Second Baby Questions......

Be mindful of the types of food you eat. Make healthier choices. Instead of ice creme try sherbert, choose Cheezit's rather than potatoe chips, etc.

There are water aerobics classes through Brookwood Hospital that I did when I was pregnant. It felt great and was nice to bond with other pregnant women. Call Karen Culverhouse at ###-###-#### for details about the program and times.

Hey C.,

Don't let yourself get in a routine of cravings. That is your brain talking, not your belly. Be sure to exercise. I took prenatal exercise classes and walked and walked and walked.

I remember feeling hungry ALOT during my pregnancies, but the truth of the matter is the baby only needs a couple hundred extra calories per day. Any more than that, and it's going to your body, not the baby. Talk to your OB, they can help!

Congrats on your new baby!!! I am 9 weeks along with my 3rd baby. You know, each pregnancy is different I gained 17 with my first and 25 with my second. I had a perfect pg with my first and was sick the whole 9 months with allergies and sinus infections with my second. I had a perfect delivery 30 minute labor 3 pushes with my 1st. Emergency section, baby had breathed in blood and had to be resucitaded with my second. So far with this pg I have had bad nausea something I did not have with the other two and I have LOST 5 pounds. If you are watching what you eat and eating healthy foods and excercising you can't stop the weight gain. I have found though you add a lot of unnecessary calories and actual fat calories with your drinks. We tend to drink more when we are pg and if you are drink hgh fructose juices and such you are adding a ton of calories. Your 4 year old will keep you busy during this pregnancy so you will be moving more than you did for your first which may help you in not gaining so much weight. I do Denise Austin's work out from pregnant women. It is low key and safe during pregnancy and helps to allieviate alot of the cramping and discomfort of pregnancy and also helps keep weight down and easier to come off afterwards because your body is in shape. Keep track of what you eat and drink and remember you don't need more than an extra 500 calories a day during pregnancy. 500 calories is NOT that much. Heck that's a fast food burger! You may be surprised at how muc extra you actually are consuming. Good luck to you!
K.

Yeah...... every pregnancy is different. I had 3 boys and the pregnancies were all similar, but when I had my girl, the pregnancy was totally different. But the second time around I think that you are more aware and you don't want to get as big as you did the first time so you are more self conscious and it isn't as bad. Just make sure you get your exercise in and eat lots of fresh vegetables and they always told me to eat fish at least once a week for the iodine. Take your vitamins and you will be just fine.
All pregnancies are different and your feelings such as your awareness to what you eat will be so much different. Enjoy being pregnant. It is fun and an experience of a life time.

Pregnant women can definately consume lots as we've all experienced, but if it's the right kind of foods, weight gain will be minimal. :)
With my last pregnancy I only gained about 12 lbs and I believe it was mostly due to what foods I ate.
I nick-named it the "midieval diet" (as in way of eating not loosing weight--tho you might drop a few unwanted lbs because of being healthier, you and your baby will get plenty to eat)

Think about the food that was available on this planet in various parts of the world at 1200AD. The rule is to eat only foods that were available at this time. SO----no additives, artifical colors, artificial flavors, growth hormones and anti-biotics (found in non-organic meat), vegetable oils (olive is fine), high fructose corn syrup and trans-fats.
Check your labels carefully. Get your bread from a quality bakery made without additives or make your own using a bread machine. Use organic whenever possible in everything. Eat lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, white and brown rice, organic chicken and beef. Cheese is fine but in small amounts. Be careful not to overdo the bread--which can cause excess weight gain. Avoid deserts --but you can treat yourself with one every two weeks if you want. :)

You can't say enough for GOOD nutrition!

huggs,
M.

Hey C.! Congrats on the new baby! That is so great. I too did the same thing. I gained 35lbs with my first son and he was only 7lbs 6oz. I retained alot of fluid. It was an easy preg, but hard weigth gain. Then I was prego again 4 mos later! With my second son I only gained 19lbs and he was 8lbs 13oz! Big difference. I am sure that you lifestyle has changed since your first baby. You know you start to see you habbits when someone is always watching you and you want something better for them. I think that you should eat healthy, no dieting, and stay active with your lil one!!! If you have any questions just ask!

I know exactly what you're talking about. I had the same problems with my pregnancies. Unfortunately, I didn't have any good advice about eating a healthy pregnancy diet and keeping my weight under control. The glycemic index diet has really worked for me. It's extremely nutritious, and doesn't involve calorie counting or special meals. There's a great book called "Living the G.I. Diet" that provides details and great recipes.

Good luck with your pregnancy! Remember, you CAN eat enough for "two" and manage your weight.

Hi C.! Congratulations on your second baby. As you go through this pregnancy keep in mind that a pregnant/ nursing mom only need an extra 300 calories added to their daily diet. This boils down to maybe two snacks. Just keep that in mind though out then next few months, you really don't need to be eating too much more than you are already. Also, I would suggest walking or some other type of exercise at least 3-5x per week. I know that I walked in the summer and I bought a pregnancy workout video when it started to get colder. That was great b/c it really help prepare my body for delivery. Good Luck in staying healthy- I know you can do it!

