It's a No-No. A new study has been published showing that taking aspirin, ibuprofen, etc, can cause undescended testicles and future sterility issues for baby boys in utero.
Wow! So often a medicine or treatment is touted as harmless until decades later when it is proved to be the opposite.
Stay safe! If it's man-made, it's probably NOT good for you.
Here is a link to the actual study report published in the Oxford Journals. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2010/11/08/humrep.deq323.full
And here's a link to the "plain english" version at Channel 4 News. http://www.channel4.com/news/painkillers-in-pregnancy-risk
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Juicing for Health
I am not an expert!
Andrea asked me about my juicing and to share my recipe. Andrea, this post is for you! :-) LOL.
My goal is to drink freshly made vegetable juice every morning to provide the vitamins that I might otherwise be lacking in my diet. Let's be honest, I don't eat a kale salad everyday and without juicing I wouldn't usually get 5 servings of a variety of veggies per day.
And I don't believe a multi-vitamin is a good source/substitute for healthy fresh vegetables. Most of the vitamin passes through the digestive system without the nutrients being absorbed, and most of the components of the average multi-vitamin are synthetically produced (inferior).
So. First thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, I make and drink my vegetable juice. The standard concoction is:
one bunch of chard,
half a bunch of kale,
half a bunch of parsley,
a carrot,
some radishes (with the greens),
a small chunk of gingerroot,
and a whole lime.
An apple makes it more sweet, but I don't have any on hand this week. Sometimes I add a beet because they have great vitamin content, but lately I've been pickling all my beets so I don't have any of those in the fridge either. A wedge of cabbage is good too, and very mild-tasting.
If you've never tried vegetable juicing, the thing to remember is that it is not a beverage to be sipped and enjoyed like a fresh cold lemonade on a warm day. The goal is nutrition. We don't savor our multi-vitamins.... so juice it, and drink it down! It really doesn't taste bad, but if you're expecting kale to magically taste like fresh-squeezed O.J. then you're going to be disappointed. :-(
Leslie at Not Mine This Time makes a nice beverage. It's 2 apples, a chunk of ginger, and a lemon. It's best to dilute this 50% with water. I tried it with Club Soda and that is good too. If you're a soda junkie and looking for a way to get off the sugar fizz, this would be a good alternative. Make your own soda! :-) It tastes like a Lemon-Lime/Ginger Ale with the apples providing the sweetness.
An important note! If you are going to juice anything, go for the freshest you can buy and go organic! You don't want to dump pesticides straight into your system. Farmer's Markets are everywhere now if you live in California, and these veggies are usually picked THAT morning and often raised without pesticides/herbicides. I have a favorite farmer that supplies all of my veggies for the week for about $25, so fresh and organic does NOT have to be expensive.
Grass-fed beef on the other hand..... very expensive.
Andrea asked me about my juicing and to share my recipe. Andrea, this post is for you! :-) LOL.
My goal is to drink freshly made vegetable juice every morning to provide the vitamins that I might otherwise be lacking in my diet. Let's be honest, I don't eat a kale salad everyday and without juicing I wouldn't usually get 5 servings of a variety of veggies per day.
And I don't believe a multi-vitamin is a good source/substitute for healthy fresh vegetables. Most of the vitamin passes through the digestive system without the nutrients being absorbed, and most of the components of the average multi-vitamin are synthetically produced (inferior).
So. First thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, I make and drink my vegetable juice. The standard concoction is:
one bunch of chard,
half a bunch of kale,
half a bunch of parsley,
a carrot,
some radishes (with the greens),
a small chunk of gingerroot,
and a whole lime.
An apple makes it more sweet, but I don't have any on hand this week. Sometimes I add a beet because they have great vitamin content, but lately I've been pickling all my beets so I don't have any of those in the fridge either. A wedge of cabbage is good too, and very mild-tasting.
