Friday Commentary: High Risk Pregnancy

This week has been one of celebrations. We celebrated my son's birthday last Sunday and today we celebrated my brother-in-law's birthday (photos on my Instagram & Twitter). Fun times! 

Another celebration of sorts are my weekly NSTs (Non-stress tests) and BPPs (don't know what that means but it's some type of ultrasound). I fall in the category of High Risk Pregnancy because of Chronic Hypertension so my Doctor keeps an eye on me more than she would other "regular" pregnant women. Here's a picture of me in the hospital's waiting room today.

Once I schedule these weekly exams, I think of them as a baby & mommy dates. Obviously we're there for serious reasons but I do enjoy taking a peek inside my uterus every week, finding out how much she weighs, seeing her practicing breathing and looking at her pretty face. She'll be here soon and today's test was kind of my wake up call. 

Will I do anything different now that I'm 32 weeks? Not necessarily. I'll keep exercising, eating as well as I can and getting ready for the big birth day. I'm so looking forward to seeing our blessing for the first time!

It's funny to me (and to the doctors who treat me) to know that my pregnancy is high risk because all my numbers are great. Last month one doctor looked at my stats and asked "so what are you doing here again?" God's been so good to me when it comes to my health! I am thankful.

I developed chronic hypertension a few years after I got married. I blogged extensively about how God changed/healed my mind and my body weight followed that transformation. My health improved greatly before having my first son but I never got off of high blood pressure meds. I then became a Baby Buncher, so I have to be careful to take care of my health in order to nurture my family well. Thanks to God I haven't had any problems with my blood pressure for 5 years. I kept the good habits learned during that first High Blood Pressure "intervention" phase such as:

• avoid stress like a plague;

• watch for salt intake in food; 

• avoid eating out in places known to add a lot of salt & MSG to their food;

• exercise regularly; 

• use other spices such as garlic and onions in my cooking;

• drink plenty water; 

• get enough rest;

• monitor my blood pressure for any changes.

That initial bad experience was not fun because it felt like I was not in control of my body. Taking control of my health means to be conscious of my choices. It means there are consequences to my actions and I want my consequences to lead to great quality of life. 

I realize that the damage that Chronic Hypertension has in one's body can be irreversible that's why I am so eager to maintain great health habits. It's more than a dress size for me, it's about the size & quality of my earthly life.

I've learned that God is a healer but he's not a magician. I have learned that I have to create good habits in order to enjoy great quality of life. God is my healer and helper but once I get off my knees I need to chop some veggies and go for a walk. 

Keep us in your prayers as we finish this amazing journey. Being pregnant is a gift and I am trying to be a good steward by caring for my health. Have an amazing weekend!

Read More

Pregnancy Side Effects: Coping

One of the first things a nurse in my clinic told me when I went for my first pregnancy appointment is that pregnancy is hard on the body. I didn’t want to believe it but now I totally do. Now that we are getting to the end of our second journey, we are often asked how do you do pregnancy and the other kid at the same time. I have found a few ways to cope with the side effects of this wonderful season as we get close to birth day:

First Trimester: During my first pregnancy the major thing was being tired. I would sleep sometimes but not often. This time around not only was I tired but I had all day nausea. I quickly learned to sleep when baby sleeps and I asked for meds. I just could not feel sick a whole day and properly care for my son who was 7 months at the time. The important thing is to find a soothing solution.

Second Trimester: It felt like a honeymoon the first time I got pregnant. I looked great, felt great and I was exercising a lot. This time I felt like I just came out of the dessert and found relief. If we had major projects such as getting the nursery ready, we tackled them during the second trimester. I heard that waiting til the end to paint and do other major repairs can be tough though many have done it. I enjoyed this season because I didn’t know what the next 3 months would bring.

