Home / Health & Wellness / Women's Health The 5 health and wellness trends making life easier for moms in 2023 Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels We see more sleep in your future. By Jessica D’Argenio Waller, MS, CNS, LDN Updated June 20, 2023 Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels Rectangle We independently select and share the products we love—and may receive a commission if you choose to buy. Now that the calendar has flipped to January, we’re ready for a fresh start. A new year always brings a clean slate. But rather than resolving, wishing and intending to create a better version of ourselves (new year, same you!), we’re working to find solutions that make life a little easier—so we can maximize everyday joy and have more energy for the things and people we love. From fiber’s fun glow up to early adult bedtimes and palatable prenatals, here are the health and wellness trends we can’t wait to try this year. 2023 health and wellness trends for moms 1. Edible prenatals For far too long have prenatal vitamins been synonymous with horse pills—a format change is long overdue. Enter edible prenatals, which make your daily supplement ritual much more tolerable. Chewable, powdered and liquid options abound in an effort to banish pill fatigue, which is vital, because let’s be honest, you’ll likely be partnering up with your prenatal both before and long after pregnancy. I love that these options are more nutrient-dense than most gummies… but are still easy to digest for morning sickness sufferers, too. Related: I’m a nutritionist and these are my 5 favorite prenatal vitamins Tend Prenatal Lemon Berry • $99 for a 28-pack monthly subscription The Tend Prenatal comprises 27 essential nutrients and an equivalent of 8 servings of fruits and vegetables, all wrapped up in a convenient bar form that’s ideal for on-the-go or to be stashed in your nightstand for when nausea strikes. The best part? You don’t have to take it with food, because it is food. “You turn to the ingredients list and it begins with organic cashew butter and ends with non-gmo microalgae oil. Most nutrient dense bar. No filler. It’s all about the quality and Tend gets it,” says reviewer MJ M. SHOP Mary Ruth Organics Prenatal & Postnatal Liquid Multivitamin • $42.95 Just two tablespoons of this berry-flavored blend will get you a potent serving of 20 different nutrients, plus ginger root extract, a slew of trace minerals and hesperidin, a citrus-based bioflavanoid that’s helpful for fighting inflammation. Stir your serving into smoothies or sip it with breakfast. Note that this formula doesn’t contain iron, which may be helpful in pregnancy and postpartum, so talk to your birth provider about adding in an extra liquid iron supplement, too. SHOP Needed Prenatal Multi Powder • $69.99 Needed’s vanilla-flavored powder offers lots of options: Froth it into your oat milk, warm it up in your decaf coffee or blitz it into a smoothie–your choice. And when you don’t have time to whip up a blended bev, you can opt for an alternate route: Needed also offers the option of switching between the powder and two forms of prenatal vitamins: a comprehensive multi in eight daily capsules or a just-the-essentials version in three daily capsules. You can build the plan that works for you. SHOP 2. Cleaner, greener over-the-counter meds Several brands are taking on the pharmacy aisle with an aim to bring better-for-you ingredients and less reliance on single-use plastic. And given the Children’s Tylenol shortage that started at the end of 2022 (but unfortunately remains ongoing), the child-safe alternatives from Genexa (infants and kids) and Welly (age 12+) are very welcome to parents faced with bare shelves and a feverish child. Both brands can be found online if they’re out of stock in stores. Related: Can’t find Children’s Tylenol? Here’s how to safely reduce a fever Genexa Kids' Pain & Fever • $11.99 Genexa’s Kids’ Pain & Fever formula rivals that of Children’s Tylenol, but it’s made without dyes, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives or fillers. Containing just six ingredients (acetaminophen, organic agave syrup, organic blueberry flavor, citrus extract, non-GMO flavor and purified water), it’s both kid- and parent-approved. “So glad I was able to order this directly from the company when all the shelves at stores were bare. I always purchase dye free children’s Tylenol. This is much better,” says reviewer Barbari. SHOP Cabinet Sleep Aid Starter Kit • $14 Billed as a sustainable medicine system, Cabinet will send you a set of refillable glass pill and capsule containers with magnetic labels and child-resistant caps, and then you can set up a subscription for your go-tos to arrive in compostable refill pouches. From sleep aids to allergy relief to cold and flu and even lactose support, Cabinet has your adult health needs covered. SHOP Welly Daytime Cold & Flu Reliever for Adults and Kids Over 12 • $12.99 Beloved for their chic bandage designs, Welly has broadened its scope to include over-the-counter medications and supplements. Their Daytime Cold & Flu Reliever tops our list for what it contains as much as what it omits: Free from talc, dyes, parabens and artificial flavors, you’ll feel good about taking it yourself or offering it to your tween or teen—and then once it kicks in, you’re bound to feel even better. SHOP Wonderbelly Antacid Chewable Tablets in Watermelon Mint • $14.99 If you’re regularly turning to antacids for that pesky pregnancy heartburn, Wonderbelly is here for you. Talc- and dye-free with no artificial sweeteners, it’s a gentler way to calm your belly woes. And in flavors like watermelon mint and strawberry milkshake, they go down easy, too. SHOP 3. Smarter fertility planning Thanks to a spate of newcomers in the fertility world, taking a proactive approach to