Pregnancy Food

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Kaia Calhoun

Right after I found out I was pregnant I scoured books and online articles for information about what I should and should not eat. After exhausting my research I turned to my midwife and doctor. Here is my most helpful and well rounded list of things to eat and not to eat in pregnancy.

DO

Food

Greens

Try to sneak as many greens into your diet as possible. I admit, this one is very hard for me! I actually slack the majority of the time because greens happen to be the one thing I have had an aversion to since I was about 12 weeks pregnant. In favor of not upsetting my gag reflex I often opt out of eating them. However, on the days I’m feeling up to it I will sneak them into my eggs, pick up a green juice with kale or spinach in it, pop a handful of spinach into a smoothie, hide some kale in fried rice, or occasionally even braving a salad. Who would have thought the world’s biggest veggie lover would have to force feed greens to herself!
Protein

Eat as much as you can. As a vegetarian it was recommended I try and get some protein into every meal. For a snack I’ll often grab a handful of nuts or a hardboiled egg (see Grab-N-Go Foods below). I default to eggs often but I also have been going for greek yogurt, beans, and protein enriched smoothies.

Vitamins

Multivitamin

This is your insurance to cover gaps in your diet. Even if you are a fruit and veggie fiend you simply don’t know how nutritious those whole foods are unless you grow them in your own composted, organic soil. Take your prenatal with a meal in the first half of your day. Here’s what to look for in your multivitamin: 400+ mcg of folic acid (folate), 150+ mcg of iodine, 2000- IU vitamin A acetate/palmitate. I personally recommend a plant based multivitamin because you are more likely to save yourself from experiencing constipation.
Vitamin D

For women living in the midwest I recommend 5000 IU of D3 daily. We do not get much sun in the winter and at our latitude any sun we get in the summer isn’t actually that helpful. My doctor recommended Healthy Origins, 360 softgels. If you shop on vitacost.com or iherb.com you will save yourself a chunk of change. Vitamin D should be taken with a fatty meal or alongside your omega-3 supplement. Low vitamin D levels have been linked to increased risk of preeclampsia and c-section.
Omega-3’s

My doctor is also a die hard vegetarian but even she gave into taking Omega-3’s because flax, chia, and hemp simply won’t make a dent. What you want is at least 1000 mg of DHA + EPA. DHA alone will not help you or your baby, the EPA is the component that will allow the supplement to reach across the placental barrier. My doctor specifically recommended Carlson labs Fish oil, 16.8 oz (I got lemon flavor for taste). You can also purchase this on vitacost.com or iherb.com to save yourself some money. To be honest, I loathe this vitamin. Whenever I can finally get around to polishing off what I have I plan on getting my fish oil in the form of a capsule. It’s not the taste. The stuff doesn’t carry any real flavor. It’s the texture that gets me. You try swallowing a spoonful of cold oil a day and tell me if you like it!
Probiotics

Research is showing that the types of bacteria your baby is exposed to at birth and shortly after may influence the development of their immunity system. Exposure to lactobacillus and bifidobacteria has been shown to reduce the risk of skin allergy and possibly asthma later in life. Studies also show that women who take probiotics in pregnancy reduce the risk of having a child with autism. The best ways to help the baby get these bacteria is to deliver through the vagina, breast feed, and take probiotics. My doctor specifically recommended a Wisconsin brand called Florajen3 but if you can’t find that brand be sure to take a probiotic that includes both the lactobacillus and bifidobacteria.

Grab-N-Go Foods

Since I was so hungry so frequently I spent some time brainstorming what I could carry around with me. Both my midwife and my doctor recommended snacking on protein because it would last longer for me and I needed to pile as much protein into my body as I could for the baby and delivery.