Third Trimester: I nicknamed these last months as 'the third trial master.' It’s been tough! During my first pregnancy I worked full-time and did consulting work until week 37. I guess I was so focused on work that the time just flew by. Time is not dragging this time but my current circumstances are mixed with pregnancy side effects. Heartburn has been the main one this time around. Last time it was hemorrhoids (not glamorous, I know but very true). It’s been easy to manage the heartburn with meds. A lot of rest is needed now. Some days I feel like I could sleep all the time. Pair that with an extremely positive attitude. Pregnancy is definitely not the best I’ve ever felt (It’s hard to feel good about nausea and hemorrhoids) but it is one of the happiest seasons of expectation.

Here are other tips that work every season:

• After two totally different pregnancies I must recognize that fit is better. The fitter you are, the easier it is to go through 9 awesome months of body and mind change. I told my husband that next time I’ll do better in that department.

• Choose a recovery day. When I was working full-time Saturday was it. Now that I’m working at home, we chose Mondays as our recovery day. We stay in, rest and get our nap/rest routines back together after a busy weekend. Make it your personal Sabbath if you will.

• Eating clean helps any mother and child. Your baby benefits from fruits and veggies however you can get them. Sometimes it works for me to get a lot of fresh ingredients. Other times the best we can do is get canned black beans, rice and frozen broccolis. It’s alright, as long as we are mindful of what we are eating. It’s never too early to give those little taste buds a flavor of health

• Talk to your baby. I felt weird at first and it’s even weirder when other people do it (even through e-mail of messages on my pregnant pics). They know your voice and respond to you. Once they are born, I miss the closeness, the movement and the fact that I am the only one to nurture her that way. Words can nurture as well.

• Stay away from stress. This is not the season to be worried about things. Stress can affect your pregnancy in the worse manner and you don’t want that. Practice contentment, laying your cares on Jesus for He cares for you. Learn also that there is a time and season for everything and worrying won’t change that. Take the healthier, peaceful pathway. Learn what makes you relax: a pedicure? A short walk? Watching a comedy? Pursue peace.

I don’t think it’s taboo to be real about what women go through. I think it’s healthy to be honest but honesty is better with hope. I cling to God, my source of joy and strength. If my mind is not focused on things above, life would be miserable. Change your mind to God’s plan and what He’s trying to teach you. At times I think that millions of women have been where I am but for some reason the thought does not help me at all. Only God’s words and having a rested mind to receive His love helps me.

I pray that you have an awesome pregnancy. I believe yours will be better than mine. Be sure to live your own happy experience!

Read More

Sintomas da Gravidez

Até aqui me ajudou o Senhor! Com 35 semanas eu estou olhando pra trás e vendo como passei por várias fases gravidez. Aí vão elas:

fotos da minha primeira gravidez: meses 5-9

• Primeiro Trimestre - fiquei muito cansada no início. Na primeira gravidez não dormi muito. Na segunda aproveitei a soneca do meu filho que tinha 7 meses na época pra descansar também. Dessa vez também tive náusea, mas ela durava o dia todo. Pedi por remédio, o que me ajudou bastante. O importante é achar uma solução que funcione pra você. Conheço muita mulher que não toma remédio de jeito nenhum (era eu na primeira gravidez). Conversar com o médico é sempre o melhor.

• Segundo Trimestre - Muitos aqui chamam esses meses dos meses da lua de mel. Eu me senti muito melhor durante esse tempo! Aproveitamos pra pintar o quarto do bebê nessa época ou fazer outros projetos maiores. Ouvi dizer que esperar pra fazer tudo no final é difícil.

