In this honest and informative episode, Katherine and I sit down to catch up on how her second and third trimesters have been so far. From navigating tests and blood work to understanding what’s truly necessary, we unpack some of the most common (and confusing) parts of pregnancy care.
We dive deep into gestational diabetes and the glucose tolerance test (GTT) — do you really have to do it, and what are the alternatives if you’d prefer not to? We also discuss the GBS swab, how to advocate for yourself when it comes to routine testing, and practical ways to support your vaginal microbiome if you do receive a positive result.
Iron levels are another big topic in this chat — we explore why they tend to drop during the second and third trimesters, how to interpret your results, and our honest thoughts on iron infusions, including when they can be helpful and when other options might be worth considering.
This episode is a down-to-earth look at pregnancy from both a personal and clinical perspective, offering insight, reassurance, and a few light-hearted laughs along the way.
Related Episode:
Dr Lily Nichols – Gestational Diabetes: What You Need to Know
Show Sponsors:
This episode is proudly brought to you by Comfy Koalas, our go-to low-tox nappy and wipe brand. If you haven’t tried their subscription boxes yet, they’re a total game changer — no more running out of nappies mid-week. You can get $35 off your first box with the code BARELYBALANCED, which pretty much means two free bags of nappies.
It’s also brought to you by Chief Nutrition — the brand we’re a little bit obsessed with. Their clean, high-protein snacks are made from real food, nothing fake or processed, and they actually taste amazing. Whether it’s their beef bars, collagen bars, or liver capsules, we’re huge fans. Use the code BARELYBALANCED for 20% off your order.