Wow, days are flying so fast I can't keep up. First good news, we have been interviewing sitters for the past few weeks and I think we found one!! What a journey that has been, I really feel like it was dating again, except for my unborn child. My husband and I were looking for a stay at home mom (SAHM) to care for her as we enjoy the home atmosphere, the more individualized attention and interaction with other age children. So we met with one woman last night and she met all of our needs, she is a registered daycare provider, she is eco-friendly, loves to give the kids new types of food and has tons of learning activities all around the house. She will work very closely with us and I felt safe with her. We just clicked. I got her name on a Mommies forum (check online to see if they have one near you) and she was everything we have been looking for.
In other news Thursday - my doctor day - went well, I have gained 10 pounds in the pregnancy thus far which is great. (Keep in mind I had two miscarriages and my weight fluctuated with each one, so I am not an emaciated looking preggo) Baby is good, she is still measuring 3 weeks ahead and this doctor seemed so unconcerned by her size she pushed back the ultra sound to December 1. At that point we will have a better understanding of whats going on with her, that is unless she decides to show up early.
We are working on getting her room finished and I am DETERMINED to pack our hospital bags this weekend. I keep saying it but not doing it.
Our due date is exactly one month from today!! HOLY COW!
Showing posts with label weight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight. Show all posts
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I have been looking at Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as a natural way to help with some of my "ailments" from body aches & pains, migraines, and infertility. I came across a local practitioner in Cary, NC and have been talking to her about things to help without ever having met her. I plan on starting a Arvigo/Maya Abdominal Therapy Massage session with her in March.
This massage technique is to restore blood-flow to the womb and I've also read that it may help if I have any scarring in my tubes, I know I have in my uterus. AT this point any natural techniques I can use to not spend thousands on exploratory surgery is my goal.
In the mean time she suggested this anti-inflammatory diet for me in order to cleanse my body of toxins and to figure out what my triggers are. She sent it along with a list of food to eat, not to eat, and those that cause inflammation, and decrease inflammation.
I have made a transition to this diet and over the past two weeks I have felt AMAZING!! Since I can't get my hands on any free-range and/or grass-fed meats right now I'm going mostly vegan with an occasional 3oz of reg grilled chicken.... and I have my one mug of coffee a day.. hey.. a girl has to have her coffee!!! I splurged over the weekend going to Carolina Ale House to watch UFC, and I really felt a difference the next few days, so I'm really trying to stick by it.
Bonus: I've lost 5 lbs since I started it 12 days ago :)
In the mean time she suggested this anti-inflammatory diet for me in order to cleanse my body of toxins and to figure out what my triggers are. She sent it along with a list of food to eat, not to eat, and those that cause inflammation, and decrease inflammation.
I have made a transition to this diet and over the past two weeks I have felt AMAZING!! Since I can't get my hands on any free-range and/or grass-fed meats right now I'm going mostly vegan with an occasional 3oz of reg grilled chicken.... and I have my one mug of coffee a day.. hey.. a girl has to have her coffee!!! I splurged over the weekend going to Carolina Ale House to watch UFC, and I really felt a difference the next few days, so I'm really trying to stick by it.
Bonus: I've lost 5 lbs since I started it 12 days ago :)
Sunday, December 19, 2010
I'm still here!
I was in the US visiting family and friends for the past 4 weeks, so I haven't been on the internet too much. It was a great time, but unfortunately by the time my husband got there, we'd passed the magic time of the month so that's another cycle that was a bust. That is so frustrating! While I was there though, I did pick up some Pre-Seed and Mucinex. I'm going into this cycle with guns blazing!
Being around friends and family is a lot of pressure on the baby-making front. I asked one friend to meet us for lunch. She told me in the bathroom she was disappointed because she thought I was going to surprise her with a 6-month belly. Nope! Sorry to disappoint!! Even my dad made a comment regarding the conception of my older sister. TMI, Dad!!!
While in the US I also gained back the 10 lbs I had lost before the trip. Well, I think it's that much. I'm too chicken to step on the scale! Now I have to work that back off!
So, here we are....on to the next cycle! :(
Being around friends and family is a lot of pressure on the baby-making front. I asked one friend to meet us for lunch. She told me in the bathroom she was disappointed because she thought I was going to surprise her with a 6-month belly. Nope! Sorry to disappoint!! Even my dad made a comment regarding the conception of my older sister. TMI, Dad!!!
