found out i’m pregnant yesterday! four weeks, so excited please give me advice or tips! this is my first pregnancy and i’m open to anyone’s advice. ive been wondering what foods i should be eating, recipes you reccommend, what to drink besides water and milk, any vitamins that helped you besides prenatals… thanks! please subscribe!

Just as gaining too much weight can be harmful to you and your baby, not gaining enough weight can be harmful also.  There are some women out there who are so terrified at gaining weight that they eat next to nothing during their pregnancy.  Please do not do this, you could be depriving your baby of the vitamins and minerals it needs and you increase your chances of having a small baby.  Babies who are underweight at delivery are at a greater risk for health problems than babies who are of average weight at delivery.

If you find that you have gained nothing during your first trimester, do not worry. Some women do not gain anything during those first three months and some even lose some weight thanks to morning sickness.  Your baby’s needs are relatively tiny at that point.  It is when you are in your second and third trimesters that you should make sure you are gaining weight according.

If you find that you are not gaining as much weight as you should, you should try to fatten up your diet.  Increase your fat intake by a serving or too.  This will increase your calorie intake but won’t decrease your appetite.  Do not increase your fat by more than a serving or two.  There are better and healthier ways to increase your weight gain.

If you are one of the lucky few women who do not gain weight easy, you might not want to foods with the lowest amount of calories.  You can still eat healthy but you want to up your calorie intake.  Try eating avocados and more cheeses along with some beans too.  Indulge in some snacks also.  Try to add at least three snacks into your schedule.  Make sure you have a decent amount of calories but not so many calories that your ruin your appetite for your next meal.  If you are not allergic to peanuts, try some apple slices with peanut butter or some whole wheat crackers which some low fat cheese slices.

Take some time out of your busy life to relax.  Not gaining enough weight could be a sign that you are doing too much.  You could be burning up the calories you eat instead of using them to nourish your baby.  Try cutting back on your exercise if you have an exercise routine.  You also want to make sure you eat after a workout to replace the calories you just lost.  If you are working while you are pregnant and it is a stressful job, make sure you take the time out of your busy day for lunch and snacks.

Throughout all of this, check in with your doctor.  Your doctor may want to run some tests to make sure that you do not have a thyroid condition or any other undiagnosed medical problem that might keep you from gaining weight.   You may also want to keep track of what you eat so you can show your doctor and talk about any changes that might need to be made to your diet.   You may not be eating enough and you may find that you need to eat more.

Video of the services and ministry the Kent County Delaware Pregnancy Help Center … delaware pregnancy help phc dover

Prenatal vitamins are one of the most important vitamins that you take through out your pregnancy.  Ideally, you should start taking prenatal vitamins when you are trying to conceive a baby.  By taking prenatal while you are trying to conceive, you are preparing your body for the challenging task that lies ahead.  Some experts believe that taking prenatal before you are pregnant might actually reduce your risk of a miscarriage after you become pregnant.

Taking prenatal before pregnancy is not always possible for some people, but taking them during pregnancy is essential.  Prenatal vitamins contain one of the most important nutrients that a new mother needs and that are folic acid or folate.  By taking in extra folic acid, you lower your chances of your baby being born with an incomplete spinal column which is known as spina bifida.  In order for your baby to be protected, it is imperative that folic acid is taken in the first four weeks of fetal development.

This can be a problem for women who do not take prenatals before they are pregnant.  Most of the time, most women do not know they are pregnant until after they missed their period which is about two weeks after conception.  This is why if you are of child bearing age, you should make it a habit of taking folic acid even if you are not planning to become pregnant and we all know that not all pregnancies are planned.

You can still get your folic acid in food.  Folic acid is added to many breads and pastas and is found in dark green and orange fruits as well as vegetables.  Keep in mind though that taking a daily supplement of folic acid offers more protection from spina bifida then eating the same amount of folic acid in food.

While you are pregnant you should aim to take at least 600mcg of folic acid a day. If you have had a baby with a neural tube defect, you will have to take 4000 mcg or 4 milligrams of folic acid every day, starting at least a month before you get pregnant.

Some women report that they can not take their prenatals especially in their first trimester.  Women who suffer from morning sickness and food aversions find that they can not eat much food.  Taking a prenatal on an empty stomach can leave you feeling sick and queasy which is why so many women in the first trimester do not take them.   Another reason some women report upset stomachs is due to the high iron level that some prenatals have.  Not only could this cause an upset stomach, this can also lead to constipation which can already be a problem for some pregnant women.

If you find that you can not take your prenatal, talk to your doctor to see if he can give you a prenatal with less iron or give you a folic acid supplement also.   The worst thing you could do is not take anything, especially during those first few weeks.

a vid we shot in 2001

Congratulations and welcome to parenthood.  Your body has gone through a lot these past nine months and it still has a while to go before it is back to normal.  The next few months are going to give you and your body a whole new set of challenges especially if you are a first time parent.  Recovering from childbirth is exhausting and when you throw a new baby who has no concept of time into the mix and you might find your head spinning.  Eating well during this time is almost as important as eating well during your pregnancy.

