at home i've noticed my skin looks so much better i had acne for 10 years and this has really helped me with my scarring plus it's helping me feel like i'm glowing from within but
It has made such a big difference with my skin and probably it's like my staple when it comes to skincare.
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Let's talk about like my symptoms and all that stuff.
I feel like I haven't even touched on that because it was such a crazy journey to get here.
But the biggest ones, I've kind of been keeping track because they've kind of shifted.
But from the beginning, I told you guys the pinching, the pulling of the uterus, the boobs, big and hurt, okay?
The boobs have been consistently getting bigger and bigger and it actually is terrifying.
Like I'm, how could they possibly...
I mean, if you look at pictures of me from before IVF, even during IVF to now, I had small, small boobs, like always kind of have...
Like none of my clothes are made for big boobs.
Like right now it's actually not that bad.
A lot of days they hurt to the touch.
I can't really jog because when I move, they like really hurt and they like ache.
So that's been one consistent symptom.
I would say fatigue has been a big one.
Like over the weekend, this past weekend, I was exhausted from like 11 a.m.
Usually it hits me around like three or four and I'm just kind of like down for the count.
And then my nausea has been so, so mild.
And I know I'm super lucky and part of me wonders if the universe is giving me a break because it saw everything I went through.
And maybe I'm having a little bit of a breather with the symptoms, but I haven't thrown up once.
usually only first thing in the morning and I have to eat something right away and then it usually goes away within like an hour but I've had days where the nausea kind of like comes in waves and
Again, it's not that bad, but definitely like, you know, if Greg's making salmon, I'm like, that is disgusting.
But then some days I can eat the salmon.
But I think in general, like compared to some girls' experiences, I feel really, really good.
I feel like my symptoms actually ramped up around 12 weeks.
Like I had some days where I was like, I feel completely normal.
And I'll be honest, that freaked me out.
Like just after everything I went through, I was like, is everything okay?
Like, you know, I've had a lot of having to work through those anxieties and I'm still occasionally going through that.
Just being really paranoid about doing something wrong or I don't even know.
It's it's crazy because they are so protected in there and there's like not much you can do wrong there.
But when you go through like what I went through, you're just so scared.
You know, the symptoms have ramped up a little bit the past couple of days.
I go everywhere with snacks now, like sliced apple, crackers, cheese.
I just have to have something on me because if I go too long without eating, I don't feel good.
working out and nutrition um i was told by my clinic to not work out those first few weeks like don't pick up anything heavy and keep in mind like this is coming from an ivf clinic like they're obviously very conservative most women are fine to work out
But yeah, they said don't work out.
I think I got cleared to start working out around maybe nine or 10 weeks.
And I started super duper slow, like very lightweight, very slow movements.
Like I was pretty much getting like close to 10,000 steps every day.
That was my exercise, but I definitely missed weightlifting.
It just helps me mentally and helps my body image.
So since that point, I've really like gotten more comfortable.
And now I'm weightlifting probably four days a week.
Definitely not like going crazy and I'm not doing any core or abs.
So I stopped going to Pilates, which is sad, but it just feels like a lot of core.
So I've been weightlifting in my gym and walking, which feels really good.
it's pretty similar i just eat more often and smaller quantities maybe i don't know i just definitely eat more often and i try to focus on protein but i probably eat more carbs because like that's kind of like what makes me feel better biggest cravings have been lemonade that's like a huge craving for me and sandwiches are the biggest ones and also before i talk about nutrition i
I know that so many people have strong opinions one way or the other about food when they're pregnant.
And I just think that everyone's different and like everyone should do what they're most comfortable with.
I think in general, I take a very conservative approach in some ways, but not other ways.
Like I think, so I ordered this book called Expecting Better.
She's an economist and she talks about how when you're pregnant,
they pretty much just tell you like, oh, you can't eat deli meat, you can't eat sushi, you can't drink alcohol, you can't have coffee.
And there's really no like rhyme or reason behind it and no statistics.