While in the US I also gained back the 10 lbs I had lost before the trip. Well, I think it's that much. I'm too chicken to step on the scale! Now I have to work that back off!
So, here we are....on to the next cycle! :(
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
25 Weeks!
Hello Everyone!
It's been a little while since my last post, but I am relieved to say nothing much is actually happening at this point it seems.
Everything has still been ok since the accident, and I only have some minor aches and pains to deal with. In light of what happened that is an extremely positive outcome!
Our Christmas season was amazing, but hectic (like everyone else's I think)! I loved every moment of it, and in fact our Christmas tree is still up because I'm not ready to say goodbye yet! I am glad the chaos of it all is over, but I miss my girlfriends that came home for the holidays and have now returned to their homes all over the world.
One of those girlfriends is three weeks further along in her pregnancy, and our friends threw us both a Baby Shower because we won't be together closer to the date. It was a lovely night, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute! We both got spoiled and it made the whole experience so much more real to see the tiny little things that OUR baby was going to need! I am so thankful to have the friends I do!
I am starting to show now... I believe it has changed only in the last week! It isn't quite as easy to dress as my regular shirts are starting to get a bit snug. I think I'm more sensitive to that right now as well because it feels like overnight I gained a LOT of weight. I'm thankful my appetite has picked up, but I wish I could feel more confident that the things I'm eating are as nutritious as they should be.... I'm still sensitive to alot of foods that I wish appealed to me more. I'm not eating junk food constantly or anything like that, but I am not getting very much meat protein, and other things like that. However, I am still eating and drinking a ton of dairy so maybe that is helping and it seems like my body needs it right now.
On Christmas Eve, my husband felt the baby for the first time! It was a lovely surprise and it made me feel like he was so much more involved after that. Since then it has been few and far between that he has been able to feel him, but I'm sure that it will start happening more and more.
We also signed up for our prenatal classes, and I am a little scared about doing them, but I'm sure that my husband and I can make it into a positive experience. It will be another thing to do together that will make him feel more involved.
In other news, we put an offer on our first house last night, and are just waiting to see if it will be accepted! It is a house that will need extensive renovations and I am a little excited/terrified to see how that will turn out considering I'm more than six months pregnant. I think we can handle it though- with some help! My husband is a carpenter and his dad is as well. They both have done things like this before and I'm excited to see them work together and make magic out of a little forgotten about house. I will feel guilty not being able to help as much as I'd like, but I'm sure I can be director of the creative aspects or something like that!
We also bought a new car two nights ago and I'm very happy with what we decided to go with. We got a great deal and the car is safe and great on gas. A huge selling feature for me was the four doors because as I'm sure you know the Jeep wouldn't have been easy for me to get in and out of especially with the baby! My husband is still in mourning over the Jeep I think though, and he thinks this vehicle is a "family" car and therefore, not very "cool". However, we are making a family, so I told him to get over it! I do understand where he's coming from though and I'm having a hard time accepting all the changes as well... maybe even more than him actually!
I thought I would be in new classes at this point at school and instead I'm still struggling through my ancient unfinished classes with no hope to go back to school for a while! I miss school (being in class, I mean, not these stupid correspondence courses), and I'm hoping to pick up some classes while I'm off work, but I need to investigate and see if it's even worth finishing my degree based on what my goals are in terms of work/motherhood. It's an ongoing process, and I can't waste money on something that I don't have my heart in.
Anyway, that's all for now, it's been busy! Happy New Year everyone!!!
It's been a little while since my last post, but I am relieved to say nothing much is actually happening at this point it seems.
Everything has still been ok since the accident, and I only have some minor aches and pains to deal with. In light of what happened that is an extremely positive outcome!
Our Christmas season was amazing, but hectic (like everyone else's I think)! I loved every moment of it, and in fact our Christmas tree is still up because I'm not ready to say goodbye yet! I am glad the chaos of it all is over, but I miss my girlfriends that came home for the holidays and have now returned to their homes all over the world.
One of those girlfriends is three weeks further along in her pregnancy, and our friends threw us both a Baby Shower because we won't be together closer to the date. It was a lovely night, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute! We both got spoiled and it made the whole experience so much more real to see the tiny little things that OUR baby was going to need! I am so thankful to have the friends I do!
