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  • Planning Ahead While Pregnant

    Planning ahead when it comes to food could mean the difference between making wise choices and making irrational choices.  It helps us learn how to undo our bad habits and being pregnant is a great time to try and change any bad habits you may have.  The best way to break bad habits and to form new ones is to constantly plan ahead.

    You want to plan for snack attacks especially if you are not going to be home.  You want to make sure you take some healthy food with you, so that you can resist the temptation of going to the vending machine and taking out that candy bar.  Throw some nuts into your pocketbook or some cheese sticks in case of any hunger that might hit you through out the day.

    Plan your food shopping list.  Some people find that when they go to the supermarket with just a rough idea of what they need they usually wind up forgetting something important or they wind up buying half of the food store.   Take a few minutes to plan your meals for the week and buy what you need to go with it.

    Speaking of planning meals, that is a excellent idea.  Plan for meals you can realistically prepare.  Do not plan for meals that you do not have the time to prepare.  You are only going to stress yourself out.  Look for recipes that are easy and quick to make.  Do not try to make something where you can’t pronounce half of the ingredients and need to shop at a gourmet cooking store.  Chances are you are still working and the last thing you want to do is come home after a long day and then slave over a complicated recipe.

    Also, planning your meals out for the week tends to help you be a little more organized for the week.  It is no secret that pregnant women tend to forget things and this is due to their changing hormone level. By taking out the time to sit and plan your meals for the week will help you stay a little organized and save you a lot of time.  If you already know what you are making for dinner, you do not have to worry about coming home after a long day and standing in front of the fridge trying to decide what to make.

    You also want to make sure that get yourself in the habit of using vegetables are your main dish.  Instead of doing chicken breast with a side salad, make your salad your main dish and the chicken breast a side one.   You also want to buy your vegetables as fresh as possible, even if that means making two trips to the grocery store through out the week.  The fresher the vegetable, the better they are for you and your baby.  The same holds true for fruit also.  Keep plenty of fruit on hand, especially if you tend to crave sweet stuff through out your pregnancy.  Instead of reaching for a candy bar, you can reach for a piece of fruit dipped in cool whip

    By planning ahead for the week or even month to come will help you stay on track with your eating and decrease the risk of you making the wrong choice if a craving should hit you.

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  • Peanuts and Pregnancy

    Ask any parent who has a child who is allegeric to peanuts how difficult their live has become.  Food shopping can take hours because every food label must be read it and studied to make sure it contains no traces of peanuts.  Arrangements for peanut free foods must be made with the child’s school ahead of time and other children’s birthdays parties can be a parent’s worse nightmare.  Peanut allergies although common can be one of the most fatal allergies a child could suffer from.  Some children are so sensitive to their peanut allergy that if they come into contact with peanuts just from someone else’s skin, their life can be at risk.  Peanut allergies can lead to anaphylactic shock which is a sever allergic reaction that can be fatal.

    Peanut allergies are usually not diagnosed until a child reaches the age of 2 or even three years old.  The American Academy of Pediatrics states that parents who have a peanut allergy in the family should wait until their child is at least three years old before giving them peanuts or anything containing peanuts.  There are even some conservative obgyns who advise their pregnant patients not to eat peanuts especially if when they are in their third trimester regardless of if there is a history of peanut allergy in the family or not.

    The reason for this is because in order for a peanut allergy to develop, the child has to come into contact with small traces of a peanut.  This contact sensitizes the child so that they later have a severe allergic reaction.  Some experts believe that this first sensitization can occur during pregnancy.  It is believed that a tiny amount of peanut protein can cross the placenta.   In fact a recent study showed that if a women ate peanuts or peanut butter while pregnant their baby could be four times more likely to develop a peanut allergy than a child whose mother didn’t eat any peanuts during her pregnancy.

    This isn’t to say though that if you have a no history of nut allergies you should avoid peanuts at all costs.  In fact,  peanuts and peanut butter are very beneficial to you and your baby.  Peanuts are a useful source of folic acid and protein, both which are very important to your and your growing baby.  Peanuts and peanut butter has been said to help some women get through the first trimester morning sickness.  Keep in mind however that there have been some instances when women who had no history of peanut allegeries in their family and ate a over whelming amount of peanuts or even peanut butter through out their pregnancies wound up with children who had a peanut allergy.

