Healthy Weight Gain During Pregnancy (Some tips & tricks!)

I've heard varying responses of how much women have gained throughout the duration of their pregnancies; anywhere from 16 pounds to 80 pounds! That's a huge difference!

I have received plenty of advice from family and friends because I will be the first to admit that I need and appreciate all the help I can get! Some people said follow your cravings and eat whatever you want, and others said to be conscious of what I eat and not take "eating for two" literally! Early on in my pregnancy, I became curious and researched it on my own. Here's a post to pay it forward to all my new mommies out there!


I came across a great article that pretty much sums it all up =)

All information is obtained through the American Pregnancy Association Website!

Here's the link: Pregnancy Health

I just copied and pasted the things I thought were very helpful from the article:

Where does all the extra weight go?

Here is an approximate breakdown of your weight gain:

• Baby: 7-8 pounds
• Placenta: 1-2 pounds
• Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
• Uterus: 2 pounds
• Maternal breast tissue: 2 pounds
• Maternal blood : 4 pounds
• Fluids in maternal tissue: 4 pounds
• Maternal fat and nutrient stores: 7 pounds

How much total weight should I gain?

The amount of weight you should gain depends on your weight and BMI (body mass index) before pregnancy. You should gain:

• 25-35 pounds if you were a healthy weight before pregnancy, with a BMI of 18.5-24.9.
• 28-40 pounds if you were underweight before pregnancy with a BMI of less than 18.5.
• 15-25 pounds if you were overweight before pregnancy with a BMI of 25-29.9.
• 11-20 pounds if you were obese before pregnancy with a BMI of over 30. 

If you don't know your BMI, here's a quick link to an easy BMI calculator: BMI Calculator

At what rate should I gain weight during my pregnancy?

How much you should gain depends on your weight before you were pregnant and how far along you are in your pregnancy. For the average woman who starts her pregnancy out at a normal weight, your weight gain will look something like this. If you start out your pregnancy over or under-weight, you will want to talk with your health care provider about what your weight gain rate should look like.

• Healthy weight before pregnancy:
  • 1-4.5 pounds during the first trimester
  • Approximately 1-2 pounds per week in the second trimester
  • Approximately 1-2 pounds per week in the third trimester 

Throughout your pregnancy the goal is to keep weight gain as steady as possible because your baby requires a daily supply of nutrients that comes from what you eat. It is ok for your weight gain to fluctuate a little from week to week. However, you should contact your health care provider if you suddenly gain or lose weight, especially in your third trimester. This could be a sign of certain complications.

Personally...

I was at a healthy BMI pre-pregnancy, so my doctor recommended about 25-35 pounds of weight gain! For me, I actually lost weight in my first trimester because the fatigue and nausea were so bad! The second trimester is when I actually gained the most weight because it was when I felt the best! I'm currently in my third trimester, and I actually haven't gained much weight because I've been walking so much and cleaning literally everything in sight! I hear that it's different for everyone and that every pregnancy is different!

Tips & Tricks

1. Eat frequently!

I eat every hour to two hours, but with small portion sizes! I always have fresh fruits, easy smoothies, or cereal to snack on. Don't skip any meals! Don't get me wrong, I follow my cravings, I just don't overeat. Moderation is key!

2. Slow it down!

I am definitely one of those people who love to stay active, and constantly had to be scolded by people to slow it down! It wasn't until I started getting really bad ligament/joint pain after a solid week of over-activity that I finally took it a little easier. I couldn't walk for over two weeks! Now it's only 30-45 minutes max on the treadmill! Keep track of your progress through Smartphone apps or a fitness tracker! There are so many on the market now. I'm a very visual person, so seeing my progress helped keep me motivated! Keep it a daily routine but listen to your body; if you start feeling pain or discomfort, you may be overdoing it.

3. Pregnancy-appropriate fitness gear that doesn't break the bank!

I looked around for maternity fitness gear, and found it all to be very pricey! I settled for my regular running shoes and bought inexpensive yoga pants! These were my best friends while working out! I also just used oversized t-shirts that I "borrowed" from my husband =) Works out perfectly fine! But hey, if you have the cash to buy cute fitness clothes or accessories, splurge! I always found more motivation to work out when I had cute and comfy workout clothes to go to the gym in! When it comes to shoes, Asics & Nike are the only brand I will go for =)


4. Water, water, water!

I drink water all the time, but given that it's a summer pregnancy I think I doubled my daily intake! Drink two full glasses of water right when you wake up to start the day right! Make it a habit! There are so many health benefits of water already! I absolutely love my Bobble water bottle! Such a steal at only $10!

5. Healthy substitutes for unhealthy cravings!

Two things I've craved a lot during pregnancy: Soda & cake. I actually don't drink soda often, but I have had major cravings for it throughout my pregnancy. One trick I've learned is to use calorie-free club soda! It may sound weird but I just mix it in with Gatorade powder! Although it's not as sweet, it satisfies the craving just fine! Plus, this picture of the nutrition facts motivates me to use it even more:

Another thing I've craved a lot has been cake! I've learned that it's best if you make it yourself so you can substitute for healthier ingredients! Here's a recipe from Hungry Girl that I've used a lot in my baking: Chocolate Cake Recipe!

