Pacifier Deportation

Running errands as parents now includes the task of placing child in her car seat. 

Of course she starts to cry.  She rather be held but that is just not going to happen in the car.

Dave turned to me and said:

"I want to use a pacifier.  Just this once. Where are they?"

"I had them deported"

"What?"

"They're not here.  They're gone."



I had a bunch of pacifiers at home. I simply put them in my mom's suitcase before she left from her visit. I don't know if she found them yet but I know she won't go through the trouble of sending them back.  

I've had several people ask if I have a pacifier on me or say I should use a pacifier at the moment Baby begins to peep out a whimper.


*sigh*


I rather deal with one problem: crying

Instead of dealing with more problems resulting from pacifier use--plus crying.

All babies cry.  A  crying baby is not a measure of how one parents and babies don't cry to be annoying.  

I now notice that Baby has different cries for when she's hungry, wet, tired, or wants to be held.  

I just prefer to calm my baby by holding, swaying, talking, or swaddling her instead of popping latex in her mouth.  I think this is normal to do!  

One thing for sure: had I began using pacifiers to serve as an instant tranquilizer to crying, I would have missed witnessing the first of many beautiful flash-second smiles in her sleep.  

Even Dave gave me credit for that one. 

Book Review and FREE Giveaway!!!

UPDATE: Giveaway now closed.  Congrats to Megan D. from Utah on winning!!


The Mommy MD Guide to Losing Weight and Feeling Great now available in paperback!

More information about Mommy MD Guides HERE

I loved, LOVED reading this book; this is a great book for any woman, not just the ones who've given birth.

From the authors:

"The Mommy MD Guide to Losing Weight and Feeling Great is the fourth book in our Mommy MD Guides series. It features more than 500 tips that 50 doctors who are also mothers use to slim down, shape up, fight fatigue, boost mood, look great, and live better."

I think every woman wants to look her best but this book helps women to have REALISTIC and safe expectations for losing weight, taking care of her appearance, and managing stress.

This book was extremely refreshing to read especially since mothers are inundated by advertisements everyday to look "perfect" or be so negative about the challenge of getting back in shape after a baby.

Not all the mothers are OB/GYNs in the Mommy MD Guides (my first assumption) but all are medical providers.

Reading the comments, tips, and the experiences shared, I went through the book thinking "I can totally relate to that" or "Hmm I should try this out" or "Oh! That's good, I better keep this in mind"

What I also liked was that you don't have to read the book cover to cover, you can open a page and start reading.

There is even an index of topics you can turn to if you are looking for something specific to flip through.


There are other books in the Mommy MD series too:

• The Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth
• The Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year 
• The Mommy MD Guide to the Toddler Years

"Losing Weight and Feeling Great" would be a great gift to give for the woman who's looking for positive changes for the New Year 2014!

You also have the chance to WIN a copy straight from the authors as a giveaway! Yes!!!  Free present!!!!

So...

Comment on my Facebook page or the blog post below to enter in a drawing:

What is YOUR tip for losing weight and feeling great?

The winner will be chosen at random by me, and announced next Friday, 12/20/2013

Winner gets to pick one of the 4 books of her choosing.

Real Thoughts on Breastfeeding

I thought since I birthed drug-free, that breastfeeding would be a cinch.  

Nope.  

Baby had a couple of problems that made it very difficult to breastfeed.  There were many times during those weeks that I was quite sleep-deprived and at my wits end; quitting would have been a lot easier--and I got a ton of bad advice too. 

Maybe Baby really just couldn't nurse - had I considered that possibility?  It wouldn't be the end of the world anyway if I had to give expressed milk in a bottle and then do formula 100%.  After all, other people had done it, Dave and I were formula-fed too as babies, and everyone turned out fine and happy in the end.  The important thing was that it had to work for me, right?  

The thought of discontinuing breastfeeding earlier than planned was painful but not for reasons most people assume.  Let me explain:  

Deep down, it just didn't seem right or fair to me that I, as her mother could quit whenever it was convenient, but push my daughter to not quit when things were tough.  I wanted to teach my girl to not give up on things that are worthwhile.  I wanted her to gain confidence in learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.  If I quit breastfeeding because it was so hard, what kind of message would I be sending to my child as she got older when she wants to drop out of a tough math course or learning a new instrument?  Not what I wanted to do as her parent!  

