I am a supplement junkie.  I fully admit that I have a huge love for them.  I am not a huge fan of Big Pharma drugs at all.

I am of the belief that “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” for most things.

Prior to my (accidental) conception of this child (at age 45), I had been going through a month-long juice and salad cleanse.  I started on ubiquinol supplements about 3 months prior.  I was also taking regular vitamin D3 (for my lupus) and lugol’s iodine drops (2-3 drops in my water, 1x a day).

Supplements prior to conception:

• Naturewise Ubiquinol 100 mg  1x/day.  For more info, see this previous blog post.
• Lugol’s iodine, for good thyroid health.  2-3 drops 1x/day in my water.
• Vitamin D3 10,000 ius  1x/day

Supplements taken AFTER conception/during pregnancy:

• Lugol’s iodine 2-3 drops 1x/day in my water.  Great article on fetal intelligence and higher IQs in babies because of iodine supplementation HERE.  Another article about why iodine is so important during pregnancy HERE.
• Maca (first 2 months of pregnancy, to prevent miscarriage) 2 tablespoons per day, usually blended in a green juice.  Article HERE.
• Vitamin D3 10,000 ius 1x/day.  Cuts down on pregnancy complications and risks (like pre-eclampsia), article HERE.  More reasons why D3 is vital for brain development HERE.   High doses also lead to better muscle mass and less type 1 diabetes- article HERE.
• Prenatal vitamins these are pretty standard.

In addition, I was also on high blood pressure medication (Labetalol), progesterone, and heparin for my high blood pressure, progesterone issues, and Factor V Leiden blood clotting disorder.

Even with my 65 lb. weight gain, I did NOT get gestational diabetes nor did I develop preeclampsia, something they worry about in older pregnancies.

That’s it!

My child was born at week 37 by scheduled c-section and weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and was 20 inches long.  Her Apgar score was perfect.

Knock wood, she has been uttering words since 2 months and is very intelligent and strong.  At nearly 10 months, this child is already very advanced in speech and growth.  She’s my little social butterfly dancing fool.  🙂