Prenatal Health...AKA How Many Pills Can You Cram in Your Mouth

Ask most women what vitamins they're taking while pregnant and I bet at least 75% of them will say a prenatal vitamin of some sort but that's usually about it.  And that's exactly all I was told to take while I was pregnant with Selah.  So this time around, I had started taking them when we first started trying to conceive bambino numero dos but was in for a healthy surprise upon my first appointment with our midwife.  Turns out, just a prenatal isn't all you should be doing for you and your baby during those 9 (actually 10) months.

So let's face it...not all vitamins are created equal.  I personally really like the Rainbow Light line of vitamins.  Selah takes the Kids' One Star chewable vitamins and I take the Prenatal One Multivitamin.  It's a one-a-day vitamin that's gentle on the stomach and you don't have to take it with food to avoid the nausea that some prenatal vitamins are known for.

These vitamins are food based, which you'll find in your better quality prenatal vitamins.

Next up, iron supplements.  Pregnant women can have a tendency to have low iron levels and you certainly don't want to have blood issues in the middle of delivering your little one.  These pills are super tiny and super affordable.  I learned the hard way last week when I'd gone a couple days without the pills because I'd run out that having low iron levels can make you light headed and you know, faint 'n stuff.  

I found these Omega 3 fish oil at Costco and for $21 for 180 pills, they're a good deal.  DHA is really important for the development of your little one and has been shown to help lower preterm labor risks so given my history, they're a good idea :)

I had already been taking these Vitamin D3 before I got pregnant this time and I've just continued taking them, obviously.  Vitamin D is good in that it not only helps develops baby's skeletal system but it's also good for the immune system.  Win win.

And last but not least, Natural Calm Plus Calcium powder.  Calcium is really important for mama because baby is pretty much just leaching it out of your bones which can contribute to osteoporosis...and we don't need that.  My midwife recommended this one in particular because it has Magnesium in it as well which is great for calming nerves and helps with muscle relaxation.  And since the uterus is kind of a huge muscle, we don't want it getting all uptight too soon now do we?

 
Yeah, this is a lot to swallow (that's what she said) but whatever I can do to help the little man grow strong and healthy and keep him in long enough, I'll do it!

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 28 Weeks

| Shirt (and on sale!) | Jeans | Paint |

So there was a seriously long stretch of zero blogging from me because I was feeling like near death.  I picked up a cold at the beginning of the month and just when I was thinking that I was better, I picked up that fantastic respiratory virus that was sending lots of kids across the country to the hospital with breathing issues.  I had a couple of asthma attacks and it really affected my breathing and stamina.  It has taken me awhile to get my strength back up and I think I can say (fingers crossed) that I am finally starting to feel more normal.  You can find me indoors with a can of Lysol until after this kid pops out.

In between illnesses, I painted 3 of little man's walls.  The wall behind the crib is going to be a different color, which I will get to sometime soon.  We decided on Benjamin Moore's Chocolate Truffle for the main color and I can't say enough good things about Benjamin Moore paint.  It covers so well and the colors are always awesome.  I'm loving the rich brown!

How Far Along: 28 Weeks

Maternity Clothes: Yes, with the exception of a shirt here and there.

Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.

Sleep: Some days are actually decent.

Best/Worst Moment This Week: Not sure if it's a Best moment but finally feeling well enough to clean the house!

Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.

Miss Anything: Having energy, not being worn out at the end of the day.

Movement: I'm getting nice shots to the ribs when I lay on my side...such a weird feeling.

Food Cravings: None really.  I had zero appetite while I was sick so now I'm just eating to regain the weight I lost while sick.

Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Sometimes a cooked chicken breast just gets to me...weird and random.

Have You Started to Show Yet: Starting to get uncomfortable.

Baby Is A: BOY!

Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.

Belly Button In or Out: In but it seems like the top wants to pop out any second and the bottom is still laying low.  It's weird.

Happy or Moody: I've been seriously irritable lately with having been sick for over 3 weeks.  It's draining physically (obviously) and mentally.

Labor Symptoms: Still lots of Braxton Hicks but everything else appears to be good!
Looking Forward To: The weather actually acting like it's fall.  Seriously...what the heck is up with temps being 90 lately?!?

Fall Fashions for All

So we all know I've been looking forward to fall for months now; it's my favorite season hands down.  While I'll be dressing a little differently this year as opposed to last (hello preggo weight gain and booty galore), I've still got a few things that will be getting Selah and I through the glorious fall months.

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1) I was hunting for some new, dressier brown boots for awhile and these are so perfect!  I was worried they'd be a little tall for knee high boots but they're exactly what I was looking for and with the red zipper and gold studs on back, they're quickly becoming my new favorites.

2) I love hoodies.  Who doesn't really though?  That being said, you have to be careful about hoodies making you look like some slobby college student if that's all you're ever in so I was looking for a hoodie that was not only long enough to wear over leggings but had a little something extra.  The little pop of leopard print in the hood is just enough to dress it up a little and not so much that the husband will start calling me Janice a la Friends.

3) I foresee a lot of leggings in my future this winter.  They're cute, comfy and will be sucking in all that post partum baby weight until I can get back to working out.  So why not this cute camo pair and add a simple black sweater of it?

4) I was purusing eBay recently (no big shocker there) and saw this really cute faux down jacket.  The big fur hood and cable knit sweater accents make it more than just a plain ol' down jacket.  Now if I could only justify bringing it home with the slight jacket hoarding issue I have.

