​Umbilical Cord: this connects the baby to the placenta. Allowing nutrients and oxygen to pass from mother to baby- while removing waste products.
Placenta: this attaches to the uterine wall. Shaped like a pancake, it provides nutrients and oxygen for the baby and eliminates waste products.
Uterus: this is the muscular organ where baby grows.
Cervix: this is the lower end of the uterus. The cervix softens, thins, and opens during labor allowing baby into the world.

With my daughter, I suffered from complete placenta previa, placental abruption, and vasa previa. 

Complete Placenta Previa: The placenta is located over the cervix. This can cause bleeding during pregnancy or make vaginal delivery impossible- resulting in a cesarean. (Occurs in about 1 of 250 deliveries)
Placental Abruption: the placenta separates from the uterine wall before the baby is born. This causes the uterus to bleed and reduces the baby’s supply of oxygen and nutrients. (Occurs in 0.4 to 1.5% of all pregnancies)
Vasa Previa: the membranes that contain blood vessels from the baby to the placenta lie across the cervix. (Present in about 1 in 2,500 to 5,000 deliveries.)

​Starting next week, I have OB appointments twice a week. On Monday or Tuesdays, I will have a nonstress test on baby. A nonstress test is to check on baby’s health- baby’s heart rate is monitored  to see how it responds to it’s movements. This will be followed up by a check in with my high-risk OB. On Thursday or Fridays, I will have an ultrasound with my maternal-fetal medicine OB. This will be to monitor and watch for potential complications that are arising- especially when we add in a Factor V Leiden mutation as well. I promise, baby and I are in great hands! 

As of right now, I still have severe hydronephrosis in both kidneys. Severe Hydronephrosis basically means that my kidneys are severely swollen from a backup of urine. They aren’t draining properly, due to my scar tissue and malformed uterus, causing constant kidney stone like pain. Unfortunately, there’s nothing to relieve this

Right now, baby is scheduled to come into this world at 38 weeks, on February 22nd. This has every possibility to change- and honestly, I’m betting it will. I will be taking 3 weeks off after baby arrives. Please note my team (and I when possible) will continue to assist you as needs arise during this period. I will be monitoring emails at least once per week. If you have immediate needs or concerns, please email my assistant, Dawn. We will strive to fulfill these requests in a timely manner. We appreciate the understanding when it comes to rescheduling appointments during this time. We truly have the most amazing patients! 

As always, thank you for the continued love, support, and/or prayers- whatever you’re into! Keep it all coming. Please follow us on Facebook for more immediate updates! 

All my love,
Dr. Taryn

​Lemme dig into these questions…

I somewhat think this has turned into a word vomit question- it seems almost second nature to ask nowadays. However, I also think it is typically asked out of a place of love due to infertility being on the rise.

I speak on infertility often because I can relate. Infertility is hard and it is complex and it is exhausting. It’s something I personally have struggled with and it’s something I treat regularly.

Infertility is also interesting to me because it’s as if no one really wants to talk about actively trying to get pregnant…. As if it’s supposed to be some dirty secret.
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Well, I’m here to tell you it shouldn’t be and isn’t some type of dirty little secret. 

There is also SO much focus on women’s infertility BUT it takes two to tango. A man’s sperm needs to be viable and healthy to create a baby just like a women’s egg. When trying to conceive both partners need support. A woman cannot exhaust her being, trying to conceive a baby when her partner is equally as responsible.
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Being an expert in women’s health, I can tell you firsthand, it’s not just your hormones that need to be addressed. It’s your entire health and wellness- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Healing your body from the inside out makes for a healthier pregnancy, prenatal and postnatal. 

As adressed in one of my blogs, my last pregnancy ended in an emergency C-section. This resulted in a little over 6 week stay in the NICU for my daughter, Zirah- along with a long road to recovery for me.

I’m not scared being pregnant again. I am first of all thankful, but also very aware. I am very aware and preventatively treating issues before they have a chance to arise. (I’ll speak on this in a little bit.) I know that any added stress to myself only negatively impacts both me and baby. Reducing stress and reducing added toxins is HUGE during pregnancy. Hell, even before pregnancy, even if you never want to be pregnant- do yourself a favor and cut out the Negative Nancy’s and the positive energy sucking vampires. Reduce the processed foods, added sugars, fast food meals, etc. Your health and well-being will thank you.

