Introducing Ellement, Prenatal Supplements Created and Personalized for Each Mother, with Doreen Bloch and Dr. Nate Fox
Show Notes:
[2:26] Our Reviewer of the Week, kate.e.amsden, said: "This podcast is amazing beyond words. My husband and I are still in preconception, but planning to start trying to conceive in a few months, and I have been obsessively listening to these episodes. I have learned so much from Steph (and Courtney), and feel so prepared and confident - I know I’ll be ready to navigate the twists and turns of pregnancy and delivery when my times comes. Steph shares all of the options and evidence so calmly and clearly, yet her passion for empowering us to assess the data from our own perspective to make the best choices for our own journeys is so obvious and abundant. I am also a pelvic floor and sports physical therapist, and love that the data she presents is accurate and well researched, and that the way she presents it is absolutely in line with empowering each mama to own her options and be at the center of her care - as patients should be. Can’t wait to re-listen during my future pregnancy(s?) and will absolutely be signing up for the course as well. If you are ready to feel freaking inspired and empowered about what your body can do, and prepared for all the choices and surprises along the way, then get excited and start listening."
[3:52] Our guests are Doreen Block and Dr. Nate Fox. Doreen Block is the CEO and Founder of Ellement, which is the first personalized prenatal supplement solution. She has a five year old, and her first experience with prenatal supplements left her very confused. Along the way, after realizing that she wanted to help improve solutions in this space for other moms. Dr. Nate Fox is an OBGYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist in New York City. He sees patients every day, and he hosts a podcast as well. He is also one of the medical advisors for Ellement.
5:35] Doreen and Dr. Fox talk about how they met and got started. When you get to the OB office, they tell you, "Congrats, you're pregnant! You need to take a prenatal supplement." The first question is always, "Okay, which one should I take?" There's hundreds of different options! The response that Doreen got left her feeling like there has to be more to the story.
[6:27] She was told it didn't matter which prenatal vitamin she took. She would look at the back of the bottles, at the drugstore, at the grocery store, and see different form factors, different dosages, and saw they were not all the same. "So how do I decide which one is best for me?" led her on a three year journey connecting with amazing physicians and other experts in the fertility space.
[7:10] Ultimately, the answer that she found is that there is no "best prenatal" out there. It really depends on each person's unique situation. Ellement is the first personalized prenatal that is a modular design. Supplements can be swapped out depending on the unique needs of each individual and their journey.
[8:19] What makes Ellement different? Ellement is a company that will actually personalize what you need based on who you are and what your dietary needs are.
[12:06] Their modular concept came about because they could't order millions of capsules with various blends. They break things down into their components and create a modular solution where each component is looked at separately. Example: iodine. The CDC says that for pregnant women, they recommend 150 milligrams of iodine every day. The challenge is that for some people, they may need more iodine if they have a thyroid issue or less if they have a certain condition.
[13:31] For somebody who's coming to Ellement and says, "I'm pregnant, I'm first trimester" . . . What do they have to do so that you have the information that you need to get them a supplement that's going to work best for them? Ellement has a in-depth onboarding process. They developed a questionnaire in partnership with medical advisors, where we take you through each of the different components. You'll get multiple pills or capsules more accurately in a pack based on your needs.
[17:50] Supplements have different bioavailability profiles based on time of day, but more importantly, what you're eating or not eating. For example, B vitamins are water soluble, which means it's best to take them with water as opposed to Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, omega threes, should be taken with food.
[21:11] What are the benefits from women who taking something over-the-counter and maybe what you've seen with women who now have this option and have been utilizing that? It's in the reviews, it's in people reaching out to us and letting us know that they feel really seen and heard. They see lower rates of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and unplanned C-sections. It's exciting to see that there's a path to perhaps unlocking new understanding in a way that no other prenatal brand could because if you're purchasing from the store, they don't know who you are, it's completely anonymous.
[29:16] Are these like specific for pregnancy or can you take them prior? Do you also take them postpartum? People can definitely start preconception and they should. A lot of OBGYNs are recommending that people start their prenatal supplement at least three months prior. It's really important to build up your folic acid and making sure that you're not deficient. In the first month postpartum, I would say when people still have a fair amount of blood loss potentially, they should still take the postpartum vitamins. They include additional B vitamins to help with mood boosting and additional energy.
[31:58] Discount Code for starting Ellement supplements: BIRTH 20
[32:53] Where to find Ellement:
- Website: https://
helloellement.com/ - Instagram: @HelloEllement
[33:16] Where to find Dr. Nathan Fox:
- Website: https://www.mfmnyc.com/team/nathan-fox/
- Podcast: Healthful Woman
- New Book: About the Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications
To Leave a Review ⭐️
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ALL the best,
Links Mentioned:
- 3 Free Exercises
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Discount Code for starting Ellement supplements: BIRTH 20
- About the Unexpected: Navigating Pregnancy During and After Complications
