Congrats Lisa on the great bloodwork! And on the only 4 lbs gained. I hear ya on the pre-natal screening stuff. We went through all that decision-making too!

I remember the food aversions, Daisy. That is what made it so hard for me to do even semi-LC in the beginning. All the things I had previously eaten that were LC were suddenly no longer appealing. All i wanted was my comfort foods (bread, pasta, potatoes, etc). Thank goodness those have gone away now!

I had a long day today. Had to go to one of our other dealerships we took over and train someone on our system we use. That was no big deal really, except that i never got to eat my lunch. I didn't expect to be there all day, and they ordered pizza, which i respectfully declined to eat. By the time i got back to work i had to turn around and leave to try to make it over to campus in time to buy the last book i need for the summer online classes i'm taking. I was 3 minutes late and the bookstore was closed unfortunately. By the time i got home it was 7:00, and all i'd had since 11:30 was a diet coke. I never go that long without eating. Normally i have something about every 3 hours at least. I've always been a grazer and would rather eat several small meals than 3 big ones.

It was so tempting to just run through McDonalds because i was absolutely starving, but i didn't. I was good. I waited unitl i got home and had a nice fruit salad some Cheese to tide me over until dinner.

Sue, while I got really worried when you talked about how long you went without food, I guess I do understand (we did a wedding recently where they never fed us - 10 hours of back-breaking work and they reception hall couldn't be bothered to give us food!). Anyhow, what you did...bypassing McD's and going home to fruit and cheese...was awesome! Good for you! (In the future, can you carry something with you, like nuts? I've been carrying almonds and peanuts in the car for awhile now and that's saved me more times than I can tell you.)

Daisy, don't be disheartened. I think we all understand what you mean. You feel crappy and then when you feel better and can eat you want to treat yourself and have something goooooood. You feel you "deserve" to get something good and yummy and you're craving non-LC things, naturally. I get it. I've been nutso lately in the stores and everywhere else just drooling over stupid things, like boxed donuts! I mean ugh, please...that stuff is CRAP...and I'm craving it?? Yikes.

My suggestion is give in to treats, but just to really super high quality stuff...like organic ice cream, or fresh fruits...and if you must sweeten them, with honey and fresh whipped cream...or high quality dark chocolate or whatever floats your boat like that. Don't deny yourself and cut yourself some slack. Where you can, just try to eat good stuff too.

This morning was odd for me because the scale was lower again. I'm not sure if it's just from eating so well that my system properly "cleared out" (sorry to be graphic) or what, but it's the first time ever I've actually been worried about weight LOSS. How BIZARRE right? But I can't worry about it. I'm eating well, I just need to keep adjusting the calories and trying to stay as intuitive as I can about my hunger. I'm sure it'll all work out. Have a great day, ladies!


P.S. I forgot to mention I've rediscovered Dreamfields pasta. I mean, I liked it before but didn't have it often...just as a treat. Now I plan to have it a bit more often since I'm a little more flexible with carbs and I ADORE pasta. Recently I made myself some mac 'n cheese and it was heavenly!

Hi ya'll, Thanks so much for the feedback. I am feeling much better and have been eating that way as well!!!! Ha! I LOVED my water workout. It was so refreshing. I did feel the effects afterwards throughout the day, but it was a feeling of "YEAH, I got a good workout." My kids have been keeping me pretty busy too! They are girl(6), boy(8), boy(10), girl(12). I've got lots of helpers when this little one comes, but I'm sure will be going here and there and everywhere as well.

lonewolf ~ Congrats and I hope things go well for you and the house thing too! Things will workout. Just do what you can do and that is all you can do! That is what I tell my husband when things seem to be squeezing at work and finances. Things always seem to workout

Have a wonderful healthy day!

Wow, you have a line up of babysitters ready, don't you? LOL

Wonderful news about the water aerobics! I'm so pleased! I haven't worked out yet this week but I've kept busy (what else is new).

I'm still pretty whooped, but otherwise things are fine.

I wanted to ask you all for your opinion on artificial sweeteners. I was told by my CNM to go to sugar but I just can't. I only use Davinci syrup (1 tbsp) in my morning coffee and that's it. Any thoughts on that? Am I just awful or shouldn't I worry too much? Anyone else using Splenda or something other than sugar? Thanks for your support on this!

Hi ladies, I hope everyone is ok! I'm going to be around today for a bit, but probably not able to post again until Monday. We are gearing up for a double wedding weekend (uncommon for us, but sometimes it happens) and I'm going to be on-the-go until late Sunday night with little to no break. Take care and I'll be thinking of you all!