And she basically went and gathered all the statistics on the different things they tell you you can't do.
And in this book, she tells everyone like,
the statistics on why you should or shouldn't eat these things, okay?
I haven't read the whole thing, but I've read a lot of it because there's certain things I definitely don't want to do.
I don't want to have too much caffeine.
I probably won't eat raw fish, at least in my first trimester.
But like the deli meat, for example, she talked about how it's a super low statistic chance of you getting sick.
And the highest chance is with turkey.
So I kind of made the mental decision, I'll avoid turkey, but I'll eat the other things.
And then there's like a whole tuna fish part where the mercury isn't great for the kid.
So you want to limit tuna, but you can have it every once in a while.
I just think people have these rules in their head and they don't know why.
Like there's a lot of old fashioned things.
I just have made decisions on my own for myself, you know?
And I think that's something I'm like nervous about sharing because I just know people...
love to give unsolicited advice based on their beliefs, but I just think everyone should come up with their own rule book, you know?
So yeah, I've been definitely focused on protein.
One thing that I did that's kind of weird was I've been eating like fish eggs quite frequently because of the DHA.
There's a scientist I love called Dr. Rhonda Patrick, who is so smart.
And she ate fish eggs throughout her pregnancy because they find that the DHA in the eggs is more potent than in the fish.
And it really helps with the baby's brain development.
So Greg orders me these wild Alaskan fish eggs.
It is a little bit disgusting and I...
at first was like, how am I gonna eat this?
Like I'm so grossed out, but I put it on a cracker with butter and it's honestly fine.
That's like one weird thing I've been doing.
I've also just been trying to be pretty clean in general.
like avoiding seed oils, like all the beliefs I had already, you know, but I do allow myself to like have a few more indulgences.
Like for example, if I'm really tired, I don't feel well, I'll let myself order tacos or maybe a sandwich.
Like I don't necessarily, like I'm not clean 24 seven, but most of the time I am.
And I just make sure I get those nutrients in.
I feel like I've been really into fruit.
Currently with my caffeine, I'm having one matcha a day, maybe two.
Like that's kind of what I'm doing.
You know, we can do a whole other episode about products and toxins and things, you know, that I'm avoiding or using.
I think it would be good to get an expert on the show to talk about that as well, because I actually still have questions and I'm not like an expert.
So I definitely want to get to that point where we bring people on to discuss.
And I have a few great ideas and we have some amazing guests in the pipeline, like one that I'm so excited about coming in June.
And if you still have questions, Greg is coming on next week.
I mean, me disappearing from social media and then coming back with that announcement, I have never in my life had so much love.
And I am so appreciative of everyone who's shared their well wishes.
It's seriously so heartwarming and special.
And I'm so excited to share this with you guys.
I mean, I've waited for this my whole life.
And I'm very fascinated by the development process and just everything that I can do to help the baby and what I can eat and just all the things.
So I appreciate you guys sticking around through my two month hiatus.
I'm going to be doing one episode a week.
I'm definitely, you know, I'm back at work as of today, but I'm coming back a little bit differently.
I think, you know, the old me was like, fill the calendar to the brim, say yes to everything.
I had a bit of a problem for a while.
And, you know, I think it got me a long way.
Like I wouldn't have built Bloom if I wasn't so intense about it.
But I have truly waited to be pregnant for so long that I want to enjoy it.
I want to be able to rest and like enjoy.
And I still love doing the podcast.
This is my favorite thing that I do.
And I think we can have some amazing conversations, but I think twice a week was really a lot for me.
And I want to make sure you guys subscribe so you don't miss anything because I am back.
I would also just love to hear your guys' feedback on like your own experience or whatever you've been through.
So either DM me, leave a comment on Spotify or on YouTube.
Thank you for sticking around and I'll see you in the next episode.
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Davielle Waldner, Jen Lauren, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team
This is the Pursuit of Wellness podcast, and I'm your host, Mari Llewellyn.