If you've never tried vegetable juicing, the thing to remember is that it is not a beverage to be sipped and enjoyed like a fresh cold lemonade on a warm day. The goal is nutrition. We don't savor our multi-vitamins.... so juice it, and drink it down! It really doesn't taste bad, but if you're expecting kale to magically taste like fresh-squeezed O.J. then you're going to be disappointed. :-(
Leslie at Not Mine This Time makes a nice beverage. It's 2 apples, a chunk of ginger, and a lemon. It's best to dilute this 50% with water. I tried it with Club Soda and that is good too. If you're a soda junkie and looking for a way to get off the sugar fizz, this would be a good alternative. Make your own soda! :-) It tastes like a Lemon-Lime/Ginger Ale with the apples providing the sweetness.
An important note! If you are going to juice anything, go for the freshest you can buy and go organic! You don't want to dump pesticides straight into your system. Farmer's Markets are everywhere now if you live in California, and these veggies are usually picked THAT morning and often raised without pesticides/herbicides. I have a favorite farmer that supplies all of my veggies for the week for about $25, so fresh and organic does NOT have to be expensive.
Grass-fed beef on the other hand..... very expensive.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
6 weeks to go?
I'll be 30 weeks on Wednesday and it suddenly hits me that we could very well deliver in just 6 weeks! It's hard to believe that we are so close to the climax of this journey. Wow!
I measure 42 inches around now. My last weight (from last weekend) was 161. Dr. Biter's office called me with my lab test results: Glucose - negative for Gestational Diabetes; Hemoglobin - a little low in iron.
.....Which leads me to NUTRITION. I believe that most of us surrogates eat as well as we can, but sometimes we get into a rut and slack off on the veggies. I did this recently. I stopped juicing in the mornings because I was lazy about getting to the farmer's market and lazy about cleaning the juicer contraption. Instead of veggies I started eating sweets.... little bit of candy, some cookies, more candy and more cookies.... :-(
Anyway. I attended a short presentation at my chiropractor's office on Eating Well. I can't say that I learned anything new, but being there and hearing the facts gave me a renewed conviction of the importance of eating well. I replaced the sugar snacking with raw cashews by the handful. And after a couple of days I stopped craving the sugar and found the cashews to be really satisfying and guilt-free! I made some pickled beets and pickled carrots with bell pepper to keep handy in the fridge. They make a great snack or mini-meal too! I've never enjoyed raw carrot sticks so these are a great alternative for me.
And I'm back to juicing in the mornings: Swiss Chard, a carrot, some radishes, and an apple. At today's market I also bought some kale and parsley to add to the juicing. Did you know parsley has three times as much Vitamin C as an orange? Of course, it's hard to eat a handful of raw parsley but it's easy to add it to the juicer. :-)
I can't be sure, but I think Baby Girl has changed her position. Time will tell. Next appointment with Dr. Biter is November 17th.
I measure 42 inches around now. My last weight (from last weekend) was 161. Dr. Biter's office called me with my lab test results: Glucose - negative for Gestational Diabetes; Hemoglobin - a little low in iron.
.....Which leads me to NUTRITION. I believe that most of us surrogates eat as well as we can, but sometimes we get into a rut and slack off on the veggies. I did this recently. I stopped juicing in the mornings because I was lazy about getting to the farmer's market and lazy about cleaning the juicer contraption. Instead of veggies I started eating sweets.... little bit of candy, some cookies, more candy and more cookies.... :-(
Anyway. I attended a short presentation at my chiropractor's office on Eating Well. I can't say that I learned anything new, but being there and hearing the facts gave me a renewed conviction of the importance of eating well. I replaced the sugar snacking with raw cashews by the handful. And after a couple of days I stopped craving the sugar and found the cashews to be really satisfying and guilt-free! I made some pickled beets and pickled carrots with bell pepper to keep handy in the fridge. They make a great snack or mini-meal too! I've never enjoyed raw carrot sticks so these are a great alternative for me.
