Ask an Expert: Superstar Doula Lori Bregman on Peace and Fertility

Photo by Erica Rhiannon Hampton for Molly Sims

When Fashion Mamas was still a tiny baby, we hosted a healthy happy hour at Beaming in LA. It was there that we first fell in love with celebrity doula Lori Bregman, who created these incredible pregnancy and fertility smoothies that our members couldn't get enough of. (Definitely swing by your local Beaming soon to try them out!) In addition to being a wiz in the kitchen and a birthing-to-motherhood savior, Bregman is also a life coach and the author of The Mindful Mom-to-Be: A Modern Doula's Guide to Building a Healthy Foundation from Pregnancy Through Birth. 

In anticipation of Bregman's The Mindful Mom-to-Be Fertility Retreat taking place on October 22nd in LA (learn more and reserve a spot here), we sat down with the wellness pro to learn more about her road to success and top advice for new mamas.

How did you get started in your line of work and has it always been your passion?

Ever since I can remember, I've always been drawn to working with pregnant women and children. All the different healing modalities I learned made me want to think about how I can gear my work towards pregnancy, birth, and kids. I always thought I would open a pregnancy center and then I became the pregnancy center! People think of me as a doula but I don't just do the birth. I support my clients mind, body, and spirit through out the entire pregnancy journey, birth, and beyond. I see my clients often depending on the different packages I offer. We do life and health coaching, yoga, visualization, rituals, and baby bonding, prenatal massages, birth preps, and so on.

Pregnancy is such a magical time but can be filled with its fair share of fear. It's nice to a have one person you feel safe with and trust who isn't your partner, family, or friend supporting you throughout the process. Also this helps in birth, the better I know them the better I can intuitively help, and the more they know me they feel safe to let go knowing that I have their back. 

What are your clients' biggest challenges and how do you help solve them?

The biggest challenges right now are getting caught up in fear and losing their truth in what is right for them. With the over saturation of information out there on the internet and the comparison on social media, many woman are getting swept away in others projections and away from what they know to be true for them. In my 16 years of supporting women throughout this life-changing transformation, I have never seen two women, pregnancies, births, relationships, families, or children that are the same. So, to think there is one right way for everyone is totally insane! I try and remove some of the noise from society and connect them with their authentic truth and inner knowing, then empower and support them to follow what feels right for them. If I tell someone that what they are choosing is wrong, how will they ever trust themselves in the choices they have to make for their children down the road? 

What are the top ingredients to incorporate into your diet to support fertility?

Well, my fertility smoothie of course, which is sold at Beaming — recipe is also on Mollysims.com. Cut out all the bad stuff (alcohol, smoking, coffee) and put in the good stuff like organic whole foods, eggs, salmon, lentils, asparagus, and walnuts — those are all good fertility foods. Also, acupuncturists say a warmer uterus is best for fertility, so incorporate more cooked foods and soups. 

What keeps you living a mindful life?

I have routines in the morning that I practice to ease my way into the day. I start off with some coffee and a light breakfast and do some purge writing (check out some on my blog), then I read a few pages in a spiritual book. Next, I might do some chanting, meditation, a few yoga poses with a few rounds of breathwork, and then I go for a walk or run with my dogs out in nature. The whole morning ritual (besides the run) only takes 20 minutes, but it's a game-changer for me. If I don't do it, I'm all thrown off for the whole day. 

What are your top three essential tips for all moms-to-be? 

1. Focus on yourself and find your own way that feels right for you. Others aren't like you and that's what makes you special. Don't compare; we all have different strengths and areas that we thrive in. What works for others might not work for you. Follow what feels right to you, not what you think you should do. 

2. Stay off the internet because if you are not looking for a problem, you can be sure to find one on there!

3. Self care is a necessity not a luxury. It's hard to be present, patient, and compassionate when you are depleted. You need to step away every once and a while to fill your cup back up. Taking care of yourself is an act of self love, and when you take the time to do this, you will become a living example of self love for your children.