Peggy O'Mara

Back pain hits hard during pregnancy, and if you are one of the roughly 70% of expectant mothers dealing with it, you already know how exhausting it gets. The good news is that heat therapy is one of the safest, most effective ways to find relief without medication. A quality heating pad relaxes tight muscles, … Read more

Finding the best prenatal vitamins for first trimester can feel overwhelming when you are already dealing with exhaustion, nausea, and a flood of new decisions. I remember staring at the supplement aisle during my first pregnancy, completely frozen by the wall of options, wondering which one would actually help my baby develop during those critical … Read more

Swollen feet during pregnancy is one of those things nobody warns you about until you are staring at ankles that look like they belong to someone else. I remember hitting my third trimester and suddenly my favorite shoes felt like torture devices. My doctor mentioned edema was completely normal, but that did not make the … Read more

When I found out I was expecting my first child as a longtime vegan, my excitement was quickly followed by anxiety. I knew my plant-based diet was healthy, but I also knew that pregnancy demands nutrients that are harder to get from plants alone. After talking to my midwife and spending weeks researching the best … Read more

When I was pregnant with my second child, staying hydrated felt like a full-time job. Between the nausea that made plain water unbearable and the constant fatigue that had me reaching for coffee I could not drink, I knew my body needed something more. That is when I started researching electrolyte drinks safe for pregnancy … Read more

Up to 80% of pregnant women experience morning sickness, and if you are reading this, you are probably one of them. I have been there. The queasiness that hits the moment you open your eyes, the way certain smells suddenly become unbearable, and the frustration of trying to function at work while fighting nausea. After … Read more

When I found out I was pregnant with my first child, one of the first things I worried about was stretch marks. Like most expecting moms, I had seen the purple and silver lines on friends and family members after their pregnancies. I wanted to do everything I could to prevent them, so I started … Read more

When I found out I was pregnant, one of the first things I researched was the best belly butters for stretch mark prevention. Like most expecting moms, I wanted to do everything possible to keep my skin smooth and comfortable as my belly grew. After testing dozens of products across two pregnancies and talking with … Read more

Preparing for childbirth brings countless questions, and one that keeps coming up is how to reduce the risk of tearing during delivery. After talking with dozens of expectant mothers and reviewing clinical research, I can tell you that perineal massage during pregnancy has shown promising results for many women. The Cochrane Review found that perineal … Read more

If you are expecting a baby and researching natural ways to prepare your body for labor, you have probably heard about red raspberry leaf tea. As a longtime staple in midwifery traditions, this caffeine-free herbal tea has been used for generations to help tone uterine muscles and support a smoother delivery. But with so many … Read more