Getting the most out of prenatal appointments

Do you ever feel like you wait in the waiting room for longer than your actual appointment? It is probably because you do… My appointments sometimes tend to feel like Wham.. BAM thank you Ma’am. Usually you check in at the front desk and wait for at least 15-20 minutes. Then you finally get called back and they ask you to pee in a cup the size of a shot glass. Really? I don’t know about ya’ll but I have a hard time aiming my pee these days. Plus, I can barely see where I am holding the cup! I usually get a splash in the cup and the rest on my hands and all over the cup. I always wipe it up because I feel bad for the nurse that has to dip the test strips in all the splattered urine cups of the pregos. Then comes the dreaded scale. I don’t know why I hate it so much because I weigh myself at home so I know how much I weigh, but I just hate it because it is always going up! Then you go to the room, they probably will do your blood pressure and then you wait again for your dr. or midwife. Sometimes this is quick and other times you are sitting there playing games on your phone for 20 minutes. Then they come in.. Ask if you are ok? Do you have any questions? Ok.. Let’s listen to the baby’s heartbeat, measure your belly.. Alright. See you in 4 weeks or 2 weeks (depending on how far along you are). You might think that coming this often is pointless, but believe it or not. A lot has just happened.

Urine TestingThey are looking for 2 things here. Sugar & Protein. The presence of protein in the urine can indicate preeclampsia (pregnancy induced high blood pressure) or a Urinary Tract Infection. The presence of sugar in the urine can be a sign of gestational diabetes or the start of gestational diabetes. Sometimes the presence of sugar can happen in pregnant women, but if it shows up twice they will likely send you for gestational diabetes testing earlier. This is the glucose screening test. This is when you have to fast for 12 hours, then drink the most disgustingly sugary drink you can imagine and have your blood drawn an hour later. This will monitor how your body processes sugar. Testing for gestational diabetes is important because it can cause a large baby that is at risk for birth injuries or a C-section. The baby is also at risk for health problems down the road.

Weight MonitoringWhy are they weighing you? This can also be an indicator of a serious problem. Sudden severe weight loss or gain can be a sign of a serious health condition in you or the baby. It can also be an indicator once again for gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Low weight gain can indicate issues as well.

Belly MeasuringThis is called your fundal height. It should be (in cm) the same as how many weeks pregnant you are or + or – 2cm depending on the baby’s position. It can indicate whether the baby is growing enough or too much and if there is enough amniotic fluid. If they are concerned about your fundal height measurement they might send you for an ultrasound.

Fetal Heartbeat MonitoringThis is pretty self-explanatory. Clearly if the heartbeat is not within a normal range then there may be a problem.

Another way to get the most out of your appointments is to bring a list of questions or concerns. If you are having an issue or think something might be off now is the time to bring it up. You don’t want to get all the way to the parking lot and not bring up something that could be a serious issue. Most of the times my questions are nothing to be concerned about, but they usually can provide me with some advice. Now do you feel better about these appointments that seem like a waste of time? I hope it helped!

Pregnancy Week 20-23

Ahh.. I’m hungry. Anyone else? I feel like no matter how much I eat at this point I am always hungry. I just cannot feel satisfied lately. This is probably because this little boy is growing so quickly at this point. He is really moving around like a wild man lately. It feels like I have a full-grown newborn in there moving around. However, he is probably only about 1 pound and 11-12 inches long. I have suddenly also come down with the urge to pee every 3 hours at night.. I just love waking up at 12am, 3am and 6am. Booo.. I can’t seem to get comfortable. I was lucky enough to have a coworker say “Wow.. look at your little bump. If I didn’t know you were pregnant, I would just think you were getting a gut.” Thanks.. I really love hearing these tidbits. Word of advice. If you think you want to make a comment to pregnant woman about her changing body.. Don’t. We hear comments 24/7 and sometimes we just want to talk about something else besides the fact that we are inevitably going to get VERY big. I’m also growing out of more and more of my regular clothes. I remember when I delivered my daughter I was so excited to be able to just wear all my clothes again and feel comfortable.

I’ve started rubbing BioOil all over myself again. I swear by this stuff. I did not have a single stretch mark when I was pregnant with my daughter and I do not plan on getting any this time. I also try to drink as much water as possible since it is so great for your skin as well. The only downside is that it is greasy feeling until it dries completely, but it is well worth it. On the topic of skin.. My hands are SOOO dry. I always have dry skin in the winter, but it seems like when I am pregnant it is worse. I know my body is probably extracting all of the necessary water for the baby, but damn… I look like I have old lady hands even though I lotion them up several times a day.

You know what else no one tells you? You get hairier. Not just the hair on your head either. I have to wax my upper lip twice as much. And my leg hair? Forget it. It is almost a lost cause to try to keep up with that. I feel like I am turning into a hairy beast. My razors are so dull after one shower. lol. TMI? Oh well. That is what this blog is about!

