Eating for two...the right way
Pregnancy is a fun time to let loose a little bit with your diet. Probably one of my favorite feelings is being able to stuff myself and not have to suck in afterwards, or feel like unbuttoning my pants. I just let my fat belly flag fly in my stretchy maternity pants.
It's AWESOME.
So go ahead you, eat that bowl of ice cream, or that taco for breakfast but remember this...after that adorable7lb baby comes out, you're left with all the "fun" leftovers all over your body. In other words, you're no longer pregnant, you're just fat.
Shhh...calm down. I know it's not PC to call a new mother "fat", but the truth is, all those extra calories and junk food do the same thing to pregnant people as they do non-pregnant people. If you are eating more than 300 extra calories a day when pregnant, I'm sure you're enjoying yourself but I hope you remember that it's going to take some time later to undo that goodness.
Unless you're one of those amazing women that just push out babies and all of your pregnancy weight. In that case, I'm going to try and smile at you through gritted teeth while I congratulate you for being a freaking force of nature. Women everywhere are jealous of you. You can skip this section and eat an extra cheeseburger for me, please.
I gained SIXTY-FIVE pounds with my first child. My God was I huge. I took for granted the "eat for two" thing and was used to my young girl metabolism. I made and consumed chocolate chip cookies with ice cream almost every night during my third trimester. I developed pre-eclampsia, had all kinds of preterm labor and generally felt awful during those last months of pregnancy. No doubt because I had put such garbage in my body. Then, my little 7lb princess came out, and I had about 50lbs of chub left. It was SO disappointing. I'd never been so overweight in my life. I buckled down and worked out & ate right, but it took work. It's a lot harder to take off weight than to put it on.
My second pregnancy I gained a cool 18lbs. I wish I could take total credit for that, but really I just craved chicken and vegetables. Hormones made it easy for me. I had him and lost all the weight within a couple of months.
My third pregnancy I gained a healthy 40lbs. I enjoyed myself and I knew that every extra cookie or cheeseburger I ate meant a little extra work afterwards but I kept it mostly in control. It took me about 10 months to lose the weight through diet. I haven't figured out how to work out yet but I'm satisfied that at least I've got the number in the right range.
So my hope is that each woman would relax a little in pregnancy and enjoy the extra calories she gets to consume, but to also keep in mind that a healthy body helps to birth a healthy baby. With that in mind, here are some nutritional tips I recommend for your pregnancy:
- Definitely get on a great prenatal vitamin. I took one with DHA and it was awesome. I felt great, and knew that I was feeding my baby good stuff.
- Drink more water than you think. I would have close to 100oz of water a day. Not only does it keep you hydrated but it helps calm those starving pregnant demons inside you.
- Your baby is multiplying, dividing and growing cells. Eat healthy and nutritious things to support that cell development. Now it's more important than ever to eat your fruits and vegetables.
- EAT PROTEIN. Pregnant women are recommended to eat 80-100grams of protein every single day. Guys, that's so much. If you're vegetarian, good luck because it can be difficult to get the amount of protein you need with a veggie diet but I was probably just lazy at it. I would shoot for 15-20 grams of protein per meal (yes I ate 5 times a day and so should you). Most nights I would have to end the night with a protein shake. Protein has been proven to reduce pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Both your chances of getting it, and your symptoms if you've already developed it.
Lastly, don't diet. I know I said watch what you eat, but I mean that in a "eat nutritiously" kinda way. Your body is doing a big and beautiful thing, it's MAKING a HUMAN. Now is not the time to be critical of your growing belly (or other parts) but to celebrate the miracle that is happening inside you. Bodies are temporary, both in the metaphysical way and in terms of staying healthy. If you let loose a little too much during your pregnancy, or find those cravings for cheeseburgers just too overwhelming - don't worry. You can always start over the next day and jump into a good healthy diet once that baby comes out and stops ruling your hormones.
By the way, are you wondering what 300 extra calories looks like? Check out this link on healthyeater.com. They have some yummy & nutritional ways to squeeze in 300ish calories into your day.
It's AWESOME.
So go ahead you, eat that bowl of ice cream, or that taco for breakfast but remember this...after that adorable7lb baby comes out, you're left with all the "fun" leftovers all over your body. In other words, you're no longer pregnant, you're just fat.
Shhh...calm down. I know it's not PC to call a new mother "fat", but the truth is, all those extra calories and junk food do the same thing to pregnant people as they do non-pregnant people. If you are eating more than 300 extra calories a day when pregnant, I'm sure you're enjoying yourself but I hope you remember that it's going to take some time later to undo that goodness.
