It is Part Two : Pregnancy and Postpartum Tips
It was not easy being pregnant, and having a toddler run around, demanding your every waking moment especially the first and last trimester.
1. Getting enough sleep and resting were extremely important for me because I was always so tired. It was great to have a husband who allowed me to do that by taking over the household chores and our little Lina<3.
2. Eating healthy while pregnant, this time around was a little harder, because I was craving so much junk food (my pet peeve) and I was always hungry. I did portion control as best as I could, my meals. With the diagnosis of gestational diabetes... portion control was
extremely important, staying away from white carbohydrates which can
raise your glucose levels. I did not have to take insulin because it was
managed with diet and exercise (well, mostly diet). Drink a lot of
water (at least 64oz) throughout the day, but especially after eating
your meal, and before you take you finger stick.
3. Drink a lot of water. At least 64oz, that is what the diabetic educator told me to do. With that much water, expect to use the bathroom frequently. Do not try to hold it.
4. Try and exercise - the only exercise I did was walk, (but that did not happen too much) and light cardio. Do kegel exercise which will help during child birth and the aftermath.
5. Relax and do not stress, stress is not good for your health or the baby's.
Having a c-section with Serena:) was the scariest and nerve wrecking thing I have experience because no matter how I read about it, it was not same as real life. It was not most warm situation to be in when the baby comes out, because all you can do is look at the baby, and kiss her, then off she goes to get cleaned up, and to the nursery. The good thing was that Daddy was able to hold you, and then follow you to the nursery.
1. Recovery time was hard the first 24 hours. It was difficult to move. I was not in so much pain, because all the pain medications and also I can handle pain well. It was difficult taking care of Serena:) after she was born. I push through it by trying to move as much as possible, as it will help you heal. The difference between the c-section and vaginal birth was the pain level - for me, I felt more pain with the vaginal delivery, and the pain lasted for about a few month afterwards.
2. When taking care of the baby postpartum, do no be afraid to accept help from your spouse, and family members. It will definitely take the edge off and help you relax a little more. I am not one to ask for help except from my husband, but I will not decline help if my parents offer it. When Lina<3 was born two years ago, I always wanted to do things on my own and did not want any help but now, I welcome it. I welcome as much help as possible.
3. "Wear a griddle" - my doctor told me. It will help you keep your stomach muscle in tackle. I never like wearing anything tight on my stomach, so it was hard for me to wear the griddle for more than three weeks.
4. Eat, Eat, Eat and Nap, Sleep, Sleep, and Drink a lot of water. Sometimes it is hard to do when you are taking care of two kids by yourself. When I have help, it is easier to do and think about myself a little bit, by remembering to eat, and drink liquids. I find that when I do not drink enough, I get headaches. If I do not eat enough, I find that my breast does not get fill up that much, like the appearance of less breast milk, produced.
5. Breast feed the baby! It is my motto. If breastfeeding hurts, try a used tea bag and rub it on your nipples, and it should bring some relief. It helps me.
6. Take care of yourself, or at least let hubby do it for you :) I have the best husband in the world. He takes such good care of us girls :D
Please be Advised that all
these tips are from my own experiences and if there are any concerns or
questions regarding these tips, please refer them to a professional.
If you have any tips for me regarding pregnancy or postpartum, please comment below.
Also, for 2013 End of the Year Tips : Part One - Baby/Toddler
My daily adventures with my bi-racial daughters (I am Chinese, and my husband is Trinidadian. They are Daddy's Little Monsters.
Showing posts with label pregnant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnant. Show all posts
Monday, December 30, 2013
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Being pregnant with Serena....
My pregnancy, overall, with Bunny (Serena's nickname in the belly) was good. I had more pain, from my bad tailbone (which I hurt myself years ago), to my hemorrhoids (from a natural childbirth with Lina<3), to lower back pain, to more allergies (especially in the summertime), to more headaches, and to more pressure everywhere. Even from all these daily unpleasantness moments, I overlooked all of it, rest as much as I can (while trying to spend as much time with Lina<3 as possible before Bunny was born), not take any medication either for allergies or pain (I can handle a lot of pain, and I am anti- medications unless absolutely necessary).
