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Women's Health

Gaining Weight Too Fast During Pregnancy

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Any obgyn will tell you that the recommended weight gain for pregnancy is 25-30 pounds. Some women will gain more, some will gain less. But how can you tell if you are gaining too fast during your pregnancy. Too much weight gain can increase your chances of a c section and put you at risk for being overweight after.

Some doctors say that if you put on more than 3 1/2 pounds in your first trimester and are of a normal weight you are putting weight on too fast. If you are overweight and put on more than 2 pounds, you are gaining too fast. Keep in mind though that even if you gain a lot in your first trimester, it doesn’t necassararily mean you will gain a lot your whole pregnancy.

Some women gain a lot in the first trimester because morning sickness has them only able to eat carbs and nothing else and still end their pregnancy gaining no more than 25 pounds. If however you find that your weight gain is still not slowing down once you enter your second trimester, there are some tips you can try to help slow it down.

First, cut out the useless calories. It is never a good idea to diet while you are pregnant but if you are gaining too much you do need to slow down the rate at which you are gaining. Apply some basic calorie cutting strategies such as using skim milk instead of whole milk, taking skin off your chicken and grilling or broil instead of frying or sauting. You will also want to cut out most of your sweets. These are empty calories that are providing no nutritional value to you or your baby.

Next, cut down on the fat you are taking in. Look at what you are eating and how it may have hidden fat in it. Some salad dressings can be loaded with fat, so you might want to try putting your dressing on the side. Watch how much oil you use when you are cooking or when you are going out to eat and stick to good oils such as extra virgin olive oil.

Get active! You could be gaining weight faster because you are not active. As long as your doctor gives you the go ahead, start a walking program. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your body and your baby. Not only does it help with your weight gain, but some women and doctors swear that walking through out most of your pregnancy could help ease the pains of childbirth. If you can not walk due to weather conditions you might want to look into joining a prenatal exercise class.

Lastly pay attention to what you are eating. So many people don’t pay attention to what they eat and find that they are overeating without even realizing it. How many times have you sat on the couch watching a movie and decided to have some potato chips only to realize that you have eaten the whole bag? Try to keep all your meals at the table and take your time while eating.

Even though you are eating for two, gaining just enough weight will not only make delivery and recovery easier for you, it will also make getting the weight off after pregnancy come off that much faster.

Women's Health

Food Cravings During Pregnancy

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Do pickles and ice cream sound good to you? How about red peppers and peanut butter? If these do, you are probably a pregnant woman who has just gone looking for that ice cream carton you know you have buried in your freezer. More than three quarters of all pregnant women experience cravings at some point. The most common cravings are for sweets, dairy products and salty foods although there are some weird cravings out there. Some women have been known to put black olives on cheesecake, while others have been known to dip fruit in salsa. As bizarre as some cravings can be, they are mainly perfectly safe.

There are old wives tales that believe what you crave could be a good indication of the sex of your baby. If you are craving sweets you are having a girl. If you crave meats or cheeses, it is believed you are having a boy. Cravings are something that most women love most about pregnancy. It is when a woman is craving dirt or clay that an alarm should go off. If you should find yourself craving dirt, soil, or chalk call your doctor right away. Not only could these be harmful if you do eat them, but chances are they are a sign of iron-deficiency anemia.

Most doctors believe that cravings can be nutritionally based. That is to say the cravings are a message from your body on what it needs to eat. If you are craving salts foods it could be because your body needs more sodium as your blood volume increases. If you are craving fruit, your body might need more vitamins C. The problem is sometimes the message gets lost on the way to our brain. You may find yourself craving something sweet and instead of getting berries or fruit, you find yourself gulping down snicker bars by the cart full. Cravings can be the downfall of your weight gain especially if the message is getting scrambled. There are some ways though you can help curb your cravings.

For starters, eat a good breakfast. Eating a good breakfast can prevent cravings later in the day. You also want to try and make wise choices by looking for healthier alternatives. If you are dying for potato chips try eating some soy crisps. Instead of ice cream, try frozen yogurt. If you feel like candy is calling your name, snack on some frozen grapes. If you want something salty try pretzels, or even rice cakes to satisfy that urge. A good substation for soda would be some fruit juice mixed with sparkling water.

Next, think small. If you are craving chocolate, you do no need to reach for a king size bar. The snack size bar will satisfy your craving just the same. If you want a brownie, have one; just do not eat the whole pan. There is nothing wrong with indulging in a few of your cravings as long as you know not to over do it.

Giving in to your cravings during pregnancy does not make you a bad person and it is not something you should beat yourself up about and feel guilty about. Cravings are a normal part of pregnancy and denying yourself all the time might make you resent being pregnant. Indulge when you want to, just make sure you make wise choices and do everything in moderation.

