Mommy-to-be Cheat Codes
At your first appointment with your
doctor you are handed of a very long and very intense list of things you cannot
even think of doing while pregnant. We’re talking foods to avoid, drinks to
avoid, activity to avoid, even thoughts to avoid. So over the past few months
I’ve come up with a few “Mommy Cheat Codes” that has pregnancy feeling not so
restrictive anymore!
Caffeine:
Okay, this is a hot topic issue for many
moms out there but it is something to keep in mind when getting pregnant and
staying pregnant. My OB told me that one regular size cup of coffee a day is
totally fine. That regular cup of coffee can be a Starbucks drink or a
home-brewed cup.
Now, I am a coffee addict and one cup of
coffee a day does NOT cut it for me. So…
Hack:
DECAF
Drinking my coffee drinks decaffeinated
saves me any guilt, grief, and allows me to drink 2 to 3 coffee drinks a day.
(For me, coffee is more about taste and the ritual than a caffeine boost.)
Starbucks makes all there drinks in either fully caffeinated, half regular half
decaf, or fully decaf. May not seem like rocket science switching from regular
to decaf, but I gave up coffee cold turkey for my first trimester and was only
reminded of this option by a girlfriend of mine that works at Starbucks, she
offered me a free drink and told me that she’d use decaf instead of regular
coffee. Mind blown. Good-bye guilt.
Cold Sandwiches:
I don’t know if it’s knowing that I
can’t eat cold deli meat and it’s the “forbidden fruit” aspect of it, but I
crave cold sandwiches all the time! At least twice a week I would kill for a
cold turkey sandwich with lettuce, tomato, avocado, on whole wheat bread with
tons of cold turkey slices. But cold deli meat is a big no-no when you’re
pregnant. Listeria is extremely dangerous for pregnant women and their babies
so it’s something to avoid, big-time!
HACK:
#1 toasted sandwiches
While it doesn’t quite fulfill the “cold
sandwich” craving I get all the time, it is a safe alternative to sandwich
cravings. Most sandwich shops offer toasting as an option so I always ask them
to double toast it to make sure the meat is heated properly.
HACK:
#2 Veggie subs!
This has been my favorite alternative.
Getting all your favorite veggies on a sandwich and avoiding meat altogether. I
asked for the tomatoes and avocados to be sliced thick to kinda create a more
“meater” texture to the sandwich. I love it and it tastes great! And is pretty
healthy too!
Soft cheeses:
That pesky listeria warning again… soft
cheeses like brie and feta are not allowed for expecting mommies L
HACK:
Pasteurized cheeses!
As long as the cheese has been pasteurized
you’re good to go! I love Greek salads and feta cheese is a must! I was able to
find pasteurized feta cheese at most stores like Ralphs and Trader Joes.
Raw seafood like fish and shellfish:
Raw fish could contain E. coli or
Salmonella, definitely nothing to mess with when pregnant. Avoiding food like
sushi or seared prepared foods is important, which wasn’t very hard me… I don’t
care much for sushi or any under cooked seafood.
HACK:
Don’t eat it!
Okay, this isn’t really a hack, I don’t
care for sushi so I don’t feel restricted here. I do eat a serving of healthy,
lean, low mercury count fish every week for those healthy omega 3’s!
Cardio:
Exercise is important while pregnant,
but it must be done properly. Running and getting your heart rate up can be
dangerous while pregnant. Running poses some threats to mommy and baby,
although you don’t have to rule it out altogether. If you are an avid runner
before becoming pregnant your usually fine to continue that activity, but my
exercise routine is sporadic at best. My work schedule isn’t predictable and I
travel a bit which makes it hard to commit to everyday exercise.
HACK:
# 1 swimming!
Swimming is an amazing way to get cardio
into your pregnancy life and it’s completely safe! My OB told me it’s the one
exercise she encourages her mommy’s to do! My hubby is a swimmer (high school
varsity swim team and varsity water polo, yes I’m bragging J) so he
and I head down to our community pool around twice a week and swim lap together
for 30-45 minutes. It’s awesome exercise and we always leave feeling great!
HACK:
#2 Walking
I love walking, and my husband and I
just bought a home on a beautiful lake that we walk around anywhere from 4-5
times a week. The walk measures about 2.5 miles and is really nice because,
unlike swimming, allows us to chat and talk together. Living in southern
California weather is almost always perfect for a walk so we take off everyday
for a walk and talk about our day, plans, the baby, work, etc. It’s our special
time together that we both look forward to, and keeps us in the habit of open
lines of communication. Always a good thing in a marriage J My
doctor encourages me to walk everyday for 30-45 minutes to keep my activity up.
Worrying:
Worrying for a mother-to-be is
unavoidable, especially for first time moms, but keeping worrying and stress
levels down is important during pregnancy. But it happens. I had 5 girlfriends,
no joke, 5 girlfriends go into pre-term labor and all of them delivered their
babies at 32 weeks. I was terrified I would be next! I told my doctor my
concerns and she immediately stopped me, “Do not think about that. That is
extremely rare, and I’m very surprised that happened. I don’t want you thinking
about it for another minute.” “…But…” “NOPE!”
HACK:
Positive thoughts and prayers
It’s hard not to worry about your baby,
not before he’s born, and not for a second after he’s born. I do everything I
know to keep him safe, and I let God take care of the rest. There are always
unforeseen stressers that pop up naturally in life. But the way you react to
them is up to you, my first response is to take control and stress about it
until it’s resolved. Not exactly healthy, and not exactly godly either. I’ve
decided to be intentional with my worries and stress and give them up to
God. It’s hard, but it feels so much
better knowing that the creator of the universe is taking care of my doubts,
worries, and concerns instead of me.
A sneak peek at our maternity photos!
Another hack, get photos done!
I love being pregnant and I'm so thankful our friend took
these photos to remind me of this incredibly special time for Chris and me.