reproductive health and fertility challenges is easier than ever. Thinking about the future? The Freeze by Co program from Cofertility enables you to freeze your eggs for free when you donate half to another family. If you want to save all your eggs for your own long-term family building possibilities, their Keep program can help arrange for discounted procedures and egg storage options. Either way, they’ll assign you to a cohort of others going through the egg freezing process at the same time so you’ll have small-group support to lean on. Frame Fertility is aiming to demystify the general concept of fertility—no matter what that might look like for you. After filling out a quick questionnaire about your fertility goals, you’ll be matched with a coach who can meet you where you are (even if that’s just in the curiosity phase), break down simple next steps and help you reach your family building goals. It’s like having a doula to guide you through the process—well before you even sign up for a birth class. Rescripted, a virtual fertility community, offers posts, podcasts, videos, biweekly virtual support groups and products to help change the conversation around fertility, infertility and pregnancy loss. In search of a video on how to give yourself hormone injections? Have questions before you see a fertility doctor? Looking for recs on the best fertility tracker? Rescripted helps you keep everything in one place, no matter which stage of your fertility journey you’re in. Their digital medication regimen spreadsheet is the Google Sheet we wish we had. Related: Bookmark these virtual support groups on your TTC journey 4. A fresh take on fiber If there’s one thing I’d like to get my kids to eat more of, it’d be fiber. As a nutritionist, I can get pretty ramped up talking about roughage and all the benefits dietary fiber bestows. From balancing blood sugar to bulking up stool, lowering cholesterol to providing fuel to your gut microbiome and fending off inflammation, it’s the unsung hero of our daily diet. Thankfully, a few new food brands have popped up to give fiber the glow-up it deserves. Velty Uncaffeinated coffee • $28 for 8 sachets It might sound strange to sip on Jerusalem artichoke inulin first thing in the morning, but Velty blends it with decaf instant coffee to delicious effect—tasting notes include chocolate. All that prebiotic plant fiber can help support your microbiome (2 grams of fiber in your morning cuppa? Color me impressed), while adaptogens like reishi and lion’s mane boost brain power for a buzz without the caffeine-related crash. SHOP Brami Beans Rosemary and Garlic • $24.99 for 8 The humble lupini bean, a jarred staple in Italian delis, is finally getting its time to shine. The surprisingly portable snack packs a punch of protein and fiber, filling you up between meals and ideal for post-workout fuel. The shells are edible (remember: fiber!) and they have a mild, slightly tangy taste that pickle and olive fans will love. I’m partial to the Garlic & Rosemary flavor. SHOP Rootless The Daily Bite • $44 for 30 bites I’m thrilled my kids still love seaweed snacks even though they’ve eschewed so many other foods they used to willingly eat. The Daily Bites from Rootless feel like the grownup version. In flavors like Double Strawberry and Orange Pistachio, they’re a nutrient-dense little luxury you’ll start to look forward to (and there’s 1 gram of fiber in each bite!). SHOP 5. Early bedtime—for adults Nope, I’m not talking about your toddler’s bedtime routine. It’s maybe somewhat silly to consider an adult early bedtime a wellness trend, but hear me out: If we consider the fact that sleep is a key factor not only in mental health but physical health (getting fewer than 6 hours of sleep nightly has been associated with insulin resistance), why wouldn’t we treat our sleep sessions as equivalent to a performance-enhancing drug? When you can, avoid falling prey to revenge bedtime in favor of hitting the hay soon after your kiddos conk out. Going to bed at 9 p.m. (or, OK, 10 p.m.) is a tradeoff, for sure, but it means you’ll have a more balanced circadian rhythm, which contributes to less fatigue (more energy for those early mornings) and better hormone function. And the trickle-down effects of in-sync hormones equates to positive impacts on your stress response, sex drive and menstrual health, just to name a few. Related: Science says this is the perfect bedtime for heart health Loftie Alarm Clock • $149 I credit this modern alarm clock with helping me shift my own bedtime routine to the earlier side. Once you set a daily bedtime reminder, the Loftie lullaby will play, signaling it’s time to start slowing down. The built-in sound baths, breathwork and playlists also help create a calming environment—no screens required—which means you can officially tuck your phone into your nightstand for a little separation. SHOP Casper The Glow Light • $129 This portable little lamp is pricey, but it’s a small luxury that’s totally worth it. I look forward to the dimmable, soft warm light that mimics a candle (sans smoke!) ensconcing my room each night. And I adore the wind-down feature, where the light slowly fades out over 45 minutes—perfect for those nights when you fully intend to read in bed but pass out after one page. If you want to wake it up, just flip it over or wiggle it! You can also use the app to have it serve as your own personal sunrise in the a.m. SHOP A version of this story was originally published on Jan. 6, 2023. It has been updated. The latest News New study shows Black women are 25% more likely to have C-sections, but why? Baby New study explores link between fish consumption in pregnancy and autism—here’s what experts say Toddler This toddler’s ‘snack tummy’ logic has TikTok—and moms—losing it Baby H5 bird flu outbreak: What families need to know to stay safe