Hello everyone, welcome back to a solo episode.
We have a lot to catch up on.
Today's a big episode.
We have a lot happening with IVF.
I want to be so honest.
I just got to the studio and I'm on all new medication leading up to the transfer and they warned me I might feel dizzy.
And I'm definitely feeling that way right now.
I started progesterone shots, which are kind of known as being like the worst part of IVF.
They go in your butt.
They can be really painful.
Honestly, hasn't been that bad so far.
Greg is like doing a great job.
And then I'm taking like endometrien and all this stuff, like a lot of suppositories.
Just, I'm so sorry if you don't want to hear about this, but like basically shoving pills up my vagina all day and taking pills orally, injections, like honestly,
this feels like more medicine intense than the IVF like stim shots like I feel like I'm having to stay on top of so many different meds and legit as I pulled in the office today I'm so dizzy so I apologize if I sound low energy or my eyes are like not focused I am not doing great right now but I was like you know what I want to get on the mic and tell them what's going on because that is the point of the show and
I also wanted to say, I feel so much more comfortable sharing here on the podcast and with the Power Girls.
I feel like Instagram and TikTok feel really vulnerable and you never really know what algorithm you're gonna land on.
And just like the way that people, I don't know, like I posted, I went to a wedding in Mexico, which we need to talk about.
I posted a photo and everyone's commenting like,
pregnant, calling it now.
She's pregnant and it's getting like a hundred plus likes.
And it's just like, dude, people are so rude.
I get why people are guessing that.
Of course, I've been talking about it a lot and that is completely reasonable.
But just the way they go about it, people are so insensitive sometimes.
But anyways, my transfer is coming up
And I just want to be clear.
I think I've said this.
I haven't shared the exact date of the transfer because just to be honest with you guys, I don't know if it's going to work.
And it takes two weeks to even find out if it did work.
And those two weeks are going to be really hard and really anxiety provoking.
I'm going to try my best to not...
Test at home.
I know a lot of girls do that, but you can have false negatives.
You can have false positives.
Like, I just don't want to do that to my mental state.
Let's see if I actually stick with that.
But I have to wait a while to find out if it even worked.
And then even after that, you're not...
really out of the woods until a few days later because you have to keep going back for more testing.
So I don't want to share that the day because I don't want people reaching out constantly to see if it works.
I don't want to add that pressure on myself and I don't want to jinx it.
I don't know.
I'm just having a lot of feelings around it.
So honestly, like I was...
feeling really good before about 15 minutes ago.
I was pretty nervous about going to Mexico.
It was one of my best friend's weddings and I knew I really wanted to be there for her.
We've become super close the past like six months and I had just heard about this wedding so much from her and it was such an honor to be invited and
I was definitely nervous about traveling outside the country with my meds and just like I didn't want to get sick and all these things.
But it was such a beautiful, magical experience.
I think it was the perfect thing for me to do to be surrounded by love, good vibes, sunshine, beach.
I stayed 100% sober the whole weekend, which it was the craziest wedding, guys.
Like, I can't even put into words.
I wasn't allowed to share about it on Instagram because it's going to be shared in like a major publication.
So we have to wait.
But oh my gosh, I got to celebrate with, you know, my best friends and see someone I care about so much get married.
Actually, she's been on the show, Paige Mycoskie, founder of Aviator Nation, and her wife, Jess.
And it was...
so unbelievably special.
And I'm so grateful that I went and like pushed through that and made it work.
And I actually felt amazing the whole weekend.
And I had, it was actually a fantastic test to see like, oh, I can be sober and have so much fun.
I was dancing my face off, vibing with Greg, like just having such a good time and I didn't even need alcohol.
So I was really proud of myself for that and really grateful I did that because I think I would have a lot of regret if I had drank, to be honest.
Like if anything doesn't go to plan with the transfer, I'm sure I would blame myself, you know?
So that's kind of my mindset with it.
And this is a really crazy time.