    Before you decide to throw out all your peanuts and say good bye to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, talk to your doctor.  Give your doctor a detailed family history and let him know if there are any peanut allergies in your family.  With your doctors help you will be able to create a healthy peanut eating plan for your pregnancy.   If you do not feel comfortable at all eating peanuts due to the risk do not let anyone change your mind.  It is your body and your child and you have the right to make that decision.

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  • How to Cope With Food Aversions

    Do you find yourself suddenly feeling queasy at the thought of the left over pasta that you could not get enough of the other night?  Food aversions are a normal part of pregnancy and the flip side to food cravings.  Nearly eighty five percent of all pregnant women suffer from food aversions.  Food aversion is when food your normally are able to look at, smell and even taste suddenly send you running in the opposite direction.  They appear in the first trimester and usually trigger that fun part of pregnancy we call morning sickness.  Some women find that they disappear by the start of their second trimester right around the same time morning sickness disappears.  Other women find that their food aversions stay with them their whole pregnancy and a few women find that foods they developed aversions to through out the pregnancy stay with them even after they deliver.

    Just like with food cravings, your hormones are more than likely to blame for your food aversions.  Some experts believe that just as food cravings are your body’s way of telling you that you need a certain food, food aversions are your body’s way of protecting you from eating anything that can harm your baby.  This might be why a lot of women report that they experience aversions to alcohol and coffee.  The theory is still under debate though because so many pregnant women are turned off by food that is healthy for them and their babies.

    Try not to fight a healthy aversion.  Consider it a blessing if the mere thought of your normal morning cup of joe turns your stomach upside down.  Cutting back caffeine will be a walk in the park for you.  The same goes for cigarette smoke.  Many women have said that the first clue they had that they were pregnant was the fact that the smell of smoke sent them running.  Others say that their first clue they were pregnant was when they had actually felt sick when thinking about having a glass of wine with dinner.

    If you find that you have aversions to healthy food, try to work around it as best as possible.  Do not force yourself to eat food that you have aversions too.  It is not a pleasant experience; instead try to look for alternatives.  Some women find the thought of salad or anything green revolting.  If you are one of them, you might be wondering how you are going to get the nutrients and vitamins you need.  One alternative is to try and drink some vegetable juice.

    While drinking vegetable juice is not the same as eating vegetables it has its benefits when you can’t look at your veggies.  You should also try eating different color veggies like peppers or carrots.  If it is protein like fish and chicken that make you sick, get your protein in other forms.  Cheese, yogurt, eggs and nuts are fantastic protein alternatives.  Or you can try and hide your meat in dishes.  Stir chicken into a casserole or mix some seafood into a pasta dish.  This way you can still get your protein in, and with less of a risk of getting sick.

    Just like with morning sickness, do not beat yourself up if you can not eat as healthy as you would like while you are dealing with food aversions.  Chances are once you enter your second trimester, they will disappear and you can eat more of a variety of foods.

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  • How Eating Well Can Help During Pregnancy

    There are a number of aches and pains that come with pregnancy.  While back in the day many doctors just brushed them aside and said that is part of pregnancy, now a days more and more doctors are recommending a well balanced diet to help.  Here are just a few pregnancy aliments that a good diet can help.

    A common complaint during pregnancy is tooth and gum problems.  To help keep your teeth healthy and your baby’s teeth healthy, make sure you get enough calcium and vitamin C.  Always keep some sugarless gum near you or chew on some nuts and cheese.

    It is also not uncommon for many women to feel dizzy or lightheaded during pregnancy especially if they have gone to long without eating. This is why it is so important to eat through out the day and snack also.  Keep your snacks as healthy as you can and stay away from junk food whenever you can.  These foods will give you a quick rush of energy but ultimately leave you feeling worse than you did before you ate them.  Keep yourself hydrated also.  Snacking and drinking will help boost your blood sugar and keep you hydrated which can help you fight dizziness.