I am starting to show now... I believe it has changed only in the last week! It isn't quite as easy to dress as my regular shirts are starting to get a bit snug. I think I'm more sensitive to that right now as well because it feels like overnight I gained a LOT of weight. I'm thankful my appetite has picked up, but I wish I could feel more confident that the things I'm eating are as nutritious as they should be.... I'm still sensitive to alot of foods that I wish appealed to me more. I'm not eating junk food constantly or anything like that, but I am not getting very much meat protein, and other things like that. However, I am still eating and drinking a ton of dairy so maybe that is helping and it seems like my body needs it right now.
On Christmas Eve, my husband felt the baby for the first time! It was a lovely surprise and it made me feel like he was so much more involved after that. Since then it has been few and far between that he has been able to feel him, but I'm sure that it will start happening more and more.
We also signed up for our prenatal classes, and I am a little scared about doing them, but I'm sure that my husband and I can make it into a positive experience. It will be another thing to do together that will make him feel more involved.
In other news, we put an offer on our first house last night, and are just waiting to see if it will be accepted! It is a house that will need extensive renovations and I am a little excited/terrified to see how that will turn out considering I'm more than six months pregnant. I think we can handle it though- with some help! My husband is a carpenter and his dad is as well. They both have done things like this before and I'm excited to see them work together and make magic out of a little forgotten about house. I will feel guilty not being able to help as much as I'd like, but I'm sure I can be director of the creative aspects or something like that!
We also bought a new car two nights ago and I'm very happy with what we decided to go with. We got a great deal and the car is safe and great on gas. A huge selling feature for me was the four doors because as I'm sure you know the Jeep wouldn't have been easy for me to get in and out of especially with the baby! My husband is still in mourning over the Jeep I think though, and he thinks this vehicle is a "family" car and therefore, not very "cool". However, we are making a family, so I told him to get over it! I do understand where he's coming from though and I'm having a hard time accepting all the changes as well... maybe even more than him actually!
I thought I would be in new classes at this point at school and instead I'm still struggling through my ancient unfinished classes with no hope to go back to school for a while! I miss school (being in class, I mean, not these stupid correspondence courses), and I'm hoping to pick up some classes while I'm off work, but I need to investigate and see if it's even worth finishing my degree based on what my goals are in terms of work/motherhood. It's an ongoing process, and I can't waste money on something that I don't have my heart in.
Anyway, that's all for now, it's been busy! Happy New Year everyone!!!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Stepping on the scale, putting on the pounds
After reading Citysaur's last post, I feel somewhat guilty for what I'm about to write. But here it goes: thus far this pregnancy, I've gained about 8.8lbs. This is bad. I know what you're probably thinking - 9lbs (give or take a few ounces) is a pretty hefty gain for 17 weeks. But not for twins.
At this stage, I need to explain that instead of relying on my doctors, I've gotten most of my health and nutrition information from this book:
Choosing a book over your physician might seem odd, but there's a very good reason behind my decision: my doctors aren't very well informed about multiples pregnancies. This isn't saying anything bad about them - I live in a small town, and there simply aren't a lot of twin births here. So although the doctors are lovely people, they don't really know the ins and outs of a multiple pregnancy. Dr Luke, on the other hand, does. For years, she ran a specialist clinic for women expecting multiples at the University of Michigan, part of the University Consortium on Multiple Births. Her book is the Bible of anyone expecting more than one baby - unlike most pregnancy books, which tend to treat multiples as just being a little extra pregnant, WYETTQ is full of highly specific information for women carrying more than one baby, including dietary recommendations.
When I first began this pregnancy, my doctor recommended that for my height and weight, I should gain around 15lbs (it probably would have been a bit higher if I was in the USA, but Aussie docs are a little more conservative). The problem is, this recommendation is based on the weight gain needed to sustain a single pregnancy. WYETTQ's recommendation, on the other hand, is that I gain somewhere between 31-36lbs. That's more than twice the amount recommended for a single pregnancy. And not only that, but Dr Luke recommends gaining most of that weight in the first 28 weeks.
The idea of gaining this much weight (especially in such a short period of time) made me feel a bit nervous - I've battled my weight my entire life and was firmly in the 'overweight' category when I conceived. The idea of intentionally putting on 35lbs frightened me until I read the reasons behind the recommendation.
As most people probably know, twins often have lower birthweights than single babies. This isn't just due to being born earlier or space constraints in the womb, but often because they're simply getting less nutrition - after all, they're forced to share the energy the mother's body provides. Twins with higher birthweights are healthier than those who weigh less, and evidence suggests that good in utero growth may reduce the likelihood of a premature birth - and even if they are born earlier, preemie twins who have had plenty of nourishment before birth have fewer illnesses and quicker recovery times than those who didn't. All excellent reasons for wanting a higher birthweight!