The first trimester was exhausting all way round. All I wanted to do was sleep, and put my feet but it was very hard because Lina<3 wanted to play, play and play. I did get to laid down on the couch, and "relax" while Lina<3 climbs all over me as I dozed off here and there. I did feel very nauseated because of the prenatal vitamins I took in the mornings. And the doctor told me to switch to nighttime which helped a lot and I felt less nauseated, and a little more energy. The only thing that I would change is to see the doctor earlier, for prenatal care. I saw the the doctor at 10 weeks, which made the doctor want to knock on my head, lol. Thank goodness that no emergencies came up before then. Always recommend early prenatal care. The diagnosis of placenta previa came towards the end of the trimester, it was scary. When the doctor told me the diagnosis, I could not help but laughed because of her tone. The doctor said "no sex, no dildols, nothing inside the vagina!" Lol, it was funny to me. The doctor responded, "This is serious, the placenta cannot come out before the baby, you could bleed to death, it puts you at risk of bleeding to death, it puts the baby at risk, do you want bleed to death?" before waiting for my answer, the doctor said, "I don't, I don't want a dead patient".
The second trimester was better. I was more energetic, and in even more pain everywhere. I felt that it was hard to do anything at times. The pain and pressure was everywhere from my head, my tailbone, hemorrhoids, my groin area (ligament pain), and my vagina (yes, I said vagina, I felt a lot of pressure there, and it was fat, and swollen). All that pain and pressure did not matter, as I started to feel my Bunny move very early on, even in the first trimester but the doctor said that it was too early and that it was probably gas. The second trimester, Bunny was growing and moving. It was exciting. As my belly gets bigger, it was easier to explain to Lina<3, that there's was a baby in there. Lina<3 would kiss the belly. Bunny loved hearing Lina<3 played and screamed toward the end of the trimester, and always kicked and moved whenever she hears it. Since I had gestational diabetes with Lina's<3 pregnancy, I knew that I had watched what I ate. That was hard, because I was always hungry, and my taste buds were not the same. The foods that I used to like post pregnancy, it was no longer satisfying enough. The foods that I thought I want and was not satisfying enough either - like samosas, chicken sandwiches, chips, chocolate, rice, turkey breast, turkey sandwiches... nothing tasted the same. But that did not stop me from wanting to eat, and eat. I did not exercise much, because I was usually in pain, which made it harder to want to do anything. I did try to walk as much as I can.
The last trimester was more painful. Sometimes, it is hard to walk, stand, or sit... what was I suppose to do? Using a heat pad was a really helpful. I pushed through the pains, and enjoyed belly wave of movements, and kicks throughout the day. It kept me going. There were very good days, of course. I was feeling great, no contractions towards the end of the trimester, going strong, and until the day you were born (I thought Bunny was going to hold off until her due date, which I will tell you about in the next post about her birth story).
My tips for staying sane and healthy during pregnancy
1. Stay away from bad foods... especially junk food, (my pet peeve, and it was hard to do so I limited my portions instead).
2. Try and exercise... even if it is just walking a few blocks at a time.
3. With the diagnosis of gestational diabetes.... portion control was extremely important, staying away from white carbohydrates which can raise your glucose levels. I did not have to take insulin because it was managed with diet and exercise (well, mostly diet). Drink a lot of water (at least 64oz) throughout the day, but especially after eating your meal, and before you take you finger stick.
4. Drink a lot of water, at least 32 oz of water.
5. Rest, Rest, Rest and elevate your feet.
6. Relax and do not stress, stress is not good for your health or the baby's.
The first trimester was exhausting all way round. All I wanted to do was sleep, and put my feet but it was very hard because Lina<3 wanted to play, play and play. I did get to laid down on the couch, and "relax" while Lina<3 climbs all over me as I dozed off here and there. I did feel very nauseated because of the prenatal vitamins I took in the mornings. And the doctor told me to switch to nighttime which helped a lot and I felt less nauseated, and a little more energy. The only thing that I would change is to see the doctor earlier, for prenatal care. I saw the the doctor at 10 weeks, which made the doctor want to knock on my head, lol. Thank goodness that no emergencies came up before then. Always recommend early prenatal care. The diagnosis of placenta previa came towards the end of the trimester, it was scary. When the doctor told me the diagnosis, I could not help but laughed because of her tone. The doctor said "no sex, no dildols, nothing inside the vagina!" Lol, it was funny to me. The doctor responded, "This is serious, the placenta cannot come out before the baby, you could bleed to death, it puts you at risk of bleeding to death, it puts the baby at risk, do you want bleed to death?" before waiting for my answer, the doctor said, "I don't, I don't want a dead patient".