From Zirah’s pregnancy to now, I have thoroughly focused on healing my body from the inside out. I feel amazing, so far, besides the being tired- but that’s a given. With my other two viable pregnancies, I was sick the entire time! Pregnancy shouldn’t be miserable; it truly shouldn’t be! This is your body screaming that it needs help. 

Remember, not all supplements are created equal! That's first and foremost. Life changing supplements aren't cheap; cheap supplements aren't life changing.

​I have four prenatal supplement suggestions (almost always):
Prenatal

• It takes a lot of vitamins and minerals to grow a baby! Let alone, support you.

Omega

• Reduces inflammation and promotes overall health. Fun Fact: a high quality omega 3 can double the fat content of your breast milk.

Probiotic

• Building and supporting the gut microbiome is key. 

Magnesium

• A co-factor for over 300 enzymes- helps with sleep, aches and pain, headaches, etc. 

Topical Progesterone Serum

• "The pregnancy hormone"- helps maintain a healthy pregnancy. Low levels in the first trimester can result in miscarriage.

As you can see, I am not listing the specific names for a reason, I don’t want you running to your local grocery store or Amazon to order these products. They MUST be high quality. They also need to be managed and regulated by your doctor. 

Pregnancy can be scary; the uncertainty can be overwhelming. I'm here to help. If you or someone you know is struggling with infertility, loss, and/or need prenatal support- please, reach out! 

​As always, I'm sending all my love and support to those struggling with conception,
Dr. Taryn

Folic acid fortification was heavily implemented in 1998. Thank goodness it's 2019 and we now know better! The thing I love about science is it's ALWAYS evolving, it's constantly changing. If it wasn't, we would still be practicing bloodletting or performing lobotomies for mental illness. 

Folic acid is what we’re supposed to take while pregnant, right? WRONG! Folic acid is not the same thing as folate. If you are pregnant, please look on your prenatal bottle and make sure you are taking folate. 

What does this mean? Folic acid can inhibit transport of the necessary active folate across the blood-brain barrier where we need it to be able to support reductions in neuroinflammation.

Has your doctor suggested folic acid? ​Do you have questions on what prenatal you should be taking? Please, contact us today!

Let's get back to health,
​Dr. Taryn

Being pregnant is hard. The hormone fluctuation is hard. The weight gain is hard. Input from everyone and their brother is hard. The birth itself is hard. EVERYTHING related to being pregnant and raising a child is hard. That’s just the truth. The absolute last thing that should be hard is wondering what extra nutrients provide benefit and where to get those said nutrients from.

Well, I’m here to cover what I recommend and to tell you why. Read that again. I’m not just going to tell you to take this and eat that- I’m going to explain the importance. Because at the end of the day, you should and need to question everything when it comes to your child’s health and well-being. You have a right to know the answers to your ‘why’ questions.

I’m also not here to lecture your health choices while pregnant, but to simply inform. A few simple, superior choices bring increased benefit to mom and baby.

Now, I only covered 8 essential vitamins and minerals, and purposely left out folate/folic acid because this requires its own section.

Folate and folic acid ARE NOT the same thing.

Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 in food.
Folic acid is a synthetic form.
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FOLATE is what you need and want during pregnancy, NOT folic acid.
Folate is involved in DNA production and cell division; it is critical to the development of the nervous system and prevention of neural tube defects.

What else do I recommend? A PROBIOTIC! New research from the University of Virginia School of Medicine suggests that a mother's microbiome during pregnancy plays a critical role in developing autism-spectrum disorders. "We determined that the microbiome is a key contributor in determining susceptibility [to autism-like disorders],” said lead researcher John Lukens, PhD, of UVA's Department of Neuroscience. "The microbiome can shape the developing brain in multiple ways," Lukens continued to explain. "The microbiome is really important to the calibration of how the offspring's immune system is going to respond to an infection or injury or stress." Your mind is only as healthy as your gut!

​If you are interested in our prenatal supplementation recommendation, all it will cost you is your time. At Stittleburg Restorative Health Care we do not charge inquisitive mothers for prenatal questions! You read that right; it is FREE to receive our prenatal supplementation recommendation. Our goal is to promote a happy, healthy pregnancy for both mom and baby! The best part, the supplements are delivered right to your door and the consultation can be done over the phone. The first step is yours.

Let's get back to health,
Dr. Taryn

Pregnancy is a beautiful thing and so is my friend, Stephanie!