• Terceiro Trimestre - O momento final da gravidez! O/A bebê cresce rápido nessa época e eu tenho sentido. Ano passado eu trabalhei até a semana 37 e me exercitei a maioria do tempo. Desta vez n ão me exercito tanto como antes e estou trabalhando de casa. Como o meu corpo já fez esse trabalho todo ano passado, os músculos estão bem mais sensíveis. As vezes sinto que estou de volta ao início da gravidez, o que quer dizer que o descanso é necessário. No finalzinho (no meu caso) vem uns sintomas interessantes como hemorróidas e azia. Tenho tomado remédio pra azia o que ajuda bastante. Ano passado tive mas deu pra controlar sem remédio. Não tive homorróidas dessa vez, mas as vezes elas aparecem depois do nascimento como se fossem umas surpresas agradáveis :) Fui num chá de bebê de uma moça que não tinha a mínima idéia de que isso poderia acontecer. Nem todo mundo tem esses sintomas. 

Outras dicas:
• Coma bastante frutas, legumes e verduras e tome muita água. Isso ajuda a você e ao seu bebê. Comece esse bom hábito no ventre!
• Faça exercícios. Com o acompanhamento médico, faça o exercício que seja mais confortável pra você. Eu fazia exercício pra controlar o estresse e sempre ajudava em outras áreas da saúde.
• Lide com o estresse. Ele é parte da vida, e se não der pra aniquilar, lide com ele. O que te faz relaxar? Natação? Um bom filme? Uma caminhada curta? Ler um livro? Gravidez não é tempo de estar estressada. Afeta o bebê , sua pressão sanguínia, etc.
• Chame a Deus. Ele sempre foi parte da minha vida, especialmente agora. Remédio ajuda a lidar com sintomas, mas se o meu coração e mente não estiverem abertos pra receber o amor de Deus a vida se torna muito mais difícil. Faça dEle a parte principal da sua gestação.

Parabéns a equipe Brasileira de futebol! Haja coração! Gostei do jogo de ontem. Eu e meu filho assistimos 'juntos'. Eu não estava me sentindo muito bem (terceiro trimestre) mas o resultado do jogo nos trouxe uma alegria enorme!

Read More

V-day Weekend Fun

Happy week everyone! Zeke and I had an awesome V-day weekend/babymoon. We decided to start our celebration Friday night, so we headed to Charlotte and that was awesome! We hung out in Charlotte til Saturday afternoon and did a little shopping on the way home. I never had a bath robe, so Zeke got me a cute one and some slippers. He also gave me a gift I've been waiting for years to receive: a bottle of Dolce & Gabbana (the original). That was such a treat! I've been refusing to buy any other scent for years :) I'm a happy woman! Here are some photos of things :) from this weekend.

My choice of breakfast at the Hilton:

Some of my gifts :)

Baby is doing great. I'm starting to feel him move while I stand up. That's been really different. If he's born before my due date, I have less than 12 weeks. I'm not afraid, I'm focusing on faith that God has a great plan for me and for this baby. I just entered my Third Tri Friday, I have 81 days (or less) to go. Oh, we finished our child birth class with the hospital tour. It was nice to see the rooms where we'll be and learn how things work there. I just talked to a friend who had an awesome all-natural birth. She did it in 4 hours. The way God created our bodies is fantastic.

I never did tell you what I gave Zeke for V-day. I bought him a book, a card and he got some shirts and a bath robe last weekend as well. Altough we were gone for a short period of time, if felt like I took a week's vacation!

Have a great week everyone!

Read More

Goodbye First Tri

I'm entering the second trimester. It will be official in two weeks but I like to be advanced LOL. They say it's the honeymoon period of your pregnancy, I'm gonna call it the continuation of my honeymoon period. It's been awesome. I'm not as tired as I was in the beginning of the pregnancy. The only thing that got a little extreme is my sense of smell. I no longer wear perfume and I ask Zeke not to put cologne if he can help it :) I'm supposed to get a flu shot this week. God's blessed us with great health, I'm looking forward to continue to take care of my health. Yep, we're going back to teh gym this week. I wanted to walk last week but with all the travel it was just not possible. I'm gonna keep lifting weights and working on the elliptical. I'm gonna do a lot of fast walking and maybe running. It's back to normal, I'm glad about it.

Read More