And I'm back to juicing in the mornings: Swiss Chard, a carrot, some radishes, and an apple. At today's market I also bought some kale and parsley to add to the juicing. Did you know parsley has three times as much Vitamin C as an orange? Of course, it's hard to eat a handful of raw parsley but it's easy to add it to the juicer. :-)
I can't be sure, but I think Baby Girl has changed her position. Time will tell. Next appointment with Dr. Biter is November 17th.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
28w Ultrasound
Hi. Well, the babies are fine. The babies are perfect! They are growing wonderfully and every organ is just as it should be. They are measuring 28w4d and 28w6d, and we are currently 28w4d, so they are just perfect.
But.....
Several days ago I felt a shift in their position. I thought it was baby boy moving out of transverse into a more vertical position and I've been waiting anxiously for today's appointment to see just where they are.
Baby Boy is pretty much just as he was -- transverse across the top with his head on my right. Baby Girl has moved OUT of vertex and has put her head right next to his, with her body laying at a diagonal (breech).
An interesting observation has been made by my ultrasound tech over the years.... she has noticed that mid-gestation ultrasounds after the full moon are often breech. It appears that the gravitational pull of the moon causes many babies to turn breech.
With a singleton, there is still plenty of time to turn vertex but with twins.... we'll have to wait and see.
We tried to get good pictures of the babes, but they are both facing my spine and declined to pose for the camera. :-(
She did see HAIR on the back of Baby Boy's head. I hope these little ones are born with a beautiful bushy head of hair! :-) Mine had little hair which didn't fill in decently until about a year old.
Oh, and both genders were confirmed without a glimmer of doubt. One Boy, One Girl.
But.....
Several days ago I felt a shift in their position. I thought it was baby boy moving out of transverse into a more vertical position and I've been waiting anxiously for today's appointment to see just where they are.
Baby Boy is pretty much just as he was -- transverse across the top with his head on my right. Baby Girl has moved OUT of vertex and has put her head right next to his, with her body laying at a diagonal (breech).
An interesting observation has been made by my ultrasound tech over the years.... she has noticed that mid-gestation ultrasounds after the full moon are often breech. It appears that the gravitational pull of the moon causes many babies to turn breech.
With a singleton, there is still plenty of time to turn vertex but with twins.... we'll have to wait and see.
We tried to get good pictures of the babes, but they are both facing my spine and declined to pose for the camera. :-(
She did see HAIR on the back of Baby Boy's head. I hope these little ones are born with a beautiful bushy head of hair! :-) Mine had little hair which didn't fill in decently until about a year old.
Oh, and both genders were confirmed without a glimmer of doubt. One Boy, One Girl.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
27 Weeks
Nothing much to report.
I saw Dr. Biter today for a quick check-up. I weigh 159 lbs (eek!) but I gained about 40 lbs with each of my babies, so I'm guessing a 50lb weight gain would be normal for me with twins. That means I can plan to gain another 20 lbs before the big day.
I am 27 weeks pregnant but measuring 32 weeks. I checked my circumference a couple days ago and it was still 38.5in so I've grown more up than out. :-)
My back brace is still a wonderful help and I generally put it on first thing in the morning before making breakfast and doing all my regular mommy life stuff. I have discovered, though, that it's best to take it off before sitting for any length of time. Otherwise, it adds extra pressure to the stomach which is uncomfortable and causes heartburn.
Screening for gestational diabetes sometime in the next week, then ultrasound on the 30th, and next appointment on November 3rd. We're now scheduling appointments at 2 week intervals.
:-)
I saw Dr. Biter today for a quick check-up. I weigh 159 lbs (eek!) but I gained about 40 lbs with each of my babies, so I'm guessing a 50lb weight gain would be normal for me with twins. That means I can plan to gain another 20 lbs before the big day.