Like this is such a big upcoming thing and I just keep thinking about it and dreaming about it and
It's a lot of feelings.
So please keep me in your prayers if you can and send the good vibes.
I really appreciate it.
And I appreciate you guys sticking with me through the past few months.
It's been great.
a little tough for me to show up here the same way that I used to.
And I love this show so much.
And I'm so proud of everything I've done and the conversations we've had and the community we have.
And it's just incredible.
And I think as I spoke about in a
been necessary but also really hard for me like I really don't like living in the grey area I like being the absolute best or not doing it at all basically not in a competitive way but just like for myself and I think that comes from
my fitness journey and learning to live at my full potential at all times.
And this has been a very interesting shift.
My fitness journey was so transformative and so meaningful in a different way.
It was all about discipline, motivation, pushing myself to be the best, keeping my own promises, and really taking control of my life.
And in this season, I've had to completely let go control and
stop caring what my body looks like and really love myself through every stage and stop valuing myself at my accomplishments.
So I also just want to say, regardless of the transfer results, I probably will not share them for a while.
I actually plan on fully deleting social media for as long as I can post-transfer.
I think...
The state of mind that you're in is really, really important.
And I want to protect my energy and feel the best that I can.
And that's just like a huge piece of this.
And I think if I'm on social media, that just will not happen.
So I'm really treating this as like a sacred time in my life.
I'm also not recording the next couple weeks.
So if you hear some like mashups and things like that, that is why.
And then we'll be picking back up with guests pretty soon.
And we have some amazing guests lined up.
So definitely stay tuned for that.
And I appreciate you guys sticking around.
It really means the absolute world.
So that is a majority of my updates.
I want to tell you all about the wedding I went to.
I don't know if I'm, like, allowed to because of the publication situation.
But, guys, it was, like, a full-blown...
three day extravaganza.
I mean, Paige is the most creative person I know.
And she planned the entire wedding, sketched everything out the cake.
I can't even the cake was insane.
You guys like definitely check out my Instagram in a few days when I'm allowed to post about it because it was freaking nuts.
It was a full they had a music festival until five in the
But I will get into that definitely at a later time because it was just, I can't even put it into words.
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Let's do a Q&A.
How to stay consistent when you constantly fall off the wagon.
Biggest struggle for me.
This is, yeah, like that used to be me before 2017.
I mean, I wasn't even really on a wagon to begin with.
I just kind of would have spurts of, oh, I'm going to go to the gym now.
Oh, I will try and eat healthy now.
And it was never really a full commitment.
I think that's the difference.
It's like you really have to want to change your life and change...
person that you are, not change who you are, but like hone in on that best version of you.
And I think once you hone in on that, there's really no option.
I think deciding like, hey, I am the type of person who shows up no matter what, that is what you need to kind of channel.
And if you keep falling off the bandwagon, I would, maybe this is harsh advice, but like
You're not keeping your own promises and you're not showing up for yourself.
And it's like a realization you need to have.
Your life will change the second that you start showing up consistently.
And it's not about motivation.
It's like, hey, I do this regardless.
I remember on my fitness journey, it was like a crazy snow day.
No one could even drive.
And I like took myself to the gym and like tried to get in and it was closed.
And I did an at-home workout instead.
And I remember being like really pissed because I was like, I need to do this.
I think that's the difference.
You got to really want it.
Recently started IVF stims with PCOS.
I'm scared my quality will be bad.
Any suggestions?
There's a book called It All Starts With The Egg, I think it's called, on Amazon.
There are so many things you can do for egg quality.
Red light therapy, diet, supplementation.
I wouldn't be scared.
I have PCOS too and I have a good amount of embryos and things worked out for me.
The thing you have to be careful with with PCOS is you do get kind of overstimulated.
It's called OHSS, like ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.
That's what happened to me post egg retrieval and I would just be conscious of that.
but everything's going to be fine.
I have faith for you and you're good.
About to start IVF, any natural supplements you took, definitely get yourself the prenatal or there's even an egg IVF freeze pack from Parallel.