Plus I didn't want to risk wondering the rest of my life if I could have tried harder with learning to breastfeed.  I decided to continue to try to nurse because I felt that she was capable of learning and so was I.  

It was A LOT OF WORK to get it down and once I did, I was happy, stunned and amazed.  I couldn't believe how much confidence I gained as a result from that experience, along with an extreme amount of self-satisfaction.  Breastfeeding was now wonderful, not hard, stressful or painful. 

I want every mom to have the excellent support I had and none of the BS!

If breastfeeding is something you want to do and are having problems:

See a lactation consultant ASAP, don't delay 
We started going to one when Baby was 5 days old with several follow up visits for a little over a month.  I had the assistance of a wonderful lactation consultant (Lois at the University of Utah Hospital Outpatient Lactation Clinic).  She was very patient and understanding with me and my baby when I felt no one else wasn't.  And it was affordable. 

The majority of the feedback and advice I received from the LC revolved around something that is underrated: route repetition.  

In addition, we addressed one problem at a time per visit, not everything at once because that is how problems are overlooked.  Each visit it was pretty much: "I followed through with solving Problem X.  I now have a problem with Y and need to address that"  The lactation consultant helped address each issue per visit, and were solved by the time I went back for follow-up.  

Stick to the LC's recommendation plan.  
Follow the plan to a "T"  

Don't throw in the tips/advice your family and/or friends suggested in between the LC's recommendation plan.  I cannot stress this enough!  If a doctor told you to take a medicine at 75mg twice a day, you're not going to take a friend's medicine at 50mg once a day...even though it worked for her, right?  If the LC tells you to do skin-to-skin 20 minutes before every feeding, don't throw in the advice of a friend to use a nipple shield because it worked for her.  

I strongly believe you're more likely to be successful and less stressed out seeking UNBIASED feedback and EVIDENCE-BASED advice from a professional than from family and friends.  I am not putting down or judging family and friends, I simply did not choose to look to them for advice on nursing.  Anyone who hasn't helped a lot of moms and babies, will not help me with continuing to nurse successfully.  I think this is common sense!  

Other thoughts
I do feel a bit conflicted wanting to support women and their choices and not hurt feelings when it comes to breastfeeding advice.  I could say:

"I understand how hard it is to nurse.  I've been there.  Don't feel guilty if it doesn't work out.  

Do what works for you.  In the end, you are a good mom"  

But I really don't think that's good or helpful advice to give to a mother who desperately wants to nurse and is struggling. To me, that is giving the mother permission to quit, and that's bad because if she did quit earlier than planned, she may wonder later on if she could have done more or try harder with nursing.  

I believe the best breastfeeding advice would be to encourage the mother to keep going and to see a qualified lactation consultant because only they have the training and experience necessary to properly assess the problem and develop a recommendation plan for your specific case.  Seeing a lactation consultant was the best and most reliable help I got to make breastfeeding successful.  

Also, nothing is fun until you're good at it.  Things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where most people tend to give up.  A lot of people get annoyed when they're told "Keep trying"
Why not keep trying?  There's the chance it could work out and be surprised that you did better, way better than you thought you ever could.  

Postpartum

I'm in awe that she could have still been in my tummy as of today.

Bummer that I didn't take a belly photo right before birth, I never thought the pregnancy would be cut short almost 4 weeks.

Last preggo photo, at 35 weeks

I recovered really well belly-wise though.

Taken one week postpartum

I probably scared a lot of girls about my labor and childbirth story.


I say...giving birth was EASY compared to raising a baby.

I was on an endorphin high after birth but close to the end of the 3rd week, I was so exhausted and sleep deprived due to the constant demands of this sweet little human.

My mom arrived from out of town in the nick of time before Dave and I collapsed to the ground.   She's been teaching me the ropes of being a mom, being organized, and setting up a routine with a baby now in the picture.

Man what have I done to deserve a child so beautiful????
Some photos taken today...

Aww

*Sigh*

Stop taking photos of me, Mommy!

A Surprise Delivery and 6 Hour Labor

My goodness where to begin? We had a baby!!

She took us by surprise by arriving 3 weeks and 4 days early.  My labor and delivery lasted only 6 hours.