Hard boiled eggs
Protein balls
Nuts
Protein bars
Greek Yogurt
Fruit (like apples and bananas)

Don’t

Dyes

They are totally hard to avoid but if you stay away from candy, soda, and other obviously bright colored things you are on the right track. Dyes ultimately have been said to lead to all sorts of issues in your baby, some of which may include autism and ADD.
Caffeine

A cup a day won’t hurt but do yourself, and the baby, a favor and choose more sleep instead. If you really have to have coffee go for decaf, but be aware that digestion in pregnancy gets a little hosed up and coffee is one of the first things they tell you to cut out – apparently coffee makes the esophagus lazy, caffeinated or not.
Seafood and sushi

A little won’t hurt anyone. The key to eating habits in general is everything in moderation – particularly the “bad” stuff. But, according to my reading, tuna and other fish are ok, swordfish and shark are a no-no, and shellfish and other bottom feeders are ok but should be consumed only rarely.
Alcohol

Apparently even a glass or two of wine is ok now-a-days. Earlier in the pregnancy I would restrict myself to occasional sips of someone else’s beverage, but I have now cut it out completely. Despite my findings I feel a lot more comfortable foregoing altogether. I figure, if the stuff gets me a little bleary eyed so quick I can’t imagine what it would do to the baby. But what do I know right?
Refined sugar and flour

This is a pretty broad category but ultimately you want to avoid carbonated beverages, packaged foods, and things like that. Ideally it is best to stick to a whole foods diet and cooking meals yourself (and that goes for always too but particularly when pregnant).
Deli meat

My doctors didn’t specifically mention this but I’ve read it all over online. I don’t eat it ever anyway but I sure am not going to start when pregnant.

What To Wear

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Kaia Calhoun

Bemusings of a Baby Life: What To Wear

– 26 weeks pregnant

There are plenty of little tid bits of information that skipped reaching my ears before I got pregnant. One such thing is that it isn’t really until you are showing significantly that it is easy to dress. I mean, around now I still fit into my regular clothes, I just look chubby instead of pregnant. I have found a few numbers in my closet that I wear certain ways so I show off my belly. I recently decided I’m going to have to be ok with my select few discoveries because the maternity clothes I am borrowing from my wonderful sister-in-law were clearly made for a lady with a bigger belly (and I’m sure that will come), everything else in my closet is either too baggy to showcase the belly (but not baggy enough to hide it), or is now a belly shirt. Actually, are belly shirts back in style yet? Just kidding.

Certainly my closet issues aren’t a big problem. It’s not a terrible thing to feel frumpy every now and then. I’m just so anxious to show off my little miracle!

Anyway, here are the tricks I’ve come up with along the way to stretch the clothes I already own far into pregnancy.

Tunics and loose form dresses.

Tie a belt just under your bust and vwaula!

T-shirts and long sleeve shirts.

Most of these simply won’t work, but those longer t’s you have in your collection will become your best friend!

Dresses.

My dresses have been my go to. I have a handful that I simply cycle through because they are fitted just under my bust so they show the baby bump nicely while keeping me comfortable and loosy-goosy. And since the majority of my pregnancy thus far has been in winter I can slide some leggings on underneath and I’m good to go. The leggings can sit comfortably just under my bump but stay on just fine!

Pants.

I am still wearing my regular pants. With low rise jeans I can still even zip and button them up all the way. I usually steer clear even still though just for comfort purposes. It’s way more comfortable wearing a dress with leggings than pants.

Bras.

This was unexpected. Not that I didn’t expect to size up at all, but I thought that only came with breast feeding. No, I had to upgrade only a few short weeks in. Babies make a lady busty that’s for sure! Fortunately I have a lovely friend who was able to lend me some bras in the next size up. I am stubbornly not buying a bra because I won’t need it for very long!

I still have issues with getting dressed because I was born with long torso – a “long tank” on your average female is of normal length on me. So, if anyone knows where this pregnant lady can find some seriously long tank tops I am all ears!

First Heart Beat

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Kaia Calhoun

Bemusings of a Baby Life

– story takes place November 18, 2014 at 10 weeks.

