So, big news. I’m preggers! Yup. There is a tiny human growing inside of me. Such a surreal experience, when you really think about it. My husband and I found out on Father’s Day; indeed a special day for my hubbie to learn that he’s going to be a dad! It was even more significant though because I felt like my own Papito was sending me a message or giving me his blessing, or both. He is deeply missed.
As you have probably guessed, this post is going to cover prenatal nutrition and the joys of pregnancy.
How Much Is Enough
When you become pregnant, you often hear the expression, “Eat up! You’re eating for two now!” This statement is very deceiving. My doctor quickly put it to rest by clarifying, “Alanna, you are eating for 1.1, not 2.” Which means that even though your appetite may be off the charts with weird cravings and a hunger that tells, nay, screams at you to eat every two seconds, the reality is you should only be eating an additional snack of approximately 150-200 calories during the first trimester. If there is only one baby, the second and third trimester requires about 300 calories more - the size of a small meal a day, not double your food intake.
So what’s the trick to making you feel like you’re eating more without packing on the pounds uncontrollably? Eat throughout the day. I found it helpful to eat at least a little something every 2-3 hours. I went to town on fruits such as cherries, watermelon, and plums. I snacked on yogurt, cottage cheese, and hummus, being mindful of the types of “dippers/sauces” I was consuming. I couldn’t get enough peppers, cucumbers, and celery. And anything with lime and a little sea salt was like a little slice of heaven!
Taming the Symptoms
I consider myself pretty lucky. I’ve had mild symptoms of nausea, headaches, and fatigue, which are all quite common but nothing overly debilitating. I found that the following tips really help subdue the symptoms significantly:
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
- Simple carbs
- Fruit
- Simple carbs with lean protein
- Don’t overdo it on fat, especially fried food
- Yogurt
- Light smoothies
- Small meals
- Breathe
Why the baby-glow?
I personally believe that the famous “baby glow” has more to do with the absence of alcohol (and other “bad habits”) than anything else. Not that I have ever been a big drinker, but I have been known to indulge in an after-work drink now and again; cutting all alcohol from my diet entirely has made a HUGE difference. After all, alcohol is a toxin, regardless of the traces of resveratrol! FYI: Resveratrol is an antioxidant.
Another culprit of that glow, being pregnant has forced me to listen to my body and get an enormous amount of shuteye. Living in a city like NYC, it’s hard to say no to that cool new art exhibit or even an invitation to just hang out with friends. But when you’re pregnant, the fatigue sinks in and you have nowhere to go but your bed.
Make the glow happen! I’ll keep you updated on any other new awakenings!