Things That Have Been Working Lately

In which I share random hopefully helpful practical tidbits.

I certainly don’t have everything figured out in life. But several new endeavors have worked out well lately and I figured I’d share them with you all in hopes that they are helpful to you all too (the Southern Californian in me refuses to capitulate to “y’all” even though I live in the South now).

Skincare

Since high school, I’ve struggled with acne. During my husband and I’s engagement it seemed to have subsided, but after marriage, it returned with renewed persistance. Then at the end of my first pregnancy, it returned with a vengeance. To be completely honest, I was rather embarrassed by this development. I didn’t recognize my face in the mirror and this was disheartening.

It eventually calmed down with the help of time and tallow but my complexion still suffered. Over the years I’ve tried several “clean” products and cleansers. All of which seemed to make the acne worse.

In an effort to avoid the third-trimester acne of my first pregnancy, this go around I ditched all the products of empty promises and reduced my skincare routine to one product. I now dry brush my face and neck, wash with only water, and apply an organic serum and my skin hasn’t felt and looked so good in years!

For those of you struggling with acne - less may be more. You might not need to pay for labs, overhaul your gut microbe, or spend $200 on organic skincare. My complexion is by no means perfect right now, I’m still struggling with some lingering scarring, but it’s much better and I feel much more like myself.

the left is a couple weeks postpartum with my first, the second at my most recent ultrasound

Brewer Diet/Pregnancy Eating

I’ve mentioned in my monthly wrap-ups that I’ve tried to follow the basic principles of the Brewer Diet this pregnancy.

• No diuretics.

• 80-120g of protein every day.

• Lots of milk/calcium.

• Whole foods.

• More salt.

• More calories.

The main goal of the diet is pre-eclampsia prevention. In pregnancy, your blood volume increases by 50%. Therefore, your nutritional needs expand drastically. Diuretics push out nutrients, hindering your blood volume from expanding properly. Hypovolemia, low blood volume, leads to all kinds of pregnancy complications. Having hypovolemia causes the body to apply more pressure to push blood to one’s vital organs. Thus, blood pressure increases.

There is a lot of food required on the Brewer Diet. The official guide recommends 2,600 calories every day - a number I simply cannot sustain. So I don’t follow it perfectly but I have applied these principles every day. I’m 34 weeks currently and this is about the time in my first pregnancy when my toes became suspiciously puffy, my wedding ring no longer fit, and my blood pressure began to slowly tick upwards.

This is from @fullynourishedmothers on Instagram. Super helpful.

I’m happy to report that my toes look very normal, my wedding ring still fits, I’ve put on needed weight, and my blood pressure has stayed in the 110’s range. And I do still enjoy a cup of coffee a day.

My favorite breakfast that helps me chip away at my protein/whole wheat/electrolyte needs is this: a glass of milk (usually right when I wake up), two scrambled eggs with cheese, two breakfast sausages, homemade toast, and orange juice with plain electrolytes. The protein + electrolytes really boost my energy too.

Evening Routines

I’ve been trying to eliminate scrolling from my bedtime habits and find more restful ways to enjoy the evening. Sometimes this looks like taking an epsom salt bath, sometimes like doing laundry and watching Downton Abbey or All Creatures Great and Small. I’ve made a rule for myself to be in bed about an hour before I’d like to be asleep to pray by way of my prayer journal, read Scripture, and read whatever novel I have on hand. This grants me time to settle my mind and heart and be more prepared for sleep. Removing scrolling and spending more leisurely time in bed as a way of promoting rest is perhaps obvious, but sometimes we forget the obvious route (which seems to be the theme of this post).

Devotionals

Typically I read Scripture on its own, taking notes along the way, or just simply reading straight through. I often find devotionals to be distracting, lacking in depth and proper interpretation, and have not picked one up in years. But lately, my brain has been sluggish and the motivation to read has been hard. I have not given up my typical Scripture reading but I have added to it, at the recommendation of my husband (who just published a great piece on the creeds!), a devotional through the Gospels by the 19th-century theologian J.C. Ryle. The morning and evening readings are short but give me much to meditate on and pray about as I begin and end my day.

You don’t have to read Scripture alone! Not only do you have your local Church body to glean wisdom from, but you also have the company of the saints who have gone before you. Lean into both of these. They will encourage you and refresh your love for the Word.

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That’s it folks - simplicity seems to be the theme of this post. Stop wasting your money on expensive skincare, eat more while you’re growing a new human, replace your bedtime scrolling with reading, and don’t be afraid to rely on the witness of the saints both past and present. God is good, what is helpful is not always complicated.