I got that.
I take some Chinese medicine herbs, drink your pomegranate juice, drink your beet juice, eat your Brazil nuts, eat your pineapple.
I
get enough protein in.
Yeah, you're on so many meds, the natural supplements.
Like I definitely actually cut down a lot on everything I was taking.
So just really focus on the good things and like zinc, vitamin D. Do you own the Palomino horse you've been riding recently?
So the tea with that, I have been extra cautious right now during this home stretch to the transfer.
I don't want anything bad to happen.
And it's not that my horse, Red, is...
a bad horse or misbehave by any means.
I don't know, like he spooks sometimes.
Like it's, he's not a beginner horse necessarily.
He's an amazing horse and so sweet and kind-mannered.
Golden Boy, the Palomino I've been riding, is old, slow, and like literally doesn't even care about any, like a bomb could go off and he'd be fine.
So that just makes me feel more secure.
And I have my, the girl that runs the barn, Kaylin, riding Red Palomino.
So we ride together and I get to see Red and hang out with him.
But I am just being really careful right now.
How do you approach seed oils?
Completely avoid or in moderation?
Honestly, moderation.
I absolutely do not choose to eat seed oils and I avoid them when I can.
But like, you know, you got to live your life.
And if something has a seed oil in it and I ate it, I think we'll be okay.
I think living a life where you're terrified of eating anything is almost worse.
You know, it's more stressful on the body.
About to start IVF.
What have you done to relax?
I struggle with over planning and researching.
Totally.
I have been there.
I used to be obsessed with going on TikTok and looking up IVF and like researching.
It has taken a minute, but I've really gotten to a place now where I feel pretty relaxed.
I really have allowed myself to slow down.
I think like I was addicted to rushing and being...
productive and I've had to really let that go and embrace this like slow mindful lifestyle where you're like putting the phone down you're not over obsessing and I'm like making my sourdough bread I'm going outside I'm hanging out with the dogs and the chickens and
You just got to do it.
I mean, this is a season of life where you need to be selfish and prioritize yourself.
And unfortunately, with IVF, there's ups and downs and you can't really control.
Like me, for example, I'm here for a work day and I don't feel good.
And that's just going to happen.
You're pumping yourself with hormones and things that your body's like, what the heck's going on?
You're building a baby.
Essentially, that's what you're doing and you need to give yourself grace.
Will you ride pregnant?
Oh, that's such an interesting, great question.
And it's something I am like so back and forth on because horses bring me so much joy.
And it makes me really sad to think I can't ride.
I think I will inevitably be really careful because of everything I've been through.
And, you know, with horses, you never know.
again like I have this golden boy horse who is super duper safe rides with kids old people like he doesn't put a foot out of place but I think I want to get through the first trimester before I consider that and probably just walk or trail ride or just keep it super chill like I do not want to risk anything so we will see did you try IUI first or was IVF your only option I did three rounds of IUI
The success rate is really low.
And it's a lot.
Like they give you medication.
And you have to time everything perfectly.
And you can't really travel.
And you never know the day that they're going to have you take the trigger shot.
And it's a whole thing.
I think it's worth trying.
It's like the more casual version before IVF.
But honestly like.
I mean I could say I wish I did IVF sooner.
But I think everything happens for a reason you know.
How to balance wellness goals with extremely demanding work.
How do y'all do it?
Yeah I mean.
right now i'm in a different season but before when we were like calendar was literally back to back to back i would wake up super early i'd wake up at like 5 36 in the morning get my workout in i was just so regimented i would say and like kept a routine i could really keep up with um i think that's the biggest thing it's so important to like if you want something you've got to prioritize it and you gotta wake up extra early do what you need to do
pack your meals meal prep on the weekend I know it's a lot and it can be hard but I think prioritizing wellness will just like benefit every other part of your life how do you find reliable business mentors and supporters I feel like Greg and I have done a really good job of this for the most part I feel so for example like the president of bloom is Greg's high school best friend Leo and one of my best friends and he ordained our wedding and I think we like to keep our
We like to keep our circle like tight and small and really like, I mean, Greg's mom was our accountant for so many years and she's still my accountant for POW.