I loved my birth experience!! It's long but I tried to remember everything and not leave anything out. 


Sadie the dog had been acting so WEIRD around me starting Wednesday evening 10/16/2013. We were dog sitting for my in-laws for almost a week and were flying back to town that Sunday. Before leaving for their trip:

MIL: Don't have the baby until I come back!
Me: We won't!

This dog is old. She usually sleeps or putters around.  Her change in behavior was that every time I wasn't lying down on the couch or in bed, she would keep barking, and sniffing my feet and calves.

On Thursday morning I started showing slight signs of effacement, but figured it wasn't anything alarming because I wasn't contracting. At least I knew my body was getting ready for labor.  After all, I read that for first time deliveries it would probably take a couple of weeks before true labor began.

Dave wanted to grow his hair out until the baby was born. However he was getting tired of his long hair and decided to get his haircut on Thursday evening from my good family friend Rosalia.  

She and her husband and boys are family to me. While living with them, I met Dave and stayed with them until we got married.  We went over to their house (they live very close to Dave's parents), had dinner with them, Dave got his haircut, then we went back to the house, let the dog out (she was still weird), and we went to bed around 10PM.  I was completely fine, I didn't feel anything other than my back was a bit achey and I wanted to go to bed.

I woke up around 1AM feeling some mild contractions.  I thought they were Braxton Hicks but decided to time them. I was using some iPhone app to time them and took a while to figure out how to use it. In the meantime I decided to text my mom about it.  I started writing some notes for my blog.  I texted my mom again and my sisters around 2:30 about my mild contractions to see if they could come later that day.

At 3AM I decided to take a warm bath to see if the contractions would go away. I woke up Dave to let him know why I was in the tub that early. The water relieved some of the back pain. However, pregnant women really need a BIG tub to move around and find the best position to best relieve the contractions.

I woke up Dave again and said "I'm contracting but they're consistent. I'm also seeing blood when I wipe"

Dave went ahead and called triage. The nurse told him that we could come and have myself checked but they would only admit me if I was effaced 5cm or more. I didn't want to go only to be turned away!

I was still contracting and was desperate for some extra support.  My mom had three more weeks left before flying out to see me and prepare for baby.  My MIL was out of town until Sunday. My sisters were 45 min away and my doula even further.

Notice the timing and how things progressed.
Can you imagine my mom's reaction reading all of this when she woke up?

Instantly I decided to call Rosi.  We were at her place about 8 hours prior. It was 4:20AM. I knew she usually got up at 5AM but hoping she pick up.

She did!  I explained I was contracting a lot and asked if she could come over because I didn't know what to do. Rosi asked about my water breaking and I said I didn't know, I didn't think it had broken. She then replied she would come over and see what was going on.

Around this time my contractions became closer and stronger together. I could NOT concentrate on timing the contractions on that iPhone app and said "Forget this!" I just knew they were coming less than 5 min apart lasting around a minute.

About 20 minutes later, Rosi came and I was already on the toilet.

It is SO TRUE that contractions come and go. They're manageable to deal at the beginning but when the baby is close, it hurts. I was feeling a lot of labor pain on my lower back.  Rosi asked how I was feeling and I said I felt like going poo and just didn't know what to do and just hugged her for relief and motherly support. She rubbed my back and forehead a bit.

As I got up from the toilet there was more reddish discharge, Rosi took a look down there and said "Um, yeah we should go, it's time to go"

Dave quickly packed whatever we had left for our dog visit. Basic toiletries and some clothes. I had not prepared a bag yet for the hospital with any baby stuff, a cute robe, Boppy pillow or whatever your friends tell you to bring to the hospital.  We survived just fine although id definitely say bring body wash!!

Dave also had to let out Sadie one more time to go potty and tie her up. She was barking so much and along with my contractions, drove me nuts, and I let out "Shut up Sadie!!!!!"

Dave drove while Rosi and I were in the back.  I rested my head on her lap. The drive from my in-laws to the hospital and being wheel chaired in to triage was the worst I felt with contractions. I must have began transition on the drive because I was moaning and agonizing a lot in the car.

From my in-laws to the hospital was a 30 minute drive.  Ooooowwwwweeeeee! I couldn't get myself to move until the contraction was over.