The reason that most of this weight needs to be gained in the first 28 weeks is simple: the more babies you're carrying, the less time you'll have to put on the needed weight. Twins are usually born at about 36 weeks - that's a full four weeks less of in utero growth time than a singleton, so they need all the energy they can get, as fast as they can get it.
Ideally, for my height and weight, I should gain:
15-20lbs by week 20
23-28lbs by week 28
31-36lbs by week 38 (if I make it that long)
With a current weight gain of approximately 9 pounds by week 17, this means I need to pack on another 1.5lbs per week for the rest of my pregnancy to hit my targets - in fact, I'd need to gain more than 2lbs per week in the next three weeks to reach the low end of my week 20 goal!
This is harder than you might think, even for someone who is habitually overweight (such as yours truly)! I've actually found it quite challenging to consume enough calories to put on the pounds - good calories, that is. Sure, I could eat a box of brownies every day, but that's not an especially healthy strategy. I've increased my portion sizes, eating extra protein and carbohydrates at every meal for the last several weeks, and faithfully eating three full meals plus two (sometimes three!) generous snacks per day, but even that doesn't seem to be doing it - these twins are consuming far more energy from my body than I expected.
I've never faced this kind of weight battle before - in fact, I never even dreamed it would be an issue! WYETTQ recommends upping your servings of full fat dairy, protein, grains, eggs and good oils/fats to help put on the pounds, and I thought I'd done that...but clearly not well enough.
So I'm putting out a call for help: what's your favorite hearty, protein-based (not low fat!) meal?
At this stage, I need to explain that instead of relying on my doctors, I've gotten most of my health and nutrition information from this book:
When I first began this pregnancy, my doctor recommended that for my height and weight, I should gain around 15lbs (it probably would have been a bit higher if I was in the USA, but Aussie docs are a little more conservative). The problem is, this recommendation is based on the weight gain needed to sustain a single pregnancy. WYETTQ's recommendation, on the other hand, is that I gain somewhere between 31-36lbs. That's more than twice the amount recommended for a single pregnancy. And not only that, but Dr Luke recommends gaining most of that weight in the first 28 weeks.
The idea of gaining this much weight (especially in such a short period of time) made me feel a bit nervous - I've battled my weight my entire life and was firmly in the 'overweight' category when I conceived. The idea of intentionally putting on 35lbs frightened me until I read the reasons behind the recommendation.
As most people probably know, twins often have lower birthweights than single babies. This isn't just due to being born earlier or space constraints in the womb, but often because they're simply getting less nutrition - after all, they're forced to share the energy the mother's body provides. Twins with higher birthweights are healthier than those who weigh less, and evidence suggests that good in utero growth may reduce the likelihood of a premature birth - and even if they are born earlier, preemie twins who have had plenty of nourishment before birth have fewer illnesses and quicker recovery times than those who didn't. All excellent reasons for wanting a higher birthweight!
The reason that most of this weight needs to be gained in the first 28 weeks is simple: the more babies you're carrying, the less time you'll have to put on the needed weight. Twins are usually born at about 36 weeks - that's a full four weeks less of in utero growth time than a singleton, so they need all the energy they can get, as fast as they can get it.
Bun in the oven scale from here
Ideally, for my height and weight, I should gain:
15-20lbs by week 20
23-28lbs by week 28
31-36lbs by week 38 (if I make it that long)
With a current weight gain of approximately 9 pounds by week 17, this means I need to pack on another 1.5lbs per week for the rest of my pregnancy to hit my targets - in fact, I'd need to gain more than 2lbs per week in the next three weeks to reach the low end of my week 20 goal!
This is harder than you might think, even for someone who is habitually overweight (such as yours truly)! I've actually found it quite challenging to consume enough calories to put on the pounds - good calories, that is. Sure, I could eat a box of brownies every day, but that's not an especially healthy strategy. I've increased my portion sizes, eating extra protein and carbohydrates at every meal for the last several weeks, and faithfully eating three full meals plus two (sometimes three!) generous snacks per day, but even that doesn't seem to be doing it - these twins are consuming far more energy from my body than I expected.
I've never faced this kind of weight battle before - in fact, I never even dreamed it would be an issue! WYETTQ recommends upping your servings of full fat dairy, protein, grains, eggs and good oils/fats to help put on the pounds, and I thought I'd done that...but clearly not well enough.
