This episode is sponsored by beauty and lifestyle brand Voya. I have been loving their Mama Oil for helping to keep my skin as supple as possible as my belly grows. For this second episode in the series, we're assuming you are pregnant and we're taking a birds eye view at what to expect from your pregnancy from beginning to end. Here I am joined by obstetrician Dr Sarah Murphy. We'll look at confirming your pregnancy, when you go to the doctor or to the hospital, how many scans you can expect to have, the difference between public, private and semi private. The different options available to you from your traditional hospital birth to home births. This will give you a clear of idea of how your 9 months will go, including rough ideas of when to get yourself to some antenatal classes and what to expect from those. All in all, this episode will take in the pregnancy milestones to expect, and hopefully take some of the fear and unknown out of this new experience out of the equation for you. Within this episode, we also look at the first trimester in detail and how in the name of all that is good and holy that you'll cope with it. Now, some of you may be lucky - and therefore I am extremely jealous - in that you have zero morning sickness. For me, and a good many of women who become pregnant, it's par for the course and it's really really hard. We'll look at coping mechanisms, remedies, medication your consultant may prescribe, why morning sickness happens and what other symptoms to expect and how to manage them. 

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For this episode I am joined by a good friend who happens to be the greatest nutritional expert I've ever known, and I just love her for her no frills approach - she says it like it is, Dr Orla Walsh. Orla is a dietician, she's also a mum herself and for this episode we are talking all things nutrition and pregnancy. So what can you eat, what can't you eat? How to cope with symptoms such as heartburn? Or constipation? What do you need to ensure you're getting enough of in your diet? What about supplementation? Water intake? 

This episode is proudly sponsored by Pregnacare which is the supplement I have been taking since day one. I've been on Pregnacare Max which offers the ultimate formula in the range for mums-to-be who want the maximum nutritional support from Pregnacare. This advanced formula helps to safeguard daily intake of nutrients important during pregnancy, providing 400micrograms folic acid, incorporating the special, readily bioavailable form L-Methylfolate, together with other essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, Calcium & Omega 3. Vitabiotics pregnacare also have a new exciting gummy form with 17 nutrients which are handy as an alternative to tablets for those who may have difficulty in swallowing tablets or simply prefer a chewable format available in pharmacies nationwide in-store and online.

It's incredibly important to ensure you're getting the right vitamins and minerals throughout your pregnancy not just for the baby but also for you. Be sure to follow me on instagram @CarolineForan where I will be giving one lucky listener of this series the chance to win the ultimate Pregnacare hamper.

https://www.vitabiotics.com

Enjoy the episode! 

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For the last episode in this 8 part pregnancy series, I am joined by Layla O’Mara, qualified postpartum doula and acupuncturist and founder of NuaNua.com (where she offers an incredible postpartum wellbeing course) to talk about coping with the fourth trimester. Yes there is a fourth. The baby has arrived but you are in recovery mode and everything is new to you. While the focus culturally tends to shift from you to baby, at this point, your wellbeing, mentally and physically has never been more important. 

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This episode is proudly sponsored by Penneys 

The fourth episode takes a break from the medical experts to hear from an expert in her own right - Grace Mongey , known as Faces by Grace on instagram who sits down with me as our been there momma. Grace shares how pregnancy was for her on both of her children - what differed if anything - what she learned, what advice she would go back and give to herself. Grace will also talk through her pre labour essentials - what she bought for her baby or her nursery in advance of their arrival - what was a great investment and what wasn't as well as coping with something you're bound to get a lot of throughout your pregnancy: other people's opinions. 

Penneys - the ultimate destination for all of your newborn baby clothing needs - and every other need I have for that matter. I personally have plans to buy them out of their organic cotton range not just because the price points are so good but because the quality and the style is also incredible.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This fifth episode in the 8 part series is where my expertise as a bit of a worrier comes in. Anxiety and pregnancy. For this episode I am joined by clinical psychologist and author Dr Malie Coyne to help reassure listeners about the emotional and mental side of pregnancy which can be just as challenging as the physical symptoms sometimes. It's a phase of massive change, lots of unknown, and if you struggle with anxiety you might be worrying about how your anxiety will be during pregnancy and beyond. Malie and I both share our recommended coping strategies for managing your mental health throughout this experience and she has some great resources which she refers to as well. 

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Hello and welcome to Ready to Pop: The Ultimate Pregnancy Podcast with me, author and journalist, Caroline Foran. If you tuned into the quick intro episode you will have a very clear idea of what to expect from this series and each episode but to recap briefly, I myself am pregnant - at the time of recording this particular episode I am well into my third trimester - and this 8 part series takes you from getting pregnant right through to preparing for labour and beyond. 

For this first episode I am joined by Dr Maebh Horan with The Merrion Fertility Clinic to talk about the first steps of your pregnancy journey: getting pregnant. What has to happen to get pregnant? What are the common issues that make pregnancy difficult to achieve? How can we increase our chances of conception and what do we need to be mindful of? 

This episode is proudly sponsored by Meaghers Pharmacy, the pharmacy I go to myself not just for all of my health and beauty needs but for expert advice I can trust. Meaghers Pharmacy offers private & secure video calls with their Fertility expert for those hoping to conceive. For an appointment simply email help@meagherspharmacy.ie Their pharmacists are always available for private consultations about your medicines, administering injections, as well as supplements that might help, as you begin your journey towards parenthood. For more information on Meaghers pharmacy as well as your nearest branch, go to meagherspharmacy.ie or follow them on instagram @meagherspharmacy. Also, be sure to follow me @carolineforan where I will be giving one lucky listener a Meaghers pharmacy hamper, packed full of goodies to celebrate this episode.

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From pigmentation to breakouts, the elusive pregnancy glow to stretch marks, there can be quite a few changes in store for your skin during pregnancy. There are also certain ingredients not recommended for your skin at this time as well. What to use? What to shy away from? How to handle the various sensitivities? For this episode I am joined by The Skin Nerd, Jennifer Rock, to get clarity (pun intended) on pregnancy skin. 

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