Hello readers,
I do realize that I have not posted anything for almost a month, so please forgive me. I do have a good excuse...my husband and I are excited to announce that we are expecting our fourth and final baby this Spring! Between morning (all day) sickness and exhaustion, I just haven't had the extra energy to blog regularly. Since I am experiencing my final pregnancy, I found it only necessary to share some posts about pregnancy health. If you are a man, or if this doesn't apply to you right now, perhaps you have someone you know that you can pass this important info along too.
When you are pregnant, your nutrition is more important than ever! If you struggle with being disciplined to eat well for your own health, hopefully you will find some motivation in taking care of the precious life growing within you. Here are some nutrition guidelines and tips that I have followed (for the most part) on all 4 of my pregnancies. Following these have helped me to gain a healthy amount of weight for my baby (anywhere between 22-25 lbs for my 5'3" frame). You may need to gain more/less depending on your weight and/or if you have multiples. These guidelines are helpful not only for gaining a healthy amount of weight during your pregnancy, but also keeping both you and baby healthy along the way.
Pregnancy Do's:
-Take a prenatal vitamin every day, with lots of water!
-Make every bite count! Steer clear of food that has little to no nutritional value. What you eat affects the development and health of your child.
-Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains. Same as usual! Just make sure you wash your fruits and veggies really well.
-Limit your caffeine. Keep it to one serving per day. Too much caffeine can lead to miscarriages and other problems. Try switching to 1/2 caff.
-Limit your tuna consumption to 1 serving per week. Excessive mercury is not good for baby.
-Eat little amounts every couple of hours.
-ALWAYS carry a nutritious snack (or 2) with you.
-Eat according to your appetite. Your body is pretty darn good at letting you know what it needs. Many women make the mistake of OVEReating when they are pregnant, gaining TOO much weight, and ending up with extra and unnecessary pounds.
-Drink EXTRA water when you are pregnant; you and baby need it!
Pregnancy No-No's:
-Absolutely NO alcohol whatsoever! I mean NONE! Even a little can cause birth disorders and/or health problems for your little one.
-Absolutely NO smoking or drugs! See note above.
-No flax seed. Even though this is GREAT for you normally, it could be harmful during pregnancy.
-Don't overeat, but don't under-eat either! This is not the time to diet! You are supposed to gain weight for the health of your baby. If you want to strive for health during your pregnancy eat healthier foods, but don't limit yourself. Eat when you are hungry.
-Don't drink a ton of juice. You may think you are being healthy by drinking lots of fruit juices, but that also means lots of sugar! Feel free to have some OJ or apple juice, just not ALL of the time.
-No soft cheeses.
-No unpasteurized milk.
-No cold deli meat. If you want a turkey sandwich, simply heat the meat up until steaming, and then it's safe. This is to protect against Listeria.
-Pretty much nothing raw. No raw meat, eggs, or shellfish. This is to protect against Salmonella.
Now, saying all of this...I must note that sometimes those early weeks can be pretty rough! I'm just barely stepping out of those myself right now. There were a few days there, where all I could seem to stomach were Fruity Pebbles, zesty dill pickles, and hamburgers. Not exactly the diet of champions! When you are having days like that, NOTHING sounds good, so just eat what you can, and give your baby at least some nutrition.
The benefits of getting healthy now go beyond just having a healthy baby; those pregnancy pounds will come off much easier after the baby is here. If you've been wanting to get healthier, this is a great time to start. And maybe, just maybe, you'll carry on some of these good habits after the pregnancy as well!
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