My First Pregnancy – Story of Lisa
My name is Lisa McRae. My first pregnancy came unexpectedly, when I was 25. My husband is an accountant and I am a preschool teacher. Even before we were married, we had been wanting to have a child. We waited two long years before I finally got pregnant, so we were very giddy and excited when we found out. My first visit to my OB-Gynecologist was such a memorable thing for us because it was a confirmation that there really was a little angel inside my tummy!
During the first trimester of my pregnancy, I noticed some very odd changes in my body. My breasts became tender, I always felt dizzy, nauseated and I felt unusually tired. The changes were not only physical, but emotional as well. Sometimes I was felt anxious, happy, exhausted and exhilarated-all at the same time. I was getting excited for the day when we would see the baby come out. I couldn’t wait.
My husband would always ask me what I wanted to eat, where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. I felt like a queen for the first time in my life and I enjoyed it so much. I had food cravings and I suddenly didn’t like the taste and smell of chicken. Just thinking about it made me sick. I realized that it was all part of my pregnancy, brought about by hormonal changes. Despite it all, it felt good to have a supportive husband with whom I could share the joys and all the weird things pregnancy brings.
I got an ultrasound on my 22nd week and we found out it was a baby girl. Since it was a 3D ultrasound, we could see her kicking and moving around. It felt surreal and exciting. Soon enough we were planning to get all the things she needed. Buying her a crib was one of the most memorable times in our life as a husband and wife. First, we were at a loss on deciding which things we should buy for the baby, but since we already knew that it was a baby girl, it became easier. We bought some sets of baby clothes and milk bottles. The sales agents were also very helpful so we ended up buying more than what we originally planned.
As my tummy grew bigger, I became more excited to give birth. I was pretty scared too and I started to ask myself if I could survive labor, or if I could actually take care of the child. The gagging and the dizzy days got even worse, and there were days when I actually felt very tired even just sitting down.
As I got near my due date, the heartburns got more frequent, which came about many times during the day. Sometimes it woke me up at night. The breast changes became more prominent (which my husband didn’t mind). I was often constipated and I had crazy mood swings. Although the experience was difficult, all the excitement of having a baby made up for it.
I gave birth at 39 weeks and 3 days. It was a normal delivery as we had expected. Right now, my daughter is three and I always tell her this story. In fact, it’s one of her favorites. I want her to know how happy she made her mom and dad.
====
We hope you enjoyed this story sent in to us by Lisa. Many people don’t know what to expect when they are getting ready for their first baby. You can watch all the pregnancy exercise and Lamaze DVD’s, but sometimes it is good to just hear the story of someone else who has already been there.
Pregnancy Excerise Ideas
Exercising during pregnancy will not only improve your overall health but also enable you to have a very comfortable, easy pregnancy and delivery. In the early stages of pregnancy it is much easier to exercise because you may have more energy and less additional weight to support. Exercising in early pregnancy will help you maintain an acceptable weight and make it easier for you to stay in shape overall. The goal is to do light easy exercises that will not raise your core body temperature too much.
During pregnancy women have an elevated core temperature. Exercising during the first and second trimester is much more acceptable than to exercise in the last trimester. There is an increased risk for injury and cardiac stress when exercising after the second trimester. Low stress and impact exercises are greatly encouraged. Listen to your body when exercising while pregnant, rest when you feel the need to and remain hydrated at all times by drinking lots of water. It is best to consult your doctor prior to starting any exercise routine.
Okay… I absolutely LOVE my Pregnancy Exercise DVD’s, but sometimes you just have to get out of the house. Here are some ideas for you to consider:
Walking is a good way to stretch your ligaments and improve the circulation for you and your growing baby. There is no need to take power walks or taking walks for a long period of time. You run the risk of burning yourself out and overheating your body. Just taking a 15 to 20 minute stroll at the mall, to the store or in a park can do wonders for your body in its pregnancy state.
Swimming while pregnant will work all the muscles of your body and strengthen them to support your body better as you continue through your pregnancy. Swimming allows you to learn how to breath and sustain your breathe longer and increase your respiratory health.
Various stretching or pilates routines are a great exercise to do during your pregnancy. Learning yoga will help you to breathe, stretch and relax as your body prepares for the baby. They can help you all the way up to your delivery date and beyond. The techniques you learn can also aid you as you embark on your journey through motherhood. You will be able to focus your mind and calm your spirit.
I did this with my first baby. I found a class for pregnant women and did it all the way up to the birth… although I didn’t look as cute as the girls in the picture with my belly showing.
Take a belly dancing class. Belly dancing will not only keep you in shape but will also teach you how to be gracefully all throughout the pregnancy as your body develops with the baby. The movements will help soothe your growing baby and help your hips adjust and prepare for the delivery. And, who knows… that belly dancing can come in handy after you have your baby! 
If you were a jogger before you became pregnant then you may continue to jog during your pregnancy. If you were not a jogger before the pregnancy then it is not in your interest to start now. Consult with your doctor first before deciding to incorporate jogging into your exercise regime.
Just remember that just because you are pregnant you are not banned from exercising. In fact it is encouraged. Avoid exercises that have an increase of falling. Try to focus on low impact exercises and maintain the proper calorie intake and diet. Drink lots and lots of fluids and see your doctor regularly.
Pegnant and Walking The Mall
I walk the mall about 3 times per week. I walk about 3 or so miles before the stores open. While it’s always nice to walk outside, hike trails, and breathe the clean air (which may not be all that clean anyway), I choose to walk in the malls because:
It’s a safer place to walk. And, when you are pregnant and needing exercise, the mall can be a safe place to walk from dogs, animals, and maybe from some violent situation.