The firsts of life fill the voids of dull days with excitement and anticipation. With a first pregnancy a whole new world of firsts opens before your eyes. Unlike experiencing your own firsts in childhood or all the firsts that come along with getting married, having a baby places you in the passenger seat of these first experiences. When your baby first kicks you it is your first experience feeling the kick but it is, in fact, the baby that dictated that moment, not you. I’m slowly realizing the only experience that puts a new mom in the driver’s seat, my only moment of remote control, in this process of growing life is the birth experience. Besides natural biology, it is your will that pushes your baby into the world – that baby doesn’t do a thing to help you. Then you get to watch your baby grow and experience the many firsts within their young life. Again you are in the passenger seat but, perhaps, more along the lines of a drivers ed teacher. So much of your child’s early life is dictated, inspired, and steered by your guidance and involvement but, ultimately, it is up to your baby to actually take those first steps and say those first words.

Dialing back into the world of pregnancy, I quickly discovered just how new my whole world would be. On top of carrying a new little life around with me everywhere I also started moving through a progression of pregnancy symptoms, my body started changing and I’ve been told it will never be the same again, and I suddenly have another person to factor in when making any decisions – short or long term. I feel like the moment I get a handle on taking care of one pregnancy symptom I suddenly graduate to the next pregnancy symptom. Going hand in hand with the symptoms is my sometimes visibly, sometimes not so visibly changing body. Early on in my pregnancy I remember my midwife telling me to pamper myself because my body was taking on enormous amounts of stress. I supposed she was right but didn’t remotely sense or understand how my tiny baby bump could cause such stress. Well, here I am a few months later and I completely get it. And then there’s the last puzzle piece, I don’t even have my baby in my arms and yet I have to plan my career out differently, I have to set travel plans considering my pregnant state, and I even have to look at my food and decide whether or not it’s a good choice for the baby.

All of these thoughts and concerns whizzed through my mind during the first trimester. My brain was a planet full of questions with no answers. Then I heard my baby’s heartbeat. I remember this moment in slow motion. I was lying on my back with my belly and too much of my lower territory exposed. The moment my midwife located the heart beat she handed the ear piece to me. I had a brief hold up before I accepted. In the back of my mind I had wanted Josh to hear the baby’s heartbeat first but in my stupor of excitement I couldn’t manage to decipher how to redirect this course of action so I simply took them and fumbled them onto my head. In the mere seconds I allowed myself to hear that precious beating before passing the ears over to Josh I felt my swelling mass of unknowns suddenly shrink into oblivion. The knowledge of the healthy little life within me was all I needed to mellow out. Suddenly and finally I had confirmation that my baby was safe and I was put at ease that if I didn’t do anything to harm our baby yet I could probably carry them safely through the rest of the pregnancy and into my eager arms.

Just as I was realizing my newfound peace I got to watch Josh’s face light up and hear him gasp in awe as he heard our baby’s heartbeat for the first time.

Things People Don’t Tell You About Being Pregnant

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Kaia Calhoun

Bemusings of a Baby Life

– written February 11, 2013 at 22 weeks.

So there are a good number of things I was aware about when it comes to being pregnant. There are normal “symptoms,” body changes, and anticipation. Of course, experiencing the reality of pregnancy is different than hearing about it, but besides that there were a couple additional surprises that came my way after I got knocked-up.

People don’t just parent your parenting style when you’re carting around a kiddo (because I’ve heard this is very common)… apparently that starts at pregnancy.

I’ve gotten all sorts of private Facebook messages and otherwise unsolicited advice about how to be a good mom to your baby during pregnancy. Unsolicited is the key word. People tell you what you should and shouldn’t be eating, what you must buy, that you have to breast feed, that you have to use a doula, that you have to go to Le Le Leche meetings, that you have to take a birthing class… At first, I was livid. Each time I received such doses of advice I would talk myself down from my boiling point by rationalizing that no one was actually trying to be rude or bossy (even though they were) and that they were probably just trying to help. That works for me. I have also found that the more selective I am with sharing my pregnancy via statuses the better. Truth is, the more I thought about how much this bothered me the more I realized it was probably a matter of pride. It always feels like a slap in the face to realize a matter of pride. That being said, I have gotten much better about accepting advice, whether asked for or not.
Suddenly you will feel old.