The security guy tried to wheel me into triage as fast as he could but it hurt so bad when I had another contraction.  "Stooooopppp!!!! It hurts!!! Go slower!!!!"

It was about 5:45AM when we arrived in triage.  It was a good thing that Dave called triage earlier because by the time we arrived we had a room set up for evaluation because it hurt.   Aaaaagghhh it hurt. But when it stopped it was relief and when it began then aaaaaaagggghh.

I hired a photographer that Wednesday to document the birth. We were planning to meet up the following Wednesday assuming that the birth would happen in November...not the end of the week! While in triage, Dave called her and explained what was going on so she rushed on her way to photograph the birth! 

After a few minutes lying on the bed, the nurse came to check on me!

I was dead set on natural/ zero intervention birth.  I had no idea how dilated I was but at the moment I decided to eff natural birth, if I was at a 5cm I'd take the pain relief.

The nurse checked me and said:

"Honey, you are at a NINE.  I can feel the baby's head!  You better start pushing!!"  
I was so happy to hear that, happy enough to where the contractions didn't seem as bad.

I changed clothes to deliver, lied in a gurney and wheeled across the hall to labor and delivery.

So many things happened at once!!!  Such a complete blur when I delivered and the rest of the day went by so so fast.  Faster than our wedding day.  

At L&D, the nurses and doctors tried to insert IVs for fluids and a pit drip to contract the uterus after delivery.  However I was so shaky and sweaty enough that my veins were too flat and couldn't insert anything. Got minor bruising from that. But they put some warm blankets on me.

My water hadn't broken so the attending physician broke it for me. It was a lot of relief but then it was a lot of pressure pushing.

The L&D nurses were THE BOMB!!!  They were like fans, cheerleaders, and football coaches all at once.  
One had a fabulous method of doing a tug of war with a bath towel.  So when I'd contract, she'd grab one end of the towel, I'd pull on the towel, chin down and push!  Grrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmpppppphhhhh!!!!!!!!!

That way I wouldn't concentrate on contracting my legs. I was sweating and shivering a lot too!!! I was getting so exhausted and so nervous to push. I didn't want to push because it felt like someone made a consistent nasty pinch to the top of my opening with pliers. I wanted to take things slower but I couldn't slow down!!

Rosi was at my side the entire time.  At some point I said I didn't want to push but she gave me THE LOOK and said 
"You GOT to push!!!"
So I pushed.

Then the baby popped from my piñata.  Aaaaaahhhh relief!

Rosi with Baby that just arrived!
The best labor coach on the planet.  

I did feel great but down there... I felt like I got raped by a horse and kicked in the back once they lifted me off the bed to use the restroom.  I was hobbling around but I could move and use the bathroom instantly!!

The labor felt completely natural, like my body was meant to do it and I should just let it happen.

There was pain involved, but it was a different pain...I look back now and say man it really wasn't bad at all. I'd definitely will attempt natural again if the pregnancy is routine and uncomplicated. It was pain with a great purpose. I think I've experienced worse things than childbirth. Childbirth is WONDERFUL not awful.

Emotionally, it was amazing.

Us three.
Photo by J Taylor Photography

I have recovered so well physically and feel so energized.  I don't feel or look like I've given birth!  

The baby is beautiful!!

We left the hospital on Sunday, the same day Dave's parents came back.

Things are more settled now from that fast paced weekend.

Sadie is a lot calmer now.

Old dogs are the best dogs

I am not a dog person!!!

Didn't grow up with dogs as a kid, had a phobia of being bit by them, and dealt with more than enough weird dogs while proselyting as a missionary in Brazil.

I would be perfectly fine without one for the rest of my life!

However.

I love only one dog.  My in-law's dog.  She's perfect.  She's old.

Meet Sadie!  The sweetest, fluffiest doggy around.  She does request her dog food to be seasoned with chicken bullion.

When I began dating Dave, I knew that he was a good guy and would be a good parent because of how well he treated this little old lady and took good care of her.   That being said: RUN FOR THE HILLS if your significant other has a pet and it's not well-fed and taken care of.

Anyhow.

Old dogs are PERFECT for anti-dog lovers like me because they don't do stuff that drives anti-dog lovers batty.  Here's why:

Old dogs don't jump on you.

Old dogs don't jump on your bed.

