WHY I DECIDED TO TAKE WITHINUS™ TRUMARINE® COLLAGEN THROUGHOUT MY PREGNANCY AND POSTPARTUM JOURNEY - HOLLY HORVAT, RN

Hello, I'm Holly, a Registered Nurse and the Owner of The Mama Coach Holly Horvat in Vancouver! I am a mom of one, my son Gunnar is almost one now! Becoming a mom has been the greatest gift, and I am so lucky to have the opportunity to support other mamas out there throughout their pregnancy and postpartum journeys. 

I am going to talk about why I decided to take collagen throughout my pregnancy and postpartum journey. As a Mama Coach I am here to provide real-life information and an open non judgmental space for all my parents based on science, empathy and support. I am not a doctor, I am here to share my experience and reasons for using collagen and possibly how it could help you! As always, you will have to discuss using collagen with your healthcare provider prior to starting while pregnant or breastfeeding. 

I have been using collagen for over 3 years now. When I found out I was pregnant I stopped taking my morning collagen in my coffee because I wanted to be super cautious. I almost instantly felt off - I truly believe our bodies tell you what they need and I felt this was one of the things. Supplements like collagen, are one of those things that most doctors will not give you a full go-ahead to take while pregnant or breastfeeding. However, with lots of research and after speaking with my healthcare provider, I decided to take it again during my second trimester and throughout my breastfeeding journey. This of course was a personal decision and was made because I felt confident it was safe for my baby and would have so many great benefits for my body. 

WHY? 

➜ JOINTS AND BONES: During my pregnancy I found out I have a bicornuate uterus (essentially there are two upper parts or horns, of the uterus) this can cause malpresentation of your baby - and my son was transverse/ completely breech my entire pregnancy. I found this caused so much extra stress on my joints and bones - especially my ribs and pelvis. As your little one grows it causes so much extra pressure and weight on your bones and joints - this can of course cause some pain. I was in so much pain and was so worried about my recovery. Collagen is a bioactive ingredient that helps to repair joint matrix degeneration and can help improve long-term joint comfort and mobility. Another great benefit - it helps to restore bone and mineral density and support bone metabolism! This was a big reason I started to take collagen again when pregnant, especially postpartum! 

➜ MY HAIR AND NAILS: While using TruMarine® Collagen my hair has improved so much! Yes - I know what you're thinking … Everyone who is pregnant has the most beautiful long thick locks - that was me but to a whole new level! My hair was the longest and thickest it has ever been. After having my little one I was so nervous about the 3-month postpartum hair loss, and yes, I did lose some and got really cute bangs, my hair has grown back very quickly and is back to feeling thick and healthy again. 

➜ MY SKIN: I have seen so many benefits from using TruMarine® Collagen with my skin - I actually worked in skin care for 2 years prior to owning The Mama Coach - Holly Horvat in Vancouver and learned so much about skincare and the benefits of using collagen. Collagen is a bioactive ingredient that actually helps to improve your skin's properties - this is super beneficial for stretch marks because of the amino acids that are present in collagen. Amino acids promote skin elasticity and help improve your skin's moisture levels! I was not super worried about stretch marks - however, if there was a way to prevent them, I was in. 

➜ INCREASED NUTRITIONAL NEEDS AND ENERGY FOR ME:  when you are pregnant you are not only trying to supply your own body with its nutritional needs but also your growing baby! Your body will ensure your little one is getting all the proper nutritional needs to help them continue to grow, but that may take away important nutritional needs for you! Collagen is the basic building block for our cells and tissues - this helps to supply essential proteins that will help benefit you and your little one! I truly felt my energy levels were much higher once I started taking TruMarine® again during my pregnancy and felt confident I was supplying my body with what it needed to keep both myself and my growing baby strong. 

I truly loved taking these products during my pregnancy and felt they supported me through this journey very well. Keep in mind, this was my personal decision and it does not have to be the right decision for you. Speak with your health care provider before starting these products during your pregnancy or postpartum journey. 

I continued to take TruMarine® Collagen after having my son. I will admit, I did not take it daily as I had so much on my mind and would often forget. The ReHydrate products were a life saver - they gave me the extra energy and hydration I needed to get through my busy days without having to load up on caffeine! ReHydrate + TruMarine® Collagen is great for replenishing your electrolytes, maximizing hydration and supporting healthy nerve & muscle function - all benefits you want when recovering! 

After having my little one I felt there was very little support and information given for my postpartum recovery - there was so much focus on my baby which is great, however; mamas we need to take care of ourselves as well! Between pelvic floor weakness, abdominal healing (which was me after having a c-section) increased caloric needs when breastfeeding and hormonal changes - we need to focus on our own nutritional needs to help with our recoveries. 

Since taking TruMarine® Collagen postpartum I have noticed less hair loss, especially around the 3 month mark. I was losing hair in clumps and shedding all around our house - once I started taking collagen daily again I have noticed less hair loss, my hair is thick, shiny and very healthy! 

The biggest improvement I saw was with my pelvic floor pain. My son was breech and would flip back and forwards between breech and transverse (sideways). This caused a lot of pelvic floor pain. Some mornings I could barely get out of bed because of the pain. After having my son, my pelvic floor Specialist was shocked at how quickly I was recovering and how quickly I was getting my muscle tone back. I know collagen was not the only reason for this, I am still convinced it played a huge role in my recovery. 

Mamas, remember this is your journey and everybody’s will be different. Support yourself the best way you can and give yourself time to heal! 

You got this mama xo. 

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Holly Horvat
Registered Nurse || Sleep Consultant || Lactation Counsellor || Prenatal Educator

Holly Horvat has been a Registered Nurse for 6 years and is a new mom to her son Gunnar. Holly is grateful for the opportunity to be able to support other mamas on their pregnancy and postpartum journeys. Holly provides prenatal, postpartum and sleep support and a variety of one-on-one support as well as live group classes!