I am 27 weeks pregnant but measuring 32 weeks. I checked my circumference a couple days ago and it was still 38.5in so I've grown more up than out. :-)
My back brace is still a wonderful help and I generally put it on first thing in the morning before making breakfast and doing all my regular mommy life stuff. I have discovered, though, that it's best to take it off before sitting for any length of time. Otherwise, it adds extra pressure to the stomach which is uncomfortable and causes heartburn.
Screening for gestational diabetes sometime in the next week, then ultrasound on the 30th, and next appointment on November 3rd. We're now scheduling appointments at 2 week intervals.
:-)
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
First Full Day
Today was my first full day of wearing my belly support combo. 6am to 8:30pm (removed for naptime). HONESTLY, my back doesn't even know I'm pregnant today. Wow! What a difference! And Wednesday is my laundry day so I've been loading the washer, transferring to dryer, folding, hanging, and the regular stuff (ie. driving the car, cleaning the kitchen, vacuuming).
Mother-To-Be Maternity Brace
and Amon Maternity Belly Band.
26 weeks today.
Mother-To-Be Maternity Brace
and Amon Maternity Belly Band.
26 weeks today.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Maternity Support Brace
I finally received my Amazon order for a maternity brace. It is the Mother-to-be Maternity Support in size Small. I know I will have a large belly by the end of this pregnancy, but the way this fits I think it is better to go with your pre-pregnancy dress size as the manufacturer recommends. Size Small is for dress sizes 3-7.
$32.99 - $44 Size Small is unfortunately hard to find.
I also ordered the Amon Maternity Belly Support Band in a size Small. This one too is hard to find in a size Small.
My plan was to use the two products together with the spandex-type support against my skin and the brace over the top. This way any chafing issues are eliminated. This works MUCH better than the Prenatal Cradle and I'm happy with the results.
The Mother-To-Be brace is highly adjustable and gives strong support to the lower back. There are inserts available (sold separately) for additional support, but I don't think they're necessary if you have a healthy back. It comes in three pieces, and instructions are included (you wouldn't think it would be necessary, but.... lol, it was, for me). The first piece is the front support band which has it's own elastic band that wraps around the back to velcro to the front. Then the back support is held in place and pulled tight to velcro to each side of the front support. The top band (across the top of the belly) is optional and attaches at the sides.
So I'm wearing the Amon Belly Band (alone, this is very light support and feels somewhat like a Braxton Hicks) with the Mother-To-Be brace over it. Since both work via compression, they do intensify the full-bladder sensation, but, I think that is unavoidable with any maternity support device.
It's definately not a sexy-looking contraption, but if you're looking for a STRONG maternity support to alleviate lower-back strain and arching, this combo gets my recommendation.
:-)
$32.99 - $44 Size Small is unfortunately hard to find.
I also ordered the Amon Maternity Belly Support Band in a size Small. This one too is hard to find in a size Small.
My plan was to use the two products together with the spandex-type support against my skin and the brace over the top. This way any chafing issues are eliminated. This works MUCH better than the Prenatal Cradle and I'm happy with the results.
The Mother-To-Be brace is highly adjustable and gives strong support to the lower back. There are inserts available (sold separately) for additional support, but I don't think they're necessary if you have a healthy back. It comes in three pieces, and instructions are included (you wouldn't think it would be necessary, but.... lol, it was, for me). The first piece is the front support band which has it's own elastic band that wraps around the back to velcro to the front. Then the back support is held in place and pulled tight to velcro to each side of the front support. The top band (across the top of the belly) is optional and attaches at the sides.
So I'm wearing the Amon Belly Band (alone, this is very light support and feels somewhat like a Braxton Hicks) with the Mother-To-Be brace over it. Since both work via compression, they do intensify the full-bladder sensation, but, I think that is unavoidable with any maternity support device.
It's definately not a sexy-looking contraption, but if you're looking for a STRONG maternity support to alleviate lower-back strain and arching, this combo gets my recommendation.
:-)
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