Old dogs are potty-trained (okay, rare accidents do happen, but they're old so let them out often)

Old dogs sleep most of the time.

Old dogs don't chew on your stuff.

Old dogs don't wear you out.  Especially when you're pregnant.

Old dogs love you just the same.

If we ever get a dog, I want to adopt an old rescue dog.  They are the first ones to be euthanized and that's so sad, because they are probably the best dogs to have around.

I'm dog sitting Sadie this week.  Today I was trying to see where in the house she went and I was able to find her because of her snoring.

Dave is Home Makeover and Upcoming GIVEAWAY

Dave is Home has a new look!  

I finally figured out how to add links below my blog title thanks to some online reading and help from one of Dave's friends.  I learned that this is called a "menu bar"

I also made some cosmetic updates.  I don't know anything about coding or graphics.  Only enough to know that I can view the source code of a couple blogs I liked and copied and pasted some cosmetic coding in CSS and played around with it.  

It's still a work in progress, there are still some things I want to tweak on.  

I wanted to improve the look of the blog since I'm doing a legit book review and wanted to make the blog look nice for the FREE book giveaway so...keep your eyes out for it.  

Other stuff, I'm becoming more physically similar to Humpty Dumpty and getting ready for the baby that's coming soon.  Weekly visits to the doctor now.  She's getting bigger and my bladder has become her punching bag.  

Five Ways to Prevent Stretch Marks

The first piece of advice I got upon announcing my pregnancy was...stretch marks!

Some tips to prevent the tiger stripes on the belly.  No guarantees but this is what I do.

#1  "Don't scratch your belly! You will get stretch marks!!"

I heard this A LOT.  But only from Latinas.  I have yet to hear this piece of advice from a white chick.

I haven't scratched my belly.  I don't know if scratching is really the root cause of stretch marks but I'm prone to get them.  I have some old ones on the back of my thighs to rapid weight gain and loss waaay before pregnancy.  Meh.  That being said....

#2 Watch your weight!

You DO gain stretch marks by gaining weight too fast.  Exercise and diet are optimal but what you eat is key!  There are many days in pregnancy where you'll feel like a beached whale and not move, much less exercise.

Therefore, do your best to monitor your cravings, watch your portions, and eliminate foods and drinks that guarantee fatty status.
   

#3 Exfoliate your belly

Once a day when I shower, I exfoliate my belly by using a homemade scrub made of salt, olive oil, and essential fragrance.  The oil helps to minimize the itching.  The salt helps to remove dead skin cells.  I also noticed that it slowly faded my old stretch marks.  

#4 Apply lotion and ointments.  

I have more than plenty of bottles and samples of lotions so I'm trying to use up what I have already.  I don't have a preference for lotion for pregnancy, other than that the fragrance can't bother me.  Lotion is lotion, and it feels good.  I try to generously apply lotion around twice a day, all over my body after I shower and right before I go to bed.



Ointments are fabulous for itch relief!  Especially in this dry weather.   I tried both and they have the same results.  They feel the same but mum + bub is organic and has a pleasant fragrance.

If you still feel itchy in bed, wash your sheets and use softener.... 

#5 Drink lots of water!!!

Aside from keeping skin elastic, drinking water prevents a ton of preggo problems like: protein and sugar in urine, kidney stones, back aches, leg cramps, and edema.  In addition, drinking water helps mothers stay energized during labor and nourishes breast milk supply after birth.

Nothing yet.  But we'll see.  They can come anytime.  

Any other tips or lore you know of to prevent stretch marks?  

Spencer Hadley is Not a Hero

I read this article about Spencer Hadley after seeing it appear several times on my Facebook newsfeed.  

Reading the comments, I noticed that some fans hailed Spencer Hadley as a "hero" and/or "good role model"  

Nothing against Hadley, hope he turns out alright but I don't think it's appropriate to call him a hero or a good role model for "Doing The Right Thing"  Many people get these terms confused.  

A hero is someone like the Navy Seal from "Act of Valor" who ran and threw himself on top of a grenade to save his fellow Seals from death and prevent a vile terrorist attack in the US. Basically, someone who puts his/her life at risk for the safety of another. 
Hadley? Hardly. 