The people we trust, I think it's like really important to us and we've learned that over the years.
We've definitely made some mistakes here and there, but I think you can really tell when someone's writing for you and has a, like really shares your vision.
And I think it's important to work with people who also like respect your feelings and like
there's so many things like I think it's just easy to tell when someone really has your best interest at heart so yeah but it's taken time like hiring can be really really tough do you plan to announce pregnancy right away or wait to your second trimester I think I mean listen guys like in my personal life I'm horrible at keeping secrets like everything just falls out of my mouth like I'm not I'm not good at that but I think I will wait in terms of sharing on the
Thank you so much for watching.
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I think we're all becoming more aware of microplastics and just how many microplastics are leaking into our food.
It's crazy.
One time I did a blood lab test and saw that I had microplastics in my body and I went on a big detox and managed to get them out.
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Greg and I really like cooking in stainless steel.
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Can you talk about your experience with veneers?
Process, cost, worth it?
So for those of you who don't know, I do have veneers.
Full top row.
I had really small teeth that had gaps.
And in the UK, braces and things and dental work is not like super popular.
Maybe it is now.
But like the stereotype is true.
We have pretty awful teeth.
It was a huge insecurity of mine.
I used to smile mouth closed like this always.
And I would never show my teeth.
and I never really got braces I tried Invisalign like but it just like I didn't get my teeth fixed and then when my job became primarily on camera I was like wow I'm so deeply insecure of my smile and talking and I told myself like actually it was during COVID I am getting this done no matter what because I need to boost my confidence and it was so expensive I mean I don't even want to say the number it was probably the most expensive thing I've ever bought
other than my house.
But it was a lot of money.
But it made the biggest difference.
And it was a process.
Like, I was in there probably four days in a row.
They shaved down your teeth.
They put the temporary ones in.
But I'm so happy with them.
I went to, like, Benstonhurst Dental in Brooklyn, I want to say, with Dr. Daniel Rubin.
And I think they look super natural.
I love them.
And people usually don't even realize I have veneers.
So...
yeah, made a huge difference on my face.
What does the transfer look like exactly?
So I don't know every detail, but I do know.
So I go into the surgery center, but they don't put me under, they give me a Valium.
And then I sit in a chair and Greg is next to me and we watch on a screen as they impregnate me, which I think is just insane.
Like we watch them take the embryo and put it in my uterine lining.
Like apparently it's very emotional.
I'm sure it will be.
And then they give you a picture of the embryo.
I don't even know what to expect, but I'm so excited and so ready and excited to just keep up my routine this week and prepare and do all the warm drinks and all the things I'm supposed to be doing.
PCOS and metformin, have you tried?
No.
And honestly...
My take on that, and I know people love metformin, I think it's a really outdated medicine and it doesn't have the best side effects and I don't think it's great for you.
I think there's like much better methods and I've actually done a lot of episodes on this topic.
Like if you scroll back with Dr. Mark Hyman and Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, how do you pass the time while in trying to conceive error?
Why does it feel like time stands still?
I know.
I think that's the biggest thing I struggled with.
I stayed busy in like the most calm way possible.
Like lots of walks, sourdough, horses, just like things that make you so happy, being with friends and loved ones.
I know it can be so hard though to be patient.
Just know that the end goal is so worth it, you know?
And it feels like a long time, but in reality, compared to how long we've been trying to have a baby, it's like a small snapshot.
I love how we are getting so much from you on the pod.
What made you decide to focus more on that?
Having guests is... I take it really seriously.
And when I have a guest on, I do a ton of research.
I want to be super prepped and do a great interview.
I love interviewing.
But I feel like right now it's so difficult for me to honestly put my energy anywhere else except into my fertility journey.
