9/18/09
As we continue to grow like squash on a summer vine, you may be wondering, “Where is all the weight going?” Well, I found the answer to that little query, and it’s merely one click away. The Baby Center Web site has its own “Weight Gain Estimator,” and all you have to do is enter your height and pre-pregnancy weight, and in return it calculates a weight gain range, and breaks it down to where it will go. Here’s mine so you can get an idea of how the pounds are distributed:
Maternal:
Uterus 2.39 lbs.
Breasts 1.0 lb.
Blood 3.09 lbs.
Water 4.15 lbs.
Fat 8.27 lbs.
Subtotal 18.89 lbs.
Fetal:
Fetus 7.5 lbs.
Placenta 1.6 lbs.
Amniotic Fluid 1.97 lbs.
Subtotal 11.07 lbs.
Total 29.96 lbs.
Even though the thought of 3 pounds of blood makes me queasy, I still think it’s a pretty cool tool. There’s nothing like feeling more in the know about the great little mystery going on in there.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Bobbing into the Third Trimester
9/14/09
I’ve made it to week 28 of my pregnancy, which means my baby is close to 2 ½ pounds now, and is going to keep growing like crazy for the next 12 weeks until I deliver. Hard to believe, since it seems like just yesterday I started blogging about it all, but one glance at my belly confirms it in case I had any doubts (or can’t keep track, because of my pregnancy brain).
Despite these changes, I don’t plan on retiring from my regular exercise schedule. Instead, I will be switching to some lower impact activities to help give my joints a break. Specifically, I’ve invested in a maternity swimsuit (whose enormous coverage is startling, but for its purposes I’m sure it’s lovely), and will be joining a nearby YMCA, so that I can swim three to four times a week.
This along with regular walks, pregnancy yoga, and continuing to eat healthy should keep me going strong (well, as strong as can be expected) as I head into that glorious home stretch.
I’ve made it to week 28 of my pregnancy, which means my baby is close to 2 ½ pounds now, and is going to keep growing like crazy for the next 12 weeks until I deliver. Hard to believe, since it seems like just yesterday I started blogging about it all, but one glance at my belly confirms it in case I had any doubts (or can’t keep track, because of my pregnancy brain).
Despite these changes, I don’t plan on retiring from my regular exercise schedule. Instead, I will be switching to some lower impact activities to help give my joints a break. Specifically, I’ve invested in a maternity swimsuit (whose enormous coverage is startling, but for its purposes I’m sure it’s lovely), and will be joining a nearby YMCA, so that I can swim three to four times a week.
This along with regular walks, pregnancy yoga, and continuing to eat healthy should keep me going strong (well, as strong as can be expected) as I head into that glorious home stretch.
Call Me Itchy Belly
9/11/09
The last four weeks have seen some major belly growth, which explains why I keep reaching to scratch my tummy without even realizing it. Of course, I know I shouldn’t be doing this, since scratching irritates the skin even more, so instead I’m trying to apply something soothing every time I feel the itch sneak up.
Two great body products that are perfect for the job (and also happen to be organic and cruelty-free) come from the OGmama Stretch Happy 360 line by Trillium Organics. First there’s the Belly Polish for gentle exfoliation while you’re in the shower. And let me just say that digging your fingers into the mix of oil and crystalline salt cubes is a lot of fun. Then, when you’re clean and dry, you can slather on the Belly Butter, which hydrates the skin with shea and cocoa butters. It’s dense and grainy, but rubs in smooth like a lavender-scented protective shield.
Most importantly, they make a nice duo for easy pampering at a time when we deserve it most.
The last four weeks have seen some major belly growth, which explains why I keep reaching to scratch my tummy without even realizing it. Of course, I know I shouldn’t be doing this, since scratching irritates the skin even more, so instead I’m trying to apply something soothing every time I feel the itch sneak up.
Two great body products that are perfect for the job (and also happen to be organic and cruelty-free) come from the OGmama Stretch Happy 360 line by Trillium Organics. First there’s the Belly Polish for gentle exfoliation while you’re in the shower. And let me just say that digging your fingers into the mix of oil and crystalline salt cubes is a lot of fun. Then, when you’re clean and dry, you can slather on the Belly Butter, which hydrates the skin with shea and cocoa butters. It’s dense and grainy, but rubs in smooth like a lavender-scented protective shield.
Most importantly, they make a nice duo for easy pampering at a time when we deserve it most.
The Case of the Killer Leg Cramp
9/8/09
I woke up in the middle of the night this weekend—it was an attack of the leg cramp. After a minute of face-crunching pain from my calf muscle the ache subsided, but my memory of it lingered.
The next morning I opened up the National Women’s Health Resource Center’s handy Pregnancy Planner that I happened to have in my bookshelf. As if by magic, I turned right to the page on “Common Physical Changes During Pregnancy.” The last thing on the list was leg cramps (and a type of restless legs syndrome), which is a common symptom when levels of iron or potassium are low.
The planner gives suggestions on how to remedy this problem, including stretching before bed, getting regular exercise, and adding a banana to your daily diet to give you more potassium, but if this is happening to you, you should also ask your doctor to test your iron levels to ensure an iron deficiency isn’t the cause.