What defines a good role model? 
Anyone in a situation that acts appropriately without being forced to is a good role model.  
"But he's redeeming himself, he will turn his life around for the better, therefore, he is a good role model of making a mistake and turning his life around"  one might say.  Um...he had to!  He let his entire team and a large fan base down.  He was forced to get things straightened out...after being caught. 

Good role models in athletes (college and pro) are the ones that don't do anything that gets them in trouble and instead act as they believe they should act. No cheating,  no affairs, no doping, no criminal acts, and at BYU, no Honor Code violations. And...they aren't immune to opportunities to do the wrong thing. They still go do the right thing and what's expected of them.

Don't confuse heroes and good role models. Recognize who they really are and direct your praise to them. 

Escorting a hero. 

Pregnancy Musing #6 It's Getting Closer

One of my friends' baby was sneaky and my friend delivered almost a month away from her due date!  

That was an eye opener for me to get the ball rolling on a couple of things just in case it happens to me.  

Things I've gotten out of way after that...

Pre-authorization from insurance for the delivery: 

I didn't know that was required but it's out of the way now.

Dental exam and cleaning: 

Done. No new cavities! 

Thank you notes: 

I've finished writing  one for every single gift I received so far. 

I just. need. to. mail. them. 

Car seat: 

We picked up our infant car seat yesterday. 

Stroller: 

Just getting a snap and go for now. 

I don't know how much I'll be using an actual stroller in winter and figured when the time comes, try some strollers with the baby in it. 

Crib:

 Getting one from a good friend!

Diaper bag: 

My backpack will work for now. It has plenty of room and pockets. 

Diapers: 

got some hopefully to last the first 3 months. And wipes. 

Childbirth class: 

We're going to one at the hospital all day instead of once a night for 6 weeks. 

Just get it done and over with! 

Hospital bag: 

Haven't packed yet but got great advice from mothers as to what to bring.  

Hopefully the class will help. 

Nursery: 

Not much expect for her closet, which is pretty much what she needs. 

Just need to rearrange the room for a crib. 

Baby name: 

Agreed to a wonderful and beautiful first name!!  

Still up in the air for a middle name. 

Baby moon: 

Went away for a night in Midway. 

Great weather,  swimming, fine dining, 

and then relaxing in our hotel room to watch the BYU vs Utah football game.  

This salad was very delicious!!

Dave and I are are Utah alumni so...yay for the UTES!!  

University of Utah
Great place to work and/or study at.

Some BYU fans are crazy enough to believe that losing to the U is like losing to Satan so...

I was happy for a 4th straight win against BYU.  ^_^ 

I liked that we didn't travel far for the baby moon because...

 you never know if you'll have a pregnancy scare.  

Tada...

Right before check out, I used the restroom and saw blood before flushing the toilet.

That was weird because I felt no pain. 

Dave and I went straight to the hospital after leaving Midway. 

After 4 hours of waiting and monitoring, they concluded it was a kidney stone. 

At my follow-up visit yesterday, I asked my OB why I felt NO PAIN because I heard passing a stone is more painful than labor...

do I have a magical pain tolerance for kidney stones and possibly birth??

  The OB said "No" 

and explained that the uterer dilates more during pregnancy.  

 Depending on the size, the stone was easier to pass and not experience pain. 

I was lucky!  

Also very pleased with the excellent follow-up care I'm receiving. 

Pregnancy related, no signs of preterm labor. 

She is healthy, happy and cozy in my tummy. 

Just drinking more water now.

What else do I need to get done before the baby arrives?

Pregnancy Musing #5 Eating Free Meals for Science

When I went to diabetes counseling (standard practice for any woman with GD) the counselor told me about a new research study that needed participants with GD. 

The goal of this study is to determine whether women diagnosed with gestational diabetes will have a decrease in pregnancy risks if they eat pre-packaged meals (specifically designed by a registered dietician to meet the nutritional needs of gestational diabetes) compared to women who prepare their own meals

You randomly get selected into one of two groups:

• Get free frozen meals and record in a log of your levels and what you ate

• Make your own meals and record in a log of your levels and get a $35 gift card each week. 

The incentives of both groups sounded appealing and I decided to enroll.  

Personally I was glad to be in the group that gets the free meals.  It was a solution to my problem with meal planning and carb counting, and my lack of desire to cook in my final stretch of pregnancy.  At the same time, I really wanted to eat right for myself and my baby!

