Babies Don’t Ruin Your Body. I Would Know—I’ve Given Birth to Ten.

When I was expecting my fourth child in my twenties, a woman at church whispered that I would have the body of a seventy-year-old by thirty. Yet here I am in red, with my oldest girls at forty, after ten babies. My youngest was about nine months old in that picture. We Are Designed to Make Babies It’s not the babies that damage our bodies . More often, it’s poor nutrition, a stagnant modern lifestyle, and constant exposure to chemicals that throw our hormones off balance. Birth Gently To avoid birth trauma, I always recommend water birth. I would never lay on my back to push out a baby – squat, move, follow what your body naturally wants to do. Lying flat can actually make things harder and increase the chance of injury. During Pregnancy, Prepare Your Body to Bounce Back You truly are what you eat. Choose highly nourishing foods : raw milk, eggs, nuts, fruit, melons, and other superfoods. Avoid artificial ingredients and refined sugar. Avoid Common Health Problems Throughout pregnancy, my midwife suggested supplements like nettle, raspberry leaf, milk thistle, salmon oil, chlorophyll, and liver. Different issues popped up, and these were some of the remedies that helped. Always check with your own midwife about natural options. HEAL After birth, rest for three full weeks . Stay off the stairs – going up and down too soon can interfere with healing. I didn’t rest with my first three babies, and recovery took much longer each time. Lose Baby Fat If you’re able, breastfeed for at least six months. I nursed all my babies for one to two years. I once calculated that I produced over 2,000 gallons of milk, and it never compromised my health. Soften Stretch Marks As your belly grows and after the birth, use organic cocoa butter, coconut oil, and olive oil to restore your skin’s vitality. Top Twenty Things I Do to Feel My Best in Every Season • Start each morning with royal jelly blended into raw local honey, nature’s boost for body and mind. • Step outside just after sunrise for gardening, coffee, prayer, Bible time, or quiet reflection. Morning light resets my rhythm and spirit. • Keep peaceful music flowing through the house; it sets the tone for everything. • Schedule creative work in the morning, when inspiration feels most alive. • Build homeschooling around each child’s passions . When learning is joyful, it becomes a natural part of life. • Read real books and journal on paper instead of scrolling online. • Nurture growing things: plants, animals, dreams, and people. • True and lasting delight comes when you welcome the gift of children . Say yes to one more before the clock stops on your fertility, if your heart and life can hold it. • Avoid artificial sweeteners and chemical-heavy skincare and body products. Simplicity is healing. • Work in the yard. Grow food, grow beauty, let nature be your gym. • Surround yourself with beauty in everyday spaces. I paint murals and Scripture on my walls. • If you want flowers, plant them. You truly reap what you sow. • Sip herbal tea made from fresh-picked herbs. • Be intentional about romance and friendship; love needs tending, too. • Steer clear of hormone disruptors , risky chemicals, and unnecessary medications whenever possible. • Read labels. If you don’t recognize an ingredient, don’t buy it. • Eat fresh, local, whole, pure foods because you are what you eat. • Spend time outdoors every day, even for a few quiet minutes. On beautiful days, stay outside for hours if you can. • Be intentional about family time: connect, read together, laugh, eat together, and live fully together. Celebrate each season as a family. • As the sun sets, dim the lights, sip liquid chlorophyll, and wind down. Rest early, rise refreshed.