We chat to Latham Thomas, author of Mama Glow and founder of the Mama Glow website and whole pregnancy concept who’s worked with a number of yummy mummies such as Alicia Keys, Doutzen Kroes and Christy Turlington. Here she shares her tips to a healthy and happy pregnancy…

Mama Glow is takes a unique spin on pregnancy. It’s about celebrating and becoming the best iteration of yourself. I breakdown the information into three sections – in the kitchen, on the mat, and in your life. It’s about fostering a powerful connection with your body and feeling radiant from within. I am about empowering women along this journey.

The most common complaint I hear about pregnancy is “How do I minimize excessive weight gain and stretch marks.” It’s quite simple, you need to gain weight to facilitate a healthy pregnancy – however you don’t need to “eat for two”. The body requires an extra 300 calories daily when you hit the later part of the second trimester – that’s a smoothie or piece of toast with some almond butter. I gained 14 pounds – the baby was 7 pounds 11 ounces, my diet was plant based and I believe that all of us could benefit from more plant foods in our diets – that’s why I promote it in the book. To protect against stretch marks we need to eat fats in addition to applying creams, oils, etc in the belly region. We have a great stretch mark oil recipe in the book and on the website too.

I started Mama Glow because as a single mama I work hard every day to provide for my child but also show him that his dreams can and will come true as long as he chases them. I’m also inspired by newborns. In the adult world I would say Arianna Huffington inspires me so much – she is really helping people examine their lives through self-care.

I witness miracles every day. I worked with a client who was in her early stages of menopause and with diet, lifestyle, acupuncture, meditation, energy work, and supplements getting her FSH levels (helps control the menstrual cycle and production of eggs) down from 31 to 5.6 within 100 days – using no drugs. This client is now in a position to get pregnant and sustain a healthy pregnancy. Even the doctors were astounded. But the body is powerful and we have to learn to trust and believe in our bodies.

Before your baby is born set up what I call a sister circle – you need support once the baby is born but you won’t have the time to set up your squad in between feedings so figure out who is in your corner that you can depend upon to help you along this journey. These are friends who help cook a meal, help with housework, teach you the ropes, etc. Also devote some time for you – glowtime – where you indulge in self care- spa, massage, acupuncture, get your hair blown out, etc. Just take time for you.

My top tips for inner and outer beauty during pregnancy are the following…

Speak Highly: An affirmation practice- speaking positively to yourself daily will increase your confidence.

Dress up: When you adorn yourself in garments, colors and silhouettes that make you feel good you stand upright- feel more powerful and capable.

5 minute Face: Even if you feel “huge” or “exhausted” when you put the effort into highlighting your features with just a little color, you will feel so much better. Dedicate at least 5 minutes to a natural beauty routine.

There is no such thing as balance. You must learn the art of juggling and prioritize your needs as a woman, a couple, so that you can effectively meet baby’s needs as well. One thing I do with my couples is: within 10 days of birth I have them schedule a date-night- whether that is going around the block for a movie and meal or checking out a concert, I have them go on a date alone. It’s important to recover the intimacy within the relationship and spend time together without the baby as well.

Just because you are eating animal protein doesn’t mean it’s absorbable and actually working for you. Sure we need protein for fetal development, but we don’t need tons of it. And you can get sufficient amounts of protein from plant foods – walnuts, pumpkin seeds, beans, legumes, even leafy greens have protein. What we need to be concerned about is getting enough high quality fat- which you can find in walnuts, avocado, etc and a range of phyto-nutrients that can only be found in plant foods.

I love yoga and other forms of dynamic movement for pregnant ladies – dance specifically African, and Modern dance techniques are amazing for the prenatal body. I love belly dance – it was actually developed to help facilitate labour. Swimming is great as well as hiking. In the book I talk about squats- they help to open the pelvis by 33%.

Mother yourself first. When you learn to take care of yourself, set healthy boundaries, honour the messages coming through your body, listen to the voice within you, fulfil your needs first- then you feel radiant. If you’re tired- sleep. We have a weird obsession with burn-out. Somehow we equate it to meaning pushing ourselves so hard leads to success.

Buy Mama Glow (Published by Hay House) from the website www.mamaglow.com and follow @GlowMaven