    Sometime during your second trimester, you may find yourself awakening in the middle of the night to leg cramps.   Leg cramps can come from not getting enough calcium.  Some say that the leg cramps implicate a shortage of magnesium while some say that dehydration can be the cause.  Either way makes sure you are getting enough calcium and magnesium.   If you suffer from leg cramps you might find it helpful to drink a glass of milk, or have a piece of cheese before you go to turn in to bed at night.  Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water throughout the day to keep yourself hydrated also.

    Swelling is another pain in pregnancy.  While severe swelling could be a sign of preeclampsia, there is a certain amount of swelling that is normal and healthy during pregnancy.  In fact more than seventy five percent of all pregnant women experience some sort of swelling.   The most common cause is too much water retention.  Staying away from salty foods and drinking extra water will help you keep the swelling to a bare minimum.

    Pregnancy is also a time where you skin might taken on the appearance of a teenager getting ready to hit puberty.    Some women suffer from dry skin, which can be cured by making sure you drink plenty of fluids to increase moisture.  If you have flakey skin, eat more omega-3 rich foods or seeds and nuts.  There are some people who suffer from some skin discoloration and too much blotchiness could be a folic-acid deficiency.  This is another reason why it is so important to make sure you are taking your prenatal vitamin.

    Lastly, we have all heard about the great head of hair some women are blessed with during pregnancy since hormones prevent hair from falling out at its normal rate.  There are some women though who find that their hair is less than stellar during pregnancy.  This could be due to the lack of vitamins that you might be getting.  Through out pregnancy it is important that you get enough vitamin A, B and C.  Vitamin A will keep your hair and scalp healthy.  Vitamin B will help with your hair growth and vitamin C is needed for strength.  Make sure you are getting enough of this in your diet.

    Eating healthy throughout pregnancy does not only ensure your chances of a healthy pregnancy but it will also help you avoid some of the more uncomfortable aspects of pregnancy too.

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  • Healthy weight gain for pregnancy

    Most doctors will tell you that you should gain anywhere between 25-30 pounds through out your pregnancy.  You should aim to gain about 3.5 pounds during your first trimester, although more often than not most women find that they lose weight their first trimester.  The culprit to this is morning sickness.  Some women suffer from such a severe case of morning sickness they can not keep anything down.  Chances are your doctor will not be too concerned if you lose a few pounds that first trimester as long as you gain steady throughout the next two trimesters.

    Your second trimester is where you will probably put on most of your weight.  Most women put on about a pound a week, so roughly four or five pounds a month which brings their second trimester weight gain to about 12-15 pounds.  Some women put on more while others put on less.  Do not be surprised if you put on a lot of weight one month and not so much your next.

    For the 7th and 8th month you will should probably continue about a pound each week or so.  Look to gain between 8 and 10 pounds those months.  Most women find that their weight gain slows down in the 9th month.  You might find your weight gain coming to a end as your due date draws nearer.  This can be a sign that labor is on the horizon.  Or, you may find that your weight gain continues especially if you are retaining a lot of water.

    So where does all this weight go? It doesn’t really make sense that you should gain between 25-30 pounds if your baby is only going to weigh between 7 and 8 pounds.  Let’s break down where the extra weight goes.

    First, you have your baby.  A average baby weights about 7 1/2 pounds.  Some can weigh more and some weigh less.  That amniotic fluid that your baby has been swimming in for the past nine months weighs about 2 pounds.  Figure in about 2 pounds for your breast enlargement and 1 1/2 pounds for your placenta.  Your uterus, which started off about the size of a golf ball has grown to weigh about 2 pounds.  Your body should be producing about 4 pounds of extra blood by the end of your pregnancy and about 7 extra pounds of fat.  Let’s not forget the extra fluid of about 4 pounds that your body might be holding on to.  All this equals to the grand total of about 30 pounds.

    Now keep in mind this is just a estimate and not a guarantee of how your weight will fall.  There are women who wind up having a 10 pound baby and others who have a 5 pound baby.  The key is to maintain a healthy weight gain throughout your pregnancy.  Your body needs extra calories and it is best for you and your baby if those extra calories come from food that has a lot of nutritional value such as fruits, vegetables or protein.  Staying away from junk for will help you curb your weight gain.