The second trimester was better. I was more energetic, and in even more pain everywhere. I felt that it was hard to do anything at times. The pain and pressure was everywhere from my head, my tailbone, hemorrhoids, my groin area (ligament pain), and my vagina (yes, I said vagina, I felt a lot of pressure there, and it was fat, and swollen). All that pain and pressure did not matter, as I started to feel my Bunny move very early on, even in the first trimester but the doctor said that it was too early and that it was probably gas. The second trimester, Bunny was growing and moving. It was exciting. As my belly gets bigger, it was easier to explain to Lina<3, that there's was a baby in there. Lina<3 would kiss the belly. Bunny loved hearing Lina<3 played and screamed toward the end of the trimester, and always kicked and moved whenever she hears it. Since I had gestational diabetes with Lina's<3 pregnancy, I knew that I had watched what I ate. That was hard, because I was always hungry, and my taste buds were not the same. The foods that I used to like post pregnancy, it was no longer satisfying enough. The foods that I thought I want and was not satisfying enough either - like samosas, chicken sandwiches, chips, chocolate, rice, turkey breast, turkey sandwiches... nothing tasted the same. But that did not stop me from wanting to eat, and eat. I did not exercise much, because I was usually in pain, which made it harder to want to do anything. I did try to walk as much as I can.
The last trimester was more painful. Sometimes, it is hard to walk, stand, or sit... what was I suppose to do? Using a heat pad was a really helpful. I pushed through the pains, and enjoyed belly wave of movements, and kicks throughout the day. It kept me going. There were very good days, of course. I was feeling great, no contractions towards the end of the trimester, going strong, and until the day you were born (I thought Bunny was going to hold off until her due date, which I will tell you about in the next post about her birth story).
My tips for staying sane and healthy during pregnancy
1. Stay away from bad foods... especially junk food, (my pet peeve, and it was hard to do so I limited my portions instead).
2. Try and exercise... even if it is just walking a few blocks at a time.
3. With the diagnosis of gestational diabetes.... portion control was extremely important, staying away from white carbohydrates which can raise your glucose levels. I did not have to take insulin because it was managed with diet and exercise (well, mostly diet). Drink a lot of water (at least 64oz) throughout the day, but especially after eating your meal, and before you take you finger stick.
4. Drink a lot of water, at least 32 oz of water.
5. Rest, Rest, Rest and elevate your feet.
6. Relax and do not stress, stress is not good for your health or the baby's.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
In the womb...
Lina <3 is seven months old now. She is getting so big and beautiful. My Princessa...
When we first found out that we were pregnant, we were ecstatic, scared and excited (if only there were words that can really expressed how we felt inside). Knowing that you were growing in my belly was the best gift in the world and it was an extension of Mommy and Daddy's love for each other. I rubbed my belly (your home for months) every day and night because it was this amazing feeling that was overwhelming, it's like "oh my gosh, I helped create you".
Our first doctor's appointment was amazing. We saw you, a tiny little black dot, on the sonogram (it was a transvaginal ultrasound),and we heard your heartbeat. Our hearts melted and I cried. It's my baba (that's what mommy called you, meaning baby). Your heartbeat was the beautiful sound we had ever heard. Who would had thought that we would be able to hear your heartbeat so early on. The first trimester went by fast and easy. I didn't have bad morning sickness, some nausea that would last a few minutes; but I was exhausted and had to use the bathroom a lot. We had decided to keep the news of you to ourselves til the second trimester because I did not want to share you and you were all mine. I tried to stay as healthy as possible especially when it came to my eating habits because whatever goes into my mouth was your food as well. I walked as much as possible. I drank a lot of water and urinated a lot....(that's thing about being pregnant, your bladder gets very compress). I went to work and came home and rest.