Once again, club soda to the rescue! Instead of frosting, I use sugar-free instant pudding and fat-free cool whip! I also add in a variety of different fruits! Here are some cakes that I've made already:

Strawberry Marshmallow Cream Cake

Pineapple Creme Cake

Hope you found this post helpful=) I am currently 38 weeks and am super anxious!

 

Free Prenatal Classes!

If you have not been to any Prenatal Classes yet, Pacificord (A Cord Blood Banking Company) offers free prenatal classes!

 The Classes they offer:

• Childbirth Preparation 
• Relaxation for Childbirth
• Baby Care Basics
• Breastfeeding Basics

 The Nitty Gritty:

Each class is offered once a month! Classes always fall on a Tuesday, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

To sign up for a class, use this link: Free Pacificord Prenatal Classes

 Classes are done through an interactive, fun powerpoint presentation by a charismatic and entertaining presenter named Nurse Wendy! She has great credentials and works at Newport Hoag, where I will actually be delivering my baby.

They have really comfy chairs, and have a restroom right down the hall which is very convenient! They save about 10 minutes at the end of class to talk about the benefits of banking your baby's cord blood and show a short, inspirational video of how banking cord blood saved a little boy's life. The classes were fairly informative and eases a lot of nerves for first-time mothers (like me!). Nurse Wendy is very straight-forward and answers questions thoroughly.

 Overall, a great experience and a good alternative to paying for prenatal classes that they offer in your community or in your hospital.

 Plus, they also give you a lot of goodies:

 

A Pacificord folder with information regarding the company and a catalog and coupon from Piyo-Piyo (a cute baby store in Irvine)!

 

A whole box of goodies from FIRST5 California!

It came with a booklet, CD, and pamphlet that has parenting advice!

It also includes a pamphet from CA Poison Control, and a wonderful book about what to do in numerous situations where your child may be in danger! It literally has every possible emergency you can think of!

Lastly, it came with this adorable touch & feel children's book! It includes English AND Spanish!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Photo Update! 32 Weeks and counting =)

Baby Shower decorations! The baby shower was incredible! Lots of family and friends showered us with love, support, and advice!

And so many gifts that it filled up half of our apartment! This picture was only mid-way through our shower! Even today, we are still receiving things in the mail for our baby! Having a baby feels like Christmas everyday! We also had lovely photos taken by Garone C. Africa Photography! I'll be posting those baby shower pictures soon! =)

George & Miyuki's wedding<3 It was beautiful and heartfelt! There was even a Karaoke machine! =D

Did I mention that they also had a lunch buffet?

Including all you can eat Sushi! ( I, for one, couldn't indulge in this, sadly.)

We also went to the OC Fair (Finally!)

We weren't feeling in the mood for the crazy deep-fried food you'd usually get at the OC fair, so I just got exactly what the baby was craving: Chicken and waffles =) Seriously really good though!!

Yosuke won our baby girl a new friend! And of course, it was a basketball shooting game =) Only on his second shot too! 

Quick Pregnancy update

A quick update since It's been a while!

 Good news, I don't have Gestational Diabetes! Such a huge relief. I was almost absolutely certain that I had it since I was more at risk for it, but I guess being active and the healthy eating does pay off. My past two weeks have consisted of catching up with old friends, which I absolutely love and need to do more of! I will be the first to admit that I am the worst person to keep in touch with. Despite the busy schedule, I firmly believe that if someone is important to you, that you make the time regardless. Also, it only takes like 5 seconds to text someone, and an hour or so to meet up for lunch is not asking for much.

I've also made it a habit to walk at least for half an hour every morning, which I think has actually helped with my energy levels. I've been adjusting to my new dosage on Levoxyl and I have good and bad days. On my tired days, I literally feel like my body can't even move and I'm dead weight. Either way, I'm still taking it one day at a time, and I literally have about two months left! It flew by so fast! I've also been preoccupied with planning for the baby shower. They have the cutest baby shower ideas and themes out there! It's been fun planning and organizing everything with the help from my family. That's all for now, this was initially supposed to be a quick update (yet it never is). Here's a couple pictures from yesterday. I managed to do all our laundry yesterday too! I love days where I can mix leisure with productiveness!   

      True Foods Kitchen in Newport Beach, CA 

Caramelized Onion Tart

Edamame Dumplings with White Truffle Oil

Tuscan Kale Salad

$100 Macy's Gift Card! (Gift from University HS Counseling Department!)

Where I used the Gift Card =)

Love this little box!

It's like opening up a present!

Red Velvet and Vanilla Coconut Cupcake

Absolutely delicious.

Boy or Girl? 8 ways to Predict the Baby's Gender!