    When it comes to taking the weight off, do not be surprise if your body hangs on to it especially those first days after delivery.  Once you are home keep this in mind that it took nine months to gain that weight so gives yourself at least a good nine months to take it off.

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  • Gestational Diabetes

    You are twenty eight weeks pregnant! Congratulations, you have made it to your third trimester with a picture perfect pregnancy.  You go in to see your obgyn for your appointment and the bomb drops.  You have gestational diabetes.

    Gestational diabetes is one of the most common pregnancy complications that women face.  It is when pregnant women have high blood sugar levels during their pregnancy.  It is not really known what can cause gestational diabetes.  Some experts say that overweight women have a higher risk of developing gestational diabetes, but there is not much evidence to support this.

    What is known about gestational diabetes is that one of the only cures is to deliver the baby.  After delivery your blood sugar level will go back down to normal.  The common treatment for gestational diabetes has been insulin shots.   Just as if you had diabetes when you were not pregnant, you would have to take shots each day.    Some women find though that by changing their diet, they are able to manage their gestational diabetes without having to give themselves a shot of insulin.

    If you are looking to make dietary changes your doctor will probably refer you to a nutritionist.  They will look at several factors when designing a meal plan for you.  First they will look at your weight before you got pregnant and how much you have gained since them.  Next they will look at your activity level and your blood level.  Then they will work with you to design an eating plan that has just the right amount of carbohydrates.

    Some of the guidelines you should follow are to spread your carbs out through out the day by eating three small meals and two to four snacks.  Breakfast might be a meal where you will want to eat less carbs since they can cause your blood sugar to rise quickly.  Instead eat a protein filled breakfast with eggs, or even meat.   Giving up sweets is one of the best things you can do if you have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes and will make your meal plan easier to follow.

    It is also important to that you do not skip meals or try going on a low carb diet.  This is going to cause your blood levels to fall to low levels and can leave you exhausted and legatheric.  Chances are you will have to test your blood sugar levels regularly to make sure you are at a safe level.  Some women are so sensitive that they can tell when their levels are low and know what steps to take to correct it.

    Not taking the steps to keep your gestational diabetes under control not only puts you at a risk of developing type 2 diabetes’s later in life, but you are also putting the life of your baby at risk.  Babies born from moms who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes tend to be larger than those who aren’t.  Most doctors will not let a women go past her due date if she has gestational diabetes and a few will not even let them go as far as their due date before inducting them.   Larger babies could mean more delivery complications and increase your chance of a c- section.

    Gestational diabetes is so common these days that no one bats an eye if you say you have it.  By eating a healthy diet and watching your sugar level, you will be able to control your blood sugar level and continue with your perfect pregnancy.

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  • Gaining Weight Too Slowly During Pregnancy

    Just as gaining too much weight can be harmful to you and your baby, not gaining enough weight can be harmful also.  There are some women out there who are so terrified at gaining weight that they eat next to nothing during their pregnancy.  Please do not do this, you could be depriving your baby of the vitamins and minerals it needs and you increase your chances of having a small baby.  Babies who are underweight at delivery are at a greater risk for health problems than babies who are of average weight at delivery.

    If you find that you have gained nothing during your first trimester, do not worry. Some women do not gain anything during those first three months and some even lose some weight thanks to morning sickness.  Your baby’s needs are relatively tiny at that point.  It is when you are in your second and third trimesters that you should make sure you are gaining weight according.

    If you find that you are not gaining as much weight as you should, you should try to fatten up your diet.  Increase your fat intake by a serving or too.  This will increase your calorie intake but won’t decrease your appetite.  Do not increase your fat by more than a serving or two.  There are better and healthier ways to increase your weight gain.

    If you are one of the lucky few women who do not gain weight easy, you might not want to foods with the lowest amount of calories.  You can still eat healthy but you want to up your calorie intake.  Try eating avocados and more cheeses along with some beans too.  Indulge in some snacks also.  Try to add at least three snacks into your schedule.  Make sure you have a decent amount of calories but not so many calories that your ruin your appetite for your next meal.  If you are not allergic to peanuts, try some apple slices with peanut butter or some whole wheat crackers which some low fat cheese slices.