The second trimester was fun, and you were moving by 18 weeks. When you first moved, it was a weird and wonderful feelings (only a pregnant person would know). Daddy loved it and enjoyed rubbing my belly but sometimes you would not move for daddy (daddy would say that is you being a brat). My belly did not get that big but had started to show a little bit. We finally told all family and friends and they were happy and excited, everyone had a different opinion about the sex of the baby. Some of them even try to make bets about it. Later in the trimester, I was diagnosis with gestational diabetes which was so scary because I do not want anything to happen to my baba, either in the womb, or during birth. So I walked everyday, and ate right (ate almost every 2 hours with healthy stuff likes nuts, salads, fruits, and kept a diary of it) and no more french fries (lol mommy loves french fries). I loved wearing dresses at this time and heels, yes mommy wore heels til the doctor scold me about it. We found out your sex but we kept it to ourselves as well as your name til you were ready to meet us.
The third and FINAL trimester, was nerve wrecking. The thought of you coming into this world in the next few months had not really hit me yet. The thought of holding you and changing your diaper ....ahhh ahhh so scary. I continued to take walks, and eat right. We saw the doctor even more this last few months. We continued to monitor your heartbeat and it was strong and beating very fast. In the last month, it was really unnerving and scary. Had to go on medical leave because of preterm labor symptoms. And you came three weeks after, earlier than your due date. We were so excited to meet you but I guess you were too anxious and wanted to meet us sooner rather than later :) The day you were born was the best day! You were so small, you were so adorable, so sweet and still am! I was in love with you, you are my princessa. Wow! I am your Mommy.
When we first found out that we were pregnant, we were ecstatic, scared and excited (if only there were words that can really expressed how we felt inside). Knowing that you were growing in my belly was the best gift in the world and it was an extension of Mommy and Daddy's love for each other. I rubbed my belly (your home for months) every day and night because it was this amazing feeling that was overwhelming, it's like "oh my gosh, I helped create you".
Our first doctor's appointment was amazing. We saw you, a tiny little black dot, on the sonogram (it was a transvaginal ultrasound),and we heard your heartbeat. Our hearts melted and I cried. It's my baba (that's what mommy called you, meaning baby). Your heartbeat was the beautiful sound we had ever heard. Who would had thought that we would be able to hear your heartbeat so early on. The first trimester went by fast and easy. I didn't have bad morning sickness, some nausea that would last a few minutes; but I was exhausted and had to use the bathroom a lot. We had decided to keep the news of you to ourselves til the second trimester because I did not want to share you and you were all mine. I tried to stay as healthy as possible especially when it came to my eating habits because whatever goes into my mouth was your food as well. I walked as much as possible. I drank a lot of water and urinated a lot....(that's thing about being pregnant, your bladder gets very compress). I went to work and came home and rest.
The second trimester was fun, and you were moving by 18 weeks. When you first moved, it was a weird and wonderful feelings (only a pregnant person would know). Daddy loved it and enjoyed rubbing my belly but sometimes you would not move for daddy (daddy would say that is you being a brat). My belly did not get that big but had started to show a little bit. We finally told all family and friends and they were happy and excited, everyone had a different opinion about the sex of the baby. Some of them even try to make bets about it. Later in the trimester, I was diagnosis with gestational diabetes which was so scary because I do not want anything to happen to my baba, either in the womb, or during birth. So I walked everyday, and ate right (ate almost every 2 hours with healthy stuff likes nuts, salads, fruits, and kept a diary of it) and no more french fries (lol mommy loves french fries). I loved wearing dresses at this time and heels, yes mommy wore heels til the doctor scold me about it. We found out your sex but we kept it to ourselves as well as your name til you were ready to meet us.
The third and FINAL trimester, was nerve wrecking. The thought of you coming into this world in the next few months had not really hit me yet. The thought of holding you and changing your diaper ....ahhh ahhh so scary. I continued to take walks, and eat right. We saw the doctor even more this last few months. We continued to monitor your heartbeat and it was strong and beating very fast. In the last month, it was really unnerving and scary. Had to go on medical leave because of preterm labor symptoms. And you came three weeks after, earlier than your due date. We were so excited to meet you but I guess you were too anxious and wanted to meet us sooner rather than later :) The day you were born was the best day! You were so small, you were so adorable, so sweet and still am! I was in love with you, you are my princessa. Wow! I am your Mommy.
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