So I'm putting out a call for help: what's your favorite hearty, protein-based (not low fat!) meal?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A Little Update on Me
I'm not even sure what to post...
I have not had a period since we started trying the first of October.
I have had negative results on about half a dozen home pregnancy tests.
I have had no symptoms of AF or pregnancy, except cramps and lots of them.
I have gotten kind of depressed because nothing is going on, which makes it hard to keep at it.
I have gained about 5lbs.
I have cut way back on workouts, down to like 2 a week.
The most frustrating part of all of this, is I was having regular periods before we started trying. All I can think of, is what if we missed our chance!??!
I have not had a period since we started trying the first of October.
I have had negative results on about half a dozen home pregnancy tests.
I have had no symptoms of AF or pregnancy, except cramps and lots of them.
I have gotten kind of depressed because nothing is going on, which makes it hard to keep at it.
I have gained about 5lbs.
I have cut way back on workouts, down to like 2 a week.
The most frustrating part of all of this, is I was having regular periods before we started trying. All I can think of, is what if we missed our chance!??!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Kickin' up a storm
At my NT scan, the tech told me that my placenta was posterior and that it meant I would probably feel movement pretty early. She was right. At about 16 weeks, I started to feel the "bubbles" that I kept reading about. The feeling that you kind of think might be gas, but if you're not bloated, is probably the baby moving. I was lying on my side and it really just felt like bubbles in my belly. At 17 weeks, I was sure it was baby. She was kicking pretty low, sometimes around my cervix, and it was unmistakable. You'll know that one when you feel it!
By about 17w4d I could actually feel kicks from the outside! Since then, every time I feel her kicking hard I put my hand on my tummy to feel her kicking. It's amazing! And I can't get enough. Every night I put my hubby's hand on my belly to make him feel her kicks. I think he's felt her a couple times but he says he's not sure if what he's feeling is really her or just my muscle tensing or my breathing. He often says he felt something but it's not usually the times when I feel her kick really hard inside. So who knows?
You know, as amazing as it all is, this whole pregnancy is still so surreal to me. I still can't believe there's this little person growing inside me and I still don't really feel pregnant. Maybe because I still don't look pregnant? I just really don't feel much different, physically, than I did pre-pregnancy. Everyone has told me to enjoy my pregnancy because it goes by so quickly. And I'm trying to enjoy it. But it's so much different than I ever expected. I've gained between 6 and 8 lbs and I still just look a little chubby in the tummy. No flames, please, but it's just so hard to have to be okay with gaining weight, when, for as long as you can remember, you had to try so hard to lose weight or at least not gain any. I think I'm just in that stage where I still just feel fat because I don't have a real bump yet. And I know that I'll lose the weight once I have the baby, but it's just weird. I really thought I would embrace the belly, and maybe I will once it rounds out and looks like a baby belly. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. I do know that in the end, no matter what my body looks like, it will be worth it. I just can't wait to hold our baby in my arms!
By about 17w4d I could actually feel kicks from the outside! Since then, every time I feel her kicking hard I put my hand on my tummy to feel her kicking. It's amazing! And I can't get enough. Every night I put my hubby's hand on my belly to make him feel her kicks. I think he's felt her a couple times but he says he's not sure if what he's feeling is really her or just my muscle tensing or my breathing. He often says he felt something but it's not usually the times when I feel her kick really hard inside. So who knows?
You know, as amazing as it all is, this whole pregnancy is still so surreal to me. I still can't believe there's this little person growing inside me and I still don't really feel pregnant. Maybe because I still don't look pregnant? I just really don't feel much different, physically, than I did pre-pregnancy. Everyone has told me to enjoy my pregnancy because it goes by so quickly. And I'm trying to enjoy it. But it's so much different than I ever expected. I've gained between 6 and 8 lbs and I still just look a little chubby in the tummy. No flames, please, but it's just so hard to have to be okay with gaining weight, when, for as long as you can remember, you had to try so hard to lose weight or at least not gain any. I think I'm just in that stage where I still just feel fat because I don't have a real bump yet. And I know that I'll lose the weight once I have the baby, but it's just weird. I really thought I would embrace the belly, and maybe I will once it rounds out and looks like a baby belly. At least, that's what I'm hoping for. I do know that in the end, no matter what my body looks like, it will be worth it. I just can't wait to hold our baby in my arms!