ETA: I just updated my journal with details, but wanted to tell you that I had my echocardiogram today (after much medical insurance rigamarole!) and it came out great. I've had a heart murmur since I was a baby and it has escalated due to increased blood volume during pregnancy, but the test indicates my heart is in great shape. I have a little valve leakage, which he said is very normal, and otherwise everything is perfect. No antibiotics needed, I'm good to go! yay!

Lisa, I normally do have plenty of snacks handy. I keep a tin of nuts in my desk at work, as they are a regular snack for me, as well as other things i can easily keep unrefridgerated. I just wasn't expecting to be away from home and work all day like that.

I finally gained a pound after almost a month of eating this Semi-LC plan i've made up. I lost 2 lbs between those last 2 doctor visits because i stopped eating the crap. I think mostly that was probably water weight i lost htough, and then i probably did gain some real weight. I wish i could not gain anymore, but the doc told me 1/2 lb to a 1 lb a week from here to the end. I am going to keep eating healthy as I have been and if i gain a small amount of weight slowly, that seems fine to me. The baby is still growing at a healthy rate and that is the most important thing.

I use either liquid splenda (which i'm about out of) or stevia for sweeteners.

Daisy, it took me a long time to stop "rewarding" myself with treats of food. Food was always a celebratory thing in my family (going out to eat or makign something special) and I had to learn to give myself "deserving rewards" in some way other than food. I also searched a lot online and found recipes that were at least lower carb for times when we did make celebratory meals.

That water workout sounds nice. My mom has a pool, but she is too far away for me to go use it regularly. We don't have a nice public pool around here either like we did where I used to live.

Hi there, is everyone doing ok? I'm hanging in there, but this weekend took a lot out of me and I'm kind of down for the count...especially emotionally. I don't think there is anything wrong per se, but I'm pretty weepy and just trying to rest as much as I can and stay positive until this passes. Hope you're all doing well!

Hi again. What happened to everyone? Hopefully everyone is ok, but just busy.

I had a question about cramping. I've felt mild ones since I was first pregnant and this week they were a little deeper, though not majorly problematic. This whole time they've shown up more in the evening and this past week felt a little more than usual, but not painful or anything. From what I've read they sound "normal" but I just wanted some other perspectives. Not to get into TMI, but I have no other symptoms (discharge) that would cause concern and I'm very in tune with my body, so I probably feel things more than most. Any thoughts? Commiseration? Similar symptoms?

Hello,

As long as you don't have cramps that seem to take on a regular pattern and/or are accompanied by some kind of discharge you should be alright according to all I've been told recently. I had my first toning contraction/Braxton Hicks at 6 months and I've had a few off and on since then. I read somewhere that the more practice your uterine muscles get the quicker the actual labor will go...I guess I'll have to wait and see.

By way of intro...I'm 29 and 30 weeks pregnant today. I've been sticking to a maintainence level of carbs for the most part since I found out I was pregnant January 1st. I started at 183...went up to 197...and now I'm back down to 184. This was mainly due to stress. I found out at 6 months pregnant that my spouse had been seeing a woman he worked with ever since he found out I was pregnant. Good news is ever since I got him kicked to the curb my blood pressure has gone down about 10 points across the board. Talk about eliminating the source of a problem

I don't know yet what I'm having. It's going to be a surprise. But I do know it's energetic little critter, it's getting more and more active all the time.

Hi Catlyst27. What a story you have...but it seems like a "good" ending, if I can say so. That is, you are in a good place right now and I'm happy for you that you found the strength to get there and that you're having a good pregnancy (with lower BP)

Thanks for the advice about the cramps. I was having an emotional time of it this week and needed some reassurance, but I've found the only regularity to them is I tend to notice them in the evening. Otherwise the nature of them is mild, varied and not much to speak of (with absolutely no other abnormal symptoms). I'm chalking it up to my body stretching and adjusting and me being sensitive to it. I don't mind them and they aren't bothersome, I think I was just getting a little paranoid (which I'm allowed once in awhile)!

Congrats on your progress - we'll look forward to hearing the results in 70 plus or minus who knows days!

P.S. What are "maintenance" level carbs for you?

Maintenance for me seems to be around 80 being pregnant and all. As long as I stay away from eating excessive amounts of sweet or processed carbs my weight seems to stay about the same. I indulged in the last week in more sweets than I normally would and my weight shot up 3-4 lbs. in a week...so back to watching what I eat. Fortunately I've not craved sweets all that much so far and was able to manage the worst of my first trimester nausea by staying at 40 to 50. I've got a family history of Type 2 and have had problems in the past with regulating my blood sugar so I've got additional incentive be careful. My blood sugar levels have been really good though since I've been pregnant.

