Eating Healthy

It's important to follow healthy eating habits most especially when pregnant. I'll share this time some guides and tools that can provide proper nutrition for moms and baby!

7 Parts of Healthy Eating:

• Protein for muscle growth and organs such as heart, brain, stomach, uterus, liver & cells.
• Carbohydrates for energy.
• Fat for energy & cell growth.
• Vitamins to make organs, muscles, nerves & other body parts work right.
• Minerals for healthy cell growth in bones, teeth & blood.
• Fiber helps with food digestion & prevents certain diseases.
• Water to help the entire body work properly.

Post Break: Teen Pregnancy

Last time I wrote about the show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" and discussed risks regarding such pregnancy. Upon re-reading the post I got reminded of the shows we previously viewed on Direct TV "16 and Pregnant -MTV" and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager-ABC family". These shows are all about teen pregnancy. I am not being discriminative with these shows but I think producers should be more specific and careful with their approach not to give the wrong message to the young viewers. These directv shows have good and bad sides to it and I hope instead of making teenagers curious about engaging into early pregnancy after seeing the shows will make them think twice of their life's choices.

Pregnancy or motherhood as we all know is not an easy journey. We are not talking about your life alone but your life as a mom, having all the responsibilities of raising and taking care of your baby. There will be sleepless nights, no more gimmicks and good old fun times with friends. Those are just part of consequences nevertheless if any teen will embrace mommyhood I think things may turn out good for her. It will not be like bed of roses and smooth sailing journey but at least things will be more in harmony. May these shows mentioned above serve as a lesson for those teens out there. Don't rush growing up, enjoy one step at a time. Remember, there are no timeouts in motherhood.

FYI:

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Baby Development: Second Trimester

Second trimester is the fourth through the sixth month or 14 to 27 weeks of pregnancy. It is a very exciting stage as you will feel more movements for baby most especially kicking. Sharing this experience with your partner / husband can stir fun and emotional feelings. I can personally relate to this because I get excited when baby moves a lot and this never fails to bring us smiles when we see my tummy movements with little to big thumps. the kicks now is getting stronger. I wonder if baby got mommy's taekwondo kicks! =P Again with prenatal appointments, make sure you follow and attend the doctor sessions. Your pregnancy and baby's development should be closely checked. This time around there will be no denying that you are pregnant because tummy is too obvious to hide (some women though had very small or barely there baby bump until giving birth).

Fetal Development:

At the end of the first trimester baby's already fully formed but some organs are still developing and others are beginning to work. Baby will grow a lot during the second trimester.

• Baby was just about a size of a peanut when we first learned about the pregnancy.
• At the end of first trimester baby will be about 4 inches long in which i refer to my husband like a size of a mobile phone =)
• A month later baby will be about 7 inches long and will nearly weigh 1/2 pound.
• Upon reaching 5th month of pregnancy, baby will be about 12 inches long weighing about 1 pound. now you can feel your tummy getting heavier than usual and also expanding more.
• By the end of second trimester at six months, baby will be around 14 inches long weighing about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds. Now we're talking heavy! I am honestly feeling the added weight in my tummy. I still can move so fast but when I'm laying down I have to be extra careful now getting up.
  
• Eyes continue to develop during this time. Eyebrows and eyelashes starting to appear in the fourth month. by the end of sixth month the eyes are almost fully developed with eyelids that open and close.
• Soft hair called Lanugo begins to grow on baby's body at the beginning of second trimester. During the fifth month baby's skin is very wrinkly and covered by a white waxy or cheese like coating called Vernix. Hair also begins to grow on baby's head =) I still don't know who's genes is stronger with me and hubs because if it's my genes then baby will barely have hair or nearly bald when born because we (me 7 siblings) have very fine limp hair. if hubs then expect to have a headfull of hair =P
  
• As second trimester comes to an end, baby will remain curled up with knees against chest (that explains all the bumpy kicks I get).

Mommy's Body:

• Mommy gained about 10-12 pounds so far (I gained 11 =P)
• Skin starts itching because of the stretch, belly getting really bigger. Always apply lotion or oils to help skin's elasticity. Not all women are fortunate enough not to have stretchmarks.
• Uterus is about a size of a soccer ball. The top of uterus is more or less 2 inches above belly button.
• Shoes might feel tight, face might looks puffy because the body's holding in water. Check out procedures when this happens.
• Cramps in feet and legs may frequent you at night so make sure to avoid sleeping on your back for better circulation.
• Mommy might get hemorrhoids or swollen veins in rectum. This can bleed so better tell doc right away if this happens.
• Nose might feel stuffy and occasional nosebleeds.
  

Post Break: Be Ready

Getting to the hospital at any time is very important not only when you are due labor already. There are cases when emergencies arise aside from the usual doctor visits. Make sure to always have you car ready for such event. Better have it tune up, brake inspection, wheel alignment, oil change and all to assure it's up and running by the time you need it most.

What are things to be considered aside from your trusty car? Make sure you have someone you can count on to take you to the hospital if you can't make it on your own in the hospital. have a back up plan if ever that first person is not available, Make sure you have all important phone numbers with you may it be emergency, doctor, relatives, friends and others who live nearby who can help you if needed. If you have children try to secure ahead where you can leave them or who can take care of them once you go to the hospital. It's better that you know different routes going to the hospital and a back up plan for another hospital in case of unlikely circumstances.

It's better to be ready because we will never know what will come to our surprise.

car check:
houston auto repair
acura integra

6th Doctor Visit & Bump Update

Last November 25 was another doctor visit for me and baby. I got a little late for my check-up because I had to be there 15mins earlier and I overlooked my schedule thinking it's 11:15am. I came 11:00am just right on time for my appointment but I still had to register and do some procedures. Good thing I am always punctual with all my other appointments and doc was okay with the slight delay. It is very important to be on time with your schedules because it will cause delay also for others later on. If ever we have good valid reason then we can be waived form the tardiness. In my case it wasn't just overlooking time but I had to deliver something important to my husband's office on my way to the clinic. That also caused my delay. Oh well too much lectures on being late, now about the check up.

I really can't update you much here since it's all the same routine. Doc said baby's heart rate is good around 150-160, my tummy measures 28 which is just right, my blood pressure is good and weight gain is just okay. She of course checked my blood sugar and food log and I passed, no need for any medications. I'm controlling my sugar levels good enough with my diet so I'm good.

Doctor uses a doppler fetal heart monitor to determine baby's heart rate. It's important for them to check the heart rate to determine if it's at normal rate, making sure baby's alive and growing. It's exciting whenever I hear the fast heartbeats somehow it gives me the feeling that baby's doing good. This is not an assurance of course but any mom-to-be will be more than ecstatic to know every single detail about her baby. I almost forgot, doctor also ordered me to go to the laboratory for my CBC (complete blood count) test. It was another unprepared day for a blood draw but thank goodness the new medtech who took my blood sample was very light handed. No pain this time! To check out what's the need for CBC test, just read here.