Your body has just been through a traumatic ordeal.  If you gave birth vaginally, you mind find yourself recovering from tears and what not.  If you gave birth via c-section, you are recovering from major surgery.   The first thing most hospitals and doctors like to make sure is that your plumbing and waste systems are working.

Eating high fiber food and drinking lots of water after your delivery will help make that first bowel movement a lot less painful.  This can be a little hard for women who delivery via c-section because they are usually on a liquid diet for the first 24 hours. You may find you need a little help from either stool softeners or prune juice to make that first trip a little easier.

Once you are home from the hospital, you are going to need your energy to take care of the baby.   Gone are the nights where you were able to get a full 8 hours of sleep.  You might not see that again for at least three months,  though ask any parent and they will tell you that getting 8 hours of sleep a night will not happen until your kids are grown and married. Sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on you and it is important that you eat healthy to maintain a decent amount of energy.

The postpartum period is usually where most women find themselves downing countless amounts of coffee or sugary foods to give them a quick fix. This is not healthy because once you come down from that high, you are going to be even more exhausted than you were before hand.  Make sure all of your meals are balanced meals and stock up on quick and healthy snacks such as celery sticks, baby carrots and lots of fruit to get you through the day.

Eating healthy can also help you fight the baby blues those first few weeks.  Nearly 80% of all women suffer from baby blues.  These usually kick in between the 4th and 5th day after delivery and can last for 10 days to 2 weeks.  You may find yourself emotional for no reason and you may start to cry for no reason.

Some women report a feeling of sadness that they are no longer pregnant and others report a feeling of helplessness when it comes to dealing with their new baby.  The baby blues are caused by your hormone levels going back to normal.  By maintaining your healthy habits that you practiced during your pregnancy could help you handle your changing emotions a little better.

Pregnancy is tough and the post partum period is just as tough.  Make sure you take the best care of yourself as possible during this time.  Eat right and continue to take your prenatal vitamin to make sure your baby is going to get the best care you are capable of.

A single mother of two finding herself jobless pregnant with twins and the father of the babies not wanting involvement.

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Do you find yourself suddenly feeling queasy at the thought of the left over pasta that you could not get enough of the other night?  Food aversions are a normal part of pregnancy and the flip side to food cravings.  Nearly eighty five percent of all pregnant women suffer from food aversions.  Food aversion is when food your normally are able to look at, smell and even taste suddenly send you running in the opposite direction.  They appear in the first trimester and usually trigger that fun part of pregnancy we call morning sickness.  Some women find that they disappear by the start of their second trimester right around the same time morning sickness disappears.  Other women find that their food aversions stay with them their whole pregnancy and a few women find that foods they developed aversions to through out the pregnancy stay with them even after they deliver.

Just like with food cravings, your hormones are more than likely to blame for your food aversions.  Some experts believe that just as food cravings are your body’s way of telling you that you need a certain food, food aversions are your body’s way of protecting you from eating anything that can harm your baby.  This might be why a lot of women report that they experience aversions to alcohol and coffee.  The theory is still under debate though because so many pregnant women are turned off by food that is healthy for them and their babies.

Try not to fight a healthy aversion.  Consider it a blessing if the mere thought of your normal morning cup of joe turns your stomach upside down.  Cutting back caffeine will be a walk in the park for you.  The same goes for cigarette smoke.  Many women have said that the first clue they had that they were pregnant was the fact that the smell of smoke sent them running.  Others say that their first clue they were pregnant was when they had actually felt sick when thinking about having a glass of wine with dinner.

If you find that you have aversions to healthy food, try to work around it as best as possible.  Do not force yourself to eat food that you have aversions too.  It is not a pleasant experience; instead try to look for alternatives.  Some women find the thought of salad or anything green revolting.  If you are one of them, you might be wondering how you are going to get the nutrients and vitamins you need.  One alternative is to try and drink some vegetable juice.

While drinking vegetable juice is not the same as eating vegetables it has its benefits when you can’t look at your veggies.  You should also try eating different color veggies like peppers or carrots.  If it is protein like fish and chicken that make you sick, get your protein in other forms.  Cheese, yogurt, eggs and nuts are fantastic protein alternatives.  Or you can try and hide your meat in dishes.  Stir chicken into a casserole or mix some seafood into a pasta dish.  This way you can still get your protein in, and with less of a risk of getting sick.

Just like with morning sickness, do not beat yourself up if you can not eat as healthy as you would like while you are dealing with food aversions.  Chances are once you enter your second trimester, they will disappear and you can eat more of a variety of foods.

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