By Jessica Michael
Being pregnant is one of the most exhilarating and fun times of your life. It can also be one of the most difficult.
Before I got pregnant I heard about morning sickness and thought that I would have it a couple of times a day and be done with it. Instead it was a 24 hour thing, I’d wake up with it and proceed to deal with it throught the rest of the day. If you’ve been there, you can relate to the nausea, upset stomach, acid reflux, exhaustion, etc. etc. As a result I would only eat what sounded good to eat: If I felt like eating a veggie burger and fries, that’s what I would eat. If I wanted to add desert, I did. As a result, the scale started going up again (after years of it going down). That was how I would cope, it felt like the only way to make myself feel better was to eat crap (veggies were almost off limits because they made me gag).
I am now in my second trimester. I’m feeling so much better and eating better, not perfect but better. However, I’m now contending with having to really monitor my eating so that I don’t go over my goal of under 30 lbs gained for the entire pregnancy.
The hard part of it all is that most people tell you to eat whatever you want (because of the “I’m eating for two” myth). Thankfully my husband has kept his sanity and he’s pushing me to eat healthy. I’ve read about people who gained anywhere from 5lbs to 100 lbs during their pregnancy so everyone is different.
So, I have done tons of research and have asked friends who have been pregnant previously and here are a few things to prepare yourself for Impending Pregnancy:
1. Make an eating plan from the start- make it simple and consistent with foods that you can stomach- this can be difficult when your food aversions change weekly but it is possible.
A friend recommended fruits and oatmeal for breakfast- bland and not harsh on the stomach. You can also try a organic whole-grain cereal with fruit. Snacks- make sure to pack veggies with dips that are healthy and low fat- like greek yogurt, hummus and even peanut butter in moderation. For lunch- eat a salad if you can, if not, grilled veggies, beans and rice, etc. Snack- whole grain crackers with low salt and cheese for some protein (Daiya or regular if you are lacto-ovo). Dinner, eat light and allow yourself another small snack before bed to stave off the nausea.
2. Do whatever you can do to keep exercising- don’t stop! I made the mistake of stopping because I felt so exhausted and lazy and now I can’t do anything major because I’ve lost the momentum. Even if you just lightly jog for 20 minutes and do some weights- whatever you do- just do something! You will thank me later.
3. Join baby boards- they are super informative and can give you some information you wouldn’t find anywhere else. However, be aware that many of them can have catty women, negative comments and devastating news during the first trimester. I became terrified of losing my baby because there were so many women posting about their losses. Just remember this: There are sometimes up to 20,000 people on one board- there will be a percentage of them that may have difficult pregnancies. They do need a place to vent and be comforted but realize that not everyone is having a loss, it’s just that those that are, post.
4. Register for websites- samples, etc. I even got two $4.95 sample of diapers from Honest.com (Jessica Alba’s website) along with wipees and sample shampoo, laundry, etc. etc. I’m seriously considering continuing once my little one gets here because it’s incredibly convenient. For $79 a month you can have an entire month supply of diapers delivered to you. No need to fight the lines at WalMart or your local grocery store and you can have the assurance that your baby’s little booty is free from harsh chemicals and the diapers are biodegradable. They also come in the cutest little designs for boys and girls- anchors, stripes, and more.
5. Seriously consider using cloth diapers- I’m doing a combination of both because most daycare centers will not allow cloth diapers- do them at home. Read up on it, I’m convinced that it’s one way to help save the planet and your pocket book.
That’s the advice from a first time mom. I’m still in the process so I will impart my wisdom as time goes on!
Some helpful websites:
www.babycenter.com
www.honest.com
www.gerber.com
www.pampers.com
www.huggies.com
www.target.com
www.babiesrus.com
www.babyfit.com
www.thebump.com
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