    Take some time out of your busy life to relax.  Not gaining enough weight could be a sign that you are doing too much.  You could be burning up the calories you eat instead of using them to nourish your baby.  Try cutting back on your exercise if you have an exercise routine.  You also want to make sure you eat after a workout to replace the calories you just lost.  If you are working while you are pregnant and it is a stressful job, make sure you take the time out of your busy day for lunch and snacks.

    Throughout all of this, check in with your doctor.  Your doctor may want to run some tests to make sure that you do not have a thyroid condition or any other undiagnosed medical problem that might keep you from gaining weight.   You may also want to keep track of what you eat so you can show your doctor and talk about any changes that might need to be made to your diet.   You may not be eating enough and you may find that you need to eat more.

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  • Food Cravings During Pregnancy

    Do pickles and ice cream sound good to you?  How about red peppers and peanut butter?  If these do, you are probably a pregnant woman who has just gone looking for that ice cream carton you know you have buried in your freezer.  More than three quarters of all pregnant women experience cravings at some point.  The most common cravings are for sweets, dairy products and salty foods although there are some weird cravings out there.  Some women have been known to put black olives on cheesecake, while others have been known to dip fruit in salsa.  As bizarre as some cravings can be, they are mainly perfectly safe.

    There are old wives tales that believe what you crave could be a good indication of the sex of your baby.  If you are craving sweets you are having a girl.  If you crave meats or cheeses, it is believed you are having a boy.  Cravings are something that most women love most about pregnancy.  It is when a woman is craving dirt or clay that an alarm should go off.  If you should find yourself craving dirt, soil, or chalk call your doctor right away.  Not only could these be harmful if you do eat them, but chances are they are a sign of iron-deficiency anemia.

    Most doctors believe that cravings can be nutritionally based. That is to say the cravings are a message from your body on what it needs to eat.  If you are craving salts foods it could be because your body needs more sodium as your blood volume increases.  If you are craving fruit, your body might need more vitamins C.   The problem is sometimes the message gets lost on the way to our brain.  You may find yourself craving something sweet and instead of getting berries or fruit, you find yourself gulping down snicker bars by the cart full.  Cravings can be the downfall of your weight gain especially if the message is getting scrambled.  There are some ways though you can help curb your cravings.

    For starters, eat a good breakfast.  Eating a good breakfast can prevent cravings later in the day.  You also want to try and make wise choices by looking for healthier alternatives.  If you are dying for potato chips try eating some soy crisps.  Instead of ice cream, try frozen yogurt. If you feel like candy is calling your name, snack on some frozen grapes.  If you want something salty try pretzels, or even rice cakes to satisfy that urge.   A good substation for soda would be some fruit juice mixed with sparkling water.

    Next, think small.  If you are craving chocolate, you do no need to reach for a king size bar.  The snack size bar will satisfy your craving just the same.  If you want a brownie, have one; just do not eat the whole pan.   There is nothing wrong with indulging in a few of your cravings as long as you know not to over do it.

    Giving in to your cravings during pregnancy does not make you a bad person and it is not something you should beat yourself up about and feel guilty about.  Cravings are a normal part of pregnancy and denying yourself all the time might make you resent being pregnant.  Indulge when you want to, just make sure you make wise choices and do everything in moderation.

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  • Eating Well While Dealing With Morning Sickness

    There are a few women out there in this world who sail through their pregnancy without so much of glimpse of queasiness.  The rest of us have no such luck.  Chances are you are the type of women who the mere smell of what use to be your favorite food sends you running to the nearest toilet.  The mere sight of steak can send you heaving and just thinking about eating that salad turns you greener than the romaine lettuce it contains.   You probably curse the silly fool who named it “morning sickness” when all pregnant women know it is more like all day sickness.

    There are different degrees of morning sickness.  Each woman and each pregnancy is different.  I spent the first three months of my first pregnancy over a toilet and unable to look at any sort of vegetable or meat.  However I made it through my second pregnancy with only a few spurts to the bathroom and hardly any aversions.  The good news is though, this is usually only temporary.  Most women start feeling better between their 12th and 14th week of pregnancy.  Even better news is that your baby is handling this much better than you are. As hard as it is to eat healthy during this period there are some things you can do to help ease your discomfort.

