farmer's market oranges

 

I am almost 23 weeks pregnant and feeling great. And from where I came from, this is a great accomplishment.

I used to suffer from an eating disorder. Before I was ever pregnant I used to think that I would eat what I was supposed to, but that I would choose the low calorie versions so that I would be able to stay as thin as possible while still giving my baby the nutrition he needs. But God is a healer and a restorer in my life and I have been fully healed from the eating disorder. And now more than ever I am living in that promise.

Instead of focusing on calories and my weight, I focus on nutrients. As a result, my weight gain is steady and right on the mark for a healthy mom and healthy baby. I don’t weigh myself at home. I only get weighed at my prenatal visits. I trust my midwife to tell me if I need to gain or lose. And otherwise, I follow what feels to be the best pregnancy diet for me.

I mentioned that I am following a modified version of the Brewer Pregnancy Diet, but I never really got into explaining it, and I wanted to give you the scoop. I found the Brewer Pregnancy Diet when I was researching natural birthing options and support. This pregnancy diet is recommended by those who follow the Bradley method for childbirth.

I said that I am following a modified version, The diet’s main focus is that it is high in protein and high in natural food sources for vitamins and minerals, but there’s just too much food to eat {at least for me.} So I made some modifications.

The Basic Brewer Diet

Milk & Milk Products- 4 servings

Eggs- 2

Protein- 6 oz.

Dark Green Leafy Veggies- 2 servings

Whole Grains- 5 servings

Vitamin C- 2 servings

Vitamin A- 1 serving

 

My modifications

My main goal in my pregnancy diet is that I focus on the nutrients in my food rather than just trying to eat fruits & vegetables, protein, calcium foods and whole grains, which I’ve found is the typical recommendation in pregnancy. Everyday, I make sure that I get my dark green leafies, my vitamin C servings and my Vitamin A servings. Getting milk and milk product servings is never hard for me since I love cheese and put it on everything.

The diet calls for six ounces of protein a day {which is much more than most pregnancy recommendations} plus two eggs daily. My modification to this is that I eat protien at every meal, I snack on almonds throughout the day, and sometimes hummus and carrots. I eat two eggs scrambled with spinach every day. But I count the eggs as one of my proteins. The official Brewer diet says not to cross over and count something for more than one category.

Other Vitamins

Morning: prenatal vitamin, fish oil capsule

Evening: calcium magnesium supplement

Night: blood builder

I take a food source prenatal as I believe that the body will have an easier time assimilating vitamins that are taken from food sources rather than those made in a lab. I take a fish oil capsule because it was recommended to me to stay away from most fish now as there is too much mercury in the water these days and fish is too contaminated. I take my fish oil capsule to get omega 3s and I also eat eggs that are high in omega3s as well which continues to supplement my need for these nutrients.

I shared last week what happened when I don’t take my calcium & magnesium supplement- so now I make sure to take this right before bed. And I drink orange juice fortified with calcium, in addition to all the dairy products I eat.

I have also been taking a food source blood builder tablet which is high in iron in the middle of the night {I wake up anyway each night for a little trip to the bathroom.}  I take it then because it needs to be on an empty stomach and I am often snacking on small meals so this is the easiest time for me to guarantee that my tummy is empty. My traditional Western doctor recommended the iron, but the form he suggested is barely metabolized by the body, so I got this one at my local health food store. I don’t know why he recommended it, but my father-in-law recently shared a newspaper article with me about the possibility of decreasing the chances of autism in the child when a pregnant woman takes an iron supplement. Either way, I’m glad I’m taking the iron.

That’s my basic pregnancy diet. I feel the benefits. I have tons of energy. I feel strong, healthy and happy.  And more than anything I am so grateful to God that I have been healed from my eating disorder and that I am able to thrive as a healthy and strong woman.

Yay God!

{ 0 comments }

21 weeks

April 29, 2013

in life lovely

IMG_0526

Pregnancy diary:

21 weeks already! Wow. We are over halfway. It doesn’t seem possible, but here we are. Yippee. So baby is the size of a pomegranate. What does that even mean? What I do know is that he is about 10.5 inches long and about 12.2 ounces.

Energy & Exercise:

Still all about walking and swimming, although this past week I walked more than swam.

Baby’s Movement:

Baby boy is moving up a storm. He is still leaping when he’s prayed for or during worship at church. Love that.

Diet & Health:

Still keeping up with my modified version of the Brewer Pregnancy Diet. I’ll be posting more about that later. I’ve had quite a few physical changes this week in the ouch department. The pinch in my upper left buttock is getting me a bit more and it seems really aggravated after leaning forward when I try to return to an upright standing posture. My hips are also getting a bit sore at night when I lay on one side for too long. My ribcage is starting to ache from the uterus expanding too. I use my hypnobabies breathing when it happens though, and it totally goes away.