So I just had to take a pause on guests.
And I'm excited to bring them back at some point.
But like...
One thing I hate is canceling on people.
And right now with how up and down this journey is, I don't even want to get locked into that.
Have you changed your workouts at all while doing IVF?
A hundred percent.
They are definitely less intense.
Like I'm walking.
I try to get 10,000 steps a day, but I'm not like jumping around.
I'm not doing Barry's.
I'm not going crazy, especially these next few days.
I'm just like slow walking.
working out, if that makes sense.
Where is your leopard dress from?
That's from Retrofit.
I loved it, especially right now while I'm like puffy and bloated and not feeling 100%.
It was like great.
Let's listen to some voice messages.
Thanks, Tiffany.
Yeah, totally feel you.
There's not much that can like prepare you for how you're going to feel.
The way I would describe it is it's very up and down because one day you have good news the next day and you're excited.
You're excited to get started.
But then when it takes a long time or maybe you don't get such good news or you have a
something happens it can it can feel really lonely I think the biggest thing is like it's one of the hardest things you'll ever go through and not many people understand what it's like and I think finding people even if you're not super close with them to connect with and ask questions is really really helpful I think again like developing some like calming hobbies to do at home
cooking, painting, like whatever you're into.
The thing that I'm really happy that I did is I got in the headspace of like, this is gonna be a weird time and things are gonna look different for me and I'm not gonna be able to show up in the best version of myself at work.
I think that was a huge thing for me because I'm so career oriented and just getting in that mindset of like, almost like,
It sounds weird, but almost like you're already pregnant and you're like treating life differently.
I think that will help you like really handle what's to come.
Aw, love you too.
That's so sweet.
Great question.
There's definitely a lot of that.
And it's interesting how little people know about the process.
It's definitely like long and confusing and it's hard to explain to people.
I actually made a TikTok about this.
Interestingly, with the transfer, for example...
I know everyone has the best intentions and they're just trying to make me feel good.
But when people are like, you can't even think, think that it might not happen.
Like you have to just, you have to act like it's definitely going to happen and manifest it.
And, and there's no other way that it is.
There's no way it won't happen.
Like you need to be positive.
And I'm like, yeah, but also like you haven't been through it.
what I've been through and I have to be so cautious with my feelings like what I like to say is like cautiously optimistic like of course I I do have confidence and I do feel like it will happen and I feel good about it but I'm not gonna say like it's definitely gonna work and I'm 100% gonna be pregnant like if I let myself get there I'll be crushed if it doesn't work like I need to have some real realistic thinking behind it so I think that's tough when people are like
trying to tell me to think a certain way when it's like well you you haven't been through a fertility journey you don't know like I've been crushed so many times like I've I'm traumatized like of course I need to be cautious so I think that's a little tough I think some of the best things or connections I've had through this journey is like meeting people in
Even at the wedding I was at the past weekend, the bride's sister had been through it.
And she just was like really kind and kept coming up to me and giving me words of advice and just validating my feelings and just making me feel so seen.
I think...
connecting with women who have been through it has been the strongest tool for me at this point.
So I think leaning into that has been so, so deeply helpful.
But people are going to say crazy, insensitive things to you.
I think that happens during pregnancy.
I think it happens during IVF.
Like, I think that's just kind of part of it.
So I completely understand.
guys thank you so so much for all the questions again i apologize for my lower energy today we're getting through the home stretch of ivf here i really appreciate all the love and i'll see you in the next one bye
It will be linked in the show notes.
This podcast is a Pursuit Network production brought to you by Michaela Phillips, Joel Contartese, Davielle Waldner, Jen Lauren, and Mackenzie Mizell.
You can also watch the full video of each episode on our YouTube channel at Pursuit of Wellness Podcast.
Love you, Power Girls and Power Boys.
I will see you next time.
the content of this show is for educational and informational purposes only it is not a substitute for individual medical and mental health advice and does not constitute a provider patient relationship as always talk to your doctor or health team