I understood that there probably would be plenty of times during pregnancy when I wouldn’t feel sexy and I would feel uncomfortable. What I didn’t expect was to be having to rise slowly out of a seated or lying down position even this early in the pregnancy. My lower back and abdomen protest in ways I didn’t expect to experience until far later into the pregnancy. I watch older folks get out of their seats and realize all over again that I look exactly like that now-a-days.

Now you know. You’re welcome 😉

More Symptoms

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Kaia Calhoun

Bemusings of a Baby Life: More Symptoms

My symptoms in my 4 – 12 weeks of pregnancy.

For all you ladies who would like to know what to expect when expecting! I sure did!

Cramping

This concerned me at first. Especially since they felt almost exactly like medicated period cramps. Medicated is the key word and why I wasn’t as concerned as I could have been because I was not on any medication. None-the-less, I wanted to be sure my body was rejecting the baby. After a little reading I decided I was normal and shouldn’t fret. In my reading I learned that this kind of cramping signifies the expansion of the uterus. My body was just making room for baby.
Dizzy spells

Sometimes I get dizzy when I am malnourished or ill and stand up too fast. When I’m in a really sad condition I may even see stars as my world spins. Well, with this baby growing up in my belly I find that I am almost always malnourished and in a really sad condition so I happen to see stars a lot lately. Don’t worry, I don’t fall over, but I am surprised I haven’t yet. To solve my problem I finally got in the habit of carrying food around with me everywhere. It helps.
Hunger

This doesn’t feel like I’m starving. It also doesn’t feel like I’m just, plain hungry. No, it feels like my body has become a monster and taken over my mental facilities in desperation to get food instantly. Finally learning to keep food with me 24/7 also helped this problem.
Rashes

I usually get alligator skin when the dry winter hits. I think because of that and pregnancy hormones my skin is breaking out in rashes at random. They are particularly permanent and angry on my shins and hands but sometimes they also attack my belly, my elbows and my bum. These rashes aren’t just any ‘ol rash either! Picture being bitten by 50 mosquitoes almost on top of each other, feel that itch, then compound that itch by 10 times because that’s what my skin feels like. The itch is absolutely insatiable! My secret to ease the pain: coconut oil. It doesn’t immediately dull the itch but if I put it on and determine not to touch my warring skin I win the battle and the itch subsides until the next attack.
Cravings

I rarely experience the raw sensation of wanting something so bad it won’t abate until I devour whatever item holds my attention. On the occasion I do come up with a craving it is much to the disappointment of my hubby. He loves fulfilling my cravings. I just think he wishes more of my cravings were things he wanted to enjoy with me. So far my cravings have been things like cheese and crackers, miso soup, sushi, fried rice, prunes, beer cheese soup, carrots and ranch dip, and blueberry muffins. If he had it his way I would only crave pizza and ice cream 😉
Crying

I don’t cry. Now I’m pregnant and I get teary reading books, watching movies, witnessing a mildly tender moment, and in moments when I feel intensely loved. But look out if I’m stressed then the whole dam breaks loose and the flow doesn’t relent until my teary reservoir is emptied. The tears have never flowed like this! There is no stopping it. They gush out. It’s like I have extra fluid and the only way it can be released is by crying it out. Also, this is ugly crying. I am a hyperventilating hyena and by the end of it I’m sporting some pretty serious pot head eyes. And yet, I’ve decided I’m ok with this. Growing up my mom would get teary when she was proud of me, when I really did something great for her, or when I was in tears. Crying like that is a gift, and I’m excited to be able to give my sappy mommy heart, tears and all, to our little baby.

Symptoms I did not experience in my 4 – 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Nausea

Ok, I was not entirely spared. Occasionally I experienced a queasy sensation rumbling in my belly. But, based on the horror stories I’ve heard of other women’s pregnancy woes, I have nothing to complain about. I have not vomited and I figure that would have occurred by now if it was going to happen.

All of this being said. I am far from miserable. All of my symptoms pop up every now and then and I consider them a blessing because it is a reminder that I am carrying a precious one around in my belly. Without symptoms I might actually be concerned the baby was having trouble. So thank God for pregnancy woes! 😉