Women's Health

The Basics of Eating Well When Pregnant

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It is hard to believe that women do have a hard time eating healthy when they are expecting a visit from the stork. The sad truth is some women find it very hard. There is a trick though to remember how to eat throughout your pregnancy and it is as easy as ABC.

Assortment is the first key. It’s been said that variety is the spice of life. Keeping your diet filled with assortment of fruits, vegetables and protein will help make sure that you and your baby don’t get too much of one nutrient and not enough of another. Eating a daily variety of healthy foods will give your growing baby and daily assortment of necessary nutrients.

Balance is the next thing to keep in mind. We all know that balance and moderation is the key to any diet. There is no reason to deny yourself a bowl of ice cream but the whole container is over doing it. You want to keep all your meals as balanced as possible and make sure you are getting enough vitamins, whole grains and lean protein. Eating one and not the other is not going to help you or your baby in any way shape or form. Indulging in cravings is fine every now and then as long as you keep it in moderation, if you want a cookie, have one. If potato chips are your craving, have a few. It is when you eat the whole box of cookies and the whole bag of chips in one sitting that you might have a problem.

The third key is color. You want to make your plate look as colorful as possible. Look at fresh fruit and veggies to paint your plate. The more colorful your plate is, the more appeasing it is going to look to your eyes. Have you ever noticed in magazines and cooking shows the dishes always look so tasty? This is because of the variety of color that are used in these dishes. You can get red strawberries and tomatoes to yellow peppers and squash. Pick your favorite colors and create your dishes based on that.

Forget about dieting while you are pregnant. You and your baby need a steady supply of calories and nutrients through out the nine months of pregnancy and beyond. Pregnancy is one of the only times where a woman is expected to gain weight. Trying to prevent that weight gain can not only put you at risk, but also your baby at risk. You will have all the time in the world after your baby comes to lose the weight, but for nine months don’t even think about the word diet.

If you find you that you are getting sick of the food you have been eating, then it’s time to start experimenting with different foods. Pregnancy is a time to expand your eating horizons as well as your waistbands. Plus with food aversions, you might find yourself turning green at some of your favorite foods and craving foods you never dreamed you would eat. You may find that the thought of pizza can send you running for the toilet, but place a dish of brussel sprouts in front of you and you are in heaven.

Lastly, have fun with your food. Eating should be fun. Nothing will ruin your good habits faster than boredom. Add little touches like a dip for your veggies. Enjoy your food and try not to gulp it down. This will help avoid heartburn too! When you decide to treat yourself, leave the guilt at the door. After all, you are growing a person inside of you and decide a treat now and then for all your hard work.

Women's Health

Pregnancy and Nutrition

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You are besides yourself with joy as you see that your pregnancy test is postive. You find yourself already caressing your stomach in hopes that your little one can feel you. The next nine months are going to be an exciting time for you and your baby. You are going to have a human life grow inside of you and feel them move as they get bigger. Your baby is going to go from a single sperm and egg into pounds of adorable flesh that you can’t help but kiss over and over again. It truly is a miracle.

In order to help this miracle along, it is essential for you to eat as good as you can through out most of your pregnancy. The first three months might be a little difficult to eat balanced meals when you are dealing with food aversions and morning sickness. If you are one of the rare lucky ones whose stomach doesn’t so much as move during your first trimester, then you can take full advantage of eating healthy right out of the gate.

Making sure you eat balanced nutritious meals is laying down the foundation for your baby. A diet of junk food is not going to help your baby with bone development and organ formation. Potato chips will not help with brain development. Your baby and your body need calcium and vitamins to achieve all of this.

Eating well during pregnancy is going to help your baby eat well after it is born and on solid foods. As your pregnancy progresses, some of what you eat will cross the placenta and the taste will be in your baby’s amniotic fluid. Babies swallow this fluid and their taste buds are so develop that even in the womb they are able to taste the flavors. Doctors believe that babies who are exposed to a wide variety of fruit and vegetables while in utero have less of a chance of being a fussy eater later in life. They believe that these are the babies who will eat their fruit and vegetables without putting up any fight.

Doctors also believe that moms who drink their milk through out their pregnancy have an easier time weaning their babies from formula or breast milk to regular milk. This however is only one benefit, the other benefit of drinking milk throughout your pregnancy is all the calcium you will be giving your baby’s bones. Many doctors recommend that you drink at least one eight oz glass of milk, usually fat free a day. Calcium is a must have your baby’s bones and his teeth, even though you won’t see his teeth for at least a few months.

This isn’t to say that you have to stay away from all sweets all the time. You can indulge every now and then and thanks to cravings you may find yourself wanting sweets more often than not. You do have to keep it in moderation. Being pregnant should not be looked at as an excuse to eat whatever you want for nine months. Both you and your baby could pay a dear price.