    For starters, eat often.  It has been shown that an empty stomach tends to make your morning sickness even worse.  This is why so many of us feel so bad when we first wake up.  We’ve had nothing in our system which means our stomach acids are going crazy since nothing is there to soak them up.  The trick to this is to eat often.  Try eating six mini meals a days and make sure you have plenty of snacks.  Make sure you eat often in bed.  Before you go to bed for the night have a snack that is high in protein and in carbs such as nuts and raisins,  yogurt and bread stick or a cheese and crackers.   Keep a stash of crackers or ginger cookies by your bed and make sure you have one before you even think about getting out of bed in the morning.

    You will always want to eat mainly carbs and protein.  Stick with crackers or fruit to give you some comfort during those first few months.  Other good snacks are pretzels, saltines and whole grain toast.  For fruits stick with melons and bananas.  For your protein add a little cheese or some nuts to your snacks or any time you are feeling a little green.  Yogurt is also an excellent choice when fighting morning sickness also.

    Make sure you drink your water.  If you are vomiting it is essential that you stay hydrated.  Making sure you stay hydrated is probably more important that making sure you eat those first few months.  Becoming dehydrated can cause a problem for you and your little one so make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water or juice through out the day.  You can also suck on ice chips or fruit juice popsicles if you are having problems keeping liquids down.

    The most important thing to keep in mind those first three months is not to beat yourself up if you can not eat as healthy as you would like to.  You will still have plenty of time to make up for it after you get through this storm.   Just make smart choices when it comes to what you eat and snack on and that will pave the way for when you can eat as a normal person.

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  • Eating Well For You During Your Pregnancy

    Eating healthy throughout your pregnancy is the greatest gift you could give your unborn baby, but there are also a lot of rewards in it for you to.  It’s common for many moms to be to forget that they also benefit in eating healthy through out their pregnancy.  What you eat has a direct effect as to how well your body copes and recovers from all the physical changes it goes through.  It also helps with the physical and emotional challenge of carrying and delivering a baby.

    The truth is, most pregnant women rarely walk around all nine months with that rosy glow everyone talks about.   The first three months some of us walk around a nasty shade of green and in a hazy fog thanks to the tiredness we feel those first three months.  The second three months are a little better, and we are no longer green but we deal with other issues such as varicose veins and leg cramps.

    The third trimester, we are back to the hazy fog again and have other issues such as swelling and heartburn just to name a few.  Some of these can be avoided with a good diet.  Eating foods that have some complex carbs can help reduce your tiredness and staying away from fatty foods will help with the heartburn.

    Research has shown that pregnant women who eat healthy throughout their pregnancy usually have a safe and uncomplicated pregnancy.  Studies have shown that some pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia or high blood pressure can be directly related to deficiencies in a pregnant woman’s diet.  High amounts of sugar and polyunsaturated fats increase this risk as well as having a low intake of vitamin c, e and magnesium.

    Perhaps for some women one of the biggest benefits of eating healthy during their pregnancy is that it could help you during labor and delivery.  A well balanced pregnancy diet has been said to help prevent preterm labor, which is labor before 37 weeks.  A good diet can also help you cope with labor and delivery better.  Any woman who has given birth knows how much energy it takes to endure hours of contractions and sometimes hours of pushing.   Eating healthy will ensure that you have the energy and the stamina to get through your little one’s delivery.

    Once you have delivered your little one, it is still important to continue your good habit of healthy eating especially in the postpartum period.  Your body needs a lot of resources to recover from all the stretching, blood loss and not mention sleep deprivation and still take care of a newborn.  It is just as important in the months following your delivery to continue to eat well.  As my doctor put it, it is essential to eat as though you were pregnant for at least three months after delivery.

    A final added bonus to eating healthy throughout your pregnancy is that you may never stop eating healthy.  This is setting up the groundwork for a lifetime of eating healthy for not only you but for your children.  If you continue to eat healthy you are setting a prime example for your children.

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