It is also weather proof. It could be snowing, sunny, raining, or whatever outside, but I know that it will always be dry and about 70 degrees inside my mall. No slipping on ice or worrying about sunscreen.
It is a convenient thing too. About once a week I have to stop and take a potty break in the middle of my walk. And, when you’re walking and that baby is bouncing on your bladder, it’s a little more difficult to find a rest room when you’re outside somewhere.
If you have a mall nearby, here is what I would do. Go find their information desk (somewhere near the center of the mall probably) and ask if they have a distance map or if they know how far it is to walk around your mall. They printed one out for me, and it is .88 miles upstairs and .95 miles downstairs. That just helps me to know how far I’m walking and not just walking for 45 minutes.
Let me encourage you to get out there and walk at least 2 times per week. And, on the other 2 days, pop in one of your Pregnant Exercise DVDs and keep your self fit, healthy, and feeling strong.
How Much Pregnancy Weight Should You Gain?
It has been a long time debate about the amount of weight you should gain to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy child birth. The guidelines that any woman should follow are what her personal doctor says, because no one study can define things for every woman.
While it is safe to say that the two extremes are not healthy, that being to be self conscious about your weight and not eat enough of the right foods and enough calories for both you and your baby, or to gain so much weight that you will never bounce back physically after the child birth and possibly have gestational diabetes. Of course, don’t forget your pregnancy exercise DVD’s, which will help with your strength and fitness for child birth.
So, before you go following what some book or magazine says, or even the latest article that came out on Feb. 13, 2011, you need to stick with what your doctor says. If (and this is a big IF), you should ever question your doctor’s advice, find another doctor and get their professional opinion. Here is what this article stated:
Current U.S. guidelines may overestimate the amount of weight that severely obese women need to gain during pregnancy, according to a new study.Extremely obese women who gained less than the Institute of Medicine-recommended amount of weight during the second and third trimester of pregnancy suffered no ill effects, nor did their babies, said the researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, N.Y.
However, obese and non-obese women who gained less than the recommended amount of weight did experience problems, including a higher likelihood of delivering a baby that is small for gestational age.
The findings, scheduled to be presented Feb. 11 at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, suggest a need to reconsider weight-gain recommendations for the most obese moms-to-be, the researchers said in a society news release.
The study included 73,977 women who gave birth to a single child. Four percent of the women were underweight; 48 percent normal weight; 24 percent overweight; 13 percent obese; 6 percent severely obese; and 5 percent morbidly obese.
The researchers also found that women in all weight categories who gained more weight than recommended in the second and third trimesters were more likely to have a baby that is large for gestational age.
In addition, overweight women who gained more than the recommended amount during pregnancy were more likely to have cesarean delivery, induced labor and gestational diabetes.
Experts note that research presented at meetings has not been subjected to the same type of rigorous scrutiny given to research published in peer-reviewed medical journals.
Source – http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20110213/hl_hsn/weightguidelinesmaybehighforseverelyobesemomstobe
The other thing is, listen to you! Not the emotional, craving, obsessed you. But, listen to the you that is the woman, the mother-to-be, and use your best common sense. Eat right. Stay healthy, find the right weight gain for you, and keep up with the exercise!
Stretching and Pilates Workout DVD’s
The prenatal exercise DVD has become accepted as an significant part of self-care while being pregnant as many feel that pilates is a wonderful way to prepare oneself for labor, delivery, and motherhood. Several women decide to keep in shape with this technique.
The larger aim of pilates stretches would be the joining of body, mind and spirit that is achieved through the useful synchronization of movement, breath and consciousness. Pilates works well for the achievement of all around development of your body, including the physical, mental and also spiritual aspects of wellness. Pilates exercise dramatically assists during pregnancy.
The lower back is one of the most typical troublesome areas for pregnant women. A good expecting mother pilates exercise Video should go over all the primary areas of the body and exactly how they can be best be worked with by the young pregnant woman. Several of the stretching techniques which can profit while being pregnant are postures just like Cat that rests the spine and enhances the flexibility of the back. This can be very calming as well as soothing for a pregnant woman. This position additionally helps the the flow of blood. The Cat posture likewise permits the weight of the womb to come off the pelvis and also the stomach organs.
Some positions copy the common delivery postures. These can help relax areas of the back by lengthening it. Lateral bend posture, head to knee posture and child posture are able to be applied when pregnant, since they include advantages for expecting mothers. The Warrior pose is likewise strongly recommended during pregnancy. Every one of these poses strengthen plus relax the muscles, relieve stress and improve good posture.
Pilates breathing, which is an integral part of stretching exercise, is a must for releasing weariness and possesses great advantages for the pregnant woman as well as the unborn child. Pilates breathing is also strongly recommended by physicians in the course of childbirth and is an integral part of the birthing practice.
Pilates exercise poses as one can learn on a pregnancy exercise video can easily prepare a pregnant woman for the birth and labor by providing mental peace, enabling her to generate her energy together with self-assurance. Once more, a well rounded prenatal exercise DVD touches on all the important spots.
The breathing and relaxation associated with pilates can help her to remain peaceful and comfortable during labor and childbirth plan. Pilates exercise totally go with the preparation of a woman to deal with the emotional and physical changes with no issues. Because of its relationship with spirituality, stretches may serve as a context for any expectant woman to understand that having a baby and parenthood are much more than just a physical experience.