Katie from “Moore from Katie” is our guest blogger today.

The idea of a natural lifestyle is one that many people are a little nervous about. Living a more natural lifestyle does not mean you have to give up the great things you currently have. You can live a more natural lifestyle while still enjoying everything you already love, just in a more natural manner. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I made the decision to live a more natural lifestyle because I felt that it would promote healthy development and growth for her during my pregnancy. I was nervous to make the change, but it ended up being the best decision I ever made.

Living naturally is not exactly what it sounds like. I remember people asking me if that meant I had stopped shaving under my arms and wearing deodorant, and laughing. Living a more natural lifestyle simply means that I choose more natural substances to put into my body. Instead of taking medications when I was pregnant, I used exercise and alternative methods of pain management. Of course I knew that many medications were off-limits while I was pregnant, which is why I decided to make them all off-limits for me. I decided that through exercise, I could manage my lower back pain at the end of my pregnancies. I could also manage the periodic headaches I suffered from with exercise.

I learned very quickly that yoga was a great way to make my entire body feel better. It helped me with the occasional headache I had because it forced me to relax and concentrate. I also found that yoga helped alleviate my back pain because it kept my muscles strong and toned. One of the most enjoyable exercises I did was walking, it helped clear my head and relieve some stress. With less stress and anxiety in my life, I suffered from fewer headaches. Additionally, I also learned that I could use massage therapy as an alternate form of muscle pain relief and headache relief, even if it was just my hubby giving me the occasional massage! These were great, natural ways to ensure my body was in the best shape possible for delivery day.

As far as food is concerned, the only change I made to my diet was to start purchasing most of my grocery items in organic form. I thought this might be a difficult thing to do. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to find all the foods that I love in organic form, but I was pleasantly surprised to find everything I already loved to eat plus so much more in organic form. While I already ate a healthy diet, I learned that by eating organically, I was not subjecting my body or my developing baby to the chemicals and pesticides used to grow foods that are not organic. Organic foods are all naturally grown, which means that I wasn’t risking putting any chemicals into my body. For this, I was very grateful. I never felt better, happier, or more in tune with my body than I did when I was pregnant. I like to think it’s because I made a conscious decision to be healthier and more natural, and that’s what made me feel so good.

Learning about your body, what you put into it and the effects different things will have on you is very important. Talking with your doctor, doula or midwife about your diet, as well as pain management, cord blood banking, breastfeeding and all other things pregnancy will be the best way to ensure you are doing everything you can to give your baby the best start in life.

A BIG Thank you to Katie from Moore with Katie – thanks for helping me out and being a guest blogger on Piper’s Run. Take some time to check our her blog 🙂

Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.