So to sum it up.. At this point.. I am hairy, greasy and look like I have a gut.. I am one sexy girl.

Healthy- Pregnancy Friendly Recipe

I just thought I would share a FAST recipe for all you busy moms/pregos out there. It doesn’t take long to eat healthy. This took me less than 5 minutes before leaving for work.

Crockpot Chicken Chili

• 1-1.5 lbs chicken breast
• 1 can of beans (kidney, black, pinto, navy, white) rinsed & drained
• 2 cans Rotel Tomatoes w/ chilis or just diced tomatoes
• 1/2-3/4 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1/4-1/2 cup diced bell peppers
• 1/2 diced onion
• 2 Tablespoons Salsa Verde
• 1 jalapeno diced small with seeds and ribs removed (optional)

-Turn Crockpot on Medium or 6-8 hours. Add all 8 ingredients and stir. Yes, it is that easy. After this cooks for hours the chicken will be moist and will fall apart. You may need to use 2 forks to shred it up a bit more. When you serve this dish, top with a skim cheddar cheese, low-fat sour cream, hot sauce and a squeeze of lime. This dish is packed with healthy, lean protein, fiber, iron and more. This is great for pregnancy and it is healthy! Sometimes I serve with a couple whole grain, baked tortilla chips or use a whole wheat tortilla to dip. I usually don’t eat many foods out of a can or frozen, but when you have a busy day ahead of you and still want to eat healthy, this recipe is perfect!

Avoiding excessive weight gain-bouncing back quickly

One of my biggest fears while pregnant with my daughter was gaining too much weight! I had so many friends who gained 50 or 60lbs and they were tiny to begin with. They had a terrible time getting the weight off and some of them couldn’t get it off at all. I wanted to be healthy, have a healthy baby and feel good about myself after having my daughter. I’m not going to lie… I am thin to begin with, but I don’t think genetics/build are the only factor here. The picture to the right is me taken a few days after having my daughter. Don’t get my wrong I still had a little swelling around my belly from my uterus still being enlarged, but I was wearing my pre-prego clothes. Here are some tips that I used. Also.. breastfeeding does help! **Please check with your OB/Midwife to make sure these tips are safe for you. I am not a doctor. These tips were safe for me and cleared with my OB. Every woman is different and every woman is given a specific amount of weight to gain.***

Keeping weight gain to the required 25-35lbs: (yours may be less or may check with your doctor!)

• Keep a weight gain journal- I weighed myself daily and wrote it down in my pregnancy calendar/journal. This just gave me an idea of how much weight I was averaging per week. I didn’t start this until I was 3 months pregnant since I didn’t gain much in the first trimester from morning sickness.
• Eat similar foods each day. I pretty much eat the same breakfast & lunch everyday. Dinner is always different, but I cook very healthy. When you eat similar foods you know what you are getting.
• Don’t drink your calories. Avoid pop, juice & sugary coffee drinks. Stick to water and skim milk. I also drink coffee with cream. You need to stay hydrated and water is the best thing for you. Pop & juice are really just empty calories.
• Salads are amazing, especially salad bars. They are a great way to load up on veggies which will fill you up without adding tons of calories.
• I figure that I can eat as many fruits and veggies as I want. If I’m hungry I always make sure I have tons of apples, oranges, pears, baby carrots, etc to munch on.
• All your carbs should be whole grain AKA not white carbs. Stick to wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, brown rice, sweet potatoes.
• Switch all dairy to fat free dairy. Skim cheese, low or non-fat yogurt, skim milk, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream
• Snack on veggies or go for chips that are baked or popped. I also love the 100-calorie pack kettle popcorn bags.
• Add eggs or peanut butter to a meal or snack. Additional protein will help fill you up.
• Avoid fatty foods. They aren’t good for you or your growing baby. Don’t eat fast food or eat out a lot. You would be surprised how much fat and calories are in restaurant foods. Avoid fatty sauces like gravy & ranch. Opt for a light dressing for salads, hummus for veggie dip.
• Get moving! Try to be active everyday or at least 3-4x a week. Take a brisk walk, take a class for pregnant women.

Gaining too much weight is not just bad for you and weight loss after baby. It can cause serious health problems for the baby, gestational diabetes, hypertension and more.

Here is what I typically eat..

Breakfast: Whole grain English muffin with a cooked through egg & skim cheese. Sometimes I spread on a little jam too

Morning Snack: Apple or pear- Sometimes with peanut butter

Lunch: Large salad loaded with toppings. Mixed greens, carrots, chickpeas, peas, skim cheese, chopped hard-boiled egg, dried cranberries, broccoli, mushrooms, shredded chicken or broken up turkey bacon. (dressing on side)
Side of fat free cottage cheese
Whole grain roll

PM Snack: Handful of pretzels

Dinner: Load half my plate with veggies, 1/4 with lean meat like chicken, 1/4 whole grain carb like brown rice

Night Snack: Bowl of cereal! my favorite snack