In the meantime, the Vegetarian Society of the UK has a list of food sources rich in iron, the top three of which are chickpeas, bran flakes, and spinach. With all this helpful information, hopefully we’ll sleep like babies tonight.
I woke up in the middle of the night this weekend—it was an attack of the leg cramp. After a minute of face-crunching pain from my calf muscle the ache subsided, but my memory of it lingered.
The next morning I opened up the National Women’s Health Resource Center’s handy Pregnancy Planner that I happened to have in my bookshelf. As if by magic, I turned right to the page on “Common Physical Changes During Pregnancy.” The last thing on the list was leg cramps (and a type of restless legs syndrome), which is a common symptom when levels of iron or potassium are low.
The planner gives suggestions on how to remedy this problem, including stretching before bed, getting regular exercise, and adding a banana to your daily diet to give you more potassium, but if this is happening to you, you should also ask your doctor to test your iron levels to ensure an iron deficiency isn’t the cause.
In the meantime, the Vegetarian Society of the UK has a list of food sources rich in iron, the top three of which are chickpeas, bran flakes, and spinach. With all this helpful information, hopefully we’ll sleep like babies tonight.
Singing to the Sprout
9/4/09
I just learned that this week, my 26th week of pregnancy, is a sensory landmark for my lil’ sprout. The development of the hearing system has reached its completion, which means my sprout can now hear a lot of things that I probably don’t even want it to hear.
Studies have shown that fetuses get excited when hearing the sound of their mother’s voice, as well as find comfort in certain kinds of music. These acts have also been shown to create prenatal learning and memory. Once out of the womb, children have reacted with positive acknowledgment to both the songs and voices that they heard in utero. So in your spare time, don’t feel silly about singing a tune or reading a poem to your baby—you’ve got positive evidence behind it.
I just learned that this week, my 26th week of pregnancy, is a sensory landmark for my lil’ sprout. The development of the hearing system has reached its completion, which means my sprout can now hear a lot of things that I probably don’t even want it to hear.
Studies have shown that fetuses get excited when hearing the sound of their mother’s voice, as well as find comfort in certain kinds of music. These acts have also been shown to create prenatal learning and memory. Once out of the womb, children have reacted with positive acknowledgment to both the songs and voices that they heard in utero. So in your spare time, don’t feel silly about singing a tune or reading a poem to your baby—you’ve got positive evidence behind it.
Beads and Blessings
8/31/09
Preparing for the birth of my child by setting up a nursery is all well and fine, but it doesn’t address the physical act of giving birth. To get ready for that, I found a rite of passage ceremony performed by the Navajo Indians, which I think will work nicely. Adela Stockton talks about it in her book Birth Space, Safe Place: Emotional Well-Being through Pregnancy and Birth.
The ceremony is known as Blessingway, and the aim of the modern interpretation for expecting mothers is to offer support for a successful birth and to celebrate the new life soon to come. Typically, th ritual includes females only, and has activities that pamper the mother like massages and hair brushing. (Can’t go wrong with that!) Every guest is also invited to bring one bead, as well as a symbolic symbol to share with the mother-to-be. The collection of beads are strung on a thread and worn during labour as a reminder of the abundance of positive support she has around her.
You can find out more in Stockton’s book, which contains many topics on mental well-being during pregnancy.
Preparing for the birth of my child by setting up a nursery is all well and fine, but it doesn’t address the physical act of giving birth. To get ready for that, I found a rite of passage ceremony performed by the Navajo Indians, which I think will work nicely. Adela Stockton talks about it in her book Birth Space, Safe Place: Emotional Well-Being through Pregnancy and Birth.
The ceremony is known as Blessingway, and the aim of the modern interpretation for expecting mothers is to offer support for a successful birth and to celebrate the new life soon to come. Typically, th ritual includes females only, and has activities that pamper the mother like massages and hair brushing. (Can’t go wrong with that!) Every guest is also invited to bring one bead, as well as a symbolic symbol to share with the mother-to-be. The collection of beads are strung on a thread and worn during labour as a reminder of the abundance of positive support she has around her.
You can find out more in Stockton’s book, which contains many topics on mental well-being during pregnancy.
Drinking the Orange
8/28/09
Come week 25 to 28 you’ll likely be partaking in a test for gestational diabetes, a disease about 4 percent of pregnant women end up getting. I went through it last week, and assure you it’s much easier than the amnio, but I would recommend booking a morning appointment for the test. It makes chugging the orange, sugary glucose drink a little more difficult, but the extended fasting period a lot easier.
Managing to finish the drink in five minutes is really the hardest part, then it’s just a matter of getting to the doc within an hour to have your blood drawn, and waiting a day or two for the results.
For more info on the test and what a positive results means check out these articles at Web MD and the American Diabetes Association.
Come week 25 to 28 you’ll likely be partaking in a test for gestational diabetes, a disease about 4 percent of pregnant women end up getting. I went through it last week, and assure you it’s much easier than the amnio, but I would recommend booking a morning appointment for the test. It makes chugging the orange, sugary glucose drink a little more difficult, but the extended fasting period a lot easier.
Managing to finish the drink in five minutes is really the hardest part, then it’s just a matter of getting to the doc within an hour to have your blood drawn, and waiting a day or two for the results.
For more info on the test and what a positive results means check out these articles at Web MD and the American Diabetes Association.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)