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1) Trying to find cute, fashionable things for Selah while not breaking the bank can be difficult at times.  I like her to look cute (what mom doesn't) but I have a fundamental issue with spending $80 on a single pair of pants for her.  So when I saw these boots online, I couldn't add them to my shopping cart quick enough.  

2 & 3) Both of these are going to be part of her outfit for family/maternity pictures next month.  I bought the jacket earlier in the spring and while it was a tad big at the time, I'm hoping it looks okay for photos.  And at least I know she'll get to wear it for awhile.

4) I'm thinking this shirt needs to be part of the winter wardrobe stat.  Little girls in buffalo plaid...can't get much cuter I don't think.

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1) I already know that dressing a boy is going to be much different than dressing a girl but I'm going to try to go with it.  Since the little man will be coming in (hopefully) December, he's definitely going to be needing a hat for when we go out.  I've never been a big fan of the fleece hats and since I can't knit to save my life, this hat is perfect.

2) This little outfit by Carter's is so cute!  I love little boy sweaters!  I think he'll be rocking fisherman sweaters during the colder months.

3) Plaid button down with chambray roll-up sleeves.  'Nuff said.

4) I saw this cardigan onesie before we'd found out we were having a boy but I can say for certain that at some point, our little guy will be wearing this for some sort of photo session.

Weekly Pregnancy Updates : 24 Weeks

 | Dress | 

The hubby and I went out to dinner the other night and I realized that I had nothing really dressy enough for this place that would cover both the baby bump and my butt.  The bump has a funny way of hiking the hemline up a few inches into trashy territory.  So I pulled out this dress I bought last year that worked for the time being.  And then after we got home, remembered I did buy a nice black maternity dress a couple months ago so at least I have something for the next time we go out.

Picked up a lovely cold over the weekend and was promptly knocked on my butt.  Being sick and pregnant really sucks because you can't take anything.  Talk about serious nasal congestion!  I've somewhat seriously considered using Selah's Nose Frida on myself to get the serious snot out of my sinuses but can't quite figure out how I'd do it.  Laugh all you want...I'm feeling like crud and desperate to feel normal again.  Well, at least as 'normal' as I was last week.

How Far Along: 24 Weeks (These are a week behind so I'm really 25 weeks this week.)

Maternity Clothes: Yup. I've finally given up on making non-maternity work.

Stretch Marks: No, fingers crossed.

Sleep: Slightly awful with the cold I've had this week.

Best/Worst Moment This Week: Going to the mountains for the day with mi familia was awesome.  The awful cold I caught the next day was definitely not.

Have You Told Friends & Family: Yes.

Miss Anything: And I thought I was having nasal breathing issues before this cold...ha!

Movement: Little guy's restful moments are few and far between.

Food Cravings: Pretty much anything chocolate.  

Anything Make You Queasy or Sick: Still have that hyper sensitive Bloodhound nose going on.

Have You Started to Show Yet: You don't say?!

Baby Is A: BOY!

Wedding Rings On or Off: Still on comfortably.

Belly Button In or Out: In but it seems like the top wants to pop out any second and the bottom is still laying low.  It's weird.

Happy or Moody: Being sick kinda depresses me.  And not being able to really take anything super potent for it sucks.

Labor Symptoms: Still lots of Braxton Hicks but everything else appears to be good!
Looking Forward To: The changing leaves up in the mountains.

Being Sick and Being Preggo...How to Deal

I just got knocked down a peg or two (or fifteen...let's be honest) with a cold over Labor Day weekend and let's just say, being sick and pregnant really sucks.  Why?  Well, there's really not a whole heckuva lot you can do for a cold while pregnant because everything is pretty much going to cause serious harm to the baby and since Tylenol is pretty much useless, you're left with...not much.  So that makes it really fun for us mamas to suffer through lots of nasal snottiness and coughing...especially when you're also looking after a 2 year old.  So what the heck are we supposed to do besides roll over and bemoan the fact that we feel like death?  Go back to nature...in a way because most of nature isn't trying to kill us or our unborn baby.

*Please keep in mind that just because something is natural doesn't mean it is necessarily safe for a pregnant woman.  There are a lot of essential oils that a pregnant woman shouldn't take so please do your research but these are all deemed safe for use while pregnant. 

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1) Eucalyptus oil...can't really say enough good things about the stuff.  It's a great anti-bacterial and good stuff nose opener.  I will also put a few drops of it into a humidifier when Selah has a cold.

2) These shower tablets are awesome.  You just pop one on the floor of your shower and when the water hits it, voila!  Awesome eucalyptus vapors get all up in your snotty face and help you to breathe better.  Or if you're more the DIY route (like I plan to do with these once I get back on my feet), you can make them yourself as seen here.

3 & 4) Ahh, the Neti Pot.  I'm not sure I can ever really get used to using one of these but if I'm really struggling in the breathing department, these bad boys will help.  They're insanely gross and I'm sorry but the photos of people using them does not accurately portray what has ever happened to me.

5) Lemon oil is another great anti-bacterial that is great for helping with a cold.  I've been using it on my lymph nodes to help drain out the some of the gunk that is hanging out in my sinuses.  Trust me, I've actually thought about shoving a garden hose up there to really get things moving on out quicker but I decided to go the more reasonable route of Lemon oil.

Will these make you miraculously better in the blink of an eye?  Probably not.  And if they do, I may want to smack ya.  But they will certainly help you as opposed to just laying around doing nothing and being more miserable and we all know that sometimes, mind over matter is a good cure too.