@DonkeyDude said in Bioenergetic Guide to Pregnancy?:

I audibly keked at this. Is the father-to-be also allowed to do this (for the baby's sake, of course)?

Hey, you are creating a wonderful little life. Do what you feel best to remove stress in general, and you have my personal endorsement to block whomever especially when your wife is with child!

@Sunniva said in Bioenergetic Guide to Pregnancy?:

Self care for mom after birth: often overlooked in USA, but a standard test for Europe (so I've read) is thyroid testing. It is not uncommon for the thyroid to unload stored colloid after birth (according to Ray Peat), which will result in a hyperthyroid state, which should resolve itself in a few months. Ray talks about strategy for this. If you are not aware - as I was not- it might end in the medical establishment vaporizing your thyroid. Have a plan.

Also precious insights & considerations I wish I was aware of before getting pregnant! I gave birth in Europe (Belgium) in the most standard set up but never had any blood test or thyroid testing proposed post-partum (never). Just the stupid glucose test. Post partum care in Belgium is fairly limited I found (the one checkup at 5 weeks PP to tell you you can have sex (......... ?)), I know parental policies are much more lenient in Slavic countries (Hungary looks as based as it can get).

Have a plan indeed.

@Peatful This is a great list!

Female as well, (29yo), I had a wonderful pregnancy and a seemingly quite smart, strongheaded and well developped daughter. Getting ready for second pregnancy soon.

This is indeed an important thread, especially for single males. Getting familiar with this topic will be extremely beneficial in the future.

I was not familiar with bioenergetic principles then but was clearly naturally maxxing in progesterone (nutrient dense my whole life, very active - no symptoms besides sore chest in the first trimester, glowing throughout the pregnancy, full of energy, extremely happy, baby was also not in any hurry to leave the womb - came 11days overdue, very positive delivery).

To add to Peatful's list:

• Walking everyday (10k steps is not a bad target if you can). Consistent moderate exercise is key, baby also loves it (I kept walking post partum every day, in baby carriers)

• Stretching can help if you are stiff (HAVE YOUR DAUGHTERS PRACTISE BALLET for 10y and thank me later!)

• Perineal oil massage in the last weeks help a lot with the delivery, I believe. My mom tore with me (first born, big head), and I did not at all with mine.

• Reading ""maternity"" books is usually more anxiety inducing than else I found. I read a lot after pregnancy and had more anxiety for my "detrimental choices" than anything else. It is a pity. However, books on hypnobirth or Bradley method are quite nice to get familar with the mechanics and how to make it as wonderful as you can, if you are a bit stressed out. Ray's material can be technically overwhelming when the pregnancy brain is doing its thing, but for sure not as aniety inducing as many other books (i.e nourishing traditions sometimes has a more condescending tone than necessary).

I will not emphasize enough the reduction of stress. Do whatever necessary to remove stress sources from your life. I blocked my mother in law for months. It is okay. Your pregnancy, well-being and baby are MUCH MORE important.

First pregnancy I took the standard prenatal supps, vit D and a couple times magnesium bisglycinate for the light night cramps I got.
Next one I plan on taking ProgestE, vit D, K2, and folate (from balancedbodymind)

@DonkeyDude
I also wondered for a time (I am a woman, started peating in January 2024).
As you can see in the images (Broda Barne's book), the 'indicative' basal body temperature for a woman is ONLY taken on the second and third day of the period.
(!!!!!!! I thought, COME ON, is it not tricky enough to be a woman, you have to wait a full month to assess impact of a treatment?)

First weeks of peating without supplements did not noticeably increase my BBT;

• Progest-E during the luteal phase helped raising my BBT, from 95.5F (1mo peating, before ProE) to 97F (after one cycle, taking ProE in the luteal phase) - both BBTs taken at my 3rd day of period. I fully recommend ProE to your wife, as Peat mentioned several times, it is nearly impossible to overdose on it.

• I very briefly experienced with Tyronene during my ovulation phase (1 drop = 8µg T3 for 3 days): it raised my BBT, but I preferred stopping it and get more familiar with bioenergetics as a whole before getting serious with thyroid supplementation.
  I did not read or see anything on cycling thyroid for women, but I did not cover all the material yet. Progesterone should for sure be taken only during the luteal phase (after ovulation - before period) - see Peat's many quotes on it.

I wholeheartedly recommend your wife to read Peat's Nutrition for women (much more "palatable" as reading material than from PMS to menopause I find). Kate Deering's book is also nice (although I do not think she made the distinction for women's BBT measurements), and Kitty Blomfield's podcast, or any Emma Sgourakis material are also worth her time and attention.

If she is into it, then also from PMS to menopause, and Broda Barne's book (at least the first chapters on measurements and assessments) for completeness.

Very curious about how your wife's treatment fares!

@Veronica (posted her cynomel order recently), can you already share how thyroid supplementation goes for you?

@rayp-flava Awesome! She did many podcasts with Danny Roddy, but also with her Kitty Blomfield (her Saturee partner/ co-founder). I strongly strongly strongly advise your wife to do loooong walks (1hr feels great) and listen to episodes from

• Weight loss for women: eat more, train less, get results (Emma did a couple there)
• Body Wisdom; also bioenergetic, focus on women, fertility, pregnancy etc.

@sunandblood yes

@rayp-flava check Emma Sgourakis out https://thenutritioncoach.com.au/me-pregnant/
Brad's reply is spot on.

I had a high progesterone pregnancy (no symptoms, "pregnancy glow"), and it means, as Ray told Emma multiple times (she also discusses it on Danny Roddys podcast), that the baby's head is larger than the norm. If your wife aims for high progesterone, make sure she stretches, squats, and especially does perineal massages during the last weeks of pregnancy (to avoid tearing and delivery stress).

@yoan Gravity filters do a great job at removing kind of everything (so also the minerals).
I have a SmythCid water crock (https://www.waterfiltercrock.com/product-page/water-filtration-crocks), Berkey, and Katadyn make some as well (albeit with plastic nozzles, but you can replace them).
Reverse osmosis is quite popular in the bioenergetic/esoteric health space, but I have not tried yet
https://www.osmiowater.co.uk/zip-portable-reverse-osmosis-system.html
Best is to do your own research and take your own enviroment (available space, budget, ease of use etc) into account.

1/
Frozen raspberries (organic are 3x more expensive but really 3x sweeter and tastier)
Heavy cream 30%
Raw pollen
can drizzle honey but the pollen is actually sweet
!

2/ Hot choccccc:
(raw) milk, coconut oil, (raw) honey, pinch of salt, cocoa powder, sprinkle of gelatin, and to make it grandiose, a home made marshmallow (water, sugar, gelatin -> https://twitter.com/theedgecontent/status/1711022462836601038)

Divine!!! I make it at least once a week, usually with ground beef, after the mushrooms are seared.
Also great in a puff pastry dough (normies LOVE it), thickly spread on a sourdough slice etc

The food assembly is a collective that collects local farmers productions to consumers, 1x/week.

Otherwise, some organic supermarkets might have it but it is always more expensive and less reliable (sometimes out of stock, prices fluctuate a bit etc). The milk also sours quicker than from the food assembly supply.

https://laruchequiditoui.fr/en/assemblies#5/47.040/3.779