We've said it to a few people already (yet we're still not 100% sure), but we already received the great news that we're having a baby girl! We haven't even had our baby shower yet but we've already been given a lot of gifts for our baby. I feel as if our family and friends are just as excited as we are! We seriously have so much pink baby stuff right now, I'm a little paranoid that the baby will turn out to be a boy, and we can't use half of the stuff we've been given! For our baby registry, I tried my best to stay as gender neutral as possible! It's funny, because in the beginning everyone actually thought it would be a boy, but I guess the only sure way to know is when the baby comes out.

I've heard of so many different baby gender predictors, but I just had to share because some of these are quite bizarre. And yes, I am guilty about being slightly superstitious (I mean I am Filipino; you guys know what I'm talking about), so a part of me may buy into a little bit of it (But not all!)! Based on the fact that I already know we're having a baby girl (fingers crossed), I'll tell you whether these are true for me!

 


Here are the ones I've heard about:

Low or High?

I've heard of this one a lot! They say that if you carry the baby low, that it's a boy, and if you carry her high, it's a girl. For me, this is actually true!

 Stolen Beauty

They say if you are plagued with a lot of acne and skin blemishes during pregnancy, then you are having a baby girl. Legend says that your little princess steals all your beauty during pregnancy!


I haven't had any skin issues during pregnancy (yet), so for me, this is false!

It's in the Swing

I've heard two variations of this; one includes a necklace with a cross, and the other a piece of string with your wedding ring!

                                                                                                                        With the cross, you're supposed to hold the cross really still above your palm. If it swings back and forth, it's a boy, if it swings in a circle, it's a girl.

                                                                                                                                   With the wedding ring, you hold it really still above your belly. It's opposite from the cross prediction results; so if it swings back and forth, it's a girl, and in a circle, a boy.

I've tried the necklace with the cross before, and it said that I was having a girl. So this one for me, is also true!

Drano Experiment                                                                                                                                                                                         This one is really unusual, and a new one for me. Mommy-to-be pees in a cup, and pours in a tablespoon of Drano. If it turns green, it's a girl, if it turns blue (you've guessed it!), it's a boy. I have not tried this one yet, something about this makes me feel a little uneasy. Nothing against Drano though!

Baby's Heartbeat                                                                                                              Another predictor I've heard of is the baby's heart rate. If the baby's heart rate is over 140 beats per minute, it's a girl; if it's under 140, it's a boy! I have to get back to this one, because I wasn't paying too much attention to the beats per minute at my last ultrasound, I always get too excited!

Sweet or Sour?                                                                                      

                                                                            If you crave sweets during pregnancy, it's a girl!

                                                                                                                                                                             If you crave sour or salty foods, it's a boy!

This one is a little tricky for me, because in my first trimester, I craved sour and salty. It may have been the morning sickness, but I couldn't even stand the sight of anything sweet. In my second trimester, I started craving a lot of sweet things again! And now that I'm in my third trimester, I literally just crave everything. So with this one, I'm stumped.

Chinese Gender Chart

You can get the chart, and more info here: Chinese Gender Chart

This chart uses the month when your baby was conceived, and your age at the time of conception. There are claims that this chart is about 90% accurate in predicting the sex of your baby! For me, this was surprisingly true!

Morning Sickness 

                                                                                                    Rumor has it that if you are stricken with a bad case of morning sickness during the first trimester, it's a girl. If you're one of the lucky ones and sail through the first semester without hugging the toilet, then it's a boy. For me, unfortunately, this is true. The first trimester was absolutely horrible! 

So in review, four out of eight of these baby gender predictors points to a baby girl! Ultimately, I guess the only sure way to tell is when the little one is finally born. It's really up to the parents-to-be to buy into any of these.  Boy or girl, we're happy as long as our little one is healthy! We're so excited for her (or possibly him) to pop out already!

Takoyaki!

We decided to make Takoyaki the other night! A lot of it was trial and error and  requires some practice, but it was definitely fun trying to figure it out!

This is what we used:

An Electric Takoyaki Maker
Regular skewers as a takoyaki pick

The Ingredients:

Blanched octopus, diced
Beni shoga (pickled ginger), chopped
100 grams takoyaki mix or okonomiyaki mix
1 1/2 cup water (340cc)
1 egg
oil, to brush

Topping:
Takoyaki or Okonomiyaki Sauce
Kewpie Mayonnaise
Ao nori  (green/blue seaweed flakes)
katsuobushi (bonito flakes)

It always looks really bad at first, but it eventually starts to look better!

Here's what our process looked like: 

First, add the batter, then add the tako & beni shoga, and then flip once it starts getting brown around the edges and the batter starts to thicken & bubble in the middle!

Here's our first batch:

 Not so pretty, but still so yummy!

Our Second Batch: 

 The other half was just topped with soy sauce, and it was just as good! It's always fun when we get to make dinner together, even if it doesn't go as smoothly! 

Happy Sunday!