When I found out I was pregnant with my oldest child I was so excited that I hopped into my husbands arms and I couldn't believe it was true! I was so ecstatic that the first things that I did were download an app on my phone for baby names, figure out insurance, and came up with a financial plan. It's almost as if my mommy instincts kicked in RIGHT away. The need to provide and protect were running through my veins. Throughout my entire pregnancy I heard several of the typical "tips for new moms." Some of them were silly and others were helpful. I got the "You must have a baby with a head full of hair since you have such bad heartburn." Which turns out my child was basically bald until she was 2! They were so wrong!
As a pregnant first time mom and with raging hormones of course I was SUPER hungry all the time. Whenever I would express my desire for another piece of bread, pie, or even seconds of the meal we were having but second guess myself aloud; They would say "Oh you're fine. You're eating for 2 now." And then by the end of my pregnancy I gained 65lbs and then right before delivery with a ton of swelling and water retention 70lbs! All the "words of wisdom" or justification I heard from others were ALL WRONG! So I want to let all the first time moms out there reading this....here is the REAL words of wisdom you need to hear!
1. Eating
2. Exercise
4. Prenatal
I hope that some of you first time moms find my top 5 tips helpful. Always remember, you're not in this alone and it's ok to reach out for help.
As a pregnant first time mom and with raging hormones of course I was SUPER hungry all the time. Whenever I would express my desire for another piece of bread, pie, or even seconds of the meal we were having but second guess myself aloud; They would say "Oh you're fine. You're eating for 2 now." And then by the end of my pregnancy I gained 65lbs and then right before delivery with a ton of swelling and water retention 70lbs! All the "words of wisdom" or justification I heard from others were ALL WRONG! So I want to let all the first time moms out there reading this....here is the REAL words of wisdom you need to hear!
1. Eating
- Pregnant women should focus on eating healthy nutritious food especially in the first trimester.
- During the second trimester you should be consuming and extra 300-350 calories.
- Third trimester 500 calories.
- For women carrying multiple babies add 300 calories per day for each baby.
2. Exercise
- Pregnant women should exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Exercises that are safe are brisk walking, pregnancy yoga, and swimming. You can do light weight lifting as well but always make sure someone is there with you and you're not pushing yourself too hard. Always consult with your doctor if you have concerns about exercising or have a complicated pregnancy.
- There are so many chemicals in EVERYTHING now days. To give your baby the BEST start in life you should be weary of everything you put in or on your body. Whatever you consume or absorb, your baby will consume or absorb. Always look up medications to see if they are safe and if there are ANY risk. The thing with medicine is, is it really worth the risk of the health of your baby?? For example, even though Sudafed is on the ok list to take while pregnant. The studies done on this drug are not that extensive or have been done enough to produce absolute evidence that it is not going to harm your baby. Why would women risk their babies development and volunteer to see if a medication is going to harm their baby? So you have to ask yourself....is my cold that is going to last 3-10 days worth risking the lifetime effects it may or could have on my baby? On another note, the chemicals that have been put into our food are endless it seems like. There is a VERY common chemical called TBHQ which is "considered safe in small doses." This chemical has been shown to damage DNA. This product is in so many of the foods we consume everyday and if you are consuming several food products that contain this chemical, again you should ask yourself "Is this worth the risk?" Always check what chemicals are in your food. If you can't say it or haven't heard of it before, look it up.
4. Prenatal
- You should take your vitamin everyday. I know from my experience your so tired mentally and physically that you forget to take it from time to time and that's OK, because if you are eating healthy foods it won't be terrible if you miss a day here or there. Taking some of your vitamins is better than none but it is still advised to try and remember to take it everyday if possible.
- The entire time I was pregnant I knew I wanted to breastfeed because of course breast is best. But what people failed to give advice on or touch subject is that there is WAY more to breastfeeding than just putting your breast in your baby's mouth.
- Take a breastfeeding class at your local hospital or the hospital where you are going to deliver. Almost ALL hospitals have a free breastfeeding class/support group. Taking a class and reading books will help you and baby successfully master breastfeeding. And DON'T GIVE UP! There will be nights where you are going to cry and nights where baby doesn't want to nurse or you know they are hungry but don't know why they won't eat. In those moments, take a deep breath and eliminate ALL possible reasons why they won't eat. Sometimes it's a matter of changing your nursing bra or tank and/or washing off your nipples.
- Don't forget to get LOTS of nipple cream or use coconut oil if your baby doesn't like the cream.
I hope that some of you first time moms find my top 5 tips helpful. Always remember, you're not in this alone and it's ok to reach out for help.
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