Then I was hit with a whammy the other night. I stopped taking my calcium/magnesium supplement because of some of the herbs that are in it {so many herb are a no-no in pregnancy}and before I had a chance to get a new supplement, I got an intense leg cramp in the middle of the night. Mr. Handsome massaged my leg and as I cried out the name “Jesus” it began to dissipate. The next day I ran to the health food store to get  new calcium/magnesium supplement.

Spiritually Connecting:

I am so touched by the response of our church family. When I run into people {so many of them} say how delighted they are, be cause they’ve been praying for us to conceive. Many have come out of the woodwork and told us that they have been praying for us for a long time now, even though we didn’t know it! What a blessing. This baby is already such a part of our spiritual family. We are so blessed that he’s so covered in prayer.

Friendships & Support:

Last week I got to visit with my friend Sara’s little 6 1/2 week-old  baby girl Stella. She is the cutest! Sara is such a good mommy. I loved getting to visit. I also had fun chatting and catching up with some other pregnant girl friends this week.

Doctor Visits:

We went to visit our midwife at Kaiser, which is a traditional doctor’s office and hospital and had a great chat. We were still on the fence about whether to choose a hospital birth, or a birth center/home birth. Our hospital midwife was amazing and really gave us great feedback in helping us make a decision that we feel comfortable with.

Birth Experience:

I am continuing to listen to my hypnobabies tracks and love them. I can totally see how they are preparing me for a calm birthing experience.  I am really getting excited about the experience of bringing this little one into the world. We also made a decision about where and how we are planning to bring baby here and I’ll be sharing more about that later.

New and Interesting:

I found another patch of dark hair on my neck. Really?  Yes, I am the hairy pregnant lady. Seriously, what a bizarre symptom. I read all about it and it’s pretty common, but still, it’s odd. It took me all of two seconds to grab a razor to the rescue.

As for the blister problem when I walk, this week I’ve been walking in my Tom’s shoes and my feet are in heaven. Our hospital midwife said that it is likely due to the change in my center of gravity and the expansion of my hips which changes the way I walk.

Someone the other day was talking about women and working. I truly feel like I am in the research and development phase of the greatest job of my life.

{ 1 comment }

20 weeks pregnant

23 April 2013
Thumbnail image for 20 weeks pregnant

Pregnancy diary: This past Friday I hit the 20 week mark! Officially halfway there. I still can’t believe it. Time is flying. Energy & Exercise: I still have tons of energy and I’m enjoying walking and swimming. Baby’s Movement: I am feeling baby move more and more. This past Sunday in church I could swear [...]

Read the full article →

happy birthday

22 April 2013
Thumbnail image for happy birthday

We celebrated Mr. Handsome’s birthday this weekend. I snuck out in the middle of the night to make his chalkboard birthday card. It’s our birthday tradition~ I sneak out in the middle of the night and hang the birthday banner and set out his gifts on the dining room table. So when he wakes up [...]

Read the full article →

gender reveal

17 April 2013
Thumbnail image for gender reveal

    We are beyond thrilled. We had our ultrasound and the whole time I was crying and praying for baby. As soon as we found out I kept saying to Mr. Handsome, “We have a son.” What a joy. Welcome to the family, baby boy flynn! Mommy and Daddy love you so much.

Read the full article →

nursery inspirations

16 April 2013
Thumbnail image for nursery inspirations

Creative inspiration. Yippeee. And these days, I am getting inspired to put together our little one’s nursery. Here’s a little look at what’s inspiring me lately. image source: evangelione via andee flynn on pinterest    Typically I start looking for color palettes that I like. This website is amazing to find colors image source: design seeds  via andee [...]

Read the full article →

a new pair of glases

11 April 2013
Thumbnail image for a new pair of glases

Sometimes I think it would be nice to just eat or drink whatever I wanted right now. I really miss drinking some of my favorite hot teas. but most of them have herbs in them that are dangerous during pregnancy. I’m not a huge junk food eater, but it’d sure be nice to take time [...]

Read the full article →

18 weeks

10 April 2013
Thumbnail image for 18 weeks

Pregnancy diary: Wow. I can’t believe that I am almost halfway through this pregnancy. Time is flying by. It seems like my little tummy is really popping out now, and I don’t only look pregnant after I’ve eaten a big meal. Energy and exercise: I am feeling great and full of energy. I am back [...]

Read the full article →

shift in focus

9 April 2013
Thumbnail image for shift in focus

Just before Mr. Handsome and I found out we were pregnant, my focus was beginning to shift, only I didn’t know it. As we were preparing for fertility treatment, I felt the leading of the Lord nudge me to rest. Take better care of my body. Go to sleep earlier. Eat well. I even pulled [...]

Read the full article →

boy or girl?

8 April 2013
Thumbnail image for boy or girl?

For a while I thought girl. I had a feeling. Then I doubted. Then I hoped. Then I thought about how great it would be to have aboy. The bond between mama and her boy is so special. But what about all the cute baby girl clothes? The ribbons and bows? Day before yesterday I [...]

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Read the full article →