I'm glad the carb and other nutritional contents have all been figured out by someone else on these meals.  They are prepared in a safe and legit food prep environment.   

It's like NutriSystem but instead of weight loss, it's to have better sugar levels. Also like Meals on Wheels because they are delivered to my door :-)

I get 3 meals a day including snacks.  One snack per day.  I warm up the meals up, eat them, check my levels after about an hour, and once a week, submit a log of a food journal and my levels for that week of meals. 

Here's a pic of my meals I received this morning:

Some of the meals,  I was able to stuff more in this tiny freezer. 

Right before heating up.  French onion dip sandwich with some veggies

I officially start Saturday but have some commitments this weekend where I may not be able to eat all the meals Saturday and Sunday. Not wanting to skip meals, I ate a Saturday lunch and dinner today! 

I hadn't had a frozen dinner since becoming pregnant, I wanted to avoid over processed and packaged foods as much as possible.  But this is different.  I'm doing this for science.  

What I liked about these meals is that they aren't prepared too far out in advanced, no need to add stuff to make it taste fresh. The meals taste pretty good for a frozen meal.  I'm also getting ideas on my own after pregnancy on what to eat and portion sizes.  

I'm extremely happy to participate!  I'll keep eating them until baby arrives.  I had a dream about her last night and she look so beautiful ^_^.

Pregnancy Musing #4 Nutrition and Gestational Diabetes

I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes after the first glucose intolerance test.  Doctor immediately referred me to to diabetes counseling.  

Nothing to do with weight or eating sweets.  Just an over active placenta getting too much glucose to the baby, and physiological factors that increased my chances of having GD.

I was bummed finding this out and nervous about the consequences of not controlling GD.  As long as I follow doc's orders, baby and I will be fine.

Having GD made sense as to why I was extremely tired in the morning and early afternoons.  Taking medicine to control glucose and some changes in diet made a huge improvement with my crashes.

I thought I was doing great with shunning sweets, sodas, and not pigging out.....  

Taken today.  31 wks and 5 days

The change in diet was to monitor my carb intake.  That meant no more cereal!!  I would eat so many bowls because it tastes great and involves little effort to prepare.

Dave's been very supportive with my diet and taking an interest with how much carbs a particular meal contains.

I do have to monitor my blood sugar and prick my finger.  Didn't like it at first, but I'm more adjusted to it now.  It feels like a quick bee sting without my fingers getting swollen.  I record in a booklet of my levels and what I ate.  I can see trends of what certain foods affect my blood sugar, and have to keep it at normal levels, all in effort not to get a jumbo size baby and avoid a c-section.

At my last check up, my doctor looked at my booklet and said I was doing a great job monitoring my levels, taking the medicine, and watching what I eat.  Even my weight gain was great.  

I've gained 7 lbs total since becoming pregnant  ^_^


If you need food ideas for weight loss this are some things I'm doing:

Eat carbs, but LIMIT them, especially in the mornings, and watch portions with carbs the rest of the day along with minimal sweets.

The more carbs I consume, the higher my blood sugar levels become, which can put more weight on myself and the baby.  Don't want that!

Carb goals:
30-45 gms of carbs with breakfast
45-60 gms of carbs with lunch and dinner

• More protein.  Mostly eggs and chicken.
• More veggies.
• Less pasta and rice.
• Less bread.
• NO SOFT DRINKS
• No fruit juice.
• Lots of water.
• No fried food
• Salads: no croutons or dressing other than olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
• Frozen yogurt instead of ice cream
• Less or no fruit in mornings.  Less fruit throughout day.
• Greek yogurt instead of regular yogurt (more protein).
• 3 glasses of milk a day. I've been drinking either 1% or skim the entire pregnancy. Since it counts as a carb, I have to count that as part of my meals.
• No sugar or sugar substitutes like Splenda.  You eventually get used to not adding sugar!
• Continue to take a multi vitamin/prenatal

That's pretty much it.  This helps with not getting fat, especially on days when I don't exercise and just want to lie in bed and feel the baby's kicks.

Watching what I eat is preventing stretch marks, swollen feet, and new cavities.

I do miss cereal though.  Especially Fruity Pebbles and Corn Pops. But I don't miss it that much to go against doctor's orders.