Hi. I haven't been posting on here much because I have been all over the place with my eating-I've had good days, bad days, and "OK" days....some days I just really don't care and then other days I want to kick myself for not caring the day before!

Lisa your cramps sound totally normal, as long as you're not bleeding or anything-your body is doing a lot of stretching and adjusting, especially since this is your first baby.

Catalyst, sorry to hear that your hubby turned out to be such a creep but it sounds like you did the right thing for yourself.

Hello everyone.
I have not posted recently because frankly, I feel like chit. I have lost four pounds from my starting wt, and I am pretty much nauseous most of the day. I still havent puked yet though, thank goodness. I have found Dentyne Ice mints helpful as well as "rolaids cool mint" (the calcium kind). The cool sensation on my stomach seems to help some.

(side note, yesterday my pt was gonna throw up so I ran out to grab a barf bag before I had huge mess to pick up. I ran back in and the lady promptly thew up rather loudly. In the matter of seconds I had four fellow nurses in the room ready to "cover me" They thought It was ME
The lady was sooo embarrassed to draw that kind of attention until I explaned that they thought it was me thowing up, not her we all got a good laugh)

I have also been completly exausted. Work really kicks my butt. Then I go home and cant sleep before my next shift. Figures
I have MOUNTAINS of laundry and the house is a mess. This furthers the desire to lock myself in my room and hybernate on my days off. It is like 10min of houswork to an hour of rest. It never ends. I do not remember this much fatigue last time. Really sux.

Lisa,
I also get mild cramping from time to time. Not really a big deal as far as I can tell. As long as they dont become regular and you are not spotting. Mine feel like mild menstrul cramps (well I had a copper iud before so mild is relative). Funny, maybe TMI, but every time I go pee I have to "check" to make sure there is no pink. There never is. The first time I had a miscarrage of one (were twins) and I know what to look for. I had chunks of spinal like tissue come out (TMI). I was happy that I still had one show up on the US.
As for discharge, yes. As decribed in any pregnancy book . I will leave it at that .

One improvement to mention. MY BOOBS! They dont hurt as much now. It was as if the bloodflow to my boobs was increased without a way for it to re-enter systemic circulation. They were hot tight and hurt 6/10 just sitting there not touching them. Now I have lots of ugly (but welcome) veins popping up. Now that the extra bloodflow has a better exit route, the pain is much reduced.

Ok, time to take another nap

Lisa - I am still here, just been really busy this week with no time to post unfortunately. And my summer classes start again on monday, so that will mean even less time. Sigh. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to handle the 2 classes i'm signed up for. One is a very labor-intensive class, and I'm not sure about the other one yet, as the professor hasnt' sent us anythign on it yet.

I was a little crampy in the beginning. Mostly when i either stood up from sitting or if i shifted a certain way when i was laying down in bed. It almost felt like i was pulling a musle or something. My doctor told me it was normal, but i'd still mention it at your next visit and see waht they say.

I can relate on teh emotional part of it all. I was very emotional in teh beginning, and as the 3rd trimester looms near, some of the emtionalness and tiredness are coming back, but not as bad (yet anyway).

Catalyst - welcome! I am a couple weeks behind you at 26 weeks. Sorry to hear about the whole thing wiht your spouse - that's crappy! Good for you for getting rid of him! You don't deserve that! Our baby's gender is also going to be a surprise, as it refuses to show us what it is. I've had 6 ultrasounds so far and it crosses it's legs and curls up into a ball every time we go. Any other time it is beating the crap out of me in there though! LOL. It has also gotten big enough that it can kick me in the ribs now! Ouch!

Daisy - Don't beat yourself up about the bad days of eating too much, just pick youself up and try to stay on track the rest of the time. It's really hard being pregnant - much harder for me than it was when i just wanted to lose weight when i did this before. I crave sweet (chocolate mostly) terribly and fighting that and finding good, low-carb choices can be hard.

Bandito - Sorry to hear you've been feeling crappy. Try to get lots of rest - it does help. Even though this is my first pregnancy, i've come to realize from talking to freinds each is different in how you feel. One of my best freinds is due July 11th and has had a terrible time the whole pregnancy with this one, but she didn't have any problems at all last time. This time she's been sick the whole 9 months and tired and got gestational diabetes and all sorts of things.