Fit Pregnancy magazine occasionally has meal plans. They last a week and are fairly labor-intensive, but kept me healthy for one of my pregnancies. The recipes look like something you might not ordinarily try, but give it a shot. When I used the meal plans, I had the lowest blood pressure and the least amount of weight gained.

C.,
I completely understand! I am currently 4 weeks pregnant with my 2nd also. I had a very hard first pregnacy and also gained close to 60 pounds. I may not have the answers , however I will support you!!
D. K

I understand the "not wanting to gain weight" part, and agree with it--as long as you eat nutritiously! Other people have given good advice on that, so I will just add a website (www.blueribbonbaby.org) for some specifics. It might look like a lot of food to eat in one day, but it's really not that many calories if you avoid everything that's *not* on the list. For example, baked potatoes are good, healthy, and low-fat--it's the butter, cheese, sour cream and bacon we put on top of them that makes it so bad for us.

An encouragement to keep your weight gain reasonable: I gained 40 pounds with my first, lost it all, then gained 50 pounds with my second. The pregnancy aches and discomforts (especially the lower back ache and not being able to sleep well at night) started *much* earlier and were more severe with my second than with my first; I also had a much longer and more painful labor with my second (both home births, so no epidural or any other intervention). I think the weight gain made the most difference.

I just had baby number 7 (she's almost 3 months old--one was a set of twins); the first 5 were born at home with a midwife and I received great (but very simple) advice from her that I use to this day--simply get a spiral notebook, no matter what size, and journal your foods that you eat. You don't realize what you are consuming until you see it on paper. I have since journaled more--my days while being pregnant and even after I delivered.
I also used the Bradley Method birthing plan which believes in natural childbirth versus medications. It also talks about good nutrition. I haven't been through it in about 20 years, but it is a good childbirthing method even just to talk to an instructor or read a bood in the library about it.
Good luck and God Bless--just remember, it ONLY 9 months (which seems like a really LONG time when you want to SEE your baby, but really it isn't, just make sure you eat VERY healthy). God will bless you with a miracle.

I did the EXACT same thing as you, but when I got pregnant the 2nd time, my son was only 5mths old, so I hadn't started losing any weight yet. I started the Bradley Birth method from the start of my pregnancy with #2, and they have a diet (not weight loss, but healthy eating) plan to follow, and I lost 20lbs during that pregnancy instead of gained because I was actually eating what and the amount that I and the baby needed. I also snuck in my cravings, I just didn't over indulge myself. I and the baby were completely healthy. He came out a perfect 7lbs 9 oz 2 weeks early.
http://www.bradleybirth.com/PD.aspx

I too had a tough time with my first pregnancy. so during my second one I wanted to do better. when my sugar got low...you know when that happens, you get that nausea feeling...it is a sign that you need to eat something. I made myself a salad with lots of good stuff, sunflower seeds, cranberries, red and yellow bell peppers and very fattening ranch dressing. Heck, I was preganant after all and was allowed the extra calories. The key is to not to look for the same old foods change it up a bit so it is appealing to you. exercise was tough for me. I had so much pressure from the beginning that I couldn;t even walk more then 10 minutes on the treadmill. It was tough so I just walked 10 minutes at a time until I got that uncomfortable feeling and then sat down. You can try a yoga class too. Many of my prego friends used to go to a yoga class, (offered free at the local church), and they loved it. Water aerobics was fun too! Good luck and congratS!

I too gained a lot with my first but not nearly as much with my second because I was more relaxed and happier. Believe it or not beginning your day asking God to help you decern what to eat is the best medicine. Talk with him each time that you start to crave. Stay organic in everything. There is a milk now that is from cows that were not fed steroid-filled feeds. Whole-grained products always. MSG is in everything - look at the potato chip labels, it's there and it's toxic to you. Keep color in your diet and note high fructose corn syrup additives - stay clear. No soda just filtered water and juices. "You have not because you ask not" - from the Bible just don't know what verse... God Bless you. (I am a Christian and educated in foods and nutrition and biochemistry -

Wow, you so remind me of myself, I too gained almost 60 lbs with my first (a girl) and almost 4 yrs later had a son, and with my second pregnancy I was determined not to make the same mistake, so I walked every day or every chance I got and ate healthier and kept a real close eye on my weight, and it made all the difference in the world, I was in such good shape when I had him that my labor was a whooping 15 min max I almost had him at home. then got out of the hospital noon the next day and went shopping on the way home for gorceries and walmart, of course this was 27 yrs ago wouldn't advise this to anyone now a days. "taking a newborn out in public so soon that is" but the walking and good diet during my pregnancy made all the difference in the world, I am now 48 and raised 3 children and have 3 grands. Good Luck with your pregnancy and make the time to take care of yourself the payoff is well worth it.

Hi C. i would ask your hospital about their pregnancy excersise classes. I know some offer this. You can also just make sure you eat right and walk some. My friend took the classes offered at her hospital and she gained only 26 lbs. Good luck