Unless you're one of those amazing women that just push out babies and all of your pregnancy weight. In that case, I'm going to try and smile at you through gritted teeth while I congratulate you for being a freaking force of nature. Women everywhere are jealous of you. You can skip this section and eat an extra cheeseburger for me, please.
I gained SIXTY-FIVE pounds with my first child. My God was I huge. I took for granted the "eat for two" thing and was used to my young girl metabolism. I made and consumed chocolate chip cookies with ice cream almost every night during my third trimester. I developed pre-eclampsia, had all kinds of preterm labor and generally felt awful during those last months of pregnancy. No doubt because I had put such garbage in my body. Then, my little 7lb princess came out, and I had about 50lbs of chub left. It was SO disappointing. I'd never been so overweight in my life. I buckled down and worked out & ate right, but it took work. It's a lot harder to take off weight than to put it on.
My second pregnancy I gained a cool 18lbs. I wish I could take total credit for that, but really I just craved chicken and vegetables. Hormones made it easy for me. I had him and lost all the weight within a couple of months.
My third pregnancy I gained a healthy 40lbs. I enjoyed myself and I knew that every extra cookie or cheeseburger I ate meant a little extra work afterwards but I kept it mostly in control. It took me about 10 months to lose the weight through diet. I haven't figured out how to work out yet but I'm satisfied that at least I've got the number in the right range.
So my hope is that each woman would relax a little in pregnancy and enjoy the extra calories she gets to consume, but to also keep in mind that a healthy body helps to birth a healthy baby. With that in mind, here are some nutritional tips I recommend for your pregnancy:
- Definitely get on a great prenatal vitamin. I took one with DHA and it was awesome. I felt great, and knew that I was feeding my baby good stuff.
- Drink more water than you think. I would have close to 100oz of water a day. Not only does it keep you hydrated but it helps calm those starving pregnant demons inside you.
- Your baby is multiplying, dividing and growing cells. Eat healthy and nutritious things to support that cell development. Now it's more important than ever to eat your fruits and vegetables.
- EAT PROTEIN. Pregnant women are recommended to eat 80-100grams of protein every single day. Guys, that's so much. If you're vegetarian, good luck because it can be difficult to get the amount of protein you need with a veggie diet but I was probably just lazy at it. I would shoot for 15-20 grams of protein per meal (yes I ate 5 times a day and so should you). Most nights I would have to end the night with a protein shake. Protein has been proven to reduce pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes. Both your chances of getting it, and your symptoms if you've already developed it.
Lastly, don't diet. I know I said watch what you eat, but I mean that in a "eat nutritiously" kinda way. Your body is doing a big and beautiful thing, it's MAKING a HUMAN. Now is not the time to be critical of your growing belly (or other parts) but to celebrate the miracle that is happening inside you. Bodies are temporary, both in the metaphysical way and in terms of staying healthy. If you let loose a little too much during your pregnancy, or find those cravings for cheeseburgers just too overwhelming - don't worry. You can always start over the next day and jump into a good healthy diet once that baby comes out and stops ruling your hormones.
By the way, are you wondering what 300 extra calories looks like? Check out this link on healthyeater.com. They have some yummy & nutritional ways to squeeze in 300ish calories into your day.
Safe prenatal exercise
There are a couple core rules of prenatal exercise:
1. Do it.
2. It shouldn't hurt.
3. If you didn't exercise before, now is not the time to start running or any other hardcore exercise training. So I know you're disappointed, but I'm forbidding you from signing up for the next triathlon. Unless you're one of those rockstar women that are always training for triathlons and in case, I salute you for being stronger than me while growing a human.
There are other rules like, don't get your heart rate above 140. I used to stress over that one a LOT. Like, "OMG, all this time I've been working out and my baby has been suffocating!" But allow me to reassure you that my doctor told me I was being psycho. He said, "as long as you can talk normally you should be fine". So that's my unofficial medical advice but I recommend you talk to your doctor about what's appropriate for your level of fitness. Duh.
When I was pregnant I lived for my prenatal yoga class. I was never really a yogi before, but it's such a great way to stay limber and strong without over-doing it. Plus, I found a really awesome yoga class that spent the first bit of each class sharing warm fuzzy pregnant mama moments. I met some great friends in that class! I would also take walks with my husband everryyyyyy once in awhile. But I was no beacon of pregnancy fitness. So you know, do as I say, not as I do.
So if prenatal yoga isn't your thing you can pretty much do anything that doesn't have a lot of jolting impact (kick boxing, running, tennis, etc). Some great examples of prenatal exercise include: swimming, bike riding, walking and dancing. I found prenatal versions of other non-traditional pregnant exercise like prenatal pilates and prenatal kick boxing. The internet is a big place. If you dream it, you can usually find it. So google your prenatal exercise dreams and I hope for your sake they have it. If not, just get out there and take a walk. It makes a difference!
1. Do it.
2. It shouldn't hurt.
3. If you didn't exercise before, now is not the time to start running or any other hardcore exercise training. So I know you're disappointed, but I'm forbidding you from signing up for the next triathlon. Unless you're one of those rockstar women that are always training for triathlons and in case, I salute you for being stronger than me while growing a human.
There are other rules like, don't get your heart rate above 140. I used to stress over that one a LOT. Like, "OMG, all this time I've been working out and my baby has been suffocating!" But allow me to reassure you that my doctor told me I was being psycho. He said, "as long as you can talk normally you should be fine". So that's my unofficial medical advice but I recommend you talk to your doctor about what's appropriate for your level of fitness. Duh.
When I was pregnant I lived for my prenatal yoga class. I was never really a yogi before, but it's such a great way to stay limber and strong without over-doing it. Plus, I found a really awesome yoga class that spent the first bit of each class sharing warm fuzzy pregnant mama moments. I met some great friends in that class! I would also take walks with my husband everryyyyyy once in awhile. But I was no beacon of pregnancy fitness. So you know, do as I say, not as I do.
So if prenatal yoga isn't your thing you can pretty much do anything that doesn't have a lot of jolting impact (kick boxing, running, tennis, etc). Some great examples of prenatal exercise include: swimming, bike riding, walking and dancing. I found prenatal versions of other non-traditional pregnant exercise like prenatal pilates and prenatal kick boxing. The internet is a big place. If you dream it, you can usually find it. So google your prenatal exercise dreams and I hope for your sake they have it. If not, just get out there and take a walk. It makes a difference!
holistic & naturopathic care
There are few things I did above the standard pregnancy circuit to take care of my body.
I, like many pregnant women, suffer life-ruining constipation when pregnant. I have tried everything. There were days that I would put miralax in my coffee and then chase it with a shot of milk of magnesium. Then and only then, would I have somewhere near a rock solid poop. It was a nightmare. And then I tried mag+cal. Holy crap did that save my poop-life. You put a little into water every night and it helps regulate your sleep AND regulate your poop. A wonder drug and it's good for you! No medicine, just magnesium and calcium. So if nothing else, I totally and completely recommend that. Evidently it's good for non-pregnant people too. Read more about the benefits here.
I also tried acupuncture in the last 6 weeks. I had read that women that tried it had shorter labors and were less likely to use epidurals. Now, the thinking woman inside of me does consider whether this is because people that do acupuncture are more likely to take care of their bodies and attempt natural deliveries. That said, I was willing to try anything and I did have great contractions after each of my sessions. A friend of mine tried acupuncture after 3 days of labor and had her baby that night...AND QUICK. So, do your own research, but I tried it and it worked well.
Lastly, I recommend every single pregnant woman have prenatal chiropractic care. They must be certified in the Webster technique which ensures they know how to treat your pregnant body correctly. Having proper alignment can not only make you feel like a million bucks, but it can help ensure the baby is in a good position for delivery. I would feel 110% better after each of my appointments.
I, like many pregnant women, suffer life-ruining constipation when pregnant. I have tried everything. There were days that I would put miralax in my coffee and then chase it with a shot of milk of magnesium. Then and only then, would I have somewhere near a rock solid poop. It was a nightmare. And then I tried mag+cal. Holy crap did that save my poop-life. You put a little into water every night and it helps regulate your sleep AND regulate your poop. A wonder drug and it's good for you! No medicine, just magnesium and calcium. So if nothing else, I totally and completely recommend that. Evidently it's good for non-pregnant people too. Read more about the benefits here.
I also tried acupuncture in the last 6 weeks. I had read that women that tried it had shorter labors and were less likely to use epidurals. Now, the thinking woman inside of me does consider whether this is because people that do acupuncture are more likely to take care of their bodies and attempt natural deliveries. That said, I was willing to try anything and I did have great contractions after each of my sessions. A friend of mine tried acupuncture after 3 days of labor and had her baby that night...AND QUICK. So, do your own research, but I tried it and it worked well.
Lastly, I recommend every single pregnant woman have prenatal chiropractic care. They must be certified in the Webster technique which ensures they know how to treat your pregnant body correctly. Having proper alignment can not only make you feel like a million bucks, but it can help ensure the baby is in a good position for delivery. I would feel 110% better after each of my appointments.