Ohm My Yoga: Erica Kickert

Excited to make these Chocolate Raspberry Almond Butter Bars tomorrow!

Sharing the recipe here for anyone else who might be looking for a healthy snack containing protein (and satisfies a sweet craving!)

-Erica

Chocolate Raspberry Almond Butter Bars Fri-daaaay. Good to see you, old friend. I love my job (someone just seriously pinch me that THESE CHOCOLATE BARS ARE MY JOB), but even still, Fridays

This healing chicken and rice soup seemed like the perfect way to recharge my four day postpartum body!

Thankfully the whole family loved it too :)

Healing Chicken and Rice Soup - Pinch of Yum Healing Chicken and Rice Soup that is limey, salty, and so fresh! Garlic-ginger-infused brother, shredded chicken thighs, jasmine rice, and fresh herbs.

Threw this delish parfait together with a teaspoon and a butter knife in our hotel room. We had ZERO cooking facilities in Cairns. We just have a kettle, some spoons and a mini fridge

I got a water glass, a teaspoon and I “borrowed” a knife from downstairs to assemble this delicious beauty

Steps:
Layered Greek yogurt
1/4 of a banana, sliced
Crunchy granola
More Greek yogurt
1/2 a yellow peach
.. and more crunchy granola

It was so yummy, and I cannot wait to make a fancier one from home once I have all my pantry staples again

The last four days have been riddled with stress and so much anxiety for our family.

I decided to channel all my energy into baking therapy today! I was at the shops this morning and saw a store bought pavlova base. I have only eaten pav a few times and I've never made one.

Upon seeing the ingredients (mainly numbers) I decided to make mine from scratch. This is the recipe I used for the base, and I simply halved the recipe since it will only be the four of us now for Christmas.

Pavlova Impress your friends and family with this show-stopper pavlova.

Had a kilo of tomatoes that needed to be used, so I decided to make homemade tomato soup!

It's going to be perfect for this rainy day we are having.

Garden Fresh Tomato Soup A simple, homemade soup made with fresh tomatoes is a perfect summertime treat when the best tomatoes are ripe in gardens and farmers' markets. Everyone will love the fresh sweet taste and smooth texture.

Intralipids & Infertility

What are they? How do they work?
Should I try them if I am unable to get pregnant or suffering reoccurring miscarriages?

INTRALIPIDS ARE
A sterile fat emulsion used as a source of calories and essential fatty acids. The infusion is made up of 20% soybean oil, 1.2% egg yolk phospholipids and 2.25% glycerin. It’s essentially pure fat and given as a slow intravenous infusion mixed with saline

I had to get my first infusion within 72 hours of a confirmed pregnancy and then the infusions would be administered fortnightly until I was 14 weeks along. My infusions would last anywhere from 2.5 - 4 hours. You also need a prescription from your doctor 👩🏼‍⚕️

WHY INTRALIPIDS?
There is an emerging role for sterile fat emulsion infusions in the management of subfertility and infertility. Evidence suggests women who suffer from recurrent miscarriages or implantation failure when undertaking IVF, may in fact be suffering the effects of an overactive component of the immune system: natural killer cells. It’s believed natural killer cells may attack eggs, s***m and even a developing embryos. This can result in difficulty achieving pregnancy, maintaining the pregnancy and repeated miscarriages

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE NATURAL KILLER CELLS?
I was tested for natural killer cells in 2015 and it was horrifically painful. It only lasts about 1 minute, but it’s worth doing to get answers. Essentially a catheter is inserted inside your uterus and then they scrape your uterine lining, removing chunks of tissue which can then be tested. It’s exactly as pleasant as it sounds. If you’re undergoing surgery for a laparoscopy/ egg collection / hystercopy etc, I would recommend having it while done under anaesthetic

SHOULD I LOOK INTO IT?
Yes- especially if you’re struggling with infertility, recurrent miscarriages or implantation failure with IVF!

I wanted to share this with you all because you never know who might need to hear it, thus changing their entire infertility journey forever. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it!
Erica x

On the blog today... 3 things I DID NOT expect in my third pregnancy!!

In Health,
Erica

Three Things I Didn’t Expect In My Third Pregnancy 1. Ni**le soreness ​ Have you heard this incredible quote by the iconic Betty White? “Why do people say "grow some balls"? Balls are weak and sensitive. If you wanna be tough, grow a va**na....

My latest post about our miracle baby made it to the Bumpdated homepage!!

Life After Infertility, Finding Out About Baby #3 “A  few months ago I was so exhausted that I could barely function. It seemed weird, but like most women, I brushed it off. I attributed it to being busy, raising two kiddos, dealing wit…

Struggling to eat healthy in the first trimester? A lot of us have been there! It's nearly impossible to smell veggies or imagine eating them in those first few precarious weeks of being pregnant.

I've included a few tricks for you to try in order to keep healthy food on the menu. Some are so simple, you'll wonder why you haven't thought of them before.

I also included heaps of recipes for you to try that will hopefully tantalise your tastebuds!

Featuring BodyScience, Pinch of Yum, Cookie and Kate The Healthy Chef and Wholesome Child

In Health,
Erica
http://www.ohmmyyoga.com/off-the-mat/how-to-get-more-veggies-into-your-diet-during-the-first-trimester

Part 1/2
I was nervous to publish this, but it has been on my heart to share, and I've always prided myself with being authentic on social media.

Please have a read, like and share with someone else who might need to hear this today.

x

Finding Out About Baby #3 A few months ago I was so exhausted that I could barely function. It seemed weird, but like most women, I brushed it off. I attributed it to being busy, raising two